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Chapters (84)
  1. All the Days of Our Lives
  2. 1945
  3. 1931-1944
  4. I
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. 1946
  28. II
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. III
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. IV
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-One
  40. Thirty-Two
  41. V
  42. Thirty-Three
  43. Thirty-Four
  44. Thirty-Five
  45. VI
  46. Thirty-Six
  47. Thirty-Seven
  48. 1948-1949
  49. VII
  50. Thirty-Eight
  51. Thirty-Nine
  52. Forty
  53. VIII
  54. Forty-One
  55. Forty-Two
  56. Forty-Three
  57. IX
  58. Forty-Four
  59. Forty-Five
  60. Forty-Six
  61. X
  62. Forty-Seven
  63. Forty-Eight
  64. Forty-Nine
  65. Fifty
  66. Fifty-One
  67. Fifty-Two
  68. Fifty-Three
  69. Fifty-Four
  70. XI
  71. Fifty-Five
  72. Fifty-Six
  73. XII
  74. Fifty-Seven
  75. Fifty-Eight
  76. XIII
  77. Fifty-Nine
  78. XIV
  79. Sixty
  80. XV
  81. Sixty-One
  82. Sixty-Two
  83. 1953
  84. All the Days of Our Lives

‘Old Iris? Yes – she gave me a few frights, I can tell you. She’s still about here somewhere. Looks the same, only worse.’

‘Was she . . .’ Katie hesitated. ‘Was she cruel to Molly? All I remember is how much Molly smelt: that stink always hanging round her. And that yard up that horrible slimy entry – it gave me the creeps. But I never really knew much about her.’

‘Oh, Iris was cruel all right. She’s vile – the only word for her. I worry about Molly; I don’t know where she is or what she’s doing. I just hope one day she’ll write again, or turn up. She’s got no family except her mother, and she doesn’t want anything to do with her.’

‘Well, that’s something we’ve got in common, I suppose,’ Katie said wistfully. ‘I don’t s’pose she thinks much of me, though.’

‘No, probably not,’ Em said. Then grinned. ‘But it’s never too late, is it?’

By the time Katie left that afternoon the two boys had become firm friends.

‘It’s a good thing we got on all right, isn’t it?’ Em said. ‘’Cause these two’re going to make sure we meet up again, whether we like it or not!’

‘You have a good Christmas,’ Katie said as she left. ‘I suppose it’ll be hard – first one without your dad.’

‘Yes – but we’ll be all right. Mom’s coping really well. She’s even gone out and got a job.’ Now she could even feel pleased and proud. Going out to work was much better than sinking into a depression!

Katie helped Michael back into his hat and coat and then put her own on.

‘You do look nice,’ Em said.

Katie smiled. She reached out and kissed Em’s cheek. ‘And so do you. I’m so happy to see you.’

‘Me too,’ Em said, which didn’t seem enough to express just how glad she really was.

‘Bye, Michael mate!’ Robbie called after them along the street. Michael swivelled round and raised his thumb. Em saw that Robbie was doing the same.

‘Oh, Robbie,’ she laughed, and raised her hand as Katie turned and waved. Katie – her friend.

XII

KATIE

Fifty-Seven

December 1948

Ice-cold rain was lashing down the day Marek brought Agnieska to Handsworth.

It was the Saturday before Christmas and the whole household had been in a bit of a tizzy. Marek had been tense and excited, and Katie was nervous about Agnieska’s arrival. What would she be like? And was she still really so delicate? She had an impression in her mind of an invalid who would need constant care. And she was full of tender worry for Marek. Sybil also seemed concerned that Agnieska should have a good welcome and be taken care of, as if greeting an injured bird that needed nurturing back to health.