Coming Home to the Four Streets by Nadine Dorries (books that read to you .txt) 📗

saw Eric the milkman running across the road towards the Anchor and he did a double take and then raised his hand towards her in greeting.

‘Lovely hair, Mary! Did Cindy do that?’

‘She did, Eric,’ she shouted back and then she amazed even herself as she called out to him, ‘Do you like it?’

‘I do indeed. You look thoroughly modern, Mary, absolutely gorgeous,’ he called as he passed her.

‘Thank you, Eric,’ she responded as her heart swelled. Never in her entire life had anyone before called her gorgeous. ‘You have a good evening, Eric,’ she called and almost laughed out loud as she thought: who has Cindy turned you into? She almost floated home, until she reached the back gate of the Nolans’ and thought she heard someone call out. She stood and listened, called, ‘Peggy? It’s Mary, are you all right?’ but there was no reply and, deciding it must have been a cat, she walked on.

As she approached her own gate, her footsteps slowed as she recognised a figure waiting in the shadows; Jimmy. She frowned. It couldn’t be Jimmy – she had just seen him heading off towards the Anchor. As she drew closer she realised it was his twin, Callum. The way he carried himself, the manner in which he hung his head, was one of shyness and reticence, totally different to his brother who walked like he owned the four streets. She stood still, afraid to approach, knowing it was herself that Callum was waiting to see but she had no idea why. Callum sensed her hesitation and moving away from the wall, walked towards her.

‘Mary, I thought it wasn’t you for a moment; I thought the light was playing tricks, but it is you.’ He looked sheepish, glancing down at his boots.

‘Was it me you were wanting?’ she asked, her heart racing. ‘I’ve seen Jimmy; I mean, I just saw him down on the parade, with a girl.’

Callum grimaced. ‘Ah, I wanted to see you first, to warn you. That was Franny; she lives down the Dock Road. I didn’t want you to see for yourself and as soon as I knew they were going to the Anchor…’ His voice trailed away, and then he looked up at her. ‘I think he treated you badly and I wanted to warn you, that’s all.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to see Jimmy at all.’

Callum was taken aback by Mary’s answer. He had not been able to get the look on her face when she had seen them on the bus platform out of his mind. It had not been him she was looking at, it had definitely been Jimmy.

‘I don’t want to see Jimmy.’ She said it again, just so that he was sure.

Callum looked up and straight into her eyes; her words had lit a flame in his heart.

‘Mary, your hair looks lovely.’

Mary blinked and smiled. Cindy had said that and Eric and now Callum, the third person to see her, had said it too.

‘It’s so modern.’

She felt dizzy. It was as though, when her hair was swept away from the salon floor, so was the old Mary too. She made to speak but was stuck for words. No one ever told Mary that she looked lovely and it was all becoming too much too fast. She had been shown a new life, fallen out of love and told she looked lovely for the first time ever and all in the space of half an hour.

Callum could see she was confused and knowing it was now or never, he tried again. ‘Mary, would you give me a chance? I am not my brother… Would you let me take you to the picture house in town?’

Mary clasped her hands together. ‘The picture house? I-I’d love to,’ she said.

‘Saturday night?’ Callum asked. Mary nodded her head and it felt very much lighter and a bit odd to her. ‘Shall I ask Eugene if I can take you?’

Mary thought about that for longer than she would have done only hours previously. What would Eugene say? Well, there was a great deal she would have to tell Eugene herself over the coming weeks, she was sure of that. Jutting her chin and straightening her back she said, ‘No, I will do that.’

Callum raised his eyebrows; he wanted to do things properly. ‘Are you sure?’

She wasted no time in replying. ‘I am, I’ll speak to him first, before Mam.’

In that moment Mary made a decision: she wouldn’t ask Deirdre, she would tell her she was going to the picture house with Callum and that he was calling for her – and why not, hadn’t she said herself that at least he worked down on the docks? She would also tell her that she was going to work for Cindy. She wouldn’t mention the flat, or that Cindy was thinking of marrying and having a baby of her own, and she wouldn’t let Malcolm down, she would give him good notice. Cindy’s words came into her mind, ‘… the only way to shape your own destiny is to control it.’

Mary smiled at Callum; there was something about his self-effacing manner that appealed to her.

‘I’ll knock on for you then?’

Jimmy had never taken her anywhere. Had never knocked on for her or spoken to her with thoughtful care and consideration in the way Callum was now.

‘I’d like that, Callum, thank you.’

Not knowing what to say next, they stood and smiled at each other and Callum felt his heart race. He wanted to talk more, ask her more, but he hesitated. Steady does it, was the thought that entered his mind and he knew, instinctively, it was the right thing to do. Mary was not like the other girls on the four streets, she wasn’t cheeky and confident. He remembered her playing in the street, always the one looking after her younger brothers, not running off with the other girls to the wasteland. He had felt sorry for her then, had hated Jimmy for the