Love In Cheshire 1966. Chapter 22.

Chapter 22

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I was well excited when I got home from town on Thursday afternoon and I ran to my mother shouting, "I've passed! I've passed!"

         "Well done, Lynn," my mother said and we shared a brief hug before I dropped onto one of the kitchen chairs. "We all knew you could do it. Did you phone your dad?"

         "Yeah, he's phoning the insurance man and he said he'll fetch the car home at dinner time. I can't wait. I'll take you out, Mum. Where do you want to go?"

         "Just take me to the co-op, that'll be fine. Park right outside so that everyone can see us."

         "Then when you get the shopping you can give it to me and say loudly, can you put these in your car, Lynn?"

         "I'll look forward to that," my mother said. She made us both a drink and we sat at the kitchen table chatting about the driving test. There was a brief pause and my mother took the opportunity to change the subject. "So, is it over for good with you and Mike, or was it just a tiff?"

         "I won't go back with him. He's more concerned with himself than with me. I should have finished it ages ago."

         "Shame, I liked him," my mother said and then she gave a laugh.

         "What?" I said.

         "Just thinking. You know I can still remember the day when I first met your dad. I got this strange feeling, a sort of zing shot through me. I felt good, I felt noticed and confident. I knew right away that your dad was the one for me."

         "I've felt like that, Mum, I've felt that zing," I said and then I gave a laugh at the word. "There's this lad I've met. He's really nice but I know I can't have him."

         "He's not married, is he?"

         "Mother, of course not. It's Kathy, she really fancies him and I've been trying to fix her up with him. What would she think if I tried to take him for myself? I couldn't do that to her. She's had enough problems."

         "Well, you'll just have to do some work on it. Get her interested in someone else?"

         We looked at each other as we heard a car hooting outside. I ran outside and looked at the Mini. I was eager to go for a drive but my father asked me to make a drink for him and his friend before dropping them back to work.

         I returned from the brewery to take my mother to the Co-op store and then feeling eager to show off a little, I set off to pick up Kathy and Pat from the bakery. I took the shortcut past the station and looked across the end of the platforms to the locomotive depot wondering if Brian were there. I drove on and saw a young man making a hole in the chain-link fence and I wondered what he was up to.

         I parked at the bakery and sat waiting until Pat, Kathy, and a group of girls, started walking over towards the buses. I pipped the hooter. Kathy stopped and pointed and all the girls began rushing over towards my Mini.

         I dropped Pat home before setting off to Meadowview with Kathy but I drove past the estate and stopped at a garage in the small village just outside town.

         I was surprised to see Brian ride into the garage on a motorbike just as the attendant started filling the tank of my Mini. Brian stopped at the next island and he ran his hand across his hair, tidying it up from its windswept condition. As he looked around, he looked surprised as well when he saw me looking at him from the Mini. I had been admiring the motorbike but looked away when I was sure he had noticed me. He parked his motorbike on the stand and then walked over to squat down and talk to me. He smiled at Kathy but she didn't return the smile and he looked back at me.

         "I didn't know you had a car," he said.

         "Didn't you?" I said. "And I didn't know your rusty old bicycle had turned into a smart motorcycle."

         "Look, about the other night. I know what you must think of me, but I had a hard day and…"

         My laughter interrupted him. "You should be telling her, not me," I said.

         I noticed that he smiled at Kathy again but this time she responded. He stood up and as he walked around the car Kathy and I were laughing but we stopped as he opened the passenger door and squatted down by Kathy's side. "I'm sorry, but I did have a good reason to be late. I called the phone box but I must have missed you."

         Kathy smiled. "That's okay, I wasn't..." I gave Kathy a dig with my elbow and she glanced at me, but then quickly reacted. "I wasn't sure that you'd be there anyway after you let me down the first time."

         "I couldn't help that. I was stuck miles away. I explained to Lynn didn't I Lynn?" He looked at me and our eyes locked on to each other as if in a secret mental embrace and I didn't feel the slightest urge to look away.

         "That's it, three gallons, wasn't it?" the attendant said.

         "Can you put a gallon in the bike?" Brian called across before looking back to Kathy. "Look, I know you've probably got the hump with me, but can you give me another chance? We don't have to meet at the bus station. I'll pick you up at your house if you like, or I'll meet you in The Ring O'Bells."

         "No, the bus station's fine," Kathy said.

         "That's yes then," Brian said. "Tomorrow night, seven o'clock. Is that okay?"

         "I'll be there. If you're not, then me and the girls will just come hunting for you."

         Brian stood up and closed the car door. "I give you my word. I will be there this time, no matter what."

         The attendant returned with my change. I started the car as Brian got to his motorbike. I looked over at him as he paid the man for his petrol and I smiled at him as I pulled away.

         "I feel all tingly," Kathy said. "And what about that motorbike?"

         "Yeah, as I said, it's an improvement on the rusty old bicycle."

         Kathy turned and looked out of the rear window. "There he goes. I wish I was on the back of that."

         I glanced into the mirror and watched him speeding off.

         "Lynn, if you're going to Kings tomorrow night, can you wait with me like you said before?"

         "Of course I will," I said. "And if he doesn't turn up you can come to Kings and have a drink with me and Pat."

         "I think he'll turn up this time. I just hope he comes on the bike. I can't wait to get on the back."

         I gave a chuckle. "If he does turn up can you see if he's got a brother?"

         "Younger or older?"

         "If he's like him, who cares!"

         "Oh, so you fancy him as well, do you?" she said, giving me a friendly grin.

         "Not really, but I do like the bike." I grinned back at her. "Anyway, he's got a big nose."

         "No, he blinking well hasn't. He's got a perfect nose." Kathy thought for a moment. "Pity he hasn't a big nose though. You know what they say about men with big noses."

         I put a hand up. "Don't want to hear no more, thank you very much."

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         I sat watching the television, feeling pleased with my date for the following night especially now that I had actually met Kathy. She seemed a lovely girl and although I was attracted to her, I couldn't help wishing that the date was with Lynn. I also wondered if either of them could really be a substitute for Judy and despite her changed attitude towards me, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I had no intention of going out but thought that I had not had the chance to talk to Judy on her own. I thought I should try to apologise to her about the incident with her brother as well as about the way I had been behaving. I wanted to clear the air and let her know I wouldn't be pestering her again. I was trying to convince myself it was over between us but there was always a chance she may have changed her mind. I left my house just before nine o'clock and rode off to Minstrels. I wasn't sure if she went there on Thursdays and I knew the chances were slim but I had nothing else to do so I thought it was worth the effort to take a look.

         I wandered around the dance floor searching for Judy and hoping to see her, but she wasn't there. I toyed with the idea of going to her house. Remembering her words last time I thought better of it and made my way over to the bar. I thought I might as well have a drink while I was there and maybe, if I were lucky, she would call in a bit later.

         As I crossed the floor I noticed some lads over in a shadowy alcove and it looked as if they were looking over at me. I thought it a bit odd because usually the alcoves were occupied by embracing courting couples but I thought no more of it. As I stood at the bar waiting to order a drink someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around.

         "So, you're, Brian Conway?" he said while staring aggressively into my eyes.

         I looked back at him and straight away knew who he was. He had the same look about him as Judy's other brother. "That's right. Why, what do you want?"

         "I want to see you outside."

         I gave an exaggerated sigh. "Do I have to go through the whole family?"

         "If that's what it takes."

         "Look, it was an accident. The bloke pushed me into your sister and she fell back. Why don't you go and ask her?"

         "We either go outside now, or we'll settle it right here in front of everyone."

         I gave a laugh. I had no fear of him and didn't figure him as a threat. However, if I were to knock down another of Judy's brothers in the club and in front of everyone she would be sure to be even more hostile towards me. "All right, we'll go outside, but this is bloody stupid." We went round to the side of the club and I noticed that the man stood in exactly the same stance as his brother. If he tried to throw the same punch it would soon be over. The man took a swing at me and I easily deflected the punch and was about to follow with my right fist when someone grabbed my arm. A shape appeared in front of me and I felt a fist bury into my stomach. I began to fold over desperately trying to stay upright despite the tremendous pain. The man still held my arm when a pair of hands grabbed my head and pushed it down with a great force onto the knee that was hurtling up, and then darkness greeted me.

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         The two younger brothers dragged Steve off as he rained more blows onto Brian's face while he lay unconscious. He gave a defiant kick at Brian's ribs as he was dragged away screaming obscenities. The brothers walked back to the club and the youngest one looked back at Brian, covered in blood, lying motionless on the ground and he knew that Steve had gone over the top.

         They had just walked back into the club when Steve looked at his youngest brother. "Go round and tell Judy that Brian's been dealt with."

         "What! What's the point of that?"

         "The point is, we need to let our sister know that we are here for her and if anybody messes with her then they mess with us as well."

         "I don't think that's a good idea."

         "What, are you running the family now? Just get your fucking arse up there now. Or do I have to do it myself?"

         "No, I'll go, but she won't be happy."

         Steve ignored the remark and the two elder brothers walked off to the bar.

         The younger brother left the club and saw that a crowd of people had gathered around Brian. He could hear the ambulance approaching as he stood looking, but when a police car pulled up he began to walk off towards his sister's house. He had been at her house earlier and she had been in low spirits; he knew that the news would depress her further. He thought about not going, not telling her, and just heading home, but he knew that when his brother found out he would go into a rage and he was a bit fearful of the outcome.

         The news came as a terrible shock to Judy even though she had known it was a possibility. "Oh, what have I done?" she said, almost in tears as she spoke. Her brother looked at her feeling a little ashamed at his part in the ambush. "Will you stay with me for a while?" she said. "I want you to wait an hour or so and then go and phone the hospital to see how he is."

         "Of course I will," he said.

         "Why did he go there? He was told not to go there. Why the hell did he go? I spoke to Tommy Hutchins the other night and it turns out that Brian's a really good friend of Kenny's. He'll go frigging crazy when he finds out, especially if he knows that I'm involved. Promise me. Please promise me that you won't go out for a while. You can stay here with me. He won't come round here, you know."

         "Yeah, I might do that," he said. "I'll look after you," he added as an afterthought.

         "It was bad enough before. I've got no chance of getting back with Kenny now. What's going to become of me? Am I just going to end up as a lonely old woman?" Judy sat on the sofa with her hands to her face in obvious distress.

         Her brother felt inadequate not knowing what to do or what to say. A few minutes later he went across to Heather's house and asked her to come over.

Love In Cheshire 1966. Chapter 23.  (18+) Lynn's in trouble with her father. #2056781 by Bruce.