When theres kin, theres always a bit of bother an old English saying, after all.
Poppy grew up in a tiny village in the Cotswolds and, from the moment she could toddle, dreamed of getting out of the mud. She never pictured herself milking cows, shearing sheep or tending a garden. As soon as she turned sixteen, she bought a ticket to Birmingham and swore, Ill never set foot back in that backwater again, come what may.
She enrolled at a technical college, got a bunk in the lads hall and, two years later, landed a job as a crane operator on a tall tower crane.
Soon it was time to think about marriage. Over a few weekends Poppy and her friends would dance in the city park, and one evening she met a bloke named Colin. He seemed just as keen to find a wife, so they didnt waste any time; straight to the registry office they went.
A nervous note was mailed back to her village: Mum, Dad, Im getting married! Come and see the new MrsPoppy! Unfortunately, her parents couldnt make it her older sister had just been wed the day before, and the family was already stretched thin. Mum sent a quick reply: Well visit later to meet the grandkids.
The wedding went ahead in a modest hall, and the everyday grind began. Poppy moved into Colins cramped threeroomed terraced house, sharing it with Colin, his mother, his sister and her baby, his brother and his wife, and of course, Poppy herself.
Despite the squeeze, Poppy and Colin were delighted. They were given the tiniest room in the house. Colins mum liked Poppy she was obedient, hardworking and never said more than she needed. It was a lucky match for her son. The matriarch had five children of her own; two of her daughters lived elsewhere with their husbands.
The youngest, a girl called Lucy, proved to be a handful. She arrived with a baby in the nick of time. The father vanished without a word, leaving Lucy to raise the child alone. When Colin had to fetch his sister and the infant from the maternity ward, the attending nurse chuckled, Now youll be a lifelong uncle, dear. They all laughed it off.
Life went on, everyone working, everyone getting on with it. Trouble started when Colin brought his new wife, Lucy, into the home. Lucy took an instant dislike to Poppy, hissing, Shes just a village girl who stole my man!
Poppy kept her head down, never entering the fray. Colin didnt hear a thing, partly because his mother kept nudging her: Poppy, dont mind Lucy. Shes just jealous because shes alone and unlucky. Keep quiet for Colins sake, or hell plot revenge on you. So Poppy stayed silent, even when Lucy shouted at her own mother, and Poppy defended the grieving motherinlaw, who was wiping away tears in the kitchen.
A year later, Poppy and Colin welcomed a daughter, Lily. Motherhood swept Poppy up in a wave of joy, but Lucys temper flared even more. Arguments erupted daily over the smallest things. Finally Poppy snapped: she lunged at Lucy like a tiger protecting her cub. In the heat of the moment Colin grabbed an iron and, with a clumsy swing, missed Lucy entirely. The scare was enough; Lucy kept her mouth shut after that.
Lucy, however, had a string of fleeting suitors. She would leave her little boy, Danny, with Poppy while she darted off to meet them. Danny turned out to be a mischievous little gremlin, swiping money, causing trouble at school, and constantly jingling spare change in his pockets, all before his ninth birthday.
One evening, fed up, Poppy snapped, If you spent half that energy on schoolwork, youd be a proper lad! It wasnt far from the truth; Danny was a tiny terror, but Lucy brushed him off, muttering, Ill marry off soon and then deal with Danny. Im tired of lying cold in bed while you snuggle with Colin.
When Poppys parents visited to see Lily, they were horrified by the cramped living space and the constant bickering. Poppy, you should come back to the family home before you lose your mind, her father urged, while her mother whispered, Come back, love. Van will be looking for you in the garden; hell welcome you and Lily with open arms.
Poppy sighed, I didnt move to the city to end up back with farmhands. Ill endure a bit longer. Soon Colin, now an engineer, will get his own flat. Her parents left, shaking their heads at their daughters fate.
Three years later, Colins factory finally granted him a modest flat. The timing was perfect, as Poppy and Colin had just welcomed a son, Tom. They moved into their own little nest empty, a touch chilly, but undeniably theirs.
A year after the move, Colins mother passed away. Lucy, now greyhaired, fell into a deep remorse for the petty fights and harsh words shed hurled at her own mother. She spent every afternoon at the graveside, closing the gate behind her and sitting on the bench, whispering to the wind. Folks warned her, Dont shut the gate, youll stay forever. She answered, Im fine. Time, as it does, softened the edges of grief.
Lucys life turned around; she met a decent fellow and talked about marriage. She invited Poppy over for tea in the same snug terraced house, joked, and when Poppy was about to leave, Lucy clasped her wrist and said, Hold on, Poppy. I need to apologise. I was jealous of you, bitter as black tea. Now I see how happy you and Colin are, and Im truly glad for you. Youre the dearest person I know in the whole wide world. Poppy blinked, Well, you do look radiant, Lucy. Lucy smiled sadly and planted a quick kiss on Poppys cheek. Poppy, stunned, shuffled back home.
The next morning, Colins younger brother called out, Colin, Lucy didnt wake up; shes passed in her sleep. She was 37, a heart condition the doctor had missed. She was laid to rest beside her mother in the same small walled garden.
For a year, fresh flowers kept appearing on Lucys grave, tended by her wouldbe husband, who eventually swapped the wilted bunches for a permanent arrangement of artificial roses. Meanwhile, Danny, now fourteen and orphaned, was left without a clear future. His biological father turned up, but his new family had no room for him. Relatives suggested an orphanage, citing Dannys troublesome nature. Colin, however, declared, No boarding schools! How can we abandon our own kin? If theres family, theres a mess, but well sort it out. He took Danny under his wing, gaining legal guardianship.
The extended family exhaled in relief. Thank heavens we didnt toss the lad into the system, they muttered. Of course, Colin and Poppy now had an extra pair of hands and a few extra headaches: petty theft, cheeky remarks, and the occasional teenage temper. They survived it all.
Danny grew up, married, and named his first son Lovelace after Lucy, and his second son Colin, after his adoptive granddad. Relatives shook their heads, Well, look at Danny now, all turned around! Fresh flowers once again graced Lucys grave, sent by Danny, marking that even in an English village the old proverb still rings true: when theres kin, theres always a bit of bother.
