It had been a very bleak Christmas. What with Mary’s father just being made redundant from the steel works and her mother not being well, it had fallen yet again upon Mary to try and do her best in making this time of the year as festive as possible.
Her father had taken to going straight to the local pub as soon as they opened and on most days he would be brought home by one of his drinking friends. Then he would sleep and snore the rest of the day by. But on waking he would be in such a fearful mood, that woe betide anyone who got in his way. He would bellow for his evening meal and if this was not ready she would feel the weight of his hand on the back of her head.
More often than not it was her mother who suffered the outbursts of rage. She was the one who should have been looking after him, after all that is why he had married her in the first place. Someone to keep the house clean and have all his clothes washed and ironed and to have food on the table.
And so on the eve of the new year of 1956, Mary was toiling through the dirty washing, trying to get the clothes dried, which she had washed earlier in the day and making sure that these were all put away tidily, before she could get herself off to bed. She was so tired. Her parents had decided that they would go out and celebrate the New Year and so she had been left alone for the evening. With no friends that she could call upon, Mary carried on as if it was like any other day.
She was woken up in the early hours of the morning and at first she thought that the noise of the people shouting outside, were revellers on their way home from parties at friends houses or the local pubs. Then she smelt the acrid smoke, which was starting to creep under her door. Jumping out of her bed and putting on her slippers and housecoat she dashed to the bedroom door. Opening it a little way and peeping out, she was forced back inside as the smoke rushed towards her. Hurriedly she closed the door and pushed her pillows against the bottom of the door and going to her window she looked down. There below her were her neighbours and men from the fire brigade. Gesturing for her to open her window and climb out, she did so, even though she was very afraid. The firemen had set up a ladder, so as she pushed the window upwards, they were there to guide her out and down to safety.
Mary was taken to the nearest hospital and the next morning when she woke she was very frightened. She had no idea of what had happened to her parents and was so worried that she had somehow caused the fire. The doctor soon arrived and told her as gently as possible that her parents had not survived and that he was sorry that he had to give her this sad news. “But what will I do now, sobbed Mary. I have no other family and nowhere to go.”
“Please do not upset yourself so, I will get in touch with the authorities and we will see what they can do for you,” and he patted her hand gently and left her to make his call. She was such a sad little thing, hardly anything to her and he felt a tug at his heart. He and his wife and not been able to have children and from what the doctor had heard about Mary and her upbringing, he wanted nothing more than to protect and care for her.
The authorities said that as she was almost of an age where she could start work and that she would most probably be put into a children’s home. Then it would be up to her to make her own arrangements of finding a job and a place to live of her own. The authorities were very overworked and one case was just like the previous one. They couldn't afford to show too much emotion, otherwise if they did they wouldn't be able to do their jobs
Dr. Shaw was aghast at this news and as soon as he could, he rang his wife Dorothy, to see if she would be prepared to let him bring Mary home with him. Dorothy said yes straight away, “how can I let a poor thing like that go into a home after what she has been through. I will make up the spare room straight away for her."
Mary so unaccustomed to having any one care about her cried, “how will I repay you, you are such a generous man and your wife must be like an angel.” “You must tell her that I can clean and cook, wash and iron and anything else that needs doing”
“My dear girl, you will not be coming to our home to do these things. You must rest and when you are well, finish off your schooling, so that when you leave school you will be able to get the job that you want. Have you thought about the type of work you would like to do and don’t tell me cleaning house,” he said teasingly.
“I have not really thought about my career. Outside of doing my chores at home, I rarely have time for myself. I have never had a childhood like other children have. The other children at my school tease me and call me names, so I don’t even have a friend as such to call upon.” Mary said.
She looked so forlorn that Dr Shaw was worried what her experience so far in life would have on her.
Dr Shaw and his wife Dorothy made preparations to the spare bedroom so as to make Mary feel welcome. They didn’t want to overdo it, as it might look as though they were showing off how well they seemed to be. Dorothy hummed away to a tune as she put the new prettily embroidered bed cover on, which matched the bright floral curtains. The view from this room overlooked the park. Mary would surely love being in here, Dorothy thought.
All the arrangements had been made for Mary to leave the hospital and for the burial of her parents. It would be a very quiet service and committal as there had been very little money left by her parents.
On the day of the funeral Mary held on to Dorothy’s hand and as their coffins were lowered down she cried, “Why should I feel so bad that they died and I survived.” “Do not let yourself feel like this Mary, you are young and have a full life ahead of you” Dorothy said in a quiet tone. “Of course you will feel sad, but you must remember the good times which you had and I am sure that there must have been some.”
As they prepared to go, Mary took a last look back and said in a quiet voice, “Mother never seemed to have many happy times, it was my father who had the most enjoyment, out nearly all the time and when he wasn’t, he had prime spot in front of the fire. Why is it that the good things in life are not spread evenly out amongst people? Even in the poorest families you can find that there is lots of love amongst them. But there was little love in our house.” This was said in such a sad tone, that Dorothy was near to tears.
She led Mary away and all three of them made their way back to the doctor’s house. It would be the first time that Mary had been there and she felt a little nervous and wondered what they would expect of her. As they approached the house Mary looked about at her new surroundings, taking in the cleanliness and the bright colours that the houses were painted. She felt a little like a character in a Charles Dickens novel, the poor relative. They made their way through the front gate, up a path which on one side had a beautifully mown lawn, one which looked like a bowling green, lines going straight one way and then the other. Even though this had not been mowed since late autumn, it still looked as fresh. Winter shrubs edged round to the back garden, the vivid green of the leaves stood out dotted with red and white berries, which had not as yet been eaten by the birds.
The back garden had a small summerhouse at the far end, which currently held all the garden chairs in store, until the warmer weather arrived.
Mary stood looking about her in amazement. She had never had a garden at her old house and was wondering what it would be like in the summer, when it would be full of colour and scents from the flowers and bees buzzing hungrily about.
“Come along inside Mary and I will show you to your new room. I do hope that you will like it”, and Dorothy led the way. As they went up the stairs towards Mary’s new room, she looked around her at the pretty china and beautiful paintings that were in the hall and stairways. She was ushered into her room and Dorothy said gently “everything here is for you to use, do not be afraid to touch or hold anything you like. At a later date we can buy you some ornaments or anything that you want.”
Mary looked about her and then she ran into the arms of Dorothy. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you. But you can be sure that I will never be any trouble to you. You will hardly even know that I am here.”
“Oh Mary it is us who should thank you. You have already brought us joy in coming to stay with us.” Dorothy said in a sincere tone. “When you have looked about your room, come on downstairs and we can have lunch and then we will have a chance to talk with you.”
It only took Mary a few moments to put away the few things that had survived the fire at her old house. What hadn’t been burnt, had been badly damaged by the smell of the smoke, that no matter how much it had been washed and cleaned the smell would not leave it. She looked at the view and thought that she would have wonderful dreams from now on.
Mary made her way downstairs and found Dorothy and the doctor sitting at the kitchen table. Lunch had been laid out on the table and the aroma, which hung around the kitchen, made her realise just how hungry she felt. As she took the empty seat where the table had been set for her, she clasped her hands together and said a silent prayer of thanks for everything, which seemed to be coming her way. As she took a forkful of the savoury steak pie she said, “this taste so good, did you make it Dorothy?”
“Yes I did, I like to keep busy in the kitchen and after Tom has finished his shifts at the hospital, I like him to have a good cooked meal.” After lunch they went into the cosy lounge where they could be more comfortable to have their talk about Mary’s future.
“From now on I would like you to call me Tom, after all I am now your guardian and not your doctor, except of course if you get flu or something. Next, something which you may have been wondering about, your school. We have been to the local school just down the road and they are prepared to let you carry on your education there. It is a very nice school and the children are all local to here, so you must not feel afraid. Dorothy and I will go with you on Monday to see the head teacher and to get you settled in. Now do you have any questions to ask us?”
Mary sat on the edge of her seat and with a frown crossing her face she asked, “What will the people at the new school think of me. What sort of uniform do they have? How will I buy it? It seems such a lot of trouble for so little time that I will be there. “ She sat back and carried on by saying, “You asked what sort of career had I thought about, well since then and seeing how I have been treated, I think I would like to try and look after those who are in need themselves. The thing is, what sort of qualifications will I need for something like this and where would I be able to get training on it.”
“Well now let’s try and get some answers for you. First of all the school, the teachers have been told that you were in involved in a fire at your home and that we are now your guardians, until you reach the age of 21. What they will think of you I cannot say, other than that you are a lovely girl with a lovely manner and you shouldn’t have any problems at all there. Next the uniform, they do have one and Dorothy will be taking you shopping tomorrow to get you anything that you might need, so that should take care of those questions for you. As to the choice of career, well I think that on Monday when we go to see the head teacher this is something that you can ask her about. I am quite sure that she will be able to point you in the right direction. So now that we have got all that out of the way, what do you both say about going to see a movie tonight. I am sure that this could be a real treat for us all.”
And so the first turning in Mary’s new life began. On the Monday morning they all arrived at the school early. Mary had her new uniform on and completed her dress by wearing new socks, shoes and coat. She felt like a million dollars. The head teacher Miss Sparrow was very impressed by Mary’s turnout and the way she spoke. On the question of her career she said that during the day that she would look into this and if Mary would call in at the office when her last lesson was finished, she would hopefully have all the answers for her then.
She said good-bye to the doctor and to Dorothy and then led Mary to her first class. Normally she would have been to the morning assembly and then on to the first lesson, but just for today she had been let off this.
Her first class was English and after being introduced to the teacher and to her fellow students, she settled down at her desk to begin her lesson. She soon found that she seemed more advanced, but perhaps that had something to do with all the books she had read in the past. With very little else to do, other than the housework she had to get done, she had read a great deal and could always be found at the library.
The rest of the day went by in a flash and Mary made her way to Miss Sparrow’s office. She knocked and heard a voice saying enter. “Hello Mary, just give me a moment please, I have all the information for you. Ok, so let me see now. You have good marks in both English and mathematics, which are a must if you want to follow the courses that you need to take. As you are now fifteen and will be finishing in just a few months time, you will either be able to sign up for a day course at the local college or you could do the course at night, leaving the day for you to find a job in which to carry you over until you have passed all the examinations needed. As the course goes on for 3 years, you may want to do this at night school, as I do know a little of your situation. Please do not think that I am being presumptuous about this, but if you find yourself a job in the meantime, you may not feel as though you are relying on anyone. I must also stress to you that you must take this up with your guardians and let them help you to make your decision. I must also say that the teachers you have seen today have been very pleased with your work. I hope that you will enjoy your time here and in time make new friends.”
Mary felt tears come to her eyes but blinked them back quickly and said, “ I must thank you for all the trouble you have gone to for me today. I think that you are probably right in suggesting that I get a job, because that will then give me some money with which to buy books and anything else that I may need. Also I won’t feel as dependant on Dorothy and Tom. They have both been so good to me. Thank you again and I am looking forwards to my next few months here.” This was said very sincerely, it was such a treat to find young people who had respect for others Miss Sparrow thought.
Mary felt so happy that she felt like skipping her way home, but instead did a gentle jog. She let herself in with the shiny new key that had been cut for her and from the kitchen she could hear Dorothy singing a tune. She trod very quietly to the kitchen doorway and listened to the soothing voice that was singing and as Dorothy turned and saw her standing there she stopped and gave her a big smile. “Have you had a good day Mary:” “Oh it was really truly good. Everyone is so nice and all the lessons seemed to go by so quickly. Then I went to see Miss Sparrow and she told me about what course and the time that this would take. I have decided that I will do the course at night school, so that I can earn a wage during the day. I will be able to earn my keep and learn at the same time. Oh I feel so happy. Will you let me make you both a special meal on Saturday?”
And so Mary carried on for the next few of months with her studies. She made friends with the girls in her classes and was a credit to the school, as she achieved top marks in all her subjects. When it came time for her to leave the school, she had already been busy in going for interviews and finally found employment with a local company, which dealt in fine silk fabrics. She was to assist in the offices and was looking forward to starting her job. So during the next week before she was to start her new job, she enrolled herself in at the college and was given the times for when to attend and what lessons they were to be. Mary took advantage of having a few days just lazing about. This was something that was most unusual for her, as her days had always been so full in the past. She went for long walks and thought a lot about what the future could hold for her.
She also sat in the garden, which was now in full bloom, and the scents from the flowers filled the air around her. During this time of thinking she also thought of how she had changed. She was no longer lonely and her once thin gaunt figure had started to fill out. Her skin had a youthful glow to it and she prided herself in the way her new cloths fitted her. Dorothy and Tom had done and given her so much, that at times she felt that she would never be able to repay them. The job which she would be starting paid a reasonable wage and working things out, giving some money for her keep and all the books and papers she would need for college, she calculated that there could be a small amount, which she could save. This was very exciting for Mary, because as she had had so little in her past, everything that was new held a special meaning for her.
On Monday morning she woke bright and early, as she wanted to make a good impression on her first day. She had managed to buy a couple of new blouses and was able to adapt part of her school uniform for everyday wear. As the night school class was going to be starting soon after her finishing time at work, she took along with her the new briefcase, which Tom had bought for her, packed with all her books and papers, which she needed. Her day passed by quite quickly and she was amazed at how much noisier a place of work can be. People chattered away constantly, it was a wonder how much work that they could accomplish. Mary had been so used to a room where there was either no talking at all, or if there was, it was one person at a time.
After her day was over she went straight to college where she met up with all the students who were waiting in the reception to be given their new term programme schedules. The majority of those present were new to the college and like her, they all seemed to be going from desk to desk to find where their classes should be. It was total confusion, but in the end they all found their way about.
After a few weeks at night school Mary felt as though her head was about to burst. She was taking in so much new information that she thought that she had taken on too much. She said to Dorothy one evening after they had eaten, “I don’t think that I have the ability to complete this course, everyone is so much brighter than I am. I am sure that I am falling behind and will never pass the exams.” Mary was near to tears but Dorothy said to her soothingly “Don’t upset yourself like this, just take one day at a time and you will get there in the end. You probably don’t think that things will slot in to place, but they will. These are new avenues which you are going down, and there are going to be times when this will be difficult. But always remember that we are here for you and if either of us can help you, you only have to ask.”
The soothing way that Dorothy had, calmed the fears which Mary was having. “I am so grateful for all you have done for me. You must think that I am complete fool, always bleating about one thing or another.”
Dorothy patted Mary’s hand and said “My dear you are no trouble whatsoever, so you must not think like that. You have brought a great deal of joy into our home and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
And so with these words of comfort they settled down for a quiet evening together. Tom was working late at the hospital and as for Dorothy she now had a reassurance of being safe with someone else in the house. It had taken away the lonely moments that seemed to creep up on a person at the oddest of times. She was so used to Tom working the different hours that he did, but on occasion she would wander about the house and listen for all sorts of strange noises, which most times she had made up in her own mind. And so the night passed by all too quickly and as they said their goodnights, they both felt a togetherness with each other and giving one another hugs they went to their own rooms.
As Mary carried on with her exams, it was during the Christmas break that Tom came down with influenza. So unlike Tom, he took to his bed and remained there for two weeks. Dorothy fretted about the house, wringing her hands and crying. This was the first time in all their married life that Tom was ill. Working in a hospital he somehow always managed to get away with any of the flu bugs, which got hold of many of the staff there. For Mary, she was able to practice her nursing skills on him. Plumping his pillows up and taking his temperature. She also made sure that he had plenty of fluids on hand. Soon Tom started to feel much better. After breakfast he started to get up and sit downstairs and to join Dorothy and Mary for lunch. After that he usually had a nap later on in the afternoon, but then managed to join them again for dinner. Once this was over, Mary with hands on hips, would order him back to bed. “How on earth do you think that you will ever recover if you are not going to rest?” With that he would be led upstairs and neatly tucked in for the night.
After another couple of weeks of pampering, Tom was fully recovered and said that he felt able to go back to work. The evening before going back to the hospital, Tom had a talk with Dorothy and Mary. “I think that I will say that I am going back on short time. This influenza really shook me up and now that I am not the young man that I used to be, I want more time to spend at home with you and to tend to the gardens in the summertime.”
And so as the new year approached, Mary started to think about the previous new year and what she had achieved since then. It was Mary who suggested that they have a small party. A double celebration. One, that Tom was going to be spending more time at home and two, for Mary to thank them both for everything, for without them she wouldn’t be where she was today.
The next couple of years flew by for Mary and with all the exams taken, all that was left now was to wait for her results to come through. It was a very tense few weeks, each morning the post was scanned thoroughly before Mary set off for work. Finally the morning came when the result letter arrived, she opened this with shaking fingers and read the page through. “Yes, yes, yes, she cried. I have passed with full grades. I can now start to look for a new job within the health service. I do so hope that my dreams of caring for people in need will not be dashed. Oh Tom will you be able to put me in touch with the right departments. I know I always ask you.” Mary gave him that little girl look which always made him smile.
She had been such a breath of fresh air in their household. He and Dorothy would do anything for her. “Well first of all young lady, let me say congratulations and if Dorothy is agreeable, why don’t we all meet tonight and go for a celebratory meal. Also my dear one, you needn’t ask as you well know I will do my utmost to help you and that goes for Dorothy too.”
Dorothy was still sitting at the kitchen table, a handkerchief dabbing at her eyes, wiping away the tears of happiness for Mary. “You are a clever girl and you must always remember that we are here for you whenever you need us. As for tonight let it be a late meal, because I would like to meet Mary and we could do a little late shopping at the new boutique that has opened and it will be my treat for that special dress that you have been looking at.”
Mary thanked them both with big hugs and kisses and then wiped away her own tears of joy. She was now well on her way in her chosen career and with more studying on her own part and the love from her guardians, who she now considered to be her adoptive parents, she could see the shining light at the end of the dark tunnel which had taken her so many years to pass through.
The End