you did your best, but it wasn’t good enough.
Take care,
Jenny
The note was short, simple and to the point. She couldn’t bring herself to sign off ‘with love’ or to add any kisses. She didn’t feel the need to spell out their reasons for leaving as she figured he must be aware of the pain he’d caused her, and how much he’d scared his own children. She pushed the note to the middle of the table and took one last look around the kitchen. It was the only home she’d ever known. She and her siblings had all been born in this house, but she wasn’t sad to say goodbye to it. Any happy memories she’d once had were tarnished now by her father’s viciousness.
Their home had been ruined the day their mother had left it.
Later that evening, Henry was fuming as he marched out of the pub and stomped home. He hadn’t liked hearing that Lizzie was now hooked up with an American musician, and she’d already been throwing rumours around about marrying the bloke. One week! She’d been shacked up with the wanker for one week and she was talking wedding bells.
‘Over my dead body,’ Henry muttered through gritted teeth. She couldn’t marry the idiot if she wasn’t divorced, and there wasn’t a hope in hell of him agreeing to one.
When he arrived home, Henry was too wrapped up in spiteful thoughts about Lizzie to realise that his kids weren’t around. He marched through to the kitchen, expecting his dinner would be in the oven, but he couldn’t eat. Instead, he reached to the top of the larder for his bottle of whiskey. He dragged out a wooden chair and slumped down, then unscrewed the bottle to take several large glugs of the alcohol before shouting, ‘Where the fuck is everyone? Jenny!’
As Henry was about to take another swig from the bottle, he noticed the note on the table. He reached out, grabbed it and read it through bleary eyes. ‘Huh, so you’ve all fucked off … just like your mother, the fucking lot of you! See if I care. See how you manage without my pay packet.’
He read the note again, but it didn’t occur to him that he could be the reason they’d left. He didn’t look at himself and question why. He screwed the note up and threw it to the floor before drinking from the bottle again. Sod the lot of them. His house and his life would be quiet from now on and that suited him fine. He’d have more money in his pocket, and with the kids gone there’d be no excuse for Lizzie to turn up. He might miss the boys a bit, but he didn’t want to set eyes on any of the bitches again; no, he didn’t want to see his wife or his daughters.
It was mid-June and Jenny had been living at Craig’s for a month now. She’d felt awkward at first, especially about Craig seeing her first thing in the morning with her wild red hair. Now, though, she was more relaxed and they’d all settled into a routine. All except for Gloria. Jenny had expected her sister to show Craig a bit more gratitude but instead she was often nasty to him and made it quite clear that she didn’t enjoy living there. Jenny took some solace in knowing they’d all be moving to a larger home, just as soon as she and Craig had saved enough money. She hoped Gloria would then be happier and a bit more charitable towards her brothers and sister too.
Jenny heard a tap on the front door and felt herself tense. She still feared her father would find them, though as far as she knew he hadn’t been to their gran’s to look for them. She glanced across at Pamela. The girl was sitting on the sofa eating her breakfast but had turned deathly white.
‘What’s wrong?’ Craig asked.
‘There’s someone knocking on the door,’ Jenny answered.
‘What, up here?’
‘Yes … w-w-what if …’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll answer it,’ Craig said reassuringly.
Moments later, Jenny heard muffled laughter and once again relaxed. Then Craig returned to the front room carrying a large box wrapped in brown paper. He looked to be struggling so Jenny suspected the package was heavy.
‘It was a delivery I’ve been expecting. Edith had let him in downstairs.’
‘What’s in the box?’ Timmy asked as he and Peter ran in from the bathroom.
‘A surprise,’ Craig answered and placed it in the middle of the floor.
‘Is it a surprise for us?’ Peter asked.
‘It’s for all of us.’
Timmy ran forward and sat next to the box. ‘Can we open it?’
‘Wait for Gloria, then we can all open it together.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about her, she’ll be ages in the bedroom doing her face,’ Jenny said. As much as she loved her sister, she didn’t want Gloria’s mood or scathing comments spoiling the moment when the mystery in the box was unveiled.
‘All right then. Go on, boys, you can open it.’
Jenny watched with delight as her brothers tore at the brown paper, then Craig helped them. She heard Peter squeal, and Timmy jumped up and down excitedly. ‘What is it?’ she asked, intrigued.
Peter spun around to look at her and said, ‘It’s a television set! I can watch Andy Pandy!’
Jenny gasped. Many homes now had televisions, but they’d never had one. Part of her wanted to be annoyed at Craig for being so extravagant when they were supposed to be saving for a home, but seeing the thrilled faces of her brothers melted away her annoyance. ‘Wow, that must have cost a packet,’ she commented, but with a smile.
‘Actually, it didn’t. My uncle sent it for us. He said he hardly uses it and thought we’d appreciate it.’
‘How kind of him. Yes, the boys will definitely appreciate it, I should think even Gloria will like it too.’
‘What will I like?’ Gloria asked as she sauntered into the room.
Jenny thought her sister looked very pretty and glamorous but it was a shame about her miserable face. Perhaps the surprise would cheer her up? ‘Craig’s uncle has sent us a television set and I said you’d like it.’
‘Yeah, right, as if I’d ever get a chance to watch anything that I’d like to see.’
Jenny pursed her lips but didn’t respond. Nothing seemed to be good enough for Gloria lately and her negative attitude was beginning to get on Jenny’s nerves.
‘Can we watch something now?’ Timmy asked.
‘No, not at the moment. I’ve got to set it up and you’ve got to go to school, but when you get home this evening, you can watch the television then.’
‘Please, just for a little while?’
‘There’s no time. Come on, boys, we’ll be late for school,’ Pamela said, and ushered them from the room.
‘I’m off too, see ya,’ Gloria said and followed her siblings.
‘Aren’t you going to be late?’ Craig asked Jenny.
‘Actually, I’ve got the day off. The dock strike has affected the factory getting parts in time so Miss Aston offered us a day off, unpaid mind.’
‘Well, seeing as I’m my own boss, how about I skive off today and we can spend it together, unless you’ve already got plans?’
‘No, nothing planned, that would be great.’
‘In that case, let’s jump on the underground up to Trafalgar Square and we can have a look in the National Gallery.’
‘At art?’
‘Yes, why? Not your cup of tea?’
‘No, not really. It’s