Honour of the Line (18 page)

Being an immature teenage boy I decided to take the money rather than open the box but my next problem was who would be my witness. Mum and Dad weren’t options, although the deal didn’t say they couldn’t ever see their Grandson so, eventually after much soul searching, I decided to ask Georgina’s brother Bob if he would do the honours on my behalf. Bob had left school and was a bricklayer on a site in the middle of town so, if willing, he would be able to meet me as soon as he had finished work the following day. I knew beyond all doubt he could be trusted. Georgina and I left the rec and went back to her house to have a word with Bob and he instantly agreed and said it would be an honour to be my witness. At that moment it hit me that this was the big boys world and your word meant absolutely everything. There was no turning back once you had sworn. Shamefully this was the right decision for me but it was starting to leave a really bitter taste in my mouth.

Wednesday’s school seemed to really drag until after dinner when a Youth Employment Officer spoke to all of us who would be leaving in the next few weeks. He made us all realise that starting work was like your first day at school. You were the new boy and would not be treated too great to say the least. He had a list of jobs on offer and none were very appealing, neither were the wages. Desperately I tried to blank the thoughts of my payout and tried my hardest to reason what were my best options and not once did football become a consideration. When he had finished we were able to approach him in turn in case we fancied being interviewed for any of the jobs which were on offer. My decision was really quite easy. The local council had two vacancies in their Parks and Pleasures Department for trainee gardeners. Although the wages were poor the big plus was that during the summer months there was virtually unlimited overtime grass cutting and the icing on the cake was that overtime paid time and a half. I was told I would receive a letter within the next few days confirming an interview and although I didn’t really fancy it I was somewhat relieved as, afterall, with my record I was in no position whatsoever to choose or be picky.

With a spring in my step I ran home to tell Mum the news and she was so happy, albeit I hadn’t yet got the job and Daisy asked if I would show her how to grow a nice flower border in our garden. This made me realise that, at times, I had been a real shit brother. It was then I had to tell a rather big white lie by saying I was going to Georgina’s house for tea, but good old Mum didn’t smell a rat, she was just happy things seemed to be working out at last for me.

Bob and I met up and walked with trepidation to the pub. Bob had his spirit level over his shoulder with his tool bag hanging on it. I had nothing on my shoulders except the weight of the world and, to say the least, I had some degree of anxiety as I softly knocked on the pub door. As it opened Bob took the upper hand and did all the talking. He addressed Angela’s Dad as Don and told him he had come with a massive degree of pride to be my witness. We all went into the empty public bar where Angela’s Mum was waiting with a large unmarked brown envelope. From thereon, as expected, Don did all of the talking and we shook hands underneath the scroll on the wall as Angela’s Mum handed me the envelope. There was no emotion whatsoever from any of us. Georgina’s family had always been so close to Mum and Grandad but until that moment I hadn’t realised the depth of their feelings. Bob took an old box camera from his work tool bag and asked us to stay shaking hands so he could picture us. He took four shots as cameras those days were pretty temperamental. Bob told me to check the envelopes contents but I declined as I couldn’t believe an ex solider would try it on. Don then offered Bob a drink on the house to celebrate but, in no uncertain terms, Bob told him to stick it up his arse and said that he would never step a foot inside the pub again until there was a new Landlord. Bob told him “your type don’t belong round here” but my soft heart told me it was a little harsh on his wife who seemed genuinely decent. On the way home I clutched that envelope so hard my wrists were aching for the next few hours.

Somehow I managed to smuggle the envelope in but nearly blew my cover when Mum quizzed me as to why I was back so quick but I managed to cover up by saying I wanted to take some records to play at Georgina’s house during the evening. That night I lay in bed and looked at the money in amazement. There were brown ten bob notes, green pound notes and blue fivers. This much money belonged in a different world to mine. I just hoped I had made the correct choice and that, in later life, I wouldn’t regret it. Realistically I had little choice anyway.

My safe haven for the cash was under my train books in my bedside cabinet. They were in the bottom drawer which was now rarely opened as I had began to lose interest with the demise of steam trains.

Friday morning at school filled me with the jitters and I struggled to concentrate on my work. Not because of meeting Jill that evening but in case, for any reason, Mum decided to dust my old railway books off and discover my new found fortune. Luckily when I arrived home from school all was calm and I had beaten myself up over nothing. My books were untouched and still smothered in the dust that had been gathering as my interest in railways had subsided. When I broached the subject of a late pass I was given a grilling as to where I would be going and what time would I be back. When I said that Jill was picking me up Mum seemed far more at ease and said I could stay out all night as long as I was with her because she was responsible. My poor old Mum, she must have thought we were going to be driving to Lancashire to try and sort things out which definitely wasn't on the agenda but, whatever was on the agenda, I was totally in the dark about.

Mum ironed my best shirt for me and told me to make sure I looked my best and I waited anxiously for Jill to turn up. Ten minutes before she was due there was a knock on the door which Mum answered and it was Jill. To say I felt awkward was understating the obvious but Mum wished us both a good time and said “see you whenever and just keep safe”. It seemed the entire street was watching as we drove off and I nervously started up the conversation by telling the full story of events with her parents. I then asked her where we were off to and she said we were driving to a quiet country pub where they served nice sandwiches. Jill also said her friend who she lodged with and her parents were away on holiday so it was quite lonely for her in the house. Up until that week I had never set foot in a pub but this whole new experience was like waiting for a bus and then two come along together. The Royal Oak Pub was really cosy inside with low, dark wooden beams and lots of alcoves so although it was mid summer it had a certain cosiness and privacy about it. The other advantage was it was quite dark so hopefully my tender age would pass unnoticed.

Trying desperately to act grown up I decided to have a brown and mild but that was only because I'd heard Dad and Grandad talking about it in the past. Jill did the ordering and she had a babycham for herself, plus two rounds of ham and tomato sandwiches and, as normal, she refused any money from me. We sat opposite each other on a small table for two and, as always, got on great and I suddenly felt totally at ease for the first time that evening. Around thirty minutes later, when we had finished our food and drink, Jill went and ordered me another beer but she had an orange juice as she was driving. It probably would have been in my best interests to have also had a soft drink as I was becoming more light headed by the minute.

Very seriously she said that she had a very important question to ask and depending on the answer I gave she may be able to tell me what was troubling her so desperately. She asked that when I swore on the Honour of the Line, was keeping away from her part of the deal and I told her if it had been the case I wouldn't be here now as this oath was forever binding and what's more, I would never agree to not seeing her again whatever the consequence might be. Jill had seemed fantastic as always but I could just begin to feel a slight tenseness in her speech. I could see her suddenly becoming more relaxed after I gave her my answer . This was until she took a huge deep breath and began to tell me what her secret was. She had finished with her boyfriend because she was falling in love with somebody else. Nervously I enquired who that person was but in my heart I envied him so much. As the words left Jill's lips I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “it's you you daft devil, can't you tell”? We both managed to spill our drinks as we reached out to each other and we shared a lingering kiss in front of some of the regulars, who had been alerted by the crashing of glasses. There was a deft silence and then normality resumed as we made for Jill's car with our clothes still soaking wet from the drinks that had been spilled onto them. We raced to Jill's car which was at the back of the car park and scrambled straight into the back seat and at that moment I knew emphatically that this was the beginning of the real thing. Once our passions had calmed slightly we talked about the future and the biggest problem of all, namely the age gap, which would only be a problem to others.

The evening just flew by and Jill drove us to the seaside where we walked along the beach in darkness and could hear the shimmering waves breaking on the pebbles. It was the most magical time.

The next morning I woke up next to Jill in her bed. Thank God her landlords were away. Everything just felt so right but Jill said we had to play things down a touch otherwise she could end up with a criminal record the same as me. I agreed as I was sure the Probation Officer wouldn't be too impressed, although I'm fairly certain he would have been as jealous as hell. For breakfast Jill cooked eggs and bacon and we arranged to meet at my house that night after she had finished work.

Back home I walked in with my tail between my legs but fortunately Dad was doing overtime and Mum didn't ask any questions but asked me to run a few errands for her. Naturally I agreed although I was totally shattered from next to no sleep the previous night but my heart was racing a million to the dozen and I was so happy. Later that morning I did the shopping for Mum and after dinner I walked with Daisy to the cemetery to tend to Grandad's grave. At one point I stood in total silence and inhaled the fragrant smell from the flowers which were on some of the graves and in my brain I asked Grandad to understand my reasons for wanting to play on the field just like him. I came away knowing in my heart he would be okay with my decision providing it made me happy.

My relationship with Jill blossomed and she gradually became part of the furniture at home. Family and neighbours all liked her very much. I found a home for my money in her building society account which meant it would make some interest. I'd only ever heard of interest during arithmetic lessons at school.

At the end of term I left school but luckily Sue decided to stay in touch which was really nice. She asked if I would phone or write from time to time to let her know how things were working out. My last day at school was on a Friday and we were let out 30 minutes early and I started work at the local council parks department the following Monday, no such thing as gap years, a week would have been nice though!

Within three months Angela and Jill's parents had left the pub and moved back to Lancashire and I just hoped they would look after Angela and Stan. Just after they left, Jill and I decided we would like to get married when I was 16 but owing to my tender age I needed parental consent and quite rightly when we approached Mum and Dad they suggested we hang on until my probation finished as they thought it could bring problems owing to the nature of my previous offence. They both liked Jill enormously and thought we would be really good for each other and although we had their full backing they were naturally concerned about my young age. When Jill informed her parents of our intention her father disowned her and they never spoke again although her Mum was a little warmer and I asked Jill how Angela had taken things. She assured me Angela had known for ages that she had feelings for me and wished us the best. She also sent a lovely photograph of Stan and when I turned it over it read ‘to my Dad, hoping we meet one day, love Stan'. For the one and only time I shed a tear or two and the photo remained close to my heart forever.

Friday, 4th August was to be the strangest of my birthdays so far as, not only was it my 17th but, it was also the day when Jill and I were getting married. Also, added to the fact, Jill was around 38 weeks pregnant and it was not too difficult to see why this day was somewhat different to normal birthdays. Our ceremony was at midday at the local registry office which was a most unwelcoming building from the outside and in need of a lick of paint and it could also have done with a visit from the council’s park department to sort out the garden. Unfortunately it was run by the county council and, in those days, registry offices were generally used for divorcees remarrying, shotgun weddings or total atheists, unlike nowadays where they have become very popular and consequently much nicer places with superb gardens for photos, which in many ways have upstaged the traditional photos from churchyards, which nearly always seemed to have gravestones in the background. How times have changed!

Dad managed to wangle the day off work without pay and how he needed it. He was only 47 and his breathing was already becoming laboured, what with smoking and the coal dust getting into his lungs. He also had back problems as a direct result of humping coal sacks around and I did begin to fear for his health.

Just before 10 o’clock there was a surprise visitor at the door and what a surprise it was, it was Jill’s Mum. I didn’t know how to greet her but she made things really easy and, after a quick hug with everyone, she immediately got stuck in with helping Mum and Dad make the sandwiches. I overheard her asking Jill where we would be living and Jill told her we were using my room for the time being. Good old Jill she never mentioned we had been sharing it for the last four months since her pregnancy had become common knowledge.