Kitty Neale - A Family’s Heartbreak

‘What, forever? Not just for three days or seven years? We’re going to live with Craig forever? Timmy asked.

‘Yes,’ she said, watching Peter’s face light up. ‘Eventually we’ll have to find a bigger place, but we won’t be coming back here. Craig’s flat is a bit small, and you two will have to share the front room with him while we girls have the bedroom. Hopefully it won’t be for long. I’m back at work on Monday, and I’m sure Gloria will find a job soon, so we’ll be able to find a larger flat or even a little house to rent.’

Gloria stamped back into the kitchen. ‘Are you still going on about me finding a job? I told you, Queenie said I can work part-time in her fag shop, starting next week.’

‘Yes, but I’m not happy about that. You need to be bringing in full-time wages, and that Dennis upstairs will be too much of a distraction for you.’

‘Stop telling me what I can and can’t do! It’s bad enough that you try to dictate where I work and who I see, but now you’re telling me where I’ve got to live too. You’re not my mother!’ Gloria glowered at her sister.

‘No and thank goodness for that! I’d be ashamed to have such a brat as a daughter!’ Jenny snapped. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh, but now it was said she couldn’t retract it. Her sister really was trying her patience.

Gloria threw her a vile look, but Jenny could see it was masking her hurt, then she spun on her heels and walked out.

‘Gloria … wait … I’m sorry,’ Jenny called.

Pamela then slipped into the room and asked, ‘What’s the matter with Gloria? What’s going on?’

‘I said something I shouldn’t and now she’s got a strop on,’ Jenny replied, rubbing her forehead in despair. She’d hoped this would be a happy day, but it didn’t appear to be for Gloria. ‘I’ll just have to grovel a bit and maybe she’ll come round.’

‘We’re all moving into Craig’s flat and Daddy isn’t coming,’ Peter said with gusto.

At least the boys were pleased, and though Pamela didn’t show her feelings, Jenny knew she was too. ‘Will you take your brothers upstairs and help them to pack their things?’ she asked her sister. ‘Remember, only take what they really need. There won’t be room for everything.’

The boys ran upstairs with Pamela following. Jenny relished the silence as she pulled a notepad and pencil from her pocket. She sat at the table and began to write.

Dad,

I’ve taken the boys and my sisters to live somewhere else.

I’m sure this won’t come as too much of a shock to you, and I don’t suppose you’ll be sad about it.

I know you did your best, but it wasn’t good enough.

Take care,

Jenny

The note was short, simple and to the point. She couldn’t bring herself to sign off ‘with love’ or to add any kisses. She didn’t feel the need to spell out their reasons for leaving as she figured he must be aware of the pain he’d caused her, and how much he’d scared his own children. She pushed the note to the middle of the table and took one last look around the kitchen. It was the only home she’d ever known. She and her siblings had all been born in this house, but she wasn’t sad to say goodbye to it. Any happy memories she’d once had were tarnished now by her father’s viciousness.

Their home had been ruined the day their mother had left it.

Later that evening, Henry was fuming as he marched out of the pub and stomped home. He hadn’t liked hearing that Lizzie was now hooked up with an American musician, and she’d already been throwing rumours around about marrying the bloke. One week! She’d been shacked up with the wanker for one week and she was talking wedding bells.

‘Over my dead body,’ Henry muttered through gritted teeth. She couldn’t marry the idiot if she wasn’t divorced, and there wasn’t a hope in hell of him agreeing to one.

When he arrived home, Henry was too wrapped up in spiteful thoughts about Lizzie to realise that his kids weren’t around. He marched through to the kitchen, expecting his dinner would be in the oven, but he couldn’t eat. Instead, he reached to the top of the larder for his bottle of whiskey. He dragged out a wooden chair and slumped down, then unscrewed the bottle to take several large glugs of the alcohol before shouting, ‘Where the fuck is everyone? Jenny!’

As Henry was about to take another swig from the bottle, he noticed the note on the table. He reached out, grabbed it and read it through bleary eyes. ‘Huh, so you’ve all fucked off … just like your mother, the fucking lot of you! See if I care. See how you manage without my pay packet.’

He read the note again, but it didn’t occur to him that he could be the reason they’d left. He didn’t look at himself and question why. He screwed the note up and threw it to the floor before drinking from the bottle again. Sod the lot of them. His house and his life would be quiet from now on and that suited him fine. He’d have more money in his pocket, and with the kids gone there’d be no excuse for Lizzie to turn up. He might miss the boys a bit, but he didn’t want to set eyes on any of the bitches again; no, he didn’t want to see his wife or his daughters.

It was mid-June and Jenny had been living at Craig’s for a month now. She’d felt awkward at first, especially about Craig seeing her first thing in the morning with her wild red hair. Now, though, she was more relaxed and they’d all settled into a routine. All except for Gloria. Jenny had expected her sister to show Craig a bit more gratitude but instead she was often nasty to him and made it quite clear that she didn’t enjoy living there. Jenny took some solace in knowing they’d all be moving to a larger home, just as soon as she and Craig had saved enough money. She hoped Gloria would then be happier and a bit more charitable towards her brothers and sister too.

Jenny heard a tap on the front door and felt herself tense. She still feared her father would find them, though as far as she knew he hadn’t been to their gran’s to look for them. She glanced across at Pamela. The girl was sitting on the sofa eating her breakfast but had turned deathly white.

‘What’s wrong?’ Craig asked.

‘There’s someone knocking on the door,’ Jenny answered.

‘What, up here?’

‘Yes … w-w-what if …’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll answer it,’ Craig said reassuringly.

Moments later, Jenny heard muffled laughter and once again relaxed. Then Craig returned to the front room carrying a large box wrapped in brown paper. He looked to be struggling so Jenny suspected the package was heavy.

‘It was a delivery I’ve been expecting. Edith had let him in downstairs.’

‘What’s in the box?’ Timmy asked as he and Peter ran in from the bathroom.

‘A surprise,’ Craig answered and placed it in the middle of the floor.

‘Is it a surprise for us?’ Peter asked.

‘It’s for all of us.’

Timmy ran forward and sat next to the box. ‘Can we open it?’