When Sorry Is Not Enough, page 5
Sally quickly rushed her hand to cover her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Her merriment was due to the picture that had just popped into her head of Flora and Shonag, suitably dressed in balaclavas and Wellington boots, trying to steer a tractor over the hilly, boulder-strewn terrain.
‘Never mind the hysterics, Shonag,’ Flora hissed before banging the table with her fist. ‘I’ve told you – I think I have the answer.’
‘And what would that be?’ enquired Luke.
‘Och, it’s just that we need …’ Flora stopped abruptly and dismissed Luke with a disdainful wave of her hand. ‘None of your business, sir,’ she emphatically blurted before turning her full attention on to Sally. ‘Before you leave, lass, you and I have to have a private chat.’ She now lifted the teapot. ‘Anyone for another cuppa?’
Everyone except Flora and Sally had vacated the living room to allow the women the privacy for their urgent tête-à-tête.
Sally sat with her elbows on the table and her chin cupped in her hands. Flora seemed apprehensive but tentatively she said, ‘Sally, I need money.’
‘Are you saying you need a loan?’ Flora bristled but Sally continued. ‘Because that wouldn’t be a problem. You know I could refuse you nothing. After all I owe you.’
‘Sally, Sally, you won’t want to help me.’ Flora hesitated before adding, ‘You see, my dear, the money is for Harry.’
Sally flung her head back and then banged her forehead with the palms of her hands. ‘You’re right, Flora. I couldn’t even say yes to you begging me if I knew it was for him.’
An uneasy silence followed before Sally asked, ‘And what has he done now?’
‘The lassie he was living with has put him out. And before you ask, yes he was cheating on her too.’
‘So, could he not move in with his present plaything?’
‘Be a bit crowded that would be,’ Flora replied with a long sniff. ‘You see … not only has she a husband and four bairns biding with her, she also has her two brothers and their four greyhound dogs.’
Sally had yet again to stifle her desire to laugh out loud.
Oblivious to Sally’s reaction, Flora was absently nodding and as she sucked in her lips she mumbled, ‘And I just have to get a roof over his head – a roof of his own. So you see, Sally, I’m not asking you, or even begging you, because the amount of money I need to sort him out is too much for even you to find. So …’ Flora started to pull at her hair. ‘Try and understand. I know he’s a wrong one but he’s my flesh and blood and somehow I must have steered him wrong … I just can’t see him on the streets.’
Rising, Sally went over to Flora and she began rubbing her shoulder. ‘Sure, Flora, when things go very wrong all us mothers think we must be to blame. You are in no way responsible for Harry being a womaniser. Maybe if I’d taken him back when he pleaded with me to give him another chance, it might have worked for him. But, Flora, even although I owe you – I just couldn’t – no I just couldn’t have tied him around my neck.’
‘I wouldn’t have expected you to. And, Sally, there’s not only Harry that has to be provided for, there’s William too.’
‘William too,’ Sally blurted. ‘But Flora, surely you realise that you and Shonag are not the welfare state.’
‘I know that. But we do have all this land here that we can no longer farm.’
‘Don’t tell me you think you can make enough to sort out your problems by renting it out?’
Vigorously shaking her head, Flora went on. ‘Things are progressing here. They need land to create a road – a proper road to link us with the south not a dirt track that gets bogged down in the winter – and,’ she added very quickly, ‘there’s also housing needed. Inverness is bursting at the seams and if they laid on some decent public transport, this place would be very attractive. It’s only a ten minute drive to the town.’
As was usual with Sally when she was thinking through a problem she began to gnaw on her right thumb and stare into space. Flora on the other hand just looked out of the window until she could stand the silence no longer. ‘Sally,’ she said, leaning over to pat Sally’s arm, ‘you do understand. He has nowhere to stay. He’s out of work. I’m too old to take him on. What I was thinking was if Flora and I sold up we could sort out our boys – I know this will mean me selling up hundreds of years of our family history. Nothing will be left for my grandchildren … these two bonny lassies you gave me and our darling boy, Bobby, but they have you so they are truly blessed.’
‘Just a minute though. Selling up will leave you and Shonag homeless.’
‘We’ll get somewhere to rent Inverness way. We’re too old to come back to live in a city, especially Shonag, she has always lived here.’
‘No … Look … Bobby,’ Sally sighed before relief seeped into her. ‘Oh, Flora,’ she gasped, ‘that’s who we’ll ask to get you out of this mess. I just knew,’ she almost sang, ‘that there had to be another way. And it will be through my clever, clever Bobby, who knows and is qualified in the law that we will find out what way you should take.’ Sally hesitated and blew out her lips before she conceded, ‘And okay, he’s now a defence solicitor, and a very able one at that, but Lois, his uppity wife, she has specialised in house and land sales so she can keep him right. ’ Sally was visibly relaxed. She was just so pleased to think that somehow there might be better answers to the problems facing Flora and Shonag that she began to do a jig around the room.
On the return journey from Smithton to Edinburgh the chit-chat in the car was light. Everyone seemed to be walking on chipped eggs and afraid to broach Sally on the subject that she had discussed with Flora.
They had just left the lights of Aviemore behind when Sally said, ‘What do you think of this, Luke?’
‘Of what?’
‘Flora and Shonag proposing to sell up and use the money they get from the sale to make life easier for,’ Sally abruptly stopped to ‘huh’ twice before continuing, ‘for Flora’s darling albatross, Harry, and, would you believe, feckless William. Evidently Flora and Shonag have been approached by a road and housing developer.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘I am but why do you ask?’
‘Just that I thought they would need the crofting association’s permission first … and they would be unlikely to grant it.’ Luke hesitated to ponder before uttering, ‘Besides, a developer will take those two dearies to the cleaners.’
‘Ah, but I know we all call it croft estate but it’s not … the land is theirs.’ Sally began tutting until she added, ‘Has been in their family since the early seventeen hundreds.’
‘That’s good. But developers are sharks.’
‘I know that, and that is why I have said Bobby will come up and advise them.’
‘Bobby and not Lois,’ Luke almost shrieked.
‘Well if necessary she can keep Bobby right on anything he’s not quite sure of … but I’m sure there won’t be anything.’
‘That right?’ Luke replied. ‘Look, for what it’s worth, I think you should forget Bobby. He’ll be too busy defending in the court and getting Irish’s appeal started.’
Sally gasped. ‘You’re going to ask Bobby to get an appeal going for Irish when I need him to be concentrating on getting things sorted out at Smithon?’
Luke nodded. ‘Aye and he is best suited to that. Clever laddie he is. Not only did he set up his business in a wee shop in Leith where most of clients are housed but he also goes and purchases himself a house in Craighall Road.’
‘What’s clever about that?’ Nancy, who had made up her mind not to get involved in any dispute between Luke and Sally, asked.
‘Simple,’ replied Luke. ‘There are more solicitors looking for work in Leith than there is work. Therefore Bobby presenting himself as a Leither, and as Leithers like to keep their own in employment, our Bobby gets the lion’s share.’
‘Oh, so there’s nae limit to the amount of Legal Aid you can earn?’
‘No, Nancy, there’s not,’ Sally responded before asking Luke, ‘So what am I going to do about Flora?’
‘Simple that is, my dear sister, do what you should have done when your Bobby married Lois – get on her good side. She’s clever and she excels in her speciality – housing and estate matters.’
Sally huffed. She knew that all she could do now was change the subject. ‘Nancy, I know you said that you wanted to go back to your own house now but I think you should still stay at my place for another day or two.’
‘No. No. Take me home tonight. I have a friend coming to visit me so I will be okay.’
‘A friend?’ Sally enquired before doing a half turn in her seat. ‘What sex?’
‘Oh,’ spluttered Nancy, ‘we haven’t got around to sex yet. You see, Sally,’ Nancy paused, ‘look I think it would be better if I talked it over with you first before I say any more. Could I come and see you tomorrow?’
‘And why not? After all, quite suddenly everybody seems to require an agony aunt called Sally.’
When Luke and Sally arrived back at the guest house in Seaview Terrace, Sally was pleased to note the ‘No Vacancies’ sign was propped up in the front window. ‘Well, at least something seems to have gone right today,’ she remarked as the door was opened by Maggie.
‘Thought you would be back ages ago,’ Maggie huffed. ‘Had to let the single room at the front to myself because as sure as hell I’m not going home at this time in the morning.’ Neither Sally nor Luke responded so Maggie continued, ‘I mean a single woman like me walking the streets in these early hours could end up attacked.’
Luke wanted to respond that it would take a brave man indeed to assault Maggie. However, it had been a long day and he was tired, and a comfy bed was beckoning so he just nodded and started to ascend the stairs.
‘Oh, Sally, before we all turn in. Your Margo came along this afternoon. Looking for you she was and she said to tell you it was a matter of life or death as far as she’s concerned. Evidently she just has to see you as you’re the only person who can sort things out.’
Sally sighed and dropped down on the bottom step. Weariness was engulfing her and all she could manage to mumble was, ‘Helen or Josie havenae been in touch too, have they?’
Bewildered Maggie could only utter, ‘No. Were you expecting them to?’
‘No. It was just that as disasters all seem to happen in three I thought that perhaps one of them had decided to land me with a hat-trick!’
Luke who was now halfway up the stairs stopped and called back, ‘And remember, Sally, I’m only here for four months and I’m beginning to wonder if that will be long enough to sort out all your problems!’
4
Normally Sally would toss and turn the whole night long as she tried to sort all her problems but not tonight. Early on she realised she had to be up bright and early with her wits about her. Nothing else for it then, she counselled herself, other than to go through a relaxing routine. She was only halfway through it when she was fast asleep.
Arriving in the dining room the next morning she was pleased to see that Maggie was already serving breakfast to the customers who wished to be up and away early.
‘Fancy a cooked breakfast?’ Maggie asked Sally.
Grimacing, Sally shook her head. ‘No. Just tea and toast. I have to get to Bobby’s office before he goes up to the court.’
‘Oh,’ was all Maggie, whose curiosity was now roused, said before going on very slowly, ‘someone suing you?’
Sally shook her head. ‘No. We just have to go over some confidential family business that he will be taking care of for me.’
‘Con…fi…den…tial?’ Maggie drawled. ‘And whit does that mean?’
‘That it’s none of your bleeding business,’ was Sally’s quick rejoinder.
The contract taxi had just put Sally down in Great Junction Street, which meant she only had a few yards to walk up King Street to the entrance of her son Bobby’s office.
The office had originally been the victual dealer’s shop that had sold a variety of foodstuffs to all manner of people. Bobby’s change of use of the shop had only changed the product being on offer to the customers. Now only his professional expertise was for sale but the variety of clientele buying on the premises was still as varied.
Pushing open the door she was greeted with a cool smile from the receptionist who said, ‘Can I assist you?’
‘Yes,’ was Sally’s emphatic reply, ‘I wish to see Mr Stuart, and right now.’
The young woman laughed. ‘I’m sorry but that’s just not possible. Mr Stuart is about to leave for the sheriff court so he would not be able to see you until late on this afternoon.’
‘I beg your pardon,’ Sally expounded before proceeding over to the door marked private. ‘Do you know who I am?’
‘No,’ the assistant replied, quickly rising to bar Sally from barging into Bobby’s office.
Luckily Bobby had heard Sally and Ursula’s raised voices so he immediately opened the door and, giving his assistant a knowing wink, he then quickly said, ‘Come away in, Mother. But I can only give you five minutes. A taxi will be arriving then to take me to court.’
Sally was a bit put out at that. Bobby had been her favourite child because she had felt he needed her more. He’d been born with a short leg and she had always encouraged him to study because she felt he was not robust enough for manual work. She had been delighted when all her cajoling had paid off and he had been accepted for Edinburgh University. She was even more elated when he told her he would be studying law. It was at the university that he had met Lois. Sally remembered how she had felt when Lois had come on the scene and she was somehow less important in Bobby’s life. This feeling of rejection became even stronger when Lois told her that her ambition was for Bobby and herself to start up a legal practice together. Like today, all Sally could do then was to accept that she was no longer top priority in Bobby’s life. Difficult it had been to also realise that she did not have first call on his time either. However, it turned out that even though Lois thought she would map out their career path, Bobby, who had been taught to think for himself, thought differently. Sally had wished she’d been a fly on the wall when he announced to Lois that he was going to pursue a career on his own. That career path would take him into defending, mostly the indefensible in Sally’s eyes, those who were charged with being in breach of the law.
‘Okay, I accept that you are busy but then so am I. Nonetheless, your Granny Flora, who always put herself out for you, is in need of your expert assistance.’
Bobby rubbed his hand over his chin. ‘In what way?’
The next three precious minutes were spent with Sally giving a detailed report on the problems that were facing Flora and Shonag.
Bobby nodded, inhaled, then blew out his lips. ‘Yes, I can see this could all be tricky. But what do you think I could do about it?’
‘Look into the legality of this sale. Try and find a way of salvaging something for the two of them. Make sure they are not going to be fleeced.’ Sally was now quite agitated. She began waving her hands about aimlessly and her words were accompanied with sprays of saliva. ‘Look,’ she shouted, ‘I beggared myself to put you through law school and all I’m asking is for a wee pay back.’
‘And, Mum,’ Bobby quietly replied, ‘I will willingly freely represent you when you eventually murder Maggie or Margo but I cannot advise you on a matter that relates to property or inheritance – that is Lois’s field of expertise.’
‘But surely she could keep you right.’
‘Mum,’ Bobby emphasised, ‘what you require being advised on … is for Lois to do. And could I suggest that you ask her to assist you?’ He paused before softly saying, ‘She’s not the ogre you like to think she is. She was just brought up differently to me but she is a warm, loving human being …’
‘Who comes across as being distant,’ butted in Sally.
‘To you and only you,’ Bobby emphasised while glancing at his watch. ‘And that is because you have always kept her at arm’s length.’ He sighed before looking at his watch again. ‘Look, Mum, time’s moving on and so must I. So it’s make up your mind time. The problem is you need someone to help you sort things out for granny. Lois is more than capable of doing that but you have to ask her.’
‘Bobby, please,’ Sally wheedled.
‘No, Mum. I have advised you on what to do. Tell you what though, to make it easier for you, tomorrow is Friday. Why don’t you and Uncle Luke come over to Craighall for a meal?’ He consulted his watch again. ‘Let’s say about seven o’clock.’
Before there could be any further verbal intercourse between mother and son, a wild-looking woman about thirty years of age burst into the office. ‘Bobby,’ she screeched, ‘you’ve got to get them to drop the wife-beating charges against my Jimmy or he’s gonnae dae me in.’
Bobby turned to his mother. ‘See you tomorrow, Mum. Lois and I will so enjoy having you and Uncle Luke over at our place.’
The receptionist came forward to say, ‘Bobby, your taxi has arrived.’
‘Fine. Just give me a minute with Fran.’
Sally was making for the door when the assistant came forward. ‘Fran is forever having these dramatic scenes but Bobby will have her calmed down in next to no time. You know he does so understand her and that is surprising because she had such a deprived childhood and he tells me that he on the other hand …’ she paused before adding, ‘was always provided with a new Burberry coat and Startrite shoes and every year at that.’
Sally felt the woman was waiting for a comment from her but she was struck dumb.
On leaving King Street Sally decided to stroll down to the Four Marys pub on the Shore. She was the licensee but she now trusted the management of the lucrative establishment to Josie. Some people thought that this was a reckless action on Sally’s part as Josie was … . well, as Sally conceded, Josie was as Josie was.
As she ambled over Cables Wynd and looked up at the high-rise building, she shuddered. Never would she consider that the soulless-looking place should be classed as suitable housing for mothers and bairns. Nothing she could do about that so she strolled on and then passed the Model Lodging House in Parliament Street. Her thoughts now turned again to Josie. But then when in her life had she not thought about her? She smiled when she thought how Josie had changed in the last three years. The change had come about when Angela, the child Josie had abandoned at birth, had turned up on the doorstep of the Four Marys bar. Sally could still remember the night she had come face to face with the very attractive young woman. That was the night Sally had ended up assaulted – not only by her niece, Angela, who mistakenly thought she was the mother who had callously abandoned her, but also her brother, Luke, who wrongly assumed she had assisted their mother, Peggy Mack, out of this world.
