‘Oh, Dad, don’t say that.’
‘Facts are facts. What hospital did they take her to?’
‘I don’t know. It all happened so quickly and I didn’t think to ask.’
‘Whichever one it is, let’s hope your mum isn’t there half the night.’
Amy hoped so too, but by midnight there was still no sign of her mum. ‘I wonder why she isn’t home yet,’ she said, stifling a yawn.
‘Go to bed, love,’ her dad said. ‘I’ll wait up for your mum.’
There was a knock on the door and Amy jumped up to answer it. ‘Mum!’ she exclaimed as her mother staggered in, looking exhausted and close to tears. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I was flippin’ stranded and I’m worn out,’ she said, heading for the fire and flopping onto a chair.
‘What do you mean? How did you get stranded?’ Stan asked.
‘I didn’t have any money for the fare home so I had to walk.’
‘Oh Mum, I should have realised that you hadn’t taken your purse,’ Amy cried, appalled that it hadn’t even crossed her mind.
‘It wouldn’t have made any difference if you had. There’s nothing in it,’ she said bitterly.
There was a moment of silence, but then Stan said, ‘You should have told someone at the hospital, one of the nurses or something. They might have been able to sort something out.’
‘I was in too much of a state to think. I sat around for ages, but then they came to tell me that Winnie had passed away soon after we got there. I was then bombarded with questions. They wanted information about her next of kin too, and all I could tell them was her daughter’s married name and that she lived in Devon, Tiverton I think. After that, all I wanted was to get out of there and come home.’
‘Oh, Mum, you must be really upset,’ Amy said.
‘Yes, I am, but make me a hot drink, love, cocoa if there’s any left, and then we should all go to bed. I’ve got to be up at five in the morning.’
Amy went through to the kitchen, wishing as always that her mum didn’t have to get up so early to go out cleaning. She had said that her purse was empty, but her dad, as always, had enough money in his pocket to go to the pub. She made the drink, took it to the living room, tight lipped with indignation on her mother’s behalf as she found herself blurting out, ‘Here you are, Mum. It isn’t right that you had to walk all that way, not when some people have got money for booze.’
There was a moment’s silence and then her dad asked, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
Amy couldn’t believe she’d spoken out like that, and hastily kissed her mother on the cheek. ‘I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Mum,’ she said, her dad’s question unanswered as she turned on her heels and hurried upstairs.
They were quiet for a minute or two after Amy left the room, but then Stan said, ‘I don’t know what’s come over Amy, but I suppose that was aimed at me.’
Phyllis’s reply was clipped. ‘She shouldn’t have said that, but if the cap fits, wear it.’
‘Now listen here, I give you a fair whack of my wages.’
Phyllis gulped down her cocoa and then rose to her feet, only saying, ‘Not now, Stan. I’m tired and I’m going to bed.’
With that she went upstairs, and confused, Stan locked up before following her. He found Phyllis already in bed, the room so cold that he quickly threw off his clothes to climb in beside her, and said, ‘I don’t know why you’re being funny with me. How was I supposed to know that you didn’t have the fare home?’
‘I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that I’m upset about Winnie, and that long walk almost knocked me out. Now please, I’ve got to get up at the crack of dawn and need some sleep.’
Mollified, Stan said, ‘All right, love,’ and as his wife turned away from him he threw an arm around her waist, nestling close to her back.
Stan could tell by her breathing that Phyllis was soon asleep, while he remained awake, his thoughts turning. He wasn’t going to stand for Amy having a dig at him. Phyllis had never complained about the money he gave her and thinking back, he realised that things had been fine until she started looking after Winnie. It had worn her out, and though it wasn’t a nice way to look at it, he was relieved that the old girl had passed away. Things could get back to normal and Phyllis would be able to cope with her cleaning jobs.
As usual, when Amy got up at six thirty on Friday morning her mother was still at work. She had to make her dad’s breakfast, and with only one egg left she decided to fry it. He came down ten minutes later to find her in the kitchen, just about to pour boiling water into the teapot. She offered him no greeting, and instead went on to spread margarine on a couple of slices of toast.
He went back to the living room where soon after Amy took his breakfast through, still saying nothing as she turned to walk away.
‘Sit down, Amy,’ he commanded sternly.
Amy could guess what was coming and her heart began to thump. Her father was rarely angry, with her, or anyone else, but she had spoken out last night and he was obviously still annoyed. Well she was too, and she wasn’t sorry for what she had said. Defiantly she replied, ‘I’m going to get my bowl of cereal and then I’ll sit down.’
‘Fine, do that,’ he snapped.
Amy poured some cornflakes, but with only a little sugar in the bowl she left it for her mum and just added a little milk. She then carried it to the table and sat down, waiting for what was to come.
‘Right, my girl, from what you said last night, you seem to think it’s my fault that your mother had to walk home from the hospital. Is that right?’
‘Yes,’ she agreed.
‘Well let’s get a few things straight …’
Amy listened as her father spoke. All right, he may not have known that her mother didn’t have the fare home, but he still had money for beer on a Thursday night while her mother was broke. It gave Amy the courage to speak. ‘Mum’s worn out. Instead of going to the pub nearly every night, you should give her a bit more housekeeping money and then she could give up at least one of her jobs.’
His face suffused with anger and he snapped, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Your mum’s been doing too much because she chose to look after Winnie. It’s got nothing to do with money.’
‘But if she could just give up one of her jobs …’
‘That’s enough!’ he thundered.
Amy had never seen her father in such a temper. She lowered her head, saying
