got a little cleaning job. An hour after school and two at weekends.’
‘Blimey, fancy that. See, if she’s got herself a job she ain’t as daft as you think.’
Lily ignored the comment. Mavis hadn’t found the job herself but Lily couldn’t be bothered with explanations. She still had to sort the two boys out, and talk to their mothers. Oh, if only Ron was here to deal with it, and once again Lily knew that despite everything she was going to miss him. She also had to talk to Mavis about the birds and bees, but had no idea how to broach the subject. Sex was something her own mother had never spoken about and she’d grown up in ignorance. All right, it was a bit of a shock the first time, but it hadn’t done her any harm. Maybe a stern warning to keep away from blokes would be enough to put the frighteners up Mavis, without a long-winded explanation.
‘Mum, I’d best go. Promise me you’ll eat that stew later.’
‘Yeah, I promise.’
‘I still think you should see the doctor.’
‘Look, I’ve told you, I’m fine.’
‘Why do you have to be so stubborn?’
‘Me! It ain’t me who’s stubborn, it’s you. You’re just like your father.’
Lily had no memories of her father, a man who had been killed close to the end of the First World War in the year she’d been born. Lily knew it had been hard for her mother, could remember being looked after by her grandparents when she’d been forced to take on full-time work. ‘How come you always compare me to him?’
‘’Cos you really are like him, and not only in looks.’
‘Yeah, well, I’ll have to take your word for that.’
‘It must have been rotten for you, growing up without a dad.’
‘No, not really. I had Nan and Granddad, and I still miss them.’
‘Yeah, me too. I hate war, Lily. First I lost your dad, and then during the last conflict a bomb flattened me parents’ house, with them inside.’
‘I know, Mum,’ Lily said sadly.
‘I’ve upset us both now, and wish I hadn’t brought it up.’
‘Never mind, Mum, but I really have got to go. I’ll pop round again in the morning, and,’ she warned, ‘I want to see that you ate that stew.’
‘Don’t worry, I will. See you tomorrow, pet.’
Leaving her mother sitting by the fire, Lily left the house. She really was too thin, and Lily knew she had to get her mother to the doctor’s somehow. For now though, she had to sort those boys out, and knowing they’d be likely to be home from school now, she hurried back to Cullen Street.
Lily went to see Tommy Wilson’s mother first, pounding on the door, her head high with righteous indignation. When it was opened, she spat, ‘I want a word with you about your son.’
‘Oh, Gawd, what’s he been up to now?’ Olive Wilson asked.
‘Him and his friend Larry got hold of my daughter on the common. The dirty little buggers showed her their willies, and pulled up her skirt.’
‘They what!’ she screeched. ‘Bloody hell, you’d better come in.’
Lily stepped inside, but when they walked into the kitchen she was puzzled by Tommy’s reaction. Instead of fear, Tommy just smiled when he saw her. He was a nice-looking lad with dark hair and green eyes, but at only fourteen, coming up fifteen, his build was tall and lanky. Lily fixed her eyes on his face, waiting to see his guilt when his mother spoke to him angrily.
‘Mrs Jackson says you got hold of her daughter. Is that right?’
‘Got hold of her. What do you mean?’
‘Did you and Larry show Mavis your thingies?’
A light seemed to dawn in Tommy’s eyes. ‘Oh, yeah, but that was about a month ago and we only did it’ cos she asked us to.’
‘She asked you to?’
‘Yeah, Mum. She’s a bit funny, a weirdo, and every chance she gets the daft cow latches on to us. She’s always trying to get us to show her our willies and, just to shut her up, we did.’
‘You’re lying,’ Lily snapped. ‘It wasn’t like that and you know it.’
‘Ask Larry if you don’t believe me,’ Tommy said.
‘Oh, I will, you can be sure of that.’
‘Tommy, swear to me that you’re telling the truth,’ Olive ordered.
‘Mum, I swear,’ Tommy said earnestly. ‘On my life, we didn’t touch her.’
Olive turned to fix her eyes on Lily. ‘I know my son and he’s telling the truth. If you ask me, it’s your daughter who needs sorting out. It sounds like she’s acting like a little tart.’
Shocked and floundering, Lily said, ‘I’ll see what Larry has to say.’ She spun around and without another word marched out of the house.
When Mavis left school she ran almost all the way to the route Sandra would take on her way home. She had to find her, to talk to her, her face pinched with anxiety as she scanned the street.
At last Mavis saw Sandra walking along, thankfully alone, and, quickening her pace, she caught up with her. ‘Sandra, please, you know what I told you this morning? Please, please, don’t tell anyone.’
‘Mavis, it’s all right. I only told my mum.’
‘Oh, no! No! She’ll pass it on to my mum. Oh, God, she’ll kill me!’ Hand over her mouth, Mavis fled.
‘Wait, you didn’t do anything wro …’
Blood pounding in her ears, Mavis didn’t hear Sandra. She ran blindly at first, but then unable to carry on she at last stopped, her chest heaving as she drew in great gulps of air. How could she go home now? How could she face her mother?
Feet dragging, Mavis made her way to Mrs Pugh’s house, and when the woman opened the door, she felt she had found sanctuary.
‘Hello, Mavis, come on in,’ the woman said. ‘You look upset. Are you all right?’
It was a quarter to five, but Mrs Pugh hadn’t said anything about her tardiness and, fighting for composure, Mavis said, ‘Ye … yes, I’m fine.’
‘I expect you’re a little nervous, but there’s no need. I’m not an ogre, though I am rather fussy when it comes to cleaning. We’ll concentrate on the sitting room today,’ Mrs Pugh said, indicating with a crook of her finger that Mavis should follow her.
Despite feeling sick with fear at the thought of going home, Mavis found her eyes widening. The room was immaculate. There was a cream and brown brocade three piece suite, the sofa facing the fireplace and a chair each side. The curtains were also cream,
