A Mother’s Sacrifice. Kitty Neale
Glenda could see gravy dripping down the wall, but was rooted to the spot as Harry upturned the kitchen table – the only thing standing between him and her getting another beating. There was no way she would be able to pass him to get to the kitchen door and, before she had a chance to dodge his grasp, Glenda felt her head tug back as Harry grabbed a handful of her hair.
‘I know you’ve been with that Billy Myers today,’ he hissed in her face. ‘Betty couldn’t wait to tell me!’
‘I … he … I just bumped into him down the high street. That’s all. He spoke to me and I couldn’t just ignore him.’ The pain in her scalp intensified as Harry clenched her hair tighter.
‘What a load of crap! I’ve seen you looking at him. Off shopping together, were you? Has he been round here, in my house? IN MY BED? Is that why you’ve got Johnnie out of the way, so you can be with your fancy man?’
‘No, Harry! I swear. There’s nothing going on. I don’t even like the man,’ Glenda was squealing but, as she pleaded for Harry to believe her, he brought his fist down hard on her face. She felt her head swim then warm blood trickle down her cheek. She tried to focus but her right eye wouldn’t open. Then she saw his fist coming towards her again and suddenly her legs went wobbly as the world faded out around her.
Glenda’s head was throbbing as she tried to open her eyes. She could feel someone patting the back of her hand as a woman’s voice slowly drifted into her consciousness.
‘That’s it, my dear, open your eyes. You’re all right now. You’re in hospital.’
Who was that talking to her? What did she say? I’m in hospital? Glenda’s thoughts were confused. Bright lights blurred her vision as she lifted her other hand to her painful head and felt something wrapped around it. Bandages … Hospital …
‘You took a nasty fall down your stairs. Don’t worry, though. A few days’ rest will sort out that bump and those bruises.’
‘Johnnie … where’s Johnnie?’ Glenda managed to whisper. Her throat felt so dry and coarse.
‘Is Johnnie your husband, dear? Don’t worry, he’ll be back later when it’s visiting time. Lucky for you that he found you when he did. Now just you rest. I’ll be back to check on you later.’
Glenda saw the figure of a nurse in a blue dress and white starched apron and hat get up from her bedside. She turned her head to the side and could see another bed a few feet away from her and one on the other side too. The nurse had said she had fallen down the stairs but although Glenda had taken a bash to the head, there was nothing wrong with her memory.
As she lay in the hospital ward, she recalled the moment when her husband had knocked her out cold. This time, his fists had finally knocked the love out of her too.
Friends and relatives of the other patients buzzed around the ward as visiting time commenced. Some carried bags of fruit, probably late apples, and others had newspapers and magazines ready to greet their poorly loved ones with.
As Glenda lay in bed with the pillows plumped up behind her a little girl tiptoed past, holding her mother’s hand. Glenda tried to raise a smile at the young child but found her face was too tender as a sharp pain shot through her jaw. She winced and noticed the little girl looking back at her with a look of dismay.
‘Mummy, Mummy,’ the girl cried loudly so that all in the ward could hear, ‘look at that lady. Why does she look like a monster?’
Glenda was horrified. She hadn’t seen her reflection in a mirror and had no idea what she looked like – did she look grotesque? Ashamed, she quickly pulled the bed covers high and painfully rolled to her side, trying to hide from prying eyes.
‘Glenda, Glenda, love. It’s me.’
Glenda recognised Harry’s voice behind her at her bedside but was reluctant to turn over and face him.
‘Look, I’ve brought you a lovely bunch of flowers. Chrysanthemums, your favourite.’
No, they’re not, thought Glenda bitterly, daffodils or white lilies are my favourites.
‘Here, love, I’ve got you a packet of Jaffa Cakes too. Don’t ask me how I got hold of them,’ he said, ‘but I’d do anything for you, love.’
Who are you trying to kid? she thought, still unwilling to speak. It’s him that loves them and I bet Maude got them from one of her many cronies. Oh, how bloody thoughtful! She wanted to tell him where to stick his flowers and Jaffa Cakes, but instead she reluctantly eased herself round to face him, desperate to know of Johnnie’s well-being.
She heard Harry gasp as he saw the state of her face and the bandage wrapped around her head. From what the little girl had said, she knew it was bad. Her lips felt twice their normal size and she had felt with her tongue that two of her side teeth were missing. That’s it, she thought, take a good look. You did this.
‘Glenda, oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I’ve put you in here,’ Harry whispered. ‘I bloody hate hospitals, the smell and all that. This place gives me the heebie jeebies so I won’t stay long, but my mum will be up to see you later and I’ve had a word with the doc. He says you’ll be out in a day or two. I promise you, I’ll make it up to you then.’
He leaned in to kiss her cheek but Glenda turned her face away.
‘Come on, girl, don’t be like that. You know I didn’t mean it. Look, I admit I went a bit too far, but you’ve gotta learn that you can’t go running around the streets with a low-life like Billy bloody Myers! What do you reckon all the lads down the Castle think, eh? They’ve all heard about you and Billy, Betty made sure of that, and I can’t have them thinking I can’t control my own wife, now, can I? Come on, give your old man a kiss …’
Glenda could feel her temperature rising along with her anger. The selfish bastard, she thought, wanting to spit in his face rather than kiss him, but she forced herself to keep calm, still desperate to know about her baby.
‘Where’s Johnnie?’ she asked curtly.
‘With my mum, of course. I could hardly leave him with yours. The poor old girl can hardly put the kettle on by herself, let alone see to the boy.’
‘And is he all right?’
‘Course he is, but he’ll be glad to get his mum home.’
‘Can you ask your mum to bring him to see me?’
‘Nah, she said it’s best not to. There might be all sorts of germs and things in this place and we don’t want him catching anything nasty. Now, how about that kiss?’
‘Harry, can’t you see it’s painful for me to talk, let alone give you a kiss? Anyhow, I really don’t feel like kissing you right now!’ Glenda answered huffily through gritted teeth.
Lips tightening, Harry whispered menacingly, ‘Stop being so bloody daft and just be grateful that I didn’t leave you at the bottom of those stairs.’
‘Stairs!’ Glenda exclaimed, her voice getting louder. ‘You and me both know that I didn’t fall down any stairs!’
There was a bit of a scuffling noise behind Harry and he turned to see what was going on. Glenda noticed a hospital porter in a dark grey coat helping a woman in the next bed into a wheelchair.
‘Keep your bloody voice down, will you!’ Harry hissed into Glenda’s ear. ‘If you say one word to any of this lot about how you came to be in here, I promise you, you’ll regret it.’
Glenda held her breath, terrified by Harry’s threat. She knew exactly what he was capable of now, and she had to stay strong for little Johnnie. ‘OK, I promise. I won’t say a word,’