Wrappers

Sweet wrappers

Well, you really are a sweet wrapper, George! old Mrs. Summers spat by her neighbours boots and limped off, pressing on her bad leg. Shed done her duty; now his conscience could settle things for him. If people couldnt knock some sense into him, maybe fate would step in?

Imagine! Packing your own mother off into a council home! Wheres that ever been the done thing? Yes, Claudias bedbound now, but stillhes her son, not some odd uncle from down the road? There was no end to Mrs. Summers outrage. If shed had her health she wouldnt have hesitated, not even a moment. Shed have brought her friend to live with her. But now

She pitied Annie. A good girl, no doubt, but not a draft horse meant to haul everything alone. Shed stayed behind in the village, you know, not gone off to university when her mother fell ill. She left at first, but soon came back. She couldnt abandon her mum and granny. She helped as best she could, knowing Mrs. Summers couldnt manage after her daughter as well. Just getting through the days was a battle. Two years ago, after breaking her leg, things had only gotten worse. Shed been hobbling before, but nowwell, nothing was easy anymore.

Her younger daughter had offered to take Mrs. Summers in, up in the city, but she had to refuse. Where to fit, honestly? The flats pokey, barely space for the lot of them anyway. Her son-in-law was a decent chap but not enterprising at all. Working his fingers to the bone for nought. Two children now, and its a slog. Mrs. Summers was no help anymore. She used to keep house, help out, but now she was just a wreck. Annie got cross when her gran called herself that, but why get cross when its the truth? Her health never returned. Every morning, just getting up from bed took all she had. Shed open her eyes, lie still, pull herself together like a coal scuttle collecting ashesone little pile at a time. Up. Move. On.

Thank heavens at least for Annie, sprightly as a spring lamb. While Mrs. Summers was still gathering her wits, Annie got everything done: tidied the house, cared for her mother, and dashed off to work. Always quick, has been since a child.

Mrs. Summers had her eldest, Annies mother, late. Never thought shed be a mother, not in a million years.

Her first husband never forgave the emptiness. Left her. She mourned, but not deeply; he hadnt really loved her. Shed burned, he was cold.

In her youth, Mrs. Summers had been a right beauty. Bright as sunrisethe prettiest girl for miles around. Lads were at her heels back in school, but she kept herself apartwaiting for love. She thought the right one would show up, the one her heart would follow. But the years slipped by, and she stopped turning her head. Shed lower it instead, under her mothers constant nagging:

Why are you so choosy? Youll end up a spinster!

And what could she say? The idea of looking at someone she didnt care for just made her squirm.

Then a soldier moved into the next village, just out of the army. Shed never known him before. His family lived elsewhere. Why he returned here instead of home, nobody found out for ages, and he certainly didnt tell Mrs. Summers.

But oh, she was smitten! Saw her Alex once and lost her sleep entirely. Fell headlong in love

He didnt waste time either; soon as he set eyes on her, sent the matchmakers round. Her mother was overjoyedtime was running out, and the girl still sat single!

It was a big, cheery wedding. Mrs. Summers was dizzy with happiness, barely knew where to look. At first, she missed the whispers round the tables. Only when her mother-in-law took her aside, hand tight on her wrist, did she sense something was wrong.

Mrs. Summers had spotted the woman in a sombre scarf the moment she walked into the courtyard. And when her mother-in-law led her over to a pram beside this woman, she felt her heart stop. It didnt need saying. It was clear.

Alex, later, told her: hed left for the army with a sweetheart, but the dates couldnt match updidnt believe the child was his. All the family insisted the timing was off. Only later, Alexs mother, badgered by the neighbours, visited the almost-daughter-in-law and found the babylittle Alec. The spitting image! But it was too late. Another match was made.

The mother of that baby never forgave Alexs betrayal, refused to be with him. She didnt even know her mother had gone to his wedding, bringing her grandchild. She was told shed gone to visit her sister.

Why? Mrs. Summers asked, hand on the pram handle, gazing at the weary woman.

So youd know who you were marrying.

What difference did knowing make? Mrs. Summers never figured it out. She loved her husband. What happened before whos faultless in this world? He was humancouldnt he also have erred?

She never stopped Alex from seeing his son. But he was never eager either. Mrs. Summers soon learned Alexs heart had room only for himself. Others were simply the frame that set off his own portrait.

It wasnt that he failed as a provider, the house was in order, but there was no warmth. For over fifteen years together, Mrs. Summers never felt any true affection from him. He was therebut it was an emptiness louder than any absence.

She kept hopingchildren would change things, perhaps. Maybe hearts need time.

Then one day, as if idly, he said she wasnt even a real womannot a true onesince she couldnt give him children. Mrs. Summers realised then her life was a path to nowhere. Walk it, or stand still, and nothing would ever change.

They separated quickly, so quietly that most neighbours didnt even notice the Summers family was no more. Only Mrs. Summers remained.

Alex left soon after they finalised everything. He left her the house, apologising in the end.

Dont be angry. Were both to blame. But the responsibility was mine.

She never truly forgave him, yet her heart felt lighter. What could she do? Beauty, God gave her plenty. Happiness, not so much.

For two years, she lived alone. Worked, strolled the village with her head held high, ignored the gossip as much as she could. Not the old days now! So what if her husband left! Who left whom, really?

But always, her heart ached. She wanted to come home to something, someone, not an echoing silence.

She didnt take up with Nicholas straight away. She kept her eye on him a long while. They werent youngsters. He was from away too, who knew what baggage he carried? Lived like a bachelor, never dropped in on anyone, never asked for help, but happy to offer it.

Yet, he was gentle. Polite. And started calling in.

Mrs. Summers had nearly forgotten how it felt. Truth be told, shed never really known. Alex had given her daisies only once, thought everything else was nonsense. While she was in love, she hadnt noticed. Later, all romance disappeared.

But Nicholas was thoughtful. Not grand, but never came empty-handed. If he stopped by, hed fix something or lend a hand. So Mrs. Summers decidedcouldnt be worse than it was. People could say what they liked, but loneliness was gnawing at her. At least this way, she had company in old age.

She expected nothing from remarriage. But fate, dawdling by, did a turn and arranged such a dance she could do nothing but marvel, accept what came, and be grateful.

She didnt even realise she was pregnant with her first daughter until five months in. Shed never had any steady patterns, nothing ever regular in her body. But the pregnancy was easy: no sickness, no struggle.

It was Claudia, her close friend, who noticed something was up.

“Youre not by any chance,” Claudia gasped once, seeing Mrs. Summers sway, shielding her eyes from the sun.

“As if! Im empty”

“My nan used to say its not always the womans doing, and doctors agree, dont they? Sometimes its a man at fault too. Maybe you just werent meant to have children with Alex? Whos to know? Get checked in the cityyou never know, maybe happiness will find you yet!

She came back glowing, lighting up the village as she walked home. You could tell: all was well, would be better still!

One daughter, then another, and Mrs. Summers walked tall again. She had nothing to be ashamed of; she was a mother now.

She loved her girls with all her heart. Others marvelled at it. On ordinary days theyd wear their best dresses with ribbons, always neat. But like any children, theyd climb trees, splash in puddles, swim in the brook come summer. She never scolded or smacked. Shed fill a basin, hand out the soap, show them how to wash their socks. If they tore anythingout came the needle. Stitch it up, I’ll show you if you dont know.

Nicholas died when the younger daughter married. He went to visit her in the city and never made it backkilled in a crash on the way home.

Grief washed out the colour from Mrs. Summers, but if not for the children shed have joined him. But she braced herself, endured. The next year her eldest had Annie and Mrs. Summers world bloomed once moreeverything green, living again.

She lived for her grandchildren. It was far to her younger daughter in the city; they visited only on holidays. But Annie was nearby.

The girl grew up to be the very image of Mrs. Summerssame beauty, same bearing, stubborn as midsummer weeds. If she set her mindthere was no telling her otherwise.

While she was focused on her studies, Mrs. Summers was glad. But come adolescenceall it brought was heartache.

Because Annie fell madly in love. Not just with anyone, but the neighbourGeorge. He was five years older, a proper lad; Annie was barely sixteen. She didnt know much, but insisted she loved him; you might as well knock on a brick wall.

George paid Annie no mind at allwho was she anyway? Just a neighbour. Barely more than a child. He had his own affairs of the heart.

Lucy, the girl whose eye he was catching, was quite a sight. Not a classic beauty, but stylish, dressed the best in the whole parish. Her father doted on herthe only daughter, so why not?

But it did her no good. She grew vain, expecting the world at her feet or else sulking all day.

At first, she kept George at bay, watched him carefully.

Then something peculiar happened.

Lucy had a suitor from the next villageanother spoilt youth. He courted her for lack of anything else to do. Lucy was happy enough for a dance, an outing, never refused. Then they headed out one night on a motorbike. And disappeared. No one knew what happened, but Lucy arrived home at dawnbruised, dress torn.

Only Mrs. Summers knew. She couldnt sleep that night, decided to head to her garden before sunrise, before the heat set in. There she saw Lucy sneaking through her gardens edge.

Lucy ignored Mrs. Summers completely, marched right on as if the old woman was invisible.

A week later the village was abuzzLucys parents were rushing to plan a wedding.

George was over the moon, but Claudia, his mum, was dismayed.

It cant be good, not so fast. But how to tell George? He wont listen. What do I know? If Lucy did anything, it wasnt out of love. But who am I to judge? Still, I feel bad for George. He loves her. Hes lost sleep, wasted away.

Mrs. Summers listened and nodded, keeping her thoughts. She never told anyone shed seen Lucy that night. She had her own drama at homeshe could hardly comfort her neighbour, needing comfort herself.

Annie, meanwhile, seemed possessed. Shed weep all day, staring out the window across the fence to the bustling preparations for Georges wedding. Other days shed lie with her back turned, sobbing silently for the living.

Mrs. Summers tried everythingoffered to send Annie to her aunt in the city. The only hope was that shed stay, study, marry, and never return to see her belovedwho didnt care a jot. Mrs. Summers knew telling her everything shed witnessed would make no difference. Love didnt work that way.

But Annie wouldnt listen to her or her mother. Her father was goneI suppose no one really ever controlled her.

What was she waiting for? Did she think things might still change? No one knew.

She held out to the very wedding day, surprising Mrs. Summers and her mum by standing there with dry eyes. She stood aside, never sitting, never replying to friends. Then, she turned and left for home.

Her mother noticed almost at once, hurrying after. She was frightened, fearing what Annie might do.

But Annie surprised her again. She packed her suitcase, hugged her mum and Mrs. Summers, and took the next train to the city. They wept, but crossed themselves and decided to wait.

Time heals, after all.

Maybe it could have healed Annie too, but fate never gave her enough. Barely finding her feet in the city, disaster struckher mother went into hospital and never walked out again.

So Annie packed up and came home. There was no choice. Mrs. Summers was alone, and in her healthhow could she look after a bedbound daughter?

All Annie feared was living next door to George and his bride. But luck, or fate, was kindhed gone from the village, left right after the wedding.

Annie unpacked, tidied the house, settled her mother comfortably, and looked for work at the farm. Where else? No degree, whod have her? Not many jobs hereafter school, the farm is the only way.

Still, Annie was never afraid of hard work, loved animals too. She started a smallholding, knowing she couldnt live on meagre wages.

So they lived on. Annie looked after both her mum and Claudia when she could. Claudia, after losing her husband, nearly lost her mind as well. Her son hardly ever wrote, never told her much about family. He sent the odd cheque in the post, asked after her, but nothing more. All Claudia knew was that Lucy had given him two children, a boy and a girl. Yet shed never seen her grandchildren. Maybe Lucy refused to return, maybe Georges work was too tough. He was a lorry driver nownever home, always on the road. Claudia could sense, between the lines, how hard it was for him. George never actually complained, but mothers know.

Whether it was worry or something more, Claudia took to her bed. Annie had her put in the county hospital, visited daily, cried quietly on the way home. The doctors had no good news.

Mrs. Summers wrote George at once when Claudia was taken in. Maybe the letter got lost, maybe something elsehe never came, never even sent word at first. Mrs. Summers tried again, and then told Annie:

Hes given up on her. The nightjar always sings louder at night Oh, sweet wrapper! I thought he was a man one could count on.

“Granny! Wait! Didnt you teach me not to blacken someone with tar unless you know theyre guilty, and even then better keep your soul clean? Let him sort himself out. What else can we do?”

“I dont know, love. I never dreamed George would leave his mother like this. He was always loving, worshipped Claudia What happens to people, Annie?”

“Why do you call him sweet wrapper?”

“Now thats an old story. Thats why I never thought George could get up to such ugliness.

“Tell me!”

“Oh, whats to tell? He was a little lad, five or six at the time. Kids collected sweet wrappers then, you know. Big collections. You couldnt get them easilyback then, times were tight, living hand to mouth Sweets only on birthdays or at Christmas. Good chocolate ones, wellrare treats. If you had to choose between sweets or new shoes, you knew which way it went. So, sweet wrappers were treasured like gold. Whoever had them kept them carefully, only swapped for something just as precious.

Back then, Claudia had two pedigree chickens. Not just any, perfect thingswhite as fresh snow, feathered crowns. Claudia adored them. Not sure where her Carlos found them, but she kept them like treasures, hoping to breed more. Then disaster. Georges best mate had a dog, a rough bit of businesssaid to be from a good line. His dad brought it home from the city. Supposedly a gun dogbut whod know? You couldnt bring it round the villageitd chase anything on legs. One day George invited the boy over, and he brought the dog. And thats how Claudias yard was left with white feathers fluttering everywhere

“Granny, you dont mean”

“Yes, Annie, it killed both hens. Claudia wept, but didnt scold her son, just said not a word to anyone for days. You know what George did?”

“What?”

“He gave away all his sweet wrappers to another mate. That lads dad often went to London. George begged him to take him along on his next trip. He emptied his savingshis treasured coins meant for a new bicycleand brought home for his mum a chicken just like the one lost.

“Good for him!”

“Oh, more than good. Claudia was beside herself, not because her wish came truethe fancy hens were dashing about againbut because her son proved himself a good man. And now? What happens to people, Annie?” Mrs. Summers sighed and didnt hear Annies protests.

What sort of son leaves his mother while shes ill? Thats just not on.

But she was rendered speechless a week later, after Claudia came home from hospital. Annie, after speaking with the local nurse, had arranged for her transport back.

What else to do? She couldnt wait, nor could she get Claudia placed somewhere without a relatives consent.

George arrived, unexpected by all. By then, Annie had managed to cope with two invalids at once. Shed sort her mother, then pop over to Claudia. Not much more to do; she was still strong. Her gran scolded Annie for working herself into the ground, but how could she abandon anyoneespecially someone not truly a stranger, Georges own mum?

Annie was scrubbing Claudias floors when she heard the door bang, and a small boy ran across the newly cleaned floor, muddy shoes and all, and stood in front of Annie, looking up into her face.

Are you my mummy?

The question was so stark in its innocence, Annie was stunned, motionless with a rag in her hand.

Neighbour George steadied his daughter and nodded to Annie. Forgive me for coming so late. My fault entirely. Max was in hospital, and I couldnt leave, not with Milly as well.

And Lucy? Annie let slip, and at once regretted it.

Who was she to ask about his private life?

“Lucys gone. Left us. Took off with a new fella. Im alone now.”

“Alone? What about the children?” Annie found her voice again. She didnt feel shy about this rugged man holding his wide-eyed daughter by the hand.

“Right. Not alonenot really. What am I thinking? Annie, is Mum asleep?” he nodded, squatting down to remove his daughters boots.

“Yes. Shes tiredbest to rest, doctors say. But Id have her up and aboutyour mum never sat still before! Always moving, never idle. Now she just lies there.”

My backsides numb! piped Claudia from her bed, and Annie made to leave. George was here. Time to head home.

She finished cleaning, set out a fresh pot of soup and some milk for the children, then hurried off, forgetting to even say goodbye. She hadnt a drop of energy left for conversation.

Annie thought her heart had mended in the time theyd been apart but no, it hadntand the realisation frightened her. He wasnt the same youth whod tugged her plaits over the low garden fence, nor was she the blushing girl shed once been. Theyd both changed, grown older. Wiser? She wasnt so sure. But certainly, different.

Next day, Claudia told Mrs. Summers she wanted to ask her son to take her to a care home.

Mrs. Summers was so incensed, she could hardly listen. Where the fire came from, who knows! She limped to the porch, called George out, spat by his boots, and hobbled home. She wouldnt see him, wouldnt hear any more! Didnt even let Annie ask a question.

Dont make excuses for him! For goodness sake! What sort of son shoving his own mother out like garden rubbish Mrs. Summers could take no more, dissolved into tears.

And Annie, still in her old housecoat, dashed outside, slipped her feet into galoshes and raced next door.

George! Where are you? she shouted, flinging open the door and standing on the step, hair wild, anger blazing, beautiful as spring itself. What are you thinking? I wont let you put Aunt Claudia away! Dont even dream of it! Off you go, well manage ourselves! Looking after one or twomakes no difference! Well put an extra bed in mums room and thats that! Oh, you! All this time, I

Annie suddenly stopped, noticing Claudia smiling, wiping laughter tears, George grinning.

Whats all this, then? Calm down, Annie! Claudia said, dabbing her eyes. He wasnt planning to put me away at all! I wanted it, told Mrs. Summers I didnt want to be a burden on my son. She didnt hear me out, just exploded and stormed off.

Im staying, Annie. Where would I leave my mum?

Really?” Annies shoulders dropped, her eyes jumping about, landing on the packed bag in the hall. “Then why’s this here?”

Just need to pop home, sort out work, pick up my things. No idea how long itll take, and the kids are with me. Our nurse will check on Mum. Its arranged.

And there Annie showed her true steel.

She faced George, looked him straight in the eye, and said:

Dont drag those children about. Theyre staying here. Ill look after them. And Ill wait for you. Understand?

Understood George stared at her as if seeing her anew. How did I never notice you? Never see you before?

Get yourself some new glasses in London. You cant see straight. Come on, little one, Annie scooped up the girl, who hugged her tight, Shall we go to Grans? Shes making pies. Who loves pies? Good!

And in a few more years, George would lead Claudia and his mother-in-law out to the porch.

Right, mums! Steady does it. Look at the deckchairs I got from London!

Sit, lie down if you like! All in the fresh air. Beautiful, this?

Carefully matching Claudias slow steps, George would see her to her lounger, then listen.

The little ones are awake! Annie isnt home yet. Ill see to them.

Will Annie be home soon?

Shes got her last exam today. Promised to finish in the top five, so shell be home soon.

A car would slow by the gate, and the children, perched high in the cherry tree picking the juicy fruits for grans jam, would clamber down, shouting:

Mum! Mums back!

And Annieso different from the shy girl she once waswould open her arms wide, catching her windblown happiness, winking at her husband:

Five!

Knew it! George would nod and step inside.

The twins, always as thoughtful as their mum, still didnt like to wait. Thats from George.

A proper pair of sweet wrappers!