The doctor looks over his glasses at Tom “no, you need to stay in tonight. She needs you”

1922

New Year, the end of January and over three years since the end of the war. It is a cold, snowy day when there is a knock on the door, it is Uncle Albert.

“Tom, come quick, it’s your father”

Tom put on his jacket and walks as fast as he could to keep up with Uncle although he can’t keep up and has to stop to catch his breathe. He carries but Uncle Albert by this time has disappeared into the house even though it is only about fifty metres away. Finally, Tom reaches his parents house, the door is open and he goes in. There is no sound but his own wheezing. He climbs up the stairs to the first floor bedroom where some family members are, there is Uncle Albert, Liz, Ada and mother. He sees his father lying in bed very still and he realises his father has died. He slumps down in the nearest chair and quietly says to himself “goodnight son…..goodnight father”.

Tom doesn’t have much time to mourn as he spends a lot of it looking after Ellen; his mother-in-law is round a lot also helping out. His wife still has her chest infection so at the request of her mother Tom takes her down to Dorset in the summer. They drive down there to a quiet Bed and Breakfast. They go for short walks which make Ellen perk up a bit although Tom can’t quite keep up with her but is able to breathe alright, he feels better than before. The fresh air and slower pace of life really helps with his health. However he can’t cope with the quiet.

“I want to go home” he says

“But we haven’t been here long”

“I know but I’m bored”

Too much peace and quiet doesn’t provide enough stimulation for Tom so the next day, they drive back. Mrs Bushnell is looking after Ivy and keeps the flat clean, when the door opens and in step Ellen and Tom.

“What are you two doing back so early?” she asks with a slight irritation in her voice.

“Oh, Tom. He couldn’t stand the quiet”

Ellen’s mother becomes more irate “what do you mean couldn’t stand the quiet? What about Ellen? This was for her benefit”

“Mother, it’s all right. I agreed to come back home”

“It’s not all right!” and she picks up the nearest object which happens to be Tom’s banjo. She swings the instrument round and hit Tom on the back of his head.

“Fresh air is what she needed”

Ellen quickly moves in between the two as Tom starts to wheeze.

“Stop it mother!” she says.

Mrs Bushnell retreats and tosses the banjo on to Tom’s armchair, she put her coat on and says “I’m going”

The door slams as Tom picks up the banjo and slumps into his armchair. He massages the back of his sore head as Ellen brings in a damp cloth to sooth the bruise.

“Hmm, not sure if you deserved that. I’ll have to think about it”

“Sorry love, perhaps we should have stayed there” he says.

“Don’t worry about it now; we’ll go down the pub later on, shall we?”

“What about Ivy” they looks at their daughter who had been oblivious to the whole affair as she is busy chewing wooden peg.

“Your mother can look after her… come on Ivy, give me that peg, you’re a bit old to be chewing that”

“Peg” says Ivy with her arms outstretched

“You know” says Tom “she’s always chewing those pegs”

“Yes?”

“Well, we should have called her Peggy”

Both laugh.

Tom has another show. It went well and afterwards he talks about the prospect of stardom.

“Sorry to dampen your spirits old man” says the trombone player “but music hall isn’t the in thing at the moment”

“Oh, what are you talking about man? They loved us”

“Did you not notice? The hall was only filled to half capacity. It seems people don’t want to come out any more”

The banjo player adds “yes, that’s true. We have to compete with that new jazz craze”

“Nonsense” says a slightly irate Tom “they can’t drink in the auditorium any more. That stupid law banned drinking alcohol during the show. Once the punters get over that, they’ll be back in their hundreds”

The saxophone player decides it was his turn “look Tom, why should people come out to see a band when they can hear it on the radio”

“Without coming out of their house”

“And they can have a glass of beer while they listen”

The men sit around in silence holding their respective instruments. Eventually the trombone player pipes up “I for one cannot play regularly…”

“What…..?” Tom stands up

“Listen old chap, I have a family. I can’t leave them on their own”

The banjo player adds “I’m a family man too, Tom”

Tom turns to the drummer “and you?”

“I’m afraid I too have a wife”

“We’re not young men any more Tom, it’s hard work playing in a band, I need time to spend with my family”

“But” says Tom trying to reason with the band “we can make a career out of it. We’ll be well off”

The men just shake their heads.

“Sorry Tom, we’re not pulling in the crowds anymore”

“That’s right; we just can’t do it with families”

“We don’t mind the odd show here and there but not all the time”

The band walks out one by one with their instruments. As the drummer walks out he turns and says to Tom “you could always join a jazz band”

Tom goes white and clenches his fists. The drummer decides it isn’t wise to stay and quickly leaves. Tom sits there in the back stage room on his own.

“Jazz? How can he say that?”

He put his head in his hands; his dream of becoming a well known band player was not to be.

Another day at work completed and Tom pulls up outside his house. He can’t park in his normal spot as there is another car there. He recognises it as being the doctor’s car. He quickly parks up and jumps out; he rushes up the stairs as fast as his lungs could carry him.

He walks into the kitchen.

“Ellen?” he asks but there is no one there.

He looks in the living room but no one is there either. He goes up the stairs to the next floor and walks into the bedroom and there is the doctor standing over Ellen. Alongside them is Mrs Bushnell.

“What’s going on? Is she alright?”

The doctor turns round “she has a chest infection”

Ellen coughs and turns her head to look at Tom.

“Hello Tom” she croaks then coughs.

“Hello Ellen, are you alright?”

He turns to the doctor “is she going to be alright?”

The doctor pushes his stethoscope into his bag “she should be fine, just keep her warm”

“She seems to have a lot of chest infections; it’s not the flu is it? We had that flu three years ago and she never caught it then”

Tom is worried.

“She just has a chest infection, keep her in bed until she gets well”

The doctor leaves.

“Thank you doctor” says Mrs Bushnell

Tom sits by his wife “are you alright?”

She replies “I’ll be fine, don’t you worry”

There are muted voices in the background as the doctor and Mrs Bushnell are talking. She enters the room.

“She’s ill you know” is all she could say

“Mother?” Ellen croaks

“If you had stayed down in Dorset, she would have been well by now”

“Mother, don’t blame Tom”

“Sssh, calm yourself down” says Tom

Mrs Bushnell put her coat on “you’ll be alright now?”

“Yes mother, I’ll be fine, if you could just look after Ivy for me”

Mother takes Ivy by her hand and walks out with her.

“I’ll be in tomorrow… and you” she turns to Tom “no going down the pub tonight, alright?”