Nobody’s Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

dismissing any suggestions he made and keeping a firm hand on the purse strings.
    A few years later, when war had been declared, he’d gone eagerly to join up, only to be declared unfit with a heart murmur he didn’t know he had. He’d looked forward to getting away from Dolly, her violence and the café. Instead he’d seen his friends going off to fight, and several were killed in action. He’d eventually volunteered to be an air-raid warden, but in truth it wasn’t out of patriotism – it was for the same reason as he’d tried to enlist in the army: to get away from Dolly for a while.
    Of course the bloody café had survived the air raids and, despite rationing, they had made a living. Nowadays the place was a little gold mine, but what did he see of it? Huh, just the pocket money that his wife gave him.
    ‘What’s up, Bernie? Has Dolly been giving you what for again?’
    Yes, that’s how they saw him, Bernie thought: as a downtrodden and henpecked husband. He forced a smile, turning to face the costermonger.
    ‘Well, you know Dolly.’
    ‘Not as well as you, mate, thank God. Do you fancy a game of darts tonight?’
    ‘Yes, thanks.’ As he walked away, Bernie knew that as he threw each dart he would picture his wife’s face etched on the board.
    ‘What’s the matter, sweetheart?’ Dolly asked when she saw her son slumped in a chair.
    ‘Nothing, Mum.’
    She sat on the arm of the chair, stroking his hair. ‘Don’t give me that. I can see you’re upset about something.’
    Kevin pushed her hand away. ‘Leave it, Mum.’
    ‘Don’t be silly, son. If you’re upset about something, maybe I can help.’
    ‘If I tell you what’s wrong, it won’t do any good.’
    ‘Tell me anyway.’
    ‘My friends are going to Brighton on Sunday, but I can’t go with them.’
    ‘Why not?’
    ‘’Cos they’re all driving down by car, and can you see me keeping up on my scooter?’
    ‘Surely one of them could give you a lift?’
    ‘Yeah, I suppose so, but you don’t know how it feels to be the odd one out. From now on I’ll have to scrounge a lift every time we go somewhere.’
    Dolly stood up, exhaling loudly. ‘Kevin, I know how much you want to buy that car, but it’s an awful lot of money, son.’
    ‘See, I knew you’d say that! I told you to leave it, but you insisted I tell you! What good has it done?’ he cried, bending forward then as though gasping for air. After forcing a wheezing sound and hearing his mother murmuring worriedly, he straightened. ‘It’s that bloody scooter and the dust I inhale that causes these attacks, but forget it, Mum. You can’t afford to buy me the car so that’s that.’ And on that note Kevin reared from the chair, stomping to his bedroom, the door slamming behind him.
    Dolly paced back and forth but then, casting a glance behind her, she went into her bedroom and to the dressing table. Tucked in the bottom drawer, from under her underwear she took out her cash box. This was her hidden hoard, money the tax man had no knowledge of, and carefully added to over the years. Taking the notes that Bernie had given her and the key, she opened it, her eyes mentally assessing the contents. Why not? she thought. They weren’t hard up, and if riding that scooter was making Kevin ill, he’d have to have a car.
    ‘Here you are, love,’ Dolly said, knocking before going into Kevin’s room. Her son had become a stickler for privacy, but it was probably normal at his age.
    ‘Thanks,’ Kevin cried, jumping up and throwing his arms around her. ‘You’re the best mum in the world.’
    Dolly smiled, and touched his face. ‘And you’re the best son.’
    ‘I’d better get a move on before he sells the car to someone else.’
    Kevin released his mother, leaving the room without a backward glance, his face alive with excitement. Good old Mum, she had coughed up, as he knew she would. The radio he’d nicked and stashed in the bottom of his wardrobe wouldn’t have raised more