WAITING FOR JANICE IN 1957.
A Story by Terry Collett
A BOY AND GIRL IN LONDON IN 1957.
Benedict waited patiently(as patiently as a nine year old boy can wait)
for Janice at the end of Bath Terrace where she lived with her
grandmother in the block of flats behind somewhere on the third floor
where he'd been once or twice to see the yellow canary and stay for
tea and why she lived with her grandmother and not her parents he never
asked although it puzzled him often especially at night when he lay
awake kept awake by the coal shunting railway engine opposite the flats
of Banks House where he lived with his parents and sister and brother
but Janice's grandmother was a strict disciplinarian and even Benedict
was wary of her when he saw her out or when he visited the flat and
recalled her saying I’ll slap your behind my girl if you misbehave she
would often say in his hearing and he'd see Janice blush and stare wide
eyed at her grandmother he stared back up Bath Terrace and saw Janice
walking quickly towards him her blonde hair long and fine coming out
beneath the red beret her creamy coat buttoned up to her neck he watched
her walking she was late she hurried forward he was dressed in his blue
jeans and jumper and a pocketful of coins his mother had given him for
an ice cream for the both of them sorry I’m late Janice said Gran kept
me behind said I had to help with the washing and I had to hold the
washing through the ringer while Gran turned the big handle she said
I was too weak to do that bit but I had to do something Benedict nodded
he knew her grandmother was a determined woman and knew that when she
do something you did it or else does she know where we are going? he
asked yes I asked her yesterday she said yes if I was with you and to
stay with you and to behave don't think she would have let me go if you
weren't with me Janice said so they walked along Rockingham Street under
the railway bridge and down the street that went by the Trocadero
cinema and out into the New Kent Road she chattering about her canary
the one he'd seen a few times a yellow bird that sometimes talked if it
was in the mood and once when he visited the flat he tried to teach the
bird to repeat a four letter word but Janice said don't or I’ll get the
blame and be for it so he didn't but he thought it would have been fun
have the bird come out with the four letter word to an unsuspecting
grandmother are we walking or getting a bus? he asked we can walk she
said it's just passed our school ok he said so they walked down the
subway along the echoing tunnel he singing a few bars of a Frankie
Vaughan song she looking at him despairingly he singing it in a country
music kind of voice playing an imaginary guitar and making a guitar
sound in between singing and then they came out at the other side of the
subway and they walked along St George's Road towards the Imperial War
Museum where he had suggested they go the previous day he had been
there many times especially after school sometimes just to see a
particular set of guns or bombs or see the WW1 set out in glass cases
the small figures of soldiers in trenches and painted backgrounds of
trees blown up or no man's land how long are we staying? she asked as
long as we want he said I may have a go at the air plane controls or see
the machine guns and grenades and bayonets she thought it could be
boring seeing all that she didn't like guns or bombs or the huge figures
of soldiers by walls she only said she'd come to be out and to be him
and maybe he would buy her an ice cream or a drink of pop or something
she had wanted to go swimming but her grandmother said she didn't like
the idea and she thought it indecent to go around in swimwear in the
public eye but others do Janice had pleaded I don't care what others do
the grandmother said it is you I am thinking about I promised your
parents I’d take care of you and keep you safe and I am determined to
keep my promise swimming indeed with all those people hardly clothed and
some O my God in skimpy swimwear so one can see their parts Benedict
laughed when Janice told him his mother had no problems about him going
swimming but to be on the look out for children who peed in the water if
you see yellow water she said keep away from it get out one can get
diseases from pee his mother said but they were going to the War Museum
and as they approached the steps he sensed her thin hand reach out for
his and he hoped no one especially any boys from school saw him and her
and her hand touching his and he hoped that if she decided to give him a
nervous kiss it would be the one thing he hoped the boys from school
would certainly miss.
© 2014 Terry Collett
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Added on November 20, 2014
Last Updated on November 20, 2014
Tags: LONDON, 1957, BOY, GIRL
Author
Terry CollettUnited Kingdom
About
Terry Collett has been writing since 1971 and published on and off since 1972. He has written poems, plays, and short stories. He is married with eight children and eight grandchildren. on January 27t.. more..
Writing
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