‘I’M GOING tomorrow,’ he said.
Four men stirred in the shadows.
‘It’s been fun,’ said David. ‘But now it’s good-bye.’
‘Nothing tonight, then?’ said Dick Thomson.
‘No. I’ve got you a couple of bottles, though, if you want them. Here you are.’
Jack Tarrant took the bottles and said: ‘Thanks, David.’
‘I’d keep clear of the gravel-pits for a week or two. People seem upset about the damage down there.’
Dennis Palmer chuckled.
‘Where are you going?’ said Allen.
‘London. Then—anywhere. I don’t know. I’m recovered now, you see. I’ll have to get myself some work to do. Abroad, probably.’
‘You don’t have to work.’
‘My father wouldn’t agree with you about that, Allen.’
They stood in silence round the car, then Jack said: ‘Where shall we go?’
‘We could go down by the canal,’ said Dennis.
‘No,’ said Allen, suddenly and violently. ‘Not there.’
‘You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, Allen.’
‘Thanks a lot, David,’ said Dennis. ‘We’ll be seeing you.’
‘I doubt that,’ said David. ‘Have a good time.’
The three disappeared into the shadows, leaving Allen and David. David listened to them go with an odd expression almost of regret on his face.
‘David, if I came to London, do you think you could find me a job?’
‘No.’
‘Can’t you? Please. I’d like to get away from here. I’m sick of this place.’
‘I can’t find you a job, Allen. I don’t have one myself.’
‘But I’ve got to get away from here, really I have.’
‘Why? What have you done?’
‘I haven’t done anything. I just want to get away. And when you were talking about those places last night I knew I just couldn’t stay here all my life, repairing cars at Trinder’s. That’s no life. And then Ruth keeps getting after me. She wants me to marry her.’
‘Well, why don’t you?’
‘I’m twenty-one. I don’t want to tie myself down. Kids all over the place. I’ve seen that happen to others. I don’t want to start changing the baby yet. There’s plenty of time for that later. I want to get out. Like you were saying last night. I want to see some of the world.’
‘I didn’t say anything,’ said David.
‘Oh yes, you did,’ said Allen. ‘I want to try some of that life. I’d like to go to Texas, all those places.’
‘I can’t find you a job in Texas,’ said David.
‘I’ll work my way there. I’ll join the merchant service. I’ve been in the Army. I might as well try what it’s like at sea. I reckon I can put up with most things.’
‘But I can’t get you a Seaman’s Union card, Allen.’
‘I know that. But I’d like to go to London first. Look around a bit. Can’t one of your friends find me anything?’
‘You really enjoyed it last night, didn’t you?’
‘I had a terrible head this morning,’ said Allen, smiling foolishly. ‘But I remembered what you said.’
A curious look of inward glee came over David’s sallow face, and his smile seemed even more crooked than usual as he said: ‘I tell you what, Allen. I’ll give you the address of a friend of mine. He might be able to help you. He may offer you some pretty odd jobs. Do you mind that?’
‘I can do anything.’
‘That’s not quite what I meant.’
Allen looked away and said: ‘If I can only get away from here for a bit.’
‘All right.’ David wrote something on a slip of paper and gave it to Allen. ‘Just tell him I sent you.’
‘Thanks a million, David.’
‘Just ring him up and mention my name, and he’ll find something for you, I’m sure.’
Allen said: ‘Thanks, David. I don’t know why, but today I just felt it so strongly. I’ve really got to get away.’
‘Well, I hope you get where you want,’ said David. He rested his arm for a moment on Allen’s shoulder. ‘So long.’
‘So long, David.’
The car moved off, heading away from Cartersfield. Allen looked at the piece of paper with a name and address which he had never heard of. Then he slipped it carefully between the folds of his handkerchief, put the handkerchief in his pocket, and disappeared into the shadows towards the canal, where the others would have arrived by now.
*
‘Where’ve you been these last few days?’ said Ruth.
‘I’ve been around.’
‘You weren’t in church yesterday, and you weren’t at the dance Saturday night. What’s up with you?’
‘I’ve been minding my own business.’
‘You wouldn’t have been down at the gravel-pits, setting the place on fire, by any chance?’
‘No, I wouldn’t. I was out with some of the boys, that’s all.’
‘Huh,’ said Ruth. She rearranged some tubes of lipstick in the showcase.
‘Listen, it’s none of your business where I spend my time. Where I go is my business.’
‘Now you listen to me, Allen Bradshaw. I’ve been going with you for a long time, now, and I’ve put up with a lot. I’m not putting up with much more. Understand?’
‘Suits me,’ said Allen. ‘I’m going away, anyway. I’m going up to London. There’s no way to get on here.’
‘You’re what?’
‘I’m going up to London.’
‘What’s wrong with Cartersfield? It’s suited you pretty well up to now, hasn’t it?’
‘Well, it doesn’t suit me any longer, that’s all’
‘What do you mean, it doesn’t suit you?’
‘I’m going away, Ruth, that’s all. There’s no point in arguing about it. I want to see a bit of the world before I settle down in some mouldy town like Cartersfield. Maybe I’ll be a merchant seaman.’
‘You didn’t like the Army much. What makes you think you’ll like being at sea?’
‘I want to see a bit of the world, that’s all,’ he said stolidly.
Mr Hudson came into the shop and looked at them for a moment. Then he shrugged his shoulders angrily and went back into the prescription department.
‘What’s got into you, Allen? You never used to be like this.’
‘Nothing’s got into me. I told you. I want to see——’
‘You want to see a bit of the world,’ she said angrily. ‘You talk such nonsense. What do you want to go seeing the world for?’
‘I want to see it, that’s all.’
‘I suppose you’re tired of me. You’ve got another girl, that’s it, isn’t it?’
‘Of course it isn’t,’ he said. ‘Don’t be so daft.’
‘Who is she, I’d like to know. I’d wring her neck if I could get my hands on her. Putting silly ideas in your head. Who is she?’
‘There isn’t any she. And no one’s been putting ideas in my head. Stop imagining things.’
‘Is it because I went out with that nephew of the vicar’s?’
‘No, it’s nothing to do with that. I told you.’
‘Well, what is it?’
‘Oh, leave me alone, can’t you?’ said Allen. ‘I told you. If you don’t believe me, I can’t help it.’
‘Well,’ said Ruth. She stared at him hard. ‘And here you’ve been telling me all these years that you love me. We’d better get a few things straight, you and me. If you think I’m going to sit here cooling my heels while you go gadding about the world you’ve got another think coming, that’s all.’
‘Well, I’m going tomorrow morning.’
She looked at him, then burst into tears and rushed into the back of the shop.
Allen stood there a moment, looking after her, then he shrugged his shoulders and went out into the street. It was still hot, it had been hot for so many weeks now that no one commented on it any longer. He lit a cigarette and started off towards Trinder’s.
*
At eleven o’clock that night Dr Nye’s phone rang, and he leaned across his wife to answer it.
‘Old Hobson’s had a stroke, I think,’ he said. ‘Poor old boy.’
‘Poor Evangeline,’ said Marjory Nye.
‘You go back to sleep,’ said Nye. ‘He probably won’t die for several days, if at all. He’s as tough as nails.’
‘Don’t forget to put your coat on,’ she called as he left the bedroom. ‘I don’t want you catching cold.’