A bright and sunny morning with not a cloud in the sky boded well for the wedding of Alec and Norma at midday.
It felt strange to Janice to be waking up in her old bedroom with Phil at her side. They had driven there the previous night so that Janice could spend some time with her father and, of course, with Ian, who she guessed would be feeling rather mixed up and unsure of himself. She had been pleased to see, however, that he seemed more resigned to the situation.
‘It’s all change, though, isn’t it?’ he remarked to his sister when they managed to snatch a few moments together. Alec was showing Phil the attempts he had made with the small garden area. ‘It’s all happened at once – you getting married and now Dad. But I s’pose I’ll get used to it.’
‘You must try to get along with Norma, you know, Ian. If it wasn’t for her, Dad might still be feeling sad and sorry for himself.’
‘Yeah… She’s all right, I suppose,’ Ian admitted, rather to Janice’s surprise. ‘Quite nice actually but she’s not like Mum.’
‘And that’s just as well,’ said Janice. ‘We’re all different and you can’t make comparisons.’
‘Mum was a smashing cook, though, and I don’t know what she’ll be like – Norma, I mean. She’s made us a few meals since you left. Dad was pretty hopeless in the kitchen, you know.’
‘Yes, I know that. He never helped with that side of things in the hotel but he helped in other ways.’
‘Norma’s meals were OK. She made a quite decent steak and kidney pie and a toad-in-the-hole. She even got Dad helping a bit, ’cause he’s had to manage when she’s not there. But she’ll be there all the time soon, when they come back from Wales or wherever they’re going.’
Alec and Norma had planned a few days’ honeymoon in north Wales at a small hotel in Llandudno. They would be travelling in her car as she was an experienced driver. That was something that Alec had never learnt.
‘So I have to go and stay with Uncle Len and Aunty Jean while they’re away,’ said Ian, a trifle grumpily. ‘I don’t know them all that well. We haven’t seen them so much since Mum died.’
‘Len’s very busy with the garage,’ said Janice. ‘He’s OK is Uncle Len, very easy to get on with and so is Jean. She’s a good cook, too, from what I remember.’
Leonard Cartwright was Lilian’s younger brother who owned a garage on the outskirts of Blackpool. He had said that either he or Jean would drive Ian to school each morning, and he could catch the bus back at the end of the afternoon.
‘It’ll be all right, I suppose,’ said Ian with a shrug. ‘I’d rather come and stay with you and Phil.’
‘And we’d love to have you,’ said Janice. ‘It just isn’t possible at the moment. We’re not in our own home so we can’t really invite guests to stay. Anyway, you would have to miss school and that’s not a good idea, especially with exams coming up. It’s only a few weeks, though, before you break up for the summer holiday, so you can come and stay with us then. We should be up and running before then with a bit of luck.’
‘Gosh! That’d be great,’ said Ian, his face lighting up at the idea.
Alec and Phil came in from the garden at that moment.
‘I was just saying to Ian that he can come and stay with us during the summer holidays, can’t he, Phil?’ said Janice.
‘Sure he can,’ answered Phil. ‘We could find him a job. Can’t have him staying for nowt, can we?’ He winked at Janice.
‘Could you? Could you really?’ said Ian, looking even more delighted. ‘Super! Is that OK, Dad? Can I go and stay with Janice and Phil?’
‘Of course you can, son,’ said Alec. ‘It’s a very good idea. You’re always at a loose end during the school holidays, aren’t you? You can’t play football all the time and you’re still too young to do a holiday job at a hotel here but it’ll be different at Phil and Janice’s place.’
‘What could I do, though?’ asked Ian.
‘We’ll think of something,’ said Phil. ‘There’ll be stacks of washing-up, for a start.’
‘Aren’t you going to get a dishwasher?’ asked Ian, looking as though washing-up was not a good idea.
‘Yes, but it will want loading and cleaning, and they don’t wash absolutely everything. Maybe you could wait on at the tables,’ suggested Janice. ‘How about that?’
‘That sounds better,’ said Ian with a smile.
‘You’ll have to look presentable, of course,’ added Janice. ‘No scruffy old jeans or trainers. A nice, clean, white shirt and black trousers. There’ll be plenty of jobs for you to do. And we’ll pay you, of course, won’t we, Phil?’
‘Of course we will. We won’t expect you to work for nothing and there’ll be tips if you’re a waiter!’
‘Great!’ Ian looked happier than he had in a long while. ‘I’ll be able to save up for those new football boots I want.’
Janice noticed that her father looked pleased and relieved at the change in his son. She hoped that Ian’s good mood would continue, especially during the following day.
There was just a small gathering of people at the registry office. Norma’s sister, Kathleen, who was her bridesmaid – or a witness, as they were called at a civil wedding – Jeff, Kathleen’s husband, who had introduced Alec to the social club and was acting as his best man; Janice, Phil and Ian.
Norma looked most attractive in a pale pink silk dress with a matching feathery hat perched on top of her dark, curly hair. She carried a small posy of roses in a darker pink shade, and the men sported buttonholes of similar flowers. Alec had bought a new grey suit for Janice and Phil’s wedding so he had decided to wear the same one again. Ian, too, wore the suit he had worn for his sister’s wedding.
After the simple ceremony, which was what they had both wanted – no fuss or palaver, as Alec had said – they drove in their own cars to the social club, which was not far away.
As Alec and Norma had anticipated, and had had to agree to, there was a rousing welcome for them from quite a large crowd of people. Not all the members of the club were there but there was a good number including the darts team, the bowling team and personal friends of Alec and Norma, most of whom Alec had not known when he was married to Lilian.
He had not invited his brother and sister who lived in Burnley. He saw them very rarely, but they had sent their good wishes by telegram. He had, however, invited Lilian’s brother and his wife. He had always been on good terms with them, and they were sincere in their congratulations to him and Norma. They knew what a devoted husband he had been, and were pleased that he was able to find happiness again.
The buffet meal was the usual fare for such an occasion. An assortment of sandwiches, chicken ‘drumsticks’, pork pies, sausage rolls and crisps, with sherry trifle or ice cream to follow. The wedding cake was just one tier, which had been baked and expertly iced and decorated by Norma’s sister, Kathleen, who had studied the art at night school.
The cake was cut by the bridal pair and photographs were taken by a few amateur photographers. Their health and happiness was toasted in Bristol cream sherry and Jeff made an appropriate speech wishing them well and saying how pleased all their friends were that Alec and Norma had decided to tie the knot. They were held in high esteem at the club and at their places of work, and he hoped they would spend many happy years together.
There was very little ribaldry or joking as there might have been with a younger couple. The guests were all aware that Alec had had a previous happy marriage, had been widowed for a comparatively short time and that his immediate family were, no doubt, experiencing mixed feelings about the occasion. Norma had been a widow for several years but her marriage, also, had been a happy one.
Norma had been abstemious, only drinking the sherry for the toast then keeping to fruit juice as she knew she had a long way to drive to their destination in Wales. Alec, too, who had never been a hard drinker, had kept within the limits he set himself. Janice was pleased to see him laughing and joking with his pals. It had been difficult for her at first but she now understood her father’s situation and was pleased that he had found someone so compatible as Norma. She knew, deep down, that the memories of her mother would always be there for all of them. But now they were starting a new chapter and must try not to look down memory lane too often.
Ian was coping very well. He had stayed close to Phil as there were no other younger people there. Janice watched him talking politely to some of Alec’s friends who made themselves known to him. He was more cheerful when he had drunk the sherry and the half of lager that his Uncle Len had bought him (strictly on the quiet) but there was no one who would be bothered enough to report the misdemeanour.
When it was mid-afternoon Alec and Norma decided it was time for them to depart. Alec kissed his daughter’s cheek and gave her a hug.
‘Thanks for being here, love,’ he said. ‘It means a lot to me and to Norma.’
He was not normally a demonstrative man, but he hugged Phil as well. He was very fond of his son-in-law.
Ian stood to one side, looking a little unsure of himself. Norma, very guardedly, kissed his cheek.
‘We’ll be back soon,’ she said. ‘It’s just a few days’ holiday. It will be a nice change for you to spend some time with your aunt and uncle, won’t it?’
Ian gave a weak smile. ‘Sure…’ he replied.
His dad hugged him. ‘Bye for now, son. See you soon… I’m very proud of you, you know,’ he added in a whisper.
‘Bye, Dad,’ said Ian. ‘Er… Have a nice holiday.’
The guests followed them out into the street where the car was parked, and they were unable to dodge the flurry of confetti as they got into it. Then they were away, with everyone waving until they turned the corner.
It was time then for all the guests to say their goodbyes. Len put an arm round Ian’s shoulders. ‘Come along, lad,’ he said. ‘We’d best get going.’
Ian nodded. ‘OK,’ he said, looking a little forlornly at his sister.
Janice and Phil came over to him. Janice kissed his cheek, just a little peck. ‘Now, don’t forget, you’ll be coming to stay with us soon. He’ll be our first guest, won’t he, Phil?’
‘First to stay in our guest bedroom, sure he will. There’ll be all sorts of jobs lined up for you, Ian. Washing-up, peeling spuds, scrubbing the floor! And we might let you be chief waiter if you shape yourself!’ Phil punched him playfully on the cheek. ‘Off you go, and have a great time with Len and Jean. We’ll see you soon… You know, Ian, things are not always as bad as they seem,’ he added in a quiet voice. ‘Just look forward to the summer holidays, eh?’
‘Sure,’ said Ian again, trying to smile at Janice and Phil, though his eyes had lost the sparkle that had been there earlier in the afternoon. ‘See you soon…’