The Boy I Love (16 page)

Dora let out a scream of delight and hugged her sister.

‘We are here! Isn’t this great? Dad is unpacking as we speak. Oh sorry, Mother, here you go. Big hugs all round.’ Dora moved aside so Patricia could take her place in
Sally’s arms.

‘Oh darling, you look exhausted. Come on, let’s bring everything in and then we can sit and talk. Douglas, don’t unpack anything yet, please. We need a plan.’

Sally looked at her family standing there in the road beside a car loaded with stuff. Where to start?

‘OK, guys, first things first – let’s go to the new flat. Is there room for me in there as well, or shall I walk?’ She already had her coat on.

‘You can sit on Dora’s lap,’ suggested Douglas. ‘It’s only up the road, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, come on, Sally. We can squeeze in the front and Mum has a little spot in the back between the pillows and the laundry basket.’

They all piled in and set off up the hill. Sally produced the keys to their new home, opened the front door, and she and Dora jockeyed for position. Both girls managed to reach the inner door at
the top of the stairs together. Breathless and flushed with excitement, Sally finally managed to open the door and they practically fell into the hallway. Thank goodness the sun was shining and the
flat looked bright and welcoming. As the girls went from room to room, it was clear that someone had taken the time to clean the place very thoroughly.

‘Oh, it is fantastic,’ said Dora. ‘Much nicer than I remember.’

‘You are right, sis,’ replied Sally. She made her way to the kitchen and found a potted plant and a note. ‘Hey, come in here, Dora. Look – the last tenants left us a note
and a plant.’ Sally read it aloud.

‘Oh, that is so sweet of them,’ remarked Patricia, making an entrance through the door with a laundry basket full of groceries. ‘Now come on, girls, get this
unpacked asap, then we can go and have lunch.’

They all got down to work, making beds and unpacking food. The flat very soon looked like a home, especially with the added touches of big cushions made by Patricia, and a secondhand rug or two.
The pièce de résistance was finally brought up from the car by Douglas and given pride of place in the lounge.

‘Oh Dad, you are a star!’ Sally rushed to give him a hug as her father set down the TV.

‘Well, I am glad you are appreciative, my girl. But it will be useful for you both on a cold Sunday afternoon.’ He fiddled and faffed with the tuning until it all worked perfectly.
‘Good job there is an aerial. How did you find out?’ he asked.

‘I rang Miss Morris, of course. She is such a lovely lady and quite understood the need for a TV. “I wouldn’t be without mine,” she told me. Listen, everyone, are we
nearly finished? Only it is already one thirty and I have got work to do this afternoon. I am sorry to be so boring.’

‘No, darling, don’t worry,’ said her mother, coming into the room with a bowl of pot pourri. Everyone looked at her. ‘What? Why not? It might have been awful when we got
here and this would just help things smell a bit more pleasant.’ She plonked it slap bang in the middle of the rather scratched coffee table and the rest of the family burst into
laughter.

‘Only you, Patricia,’ chuckled Douglas. ‘Now come on, get your coats and let’s get going.’

Fifteen minutes later the family were sat round a table in the pub, ordering the infamous Yorkshire puddings.

‘You wait till you see the size of these suckers, Mum,’ announced Dora, already tucking into a packet of pork scratchings.

The meal was a big success and Sally relished the food and the company of her family. She realized how much she had missed them. Still, at least now she had Dora with her which would give her so
much support.

‘It is lovely to see you, Mum,’ she whispered as Douglas was paying the bill. ‘I do love you.’

‘I know, darling, and we love you. Try not to get too tired and make sure you eat properly. We will come and visit you whenever you want. Which show would you like us to see?’ asked
Patricia.

‘Blimey, Mum, I haven’t given it a thought, to be honest,’ replied Sally. ‘Let me get through the next couple of weeks and then I will have a better idea. I don’t
know if I am going to get a really good part yet.
Hamlet
should be marvellous, but I am only playing the Queen in the Dumb Show. But I am directing that, by the way, which will be very
interesting.’

Her mother gave her arm a squeeze. ‘I know you will do your best at whatever is put before you,’ she murmured. ‘We are so proud of you, Sally. We just want you to be
happy.’ Then Patricia leaned over and kissed her daughter. Douglas had paid the bill and farewells were exchanged in the pub, and then Sally and Dora were dropped off at their new front
door.

The girls waved their parents out of sight and stood on the doorstep. It had turned chilly now the sun was going down, and dusk was spreading its blanket over the rows of terraced houses with
their identical red-brick chimneys and their gently curling smoke signals evaporating into the darkening sky.

Sally opened the door and they both stepped inside without a word. They climbed the stairs to the landing, and then walked slowly into their new home. Dora turned on an overhead light which
needed a shade, while Sally went and plugged in the electric fire. It was soon glowing like a fairground ride thanks to their father’s donation earlier to the meter in the kitchen. Sally
switched on a table light with a warm pink shade, again donated by the parents, its rosy light spreading tranquillity through the room.

‘Look what Mum has left us,’ announced Dora, coming in from the kitchen with a bag of crumpets and a plate of cream cakes.

Sally sank into the battered armchair and let out a sigh of contentment. ‘Dora, this is perfect, our very own space. It is so cosy already. I love it. Would you be an angel and put the
kettle on while I start to attack this script?’ she asked.

Dora looked slightly miffed. ‘Well, I suppose so, just this once. But don’t think I am going to wait on you hand and foot, once I start working, sister dear.’

Sally looked up at her, checking for signs of real bad temper and found none. She grinned.

‘No, of course not, silly – just today. I am so behind, and it has all been a hell of a learning curve. You wait till tomorrow, Dora – you won’t believe the
hours!’

Dora went into the kitchen to fill the kettle.

‘I can’t wait,’ she said to herself with a big grin on her face. ‘I simply cannot wait.’

The inhabitants of the upstairs flat at number 7, Ridgeway Road were a little stressed the next morning. Sally was up bright and early, but her sister proved more of a
problem. The coffee failed to raise her, so did the radio on full blast, so finally Sally was forced to resort to pulling the covers off, hardening her heart to the moans and groans of protest.

‘Dora, I am sorry, but this is the reality. We have to be at the theatre by nine, so come on, move your arse, please. You’ve got fifteen minutes.’

Dora let out a scream and leaped from the bed. She made a dash to the bathroom, wailing, ‘It’s
sooo
cold!’

Sally couldn’t agree with her more, but there was no central heating, and the idea of getting up even half an hour earlier to put the electric fire on was too much, not to mention the
electricity bill. So Sally had got used to the morning dash to the ablutions, and often didn’t bother until she got to the warmth of the theatre.

She made Dora another coffee and a piece of toast to make amends, and when Dora appeared at the bathroom door wrapped in her huge fluffy dressing gown, Sally explained the problems, and
suggested that her sister do the same and just make sure there were lots of woollies to hand each morning to slide into at speed. Dora’s answer was a bleary-eyed nod.

They managed to leave on time and jogged down the hill to the theatre which warmed them up a little. They arrived just after nine, in fact, so the wonderful Gladys was there to greet the new
recruit.

‘Morning, Sally, and good morning to you, Miss Dora. We have been expecting you. It is a pleasure to have your lovely face gracing my stage door, and I wish you every success with the
season. Anything you need or any problems, come to Gladys.’

Dora puffed up with pride and plonked a big kiss on Gladys’s cheek. ‘Thank you, darling, I will.’ And with that she flounced off down the stairs.

‘Quite the actress, eh?’ said Gladys with a wink. ‘You wanna watch yourself, duckie. She will be after your job next.’ She laughed so hard she had a coughing fit. Sally
left her to it and hurried after Dora. She found her talking to Heather outside the wardrobe department.

Heather was already doing her recruiting speech but Sally interrupted her with; ‘Hang about, Heather. Gwendoline has first refusal, you know.’

Heather sighed. ‘I know, I know, but it would be great if Dora can spare me a bit of time to get some props when you are doing your acting. You know what it’s like now, Sally –
every bit of help is needed.’

Sally nodded in sympathy, but added, ‘Yes, you are right – but can we just start Dora where she was supposed to be and then take it from there?’

Heather laughed. ‘Yeah, of course. Good luck, Dora – but remember me, please.’ And the stage manager was off up to the stage to begin the day.

Gwendoline was inside the wardrobe department with her head in the washing machine as usual.

‘Hi guys, be with you in five minutes,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you make us all a coffee? I even brought some buns in this morning as a special treat to welcome
Dora.’

‘Oh thank you so much, Gwendoline,’ gushed Dora, ignoring the signs from her sister indicating that she should lay off the creeping.

Sally said, ‘That is lovely of you and we will get started. Come on, Dora, take at least one of those cardigans off and let’s get to work. I will make coffee while you acquaint
yourself with where everything is.’ Dora took the hint, and slipped off her coat and top cardigan then went to join Gwendoline.

Sally made coffee and put the buns on a plate, not before stuffing one in her mouth. Then she called out to the others: ‘Coffee’s ready. I am off to set up with Heather. Come and
find me later, Dora, when Gwendoline has finished with you – if she finishes with you at all!’

Up onstage the actors were all gathering for the first scenes. Sally found Jeremy in a corner as usual.

‘I am so sorry I was not around yesterday,’ she told him, ‘but my family arrived with my sister Dora, and we moved into our new flat. Do you want me to read a couple of scenes
with you now, before we start? Is there time?’

Jeremy looked relieved. ‘Yes, come on, let’s whip up to the Green Room and you can take me through these two scenes.’

Sally told Heather where she was going, and Heather waved her off, saying, ‘See you in half an hour.’

The two friends left the stage and went upstairs. After they had finished and were on their way back down, they passed Geoffrey Challis’s dressing room and Gwendoline came out, looking a
little ruffled. Just before she managed to shut the door, Sally caught a glimpse of Geoffrey very much in a state of undress.

Her surprise must have registered on her face enough for Gwendoline to feel the need to stammer: ‘Just sorting Geoffrey out with a costume that needs adjusting. The poor man is hardly
awake.’ And she scuttled off.

Sally looked at Jeremy and said, ‘Well, that was a bit odd at this time of day, don’t you think?’

He looked perplexed. ‘What do you mean exactly?’

Sally laughed. ‘Oh Jeremy, you are useless. You miss everything. The wardrobe mistress coming out of an actor’s dressing room, before nine thirty in the morning, looking a little
flustered. And the actor with only his pants on. One could be forgiven for suspecting a bit of hanky panky!’

Jeremy eyed his friend a little crossly. ‘Oh, for goodness sake – not you as well, Sally. Why does everyone have to bring sex into everything? Maybe she was just fitting him.’
He marched on down the corridor followed by a giggling Sally. Fitting him for what though? she thought to herself, and made a mental note to find out what was bugging her friend about sex.

On stage, Giles was clapping his hands and calling for quiet.

‘I need to tell you all a couple of things about the next two productions. Is everyone here? Where are Sally and Jeremy and Geoffrey? Heather, can you give them a call over the Tannoy,
please. In the meantime, I will start with Act Two this morning so if everybody would be kind enough to hang around the theatre or at least keep close by – preferably
not
in the pub,
Percy.’

This drew a groan from Percy and a snort from Peggy, who said, ‘He will be in my dressing room with me, sir, doing his lines.’