h.e.l.lo Frankie, you come and sit down "ere next to me," Alice told her warmly. You know what these men are like, all they wanna do is talk business," she said, laughing.
Frankie was surprised to see the table laid.
Noticing her expression, Alice smiled. Didn"t Jed tell you? We"re having a nice family meal. Billy and Marky, Jed"s brothers, will be here soon with their wives and chavvies. Now you"re living here and having my grandchild, we gotta introduce you to the family, ain"t we?"
Frankie felt like a fish out of water. She had been nervous enough officially meeting Jed"s parents, let alone his brothers and their wives.
While Alice waffled on about baby names, Frankie studied the decor in the house. It was decked out in china and some of the ornaments were like those Jed had in his trailer.
What are you looking at the china? Or my Jimmy"s bra.s.s collection?"
Both," Frankie said, embarra.s.sed.
I"ll take you upstairs later and show you me handmade dollies. Beautiful they are, Frankie. All we need now is for you to have a little girl, so we got someone in the family to appreciate "em. Did Jed tell you that I was pregnant and recently lost a baby?"
Frankie nodded. I"m sorry, Alice."
Alice"s eyes filled with tears. Rushed to hospital bleeding to f.u.c.k I was, and do you know the worst thing about it?"
Incredibly uncomfortable, Frankie wished Jed would reappear. He"d gone into the other room with his dad. What?" Frankie asked awkwardly.
The nurse asked me if I wanted to know the s.e.x of it. I said yes and she told me it was a girl. All I ever wanted was a daughter, and although I was blessed with three beautiful boys, I still crave one. Billy and Marky have got three kids between "em and they"re all boys as well. The doctors say it"s too dangerous for me to have another one now, so I need you to produce me a little granddaughter, Frankie. Do you think you can do that for me?"
Frankie nodded dumbly. She wasn"t usually lost for words, but Alice was very loud and overpowering.
As soon as Jed and Jimmy returned, Alice went off to prepare the dinner. Jed was engrossed in deep conversation with his father, so Frankie amused herself by studying her new family.
Jimmy was tall and very broad-shouldered. He had dark brown hair that was greying round the edges and his nose was flat and was squashed towards the right side of his face. He was certainly no looker Jed didn"t resemble him one little bit, thank G.o.d. Glancing towards the kitchen, Frankie watched Alice peel the potatoes. Apart from their eye colour, Jed didn"t really look like his mum either, as she was plump and short with long black hair. Alice had always considered herself to have a sixth sense, and without even turning around, she knew Frankie was watching her.
If you"re that interested in what I"m doing, come out here and peel these carrots," she chuckled.
Frankie was mortified as she slunk towards her. I was just looking at your kitchen. It"s very pretty," she said apologetically.
Alice handed her a strange-looking object. Peel from the top downwards," she ordered.
Frankie had rarely prepared or cooked anything in her life. Her mum had been the boss in the kitchen, and Frankie barely knew how to boil an egg.
Alice s.n.a.t.c.hed the sc.r.a.per out of her hand and showed her exactly how to use it. One golden rule, Frankie. You need to be a good cook to keep your mush happy. A good-looking boy like my Jed could have any filly he wanted. You don"t wanna lose him now, do you?"
No," Frankie whispered.
Alice smiled. Well, that"s settled then. From tomorrow while Jed"s out grafting, you come to me and I"ll teach you how to cook."
The doorbell saved Frankie from replying.
Go back and sit at the table. That"ll be one of Jed"s brothers, and his wife will need some female company."
Like a scolded puppy, Frankie sidled into her seat.
Sitting at the table alone, Jed smiled at her. How you getting on with me mum?" he asked.
Great," Frankie lied. She could hardly tell Jed that his mother frightened the living daylights out of her.
Jimmy reappeared with a fattish lad, who had the same piercing green eyes as Jed, and a tarty-looking blonde girl. Jed nudged Frankie and urged her to stand up.
Frankie, this is my brother Billy and his wife, Shannon."
Frankie politely shook hands, disliking both Billy and Shannon on sight. Billy had a s...o...b..ry kind of look about him and Frankie noticed him staring at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Shannon was just hideous. Her hair was dyed a yellowish blonde, showing at least two inches of dark brown roots. She was dripping in gold jewellery and her outfit consisted of a denim skirt so short that it barely covered her b.u.t.tocks, a pink b.o.o.b tube that looked far too small, and knee-length white plastic boots. Considering she was obviously about five months pregnant, she didn"t look good, to say the least.
A sulky-looking dark-haired boy ran into the room and Shannon grabbed him. This is Billy Junior, but everyone calls him Mush."
Frankie smiled politely as little Mush kicked his mother in the shins. He"s lovely," she lied. When is your other one due?"
As soon as the room fell silent, Frankie knew she"d said the wrong thing.
Shannon isn"t pregnant, Frankie," Jed said, embarra.s.sed.
Frankie was mortified. I"m so sorry."
Shannon glared at her, then at Jed. Trust you to end up with some dinlo gorjer," she said nastily.
In a huff, Shannon stomped out to the kitchen to see Alice. I"m sorry, Jed, you know what Shannon"s like, she didn"t mean what she said," Billy mumbled, as he followed his wife out of the room.
Don"t worry, she"ll be OK in a minute," Jed soothingly told Frankie.
What"s a gorjer? I"m sure you told me once before, but I"ve forgotten," Frankie asked. She already knew from Jed"s expressions that dinlo meant stupid.
It just means a non-gypsy girl. You sit "ere a minute while I go and sort it out," Jed said.
As Frankie sat alone in the dining room, she put her head in her hands. Apart from Jimmy, who didn"t say very much, Jed"s family were just awful, and for the first time since she"d met Jed, Frankie had doubts as to what she"d let herself in for.
Another person in the middle of a crisis was Raymond, who was currently pacing up and down his deceased sister"s living room. It was Polly"s mum"s birthday that night, and he was meant to be taking them to a select West End restaurant.
You ain"t gonna leave me here on my own with Nan, are you, Ray?" Joey asked solemnly.
Shaking his head, Raymond sat on the sofa. His f.u.c.ked-up family were doing his head in lately, and all their dramas certainly weren"t doing his relationship any good. Ray picked up his mobile. Polly was sure to be well p.i.s.sed off when he told her he had to cancel yet again.
Desperate for a bit of privacy, Raymond told Joey to take the dogs out for a quick walk. As soon as the door slammed, he made the call.
I"m sorry, babe, but I don"t think I can get there tonight. Me mum"s ill; I"m round there at the moment. The doctor"s upstairs with her as we speak."
Oh Raymond, you must come. It doesn"t matter if you get there late. What"s wrong with your mum? Is she really ill or is it just flu or something?"
Raymond rubbed his tired eyes. He loved Polly and would be devastated if she grew sick of his problems and binned him. He debated whether to tell his girlfriend the truth, but quickly decided against it. How could he tell her that his father had f.u.c.ked off and his mother had taken a hammer to the old man"s pigeon shed? Polly"s parents had their faults. Her mum was a big drinker and her dad was a bit of a know-all but, compared to his own parents, they were reasonably normal.
I think it"s all the grief caught up with her. She had a funny turn today and fainted. Joey"s here on his own with her. I can"t leave him, Polly."
Where"s your dad?" Polly asked. Can"t he look after her?"
No, he"s got a few problems of his own, so he"s had to go away for a few days. I"m so sorry, Polly. I"ll make it up to you, I promise, babe."
Polly, for once, wasn"t so understanding. I"m furious, Raymond, absolutely furious," she screamed, as she slammed the phone down.
p.i.s.sed off with events, Raymond went into the kitchen and poured himself a large Scotch. To say his life had been difficult recently was a huge understatement. Polly was the only thing that even got him through the days, and he knew it was time to reward her patience and perhaps propose.
Ray took a swig of his drink as he heard the doctor coming down the stairs. Well?" he asked hopefully.
I"ve sedated your mother and she seems comfortable. She"s probably just suffering from a mixture of stress and grief. Losing a child affects people in different ways and it might have caused a minor breakdown. I suggest we see how she is in the morning and go from there. I"ve done all I can for now, but she might need to be hospitalised for a short period. I know a very good psychiatrist and I"ll leave you his card just in case you need to contact him."
Raymond thanked the doc and showed him to the door. Polly and her parents would be well impressed if they knew that his mother was on the verge of being shoved in a loony bin.
When Joey returned with Bruno and Buster, Raymond spoke to him gently. Listen, mate, Nanny"s fine. The doctor"s given her something to calm her down. Now I think the best thing I can do is shoot over to your grandad"s and see if I can sort things out between them. You don"t wanna be stuck here with your nan and neither do I. If Grandad comes back, he can take care of her."
Joey looked scared. What if she wakes up while you"re gone? You"ve seen what she"s done to the shed, Ray. What if she goes off her head again?"
She won"t," Raymond said confidently.
Approximately half a mile down the road, Frankie"s night was going from bad to worse. Shannon was now extremely drunk and kept throwing nasty little digs her way. Jed was oblivious to what his sister-in-law was up to. He was too wrapped up discussing business with his dad and brother. As the three men stood up to leave the table, Frankie"s heart lurched. Surely he wasn"t going to leave her alone with his mum and Shannon.
Noticing her look of despair, Jed called her into the hallway. What"s a matter, babe?"
Where you going?" Frankie asked him fearfully.
Jed put his arms around her and squeezed her b.u.t.tocks against his groin. I won"t be long. I"m only going in the lounge to have a game of cards with me dad and Bill."
Please don"t leave me on my own, Jed. Your sister-in-law really doesn"t like me. Ever since I said I thought she was pregnant, she"s been saying horrible stuff and giving me daggers. I feel like a gooseberry with her and your mum. I don"t really know "em that well, so can"t I just go back to the trailer?"
Jed pulled away from her. No, you can"t, Frankie. Me mum"s just cooked you dinner and if you f.u.c.k off, it"s rude. We"re living together now, so you"re gonna have to get used to our way of life. It"s the norm in travelling families for the women to sit chatting and the men to go off and do other stuff. You"ve gotta learn to mix better. If Shannon gives you a hard time, then give it to her back."
Frankie"s eyes welled up, but in seconds tears were replaced by fire. OK, I"ll be polite, but if she keeps getting on my case, then I"ll tell her her fortune. And as for your mum telling me she needs to give me cooking lessons otherwise you"ll leave me, if she starts again, I"ll tell her an" all."
Frankie went to walk away, but Jed violently yanked her back by the arm. Say what you like to Shannon, but don"t you ever disrespect my mum, else you"ll have me to deal with."
Shocked by the way he"d grabbed her and the look on his face, Frankie lowered her eyes. Of course I won"t, Jed. I"m sorry."
As Jed kissed her and went off to play cards, Frankie wandered back into the kitchen.
There you are," Alice said, patting the seat next to her.
Shannon glared at Frankie. Now you"re back, gorjer girl, I"m going outside for a smoke."
Alice smiled as Shannon left the room. Between me and you, I"ve never liked Shannon that much. Old s.h.i.tty drawers is my nickname for her. Jimmy"s great-great-grandfather was Irish, but why my Billy married an Irish tinker, I"ll never know. They ain"t decent travellers like us English ones. Sc.u.m, they are. Take no notice of her behaviour. She"s just jealous because you"re prettier than her," she whispered to Frankie.
Shocked by Jed"s mother"s kindness, Frankie was lost for words. She didn"t want to involve herself too much in family business she knew nothing about, and Alice had been all over Shannon like a rash earlier.
Where"s Jed"s other brother, Marky?" she asked Alice.
Oh, Marky can"t make it. Rang up over an hour a go, he did. His youngest chavvie, Teddy boy, fell over. Got a big gash down his leg, he has, and they"ve taken him up the hospital."
Frankie didn"t know how to react. Will he be OK?" she whispered.
Alice laughed. Teddy"s a tough kid. He"ll be fine. You just worry about yourself and that grandchild of mine, Frankie. I dunno if Jed"s told you, but I can see the future. My grandma was the same, and her mum before her. It"s a gift that"s been pa.s.sed down through the generations. You know I told you earlier that the nurse asked me if I wanted to know the s.e.x of my child when I miscarried. Well, I already knew it was a girl. Jimmy didn"t believe me that"s why I wanted "em to confirm it. I also knew that my pregnancy was cursed. I kept telling my Jimmy, but he wouldn"t listen."
Alice smiled sadly and held Frankie"s hand. I know you"re having a little girl, Frankie. I can sense it, in fact I"ve never been so sure of anything in me life."
Frankie"s eyes were as big as flying saucers. But, how do you know?" she asked. Alice was staring at her and completely freaking her out.
Alice chuckled. Because I do. Now listen to me, I know you ain"t got your own mum to help out, but I want you to know I"ll be there for you every step of the way. I"ll teach you everything you need to know, and between me and you, that little girl will want for nothing."
Frankie nodded dumbly.
Alice took another gulp of wine, then continued. If you ever wanna talk to your mum, you just ask me, and I"ll sort it. I speak to the dead on a regular basis, you know. People come from all over to see me. It"s a gift, Frankie, a special gift."
When Shannon walked back in, Frankie was actually pleased to see her. I won"t be a minute, I"m just going to the toilet," she said as she ran out the room.
Frankie locked the bathroom door and put her head in her hands. Alice had given her the heebies. Thinking of her own mother, Frankie began to cry. She had never truly appreciated her when she was alive, but she did now. Feeling extremely disturbed by Alice"s comments, Frankie stared at the ceiling. Mum, if you"re up there and you can see or hear me, I just want you to know that I miss you and I love you very much," she whispered.
Jed"s arrival stopped her from saying any more. You in there, Frankie? Are you OK?" he shouted.
Won"t be a sec," Frankie replied.
Wiping her eyes with toilet paper, Frankie quickly pulled herself together. Her mum was dead, her dad was in prison, and there wasn"t anything she could do to change that. As she unlocked the bathroom door, Jed took her in his arms.
I"ve finished playing cards now, so shall we go back to the trailer?"
Frankie clung to him. The whole get-together had been horrific from start to finish. The company, the conversation, and even Alice"s lamb stew had all left a bitter taste in her mouth. Jed"s family were not her type of people and, to put it bluntly, Frankie couldn"t get away from them quickly enough.
Raymond checked his watch as he sat in the restaurant with Polly and her family. He couldn"t be too long, it wasn"t fair on Joey. He had popped in to see his dad earlier and had begged him to return to the house in Rainham, but Stanley was having none of it.
You should have heard the things she said to me, Raymond. I hate to say it, but your mother is a wicked, vicious woman, with a tongue like acid. I want no more to do with her. She"s never supported me, all she"s ever done is put me down, and if it weren"t for her encouraging Jess to marry Eddie in the first place, your sister would still be alive."
Surprised by the change in his usually mild-mannered father, Raymond had left shortly afterwards. Polly was ignoring his calls, and he needed to make things OK with her. His girlfriend had been delighted when he"d turned up unexpectedly at the restaurant. He"d been too late for the meal they"d already eaten but even so, Polly had made a real fuss of him.
Squeezing Polly"s hand now, Raymond smiled at her. I"m gonna have to make a move soon, babe. I can"t leave Joey alone with Mum for too long."
Polly was well over her earlier strop. I understand, but thanks for coming, Ray. It means such a lot to me."
Raymond said his goodbyes to her family and urged Polly to follow him outside, where he kissed her tenderly. Keep Sat.u.r.day free. I"ve got a nice surprise for you," he whispered.
Polly smiled. She just loved Raymond"s surprises.
Aware of his nan screaming obscenities and her footsteps plodding down the stairs, Joey was frozen to the armchair. His uncle Raymond said he wouldn"t be long, but he"d been gone for almost three hours.
As Joyce threw open the living-room door, Buster and Bruno cowered in the corner. They might be Rottweilers, but they were no match for Joyce.
Seeing the look on his nan"s face, Joey"s voice shook. Are you OK, Nan?" he stuttered. What"s the matter?"
OK? OK? Do I look f.u.c.king OK?" Joyce screamed.