Love In Cheshire 1966. Chapter 34.

Chapter 34

♂

Engagement and marriage blossomed in our lives and we entered the new Millennium with two daughters and four grandchildren.

         I was on my way to visit my sister Linda to see how she was settling in after buying a house back in Barfield. It felt strange. Over thirty years had passed since Linda had moved from here to Locksford. I stopped at the new shopping precinct to buy a crystal vase for my sister's new home. As I was walking back to the car a woman passed going in the other direction. I realised it was Helen and I turned to look at her as she walked off thinking how she still looked marvellous. I decided to go after her and was gaining on her but a man approached her. He had obviously been waiting for her and he took her bag of shopping. I wasn't looking for a three-way conversation and thought it was best to let her go but I felt a little disappointed. I thought about the man that met her, thinking how he had a familiar look about him. I knew I had seen him somewhere though I couldn't think where but it was clearly not my old friend George.

         Over the years I rarely visited Barfield and as I drove home from visiting Linda I looked over at The Ship Inn and decided to stop for a drink. I pulled into the car park and looked over at the landscaped area across the road where Minstrels once stood.

         The Ship Inn looked much the same from the outside but had major alterations inside. The old jukebox room was now a part of the open-plan extended bar. There was none of the old crowd in there and there were no young people in there either; the place seeming to have lost its appeal to youngsters since the club had gone.

         I stood at the bar drinking a lager and was just thinking of leaving when Colin, one of the local lads we used to socialise with, walked in. He walked past me, not recognising me and I called out to him.

         The man stared for a few seconds. "Brian Conway. It's a long time since I've seen you." He gave a laugh. "What's happened to your hair?"

         Colin's hair was still thick, long, and dark, curling up at his collar, while mine was short, thin and almost completely grey. "It's the distinguished look."

         "Oh, right, if you say so."

         There were many creases and lines on Colin's face resulting from years of heavy smoking but I didn't comment on them thinking I'd rather the grey hair than lines all over my face.

         "How's your old mate Badger? Do you still see him?" He said.

         "No, he moved to Stockport years ago." We reminisced for a while talking about the friends we didn't see any more. "Do you see anything of Helen?" I asked.

         "Yeah, I see her in town now and then. She got married again you know. Had twin boys but they're grown up now."

         "What happened to George then?"

         "That marriage didn’t last long after he seduced her sister Trish."

         That shocked me but it didn't surprise me. I didn't want to gloat about it. I felt a bit sorry for Helen and hoped she had found herself a better man this time.

         Fancy another beer?" Colin asked.

         I was driving so I declined the offer and set off home.

         Two weeks later I had been to see my sister again. As I was driving back home I thought of my conversation with Colin about Helen. I made a detour and drove down the road where she used to live looking at the old house as I passed and wondering if her parents still lived there. I had only gone a few hundred yards past the house when I saw Helen crossing the road. She stood in the middle waiting for me to pass. My heart was pounding and I was feeling nervous as I pulled up in front of her. She gave a stern look at me as I smiled at her obviously not recognising me and annoyed that I had stopped in front of her forcing her to walk around my car.

         I pulled into the kerb got out and called out to her. She turned and stood looking as I walked towards her. I was amazed at how she had hardly changed over the many years since we had last seen each other.

         "Hello, Helen. How are you?" I asked.

         "I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," she replied.

         I was surprised that she had not recognised me. "It's me, Brian. I used to run you about on my motorbike."

         "Brian!" She put a hand to her mouth and stood silent for a moment. "Bloody hell!" she said and smiled. "What are you doing here? How are you?"

         "I'm fine and you, you're looking great, Helen, you really are. I heard that things didn't work out with you and George and you got married again. How long were you with George?"

         "Just over two years."

         "Two years. I didn't think you'd last that long."

         Helen ignored my unintentional put-down. "Look, I'm off to meet my mother at the Bingo or I'd make you a brew. I only live a few doors up from here."

         "That's all right. Maybe another time."

         "I'll be in all day tomorrow. If you want to pop round about two o'clock, I'll make you a coffee and we can have a right good chat."

         "I'll look forward to that."

         "Just over the road. Number sixty-four. I'll have to go, love. I'm late but it's really good to see you. And don't forget tomorrow." She looked in her bag for a pen and wrote her telephone number on a piece of card. "Phone me if you can't make it." She smiled broadly before walking off.

         I watched her for a moment before walking back to my car. I still liked Helen and had often thought about her over the years but my thoughts were not about having an affair with her. I just wanted to speak to her as an old friend and I was sure she felt the same. As I drove home I thought of Lynn and how much I loved her and I began wondering if it were such a good idea to go to Helen's house.

         The next day I finished my early shift, got showered and dressed and then sat in the armchair with my car keys in my hand. It was one o'clock and I knew I would have to leave by one thirty if I were going to go to Barfield. I made a coffee before sitting back in the chair and watching the minutes go by. The clock struck one thirty and I thought about getting up but the idea of calling at Helen's house while her husband was at work seemed wrong somehow even though neither of us had implied anything other than a chat. I sat in silence, thinking, the only sound in the room was the false ticking of the electric clock. Two o'clock, the clock chimed jarring me back to reality. I wondered if Helen would miss me or would she just shrug her shoulders and forget about me.

         However, I was still keen to talk to Helen and thought I would ring her. Arranging to go to her house again was out of the question but I thought we could meet one afternoon for a drink somewhere so I called the number.

         "Brian! Why didn't you call round? I've waited in all afternoon for you."

         "I'm sorry about that. I've got so much to tell you and I'd like to hear all your news as well but I wouldn't feel comfortable calling at your house. I was wondering if it would be better if we met up for a drink."

         "Same old Brian. What, did you think I was going to rip your clothes off and seduce you or something?"

         "No, of course not." I gave a laugh but rightly or wrongly the thought had crossed my mind.

         "You should be so bloody lucky. Anyway, I've got too much going on this week. If you ring me next week we can sort something out. You didn't half give me a shock yesterday. When I met my mum I was shaking and she wondered what the hell was the matter. I had to tell her that I had a chill coming on."

         I smiled to myself because her words made me feel good and I agreed to telephone her the following week.

         A week later, I finished my shift in Manchester and travelled back to Locksford by train. As I made my way over to the car park I looked over to the houses being built on the site of the old locomotive depot. I sat in my car thinking how I had been to the telephone many times and had started dialling Helen's number but never reached the last digit before putting the receiver down. There's no harm in it, I thought, we're only going to have a drink and a chat. I thought of Lynn. Maybe the four of us could go out together. I realised that wasn't a good idea and knew Lynn would be upset if she knew what I was thinking. How would I feel if she met one of her old boyfriends and asked me to make up a foursome for a drink and a chat?

         I thought back to the sixties and of Helen, Judy, and Kathy. I thought about how I used to think I was in love with whomever I was with at the time. I never seemed to know what I wanted but that all changed after my first date with Lynn. I was pleased that she was my wife and realised how lucky I was to be married to her and how I had almost put the wonderful life that I had with her in jeopardy. I enjoyed meeting Helen but I knew I must leave our relationship in the past where it belonged.

♀

         I returned from my job at the office complex that had been built on the site of the old bakery. I parked my Peugeot in the drive and entered our semi-detached house. I walked into the lounge and looked on the fireplace at the two framed pictures of our daughters in their bridal gowns and then smiled as I looked at the small silver-framed photograph of our cheeky, youngest grandson.

         I heard Brian's Rover pulling up behind my car and went to the front door. I smiled at the man with the thinning grey hair as he walked towards me, looking smart in his train driver's uniform, his tie neatly displayed against his brilliant white shirt. He kissed me before he passed. I always enjoyed those familiar lips joining mine. Despite the years, our kisses had never become quick and regimental, always lasting a few seconds, passing that message of love between us without speaking. A message that said "I love you," instead of, "Hello."

         I went to make some coffee leaving Brian sitting in his armchair looking through an album of old black and white sixties photographs. I joined him for a while before going upstairs for a shower.

         I dried my hair vigorously with a towel as I walked from the bathroom to the bedroom. I took my briefs from a drawer and then sat on the bed putting them over my ankles. I stopped, thinking how Brian seemed to be a bit quiet and withdrawn for some reason. Smiling to myself I removed my briefs again and tossed them back onto the drawer. I walked back across the room looking into the mirrored wardrobe door as I passed, pleased with the youthful look I had inherited from my mother. I dropped my, Rolling Stones, Aftermath CD into the player, walked out to the landing and stood at the top of the stairs.

         "Brian," I shouted.

         He walked out of the living room and looked up at me standing at the top of the stairs wearing nothing but a smile. He grinned like a boy that had just been given a bag of sweets and hurried up the stairs. I began to laugh as he swept my naked body up into his arms and carried me into the bedroom. Placing me on the bed he started to kiss me with an extra passion, a passion from our youth, a passion that excited me.

         I wrapped my arms around him pulling him close to me and returned his kisses with the same urgent passion.

         As I began to undo his trousers I heard a cab pulling away from the front of our house. My elderly parents had their own key and would always let themselves in. My mother on hearing the music playing began to make her way up the stairs.

         "Lynn, are you up there?" she called.

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         Helen was at her parent's house. She got the old biscuit tin from under the stairs and searched through the photographs until she found the one she was looking for. "Brian Conway. Do you remember him, Mum?"

         Her mother looked at the photograph. "Yes, of course, I do. He was a nice lad. I don't know why you two never hit it off. I liked him."

         "I saw him a couple of weeks ago. He looks well. I wonder how it would have been if..."

         "It's no use thinking, if. You made your own choices. You have to look forward not back. Now that the twins are married, there will soon be grandchildren coming along. How is your other half by the way? Has he lost any weight yet?"

         "Who, Mister Blobby? Has he heck. I've told him to get another job. He'll never lose weight while he's driving that baker's van about." Helen put her coat on and got ready to leave. "I'll see you later at the Bingo."

         "Okay, love," her mother said. "Give my regards to Mike."

Prequel to Love In Cheshire. Chapter 1.  (18+) Two young girls go to the cinema and Kenny is off to the dance studio. Retro fiction. #2113555 by Bruce.