Nothing is Forever (30 page)

Abigail had been told about her mother being lost and she too joined the searchers. She didn’t speak a word to Jack.

‘See, she blames me, everyone will blame me,’ Jack told the police loudly. ‘I love Gloria. I wouldn’t do her any harm.’

It was as dawn was breaking that they found her, still sitting against the tree at the edge of the stream, exactly where Jack had left her and a long way from the area he had described to the police.

Ambulance men carried her to the road and she was admitted to hospital semi-conscious and suffering from hypothermia.

Abigail was waiting near the ambulance when the ambulance men carried her mother from the fields and down the narrow road. She stared in disbelief when she looked down at Gloria’s unconscious face, looking so old she was almost a stranger. How hadn’t she noticed how small and weary her mother had become?

The police were questioning Jack but she was hardly aware of what was being said.

‘She hurt her leg and I came to the nearest phone box and rang for help,’ Jack told them

‘Did you try anywhere else, were you delayed in any way?’

‘No, I came as fast as I could.’

‘Your friend Tabitha says you met her and walked with her for a while.’

‘Yes, I met Tabs, but I didn’t stop. I talked as we walked. I was frantic with worry.’

‘Tabitha told my colleague that no, you didn’t mention Gloria when you talked and no, you didn’t seem in any hurry.’

‘It’s her condition, see, I didn’t want to upset her.’

‘Your child?’ the constable asked.

Jack shrugged. ‘That’s what people believe.’

‘The mud slide where she apparently fell into the water, it’s not on the side from where she clambered out.’

‘No, the bank is steep on that side, the opposite bank is easer to climb.’

‘You noticed that, did you, sir?’

‘Yes. When I saw the place where she was found.’

‘Her hands were clean, no mud. If she’d clambered out that’s surprising, isn’t it? They’d be covered in mud, wouldn’t they?’

Jack raised his voice and demanded, ‘What are you implying?’

‘Nothing, sir. Yet.’

Those were the words in Abigail’s mind as she went into the ambulance and sat beside her mother.

She went with her to the hospital and it was as though time stood still, first as she walked up and down in the waiting-room, then after her mother was put into a ward, sitting beside her willing her to recover.

‘Your mother had become very chilled,’ the doctor told her.

‘But she couldn’t have been there very long,’ Abi said. ‘How could it happen so fast?’

‘She must have been there for longer than you realized. Probably an hour or more. How far did the person who found her have to go for help?’

‘Ask him, he’s in the waiting-room,’ she said. ‘I know he wouldn’t have delayed. He loves my mother.’

‘I’ll leave all that to the police,’ she was told.

Tabs went to the hospital and asked whether she could see Gloria. She felt an odd connection with Abigail, probably because they had both loved Jack and had now both been let down by him. Jack’s insistence that he had hurried to get help for Abigail’s mother had been untrue. The reasons behind that lie were impossible for her to understand, but without knowing what he had told them, she had made it clear to the police that he was lying. Abigail came out and at once Tabs began to move away. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come, but I wanted to see you, tell you I’m sorry I told the police what I did. I hadn’t had the chance to speak to Jack, to know what he was going to tell them.’ She was relieved to see that Abi looked worried and not angry.

‘You told the truth, Tabs. He left my mother knowing she’d fallen into the stream and was sitting there soaking wet and very cold. How could he do that?’

‘Perhaps he’ll explain; perhaps it wasn’t like it sounds. He loved her, didn’t he? He wouldn’t do anything to harm someone he loved.’ And that excludes me, she thought sadly.

‘Will you stay with me for a while?’ Abigail asked.

The pregnant ‘other woman’ didn’t seem appropriate company, but Tabs followed her back into the ward. They sat together, talking to Gloria although she was unconscious; they didn’t know whether or not she could hear them.

So Tabs was with her when Gloria died. She sat beside her as the formalities were dealt with and then Henry came and took them both home.

Abigail found it very difficult to go into the rooms that from now on, would be empty every time she returned. No mother and at this time when she needed someone so badly, there was no Jack either, and never would be again.

Tabs went back to the bungalow and at once began to feel strange, niggling pains. She stood up and the pains began to sharpen. Megan saw her expression and held her. ‘It’s all right, Tabs, just try to relax. We’ll get you to the hospital when things are underway.’

‘Thank you. I don’t know how I’d cope with all this without you and Mali,’ she said.

Three hours later Tabs was back at the hospital and a few hours after that, gave birth to a daughter. ‘Melanie Ruth Bishop,’ she told Megan and Mali when they came to see the new infant.

‘As he calls you Aunty, she’s a sort of cousin for our Mickie,’ Megan said happily.

Abigail couldn’t decide whether she wanted to see Jack at the funeral or not. It was a very small affair, they seemed to have gathered very few friends and she was grateful to see that Ruth and Henry and their group were there to swell the congregation.

Afterwards, cars took them to Megan and Mali’s bungalow where food was set out and they hovered a while but soon dispersed.

‘I’m off to see Tabs and the baby, and tell her about it,’ Megan said.

‘I’ll stay with Mickie.’

‘I’d like to come too,’ Abigail said. ‘I know its odd, under the circumstances, but it’s Jack who’s to blame here, not Tabs.’

When they reached the ward they were told they couldn’t go in as there were already two visitors at the bedside. Curious, they peered through the small window in the door and Megan gasped. ‘It’s her father and that wife of his! I hope he isn’t upsetting her, I’ll box his ears if he’s come to cause trouble.’

George and Martha Bishop gave them a brief nod as they left the ward and they hurried to where Tabs was sitting up in bed, smiling, and holding a five pound note.

‘He didn’t upset you then?’ Megan asked.

‘Lucky for him,’ Abigail warned, ‘Megan was going to box his ears!’

‘He looked at the baby and he wore such a gentle expression. He said he’d help with money each month. I can’t believe it.’

‘And Martha? Was she in agreement? Or is she expecting you to work for it?’

‘She looked about to explode!’ Tabs was laughing, and then her face softened as they all admired the baby and she looked as near beautiful as they had ever seen her.

Smiling at her, Abi said affectionately, ‘Motherhood suits you.’

Blodwen spent a few hours several times a week at Henry’s Country Walks Centre and twice, when they were particularly busy with day visitors as well as residents, she stayed over. So she hadn’t checked her post for a few days when she saw another letter from the mysterious stranger who had asked her to meet him then had failed to turn up. She almost threw it aside unopened but curiosity got the better of her once again and she read that he was very sorry he couldn’t make it last time, but will she please try again. ‘I promise I’ll explain everything when we meet. Until then I would ask you not to say a word to anyone. Time is running out and I do need to talk to you.’ A time and date were given and to her alarm she realized today was the date given. She looked at the clock. She had just two hours to make up her mind and no time at all to get in touch with Henry. If she went she’d be on her own.

She was there half an hour before the time stipulated and sat where she could watch the door. The day was cold and overcast, the door wasn’t left open as on previous occasions and the room was gloomy. Every time the door opened, she looked up, screwing up her eyes wondering whether the newcomer was the person whom she waited for. Exactly on time a thin, sickly looking man came in. He looked around then went to the bar and asked for a glass of stout. Carrying it, he walked across to her and said ‘Hello, Sis, it’s a long time since we met.’

She screwed her eyes even tighter, ‘Who the ’ell are you?’ she asked, clutching her handbag protectively.

‘I’m your brother, Ralph. Blodwen, don’t you recognize me?’

She stared in disbelief for a long moment, but something about the eyes, the angle of the jaw, that long thin nose …

‘Little Ralphy? You never are! Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why the secrecy?’

‘You’ve put on some weight, Blod,’ he said, smiling at her.

‘You haven’t! Skinny beyond you are and look as much use as a piece of chewed string!’

He sat down beside her and stared at her. ‘I have a photograph of you and me and Hilda, want to see it?’ He felt in his pocket and brought out a wallet from where he took a small, black and white photograph. ‘Taken in the garden of Ty Gwyn,’ he said. ‘We had a party for my twelfth birthday, but I don’t expect you’ll remember that. But turn it over.’ On the back was a childish scrawl saying, ‘The three musketeers.’

‘That’s what we called ourselves,’ she said softly, and stared at him again. ‘It’s really you?’

‘It’s really me. Now, tell me what you’ve been doing since we last met.’

‘That’s a lifetime, Ralph. It won’t take much telling, mind. I never married and I worked as a cook most of my life. Hilda and William were killed but they had five children. Geraint, Emrys, and twins, would you believe, Tommy and Bryn. And a daughter, Ruth, who looked after them all till they married.’

‘Still living at Ty Gwyn?’

‘It’s been sold and the money divided. Oh! I suppose you’re entitled to some of that. Heck, that’ll take some sorting, the twins have used their share to buy houses, Emrys too. And Geraint, he’s in London licking his wounds after a divorce and starting up a new business.’ She looked at him. ‘What happened to you? Where have you been all these years? Did you go to Australia like Mam said?’

‘Tell me about the others first.’

They talked for a very long time and he looked exhausted after two hours. Blodwen was tearful as they parted, proposing to meet very soon and introduce him to the family he had never known. He again begged her to say nothing until he could meet the family and explain things himself.

Blodwen found it difficult to keep quiet about her unexpected meeting with a brother she had presumed must be dead. She broke the promise once, by telling Henry, and he agreed to say nothing. ‘There has to be a strong reason for his secrecy,’ Henry said, ‘and we might spoil something very special to him if we tell anyone he’s back.’

‘He’s very ill. Not long for this world if I’m any judge.’

‘Then perhaps that’s why he wants to wait until everyone is present, and not tell his story many times.’

The days passed slowly as she waited for their next meeting, this time in a café in Cardiff. Two days before the arrangement a letter came. The handwriting was more shaky than before and in it he apologized but couldn’t meet as planned. He explained that he was in hospital once more and would write when he was well enough to meet her. She whispered her disappointing news to Henry and waited patiently each day for the postman.

Tabs was surprised when her father became a regular visitor. He brought presents, nursed the baby and seemed genuinely thrilled with his granddaughter. Tabs was reminded by Mali and Megan to be cautious.

When Melanie was three weeks old, he came with Martha. A look at Martha’s face was enough to tell Tabs that her stepmother was not ready to be impressed with her new and beautiful stepgrandchild. She handed Tabs a hand-knitted coat in an off-hand way then sat, her shopping bag clutched on her lap in a very un-relaxed attitude and waited impatiently to leave. Megan was there with Mickie, and she deliberately ignored George’s hints that she should leave them to talk in private.

‘We’ve been talking about things, Tabs,’ her father began. ‘This isn’t a time for you to be with strangers. Why don’t you come home where you belong?’

‘No, I’m never coming back.’

‘Don’t say that! I’m your father, you belong with me.’

Her heart beating fit to burst, Tabs picked up her daughter and said, ‘I want Melanie to enjoy a childhood without criticism. To grow up confident, happy with who she is.’

‘How can she do that? She’s illegitimate! You won’t be able to hide that!’ Martha said, ignoring George’s attempts to stop her. ‘Illegitimate she’ll be and everyone will know it.’

‘She’ll be told when she’s old enough to understand, and by then she’ll be strong enough to cope.’ Tabs spoke in a quiet but confident manner and, glancing at Megan, she saw her cheering, out of her parents’ sight and smiling widely.

‘Sorry, but we have to ask you to leave,’ Megan said then. ‘It’s time for Tabs to feed our Melanie.’

‘Don’t worry, we’re leaving!’ Martha stood up and gestured to her father. Tabs was pleased to see some, albeit slight, hesitation by her father, a final look at the baby before he stood to leave.

Before they were out of the room, Megan picked up Mickie who had been drawing on a blackboard with coloured chalks, and said,’ Look, Aunty Tabs, isn’t Mickie the cleverest boy?’ She and Tabs discussed the artistic achievements of the three-year-old as George and Martha left.

‘Pity about that,’ Tabs said with a sigh. ‘I don’t suppose Dad will send us any more money now.’

The note Blodwen had been waiting for came at last and she went into Cardiff to meet her long lost brother. Ralph looked slightly better, there was a little colour in his cheeks and his eyes were brighter, sharper, as he watched her approach, leaning on her stick, then waving it, to the alarm of passers-by soon as she saw him. They ordered lunch but Blod noticed that Ralph ate very little.

‘What is wrong with you?’ she asked.

‘Prison pallor,’ he said grimly. ‘That and a chest problem that is very unlikely to get better.’

‘Prison?’

‘It’s a long story and I’ll tell you when I meet the rest of the family.’

She didn’t ask any more questions, just answered his – and there were many. He wanted to know all about their sister Hilda and William’s children. ‘I hope I stay well enough to meet them and get to know them,’ he said sadly.

‘What about you, Ralphy? Did you marry? Do you have any children?’

He shook his head. ‘Not a single person in the whole world.’

She looked at him. It was obvious he was seriously ill and, determined to be cheerful, said, ‘Why don’t you come and stay with me? My flat is small but then, you aren’t very big, are you?’ she teased. ‘Our Ruth is there at the moment but she can easily stay at Henry’s place.’ She had to tell him again, who Henry was and how he fitted into the family circle.