Kay Brellend - The Family

Faye had known for some time that, with Mackinley threatening to send in the bailiffs, a flit was imminent, but it had never occurred to her that they’d be dragged as far away as North London. Then one evening Jimmy had come home from the market empty-handed but with a sly smile that’d prompted Edie to demand why he was looking so pleased with himself when there was no food for their supper. Faye now knew that had been one of the rare occasions he’d given her mother a truthful answer. He’d run into someone from the old days, and they’d given him some right good news about how well one of his sons was doing.

Faye’s eyes slipped sideways. Jimmy probably wasn’t feeling quite so chipper now the reunion had taken place and his sons had made it clear they wanted nothing to do with him. She turned to focus properly on Jimmy, who was frowning at the newspaper pinned beneath his elbows, tapping his teeth with a pencil. He’d been sitting like that for some time, leaving Faye and her mother to bring some sort of order to their seedy home. Faye turned away from the front-room window and swept the room with her gaze, taking in the stained and sagging flock mattress that covered the bed, which had been pushed against the wall to make room for the rest of the furniture, all of it shabby and clearly on its last legs. In the back room, where she would sleep with Michael and Adam, there was a tiny iron bed for her and a large flock mattress on the floor for the boys. All the bedding was in a similar sorry state with springs and wadding exposed in places.

Faye’s eyes returned to Jimmy, who was squinting fixedly at the racing pages, sucking on his pencil. Luckily it seemed he hadn’t been eavesdropping on her conversation with Edie. A five-pound note was rare treasure and she wasn’t going to let anyone deprive her of it. She could get a decent secondhand tea service for a few shillings, perhaps some dinner plates as well to sweeten her mother and make her forget about bringing up the subject with Jimmy’s son when next their paths crossed. Faye would tell Edie she’d treat her to the new set from her wages. Fortunately she’d already found a job.

Earlier that day, as they’d made their way along Blackstock Road towards The Bunk, she’d seen an advert for an assistant being placed in the window of a baker’s shop. The fellow had noticed her looking at it and had smiled and jerked his head, inviting her in. She’d smiled right back, knowing even before she pushed open the door that the job was hers if she wanted it. She’d told Michael to wait outside with their boxes and a few minutes later she’d emerged with a position that paid fourteen shillings a week. It wasn’t much, considering the long hours. She’d wanted more, but having seen her family go by carrying boxes of possessions the old miser had put two and two together and come up with somebody desperately in need of a job. So on Friday she’d buy the crockery for her mother and put the fiver in a hiding place.

She wasn’t being greedy or selfish, Faye told herself; she just wanted to start a little nest egg that someday soon would take her and Adam – Michael, too, if he wanted to come – a million miles away from her rotten stepfather … and her pathetically weak mother.

‘Wait a moment, for Heaven’s sake,’ Faye hissed as her mother attempted to delve into her bag before she was completely out of the shop. ‘At least let’s get up the road in case he sees and gets suspicious.’ She slung a glance over her shoulder at the bakery whilst walking swiftly away from it. But her boss, Mr Travis, was busy pulling down the shop blinds in the window furthest away from them.

‘Didn’t you get a pie?’ Edie moaned, peering in and poking at the contents of her daughter’s canvas bag. ‘You know your dad’ll be expecting a meat pie.’

‘They were all sold by this afternoon.’

‘Couldn’t you’ve put one by early on?’ Edie huffed.

‘No, I couldn’t,’ Faye snapped in exasperation. ‘Getting loaves or buns out is bad enough. Are you trying to lose me me job when I’ve only had it a short while?’

‘That’s nothing fer his dinner then …’cept a bit of bread and dripping,’ Edie whined as she again poked about in the bag that held two small white loaves.

‘Well, bread and dripping it is then, for him same as the rest of us for a change,’ Faye responded tersely. ‘And it’s the last time I’m pinching anything at all. Old Mr Travis ain’t stupid. I’ll get the sack and no reference either. Might even end up in court. Then what we going to do? It’s only us two earning; what’s he doing, apart from sitting on his backside reading the paper, or leaning on the railing outside, watching the world go by? Let him buy his own bloody meat pie!’

‘You watch yer tongue,’ Edie hissed, thrusting a finger under her daughter’s nose. ‘Your dad’s looking fer work. Ain’t much about for men his age. And you know he’s got bad knees.’

‘Doesn’t afflict him when he’s charging up to the pub at opening time, does it?’ Faye snapped. ‘And I suppose there wasn’t much about a year ’n’ a half ago when you took up with him, was there?’ Faye pointed out fiercely. ‘In fact, what’s he ever done except live off us?’

Edie turned red and gawped at her daughter. She knew that Faye didn’t like Jimmy and never had, but until now she’d kept her tongue in check, just letting slip the occasional hint that she considered Jimmy a lazy, bullying bugger. Considering the trouble she’d caused, you’d think the little madam would toe the line! If it hadn’t been for Faye, she might never have got involved with Jimmy Wild in the first place.

Edie was also coming to the conclusion that Jimmy was a wrong ‘un, but now that he had her pinned under his thumb, she despaired of ever ridding herself of him. The charmer with the soppy smile who’d won her over and gained her trust had long since disappeared. But not before he’d moved in with her and got his boots well and truly under her bed. Any hint from her that she’d had enough of him and he’d come back with threats to tell her kids a tale about the time he’d first met their ma, years ago, when he was working in that hospital in Kent … And Edie couldn’t bear to let them suffer hearing those ghastly details.

Besides, Edie had learned some painful lessons about the consequences of telling Jimmy Wild to sling his hook. Best not to rile him, he always said, stroking the place he’d struck. Edie had to agree, especially on that occasion when his eyes had travelled until they landed on little Adam, grizzling on the floor. He didn’t like whining kids, he’d told her, and she’d scooped the boy up and got him quickly out of sight. So far she was sure he saved his temper for her. But Faye was starting to rock the boat and that made Edie fearful. ‘What’s brought this on with you?’ Edie cried, angry now. ‘You’ve always got to be contrary, ain’t you, and cause trouble. And you got no right to, considering what I’ve had to put up with from you, miss!’

Faye looked at her mother, startled by her ferocity. ‘If you’re that bothered, I’ll buy a bloody meat pie and fetch it in with me later.’

‘Bakers’ll all be sold out by now,’ Edie grumbled.

‘Corner shop might have one.’

‘He’ll want a nice fresh one … out o’ Travis’s. Anyhow, why lay out good money on what you should’ve got fer nuthin’?’

‘I’m going for a walk; I’ll be back later,’ Faye muttered, exasperated, and started to move away. Her mother darted after her, tugging on her arm. ‘You’d best come home and explain to yer dad. He’s expecting something more’n bread for his tea.’

‘I wish I’d never brought a damned pie home last week,’ Faye shouted, swinging about. ‘And don’t keep calling him me dad! He’s not! He’s just Jimmy.’ Suddenly desperate to escape her mother, she made to dart across the road, straight into the path of an oncoming car. The driver was forced to slam on the brakes and swerve sharply to avoid knocking her over. She gasped and clutched double-handed at the shiny coachwork to steady herself, eyes closed tight and wincing at the driver’s angry holler. It was a moment before she opened her eyes and recognised the fellow who was in the process of leaping out of the vehicle, his expression thunderous.