In A Small Northern Town

By Elliot Lord

In the ordinary streets of an ordinary former mining town in England, the lives of a group of middle-aged people have varying effects on each other. Valerie is still struggling with a personal event that caused her life to collapse. Tony is a happy-go-lucky bus driver who can lift the moods of anyone around him. Frank and Terry seem to hold eternal grudges against each other, and Bill does his best to help improve the lives of his friends.
The simple actions of a fourteen year old provide the spark that could transform the lives of the residents of the town, if people are willing to take notice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elliot Lord
• Release date: Jun 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393478782

Book preview

1. Frank leaned onto the worktop. He reached over to the cup which had been filled for him and slowly dragged it towards him. Drops of tea splashed onto the worktop but he was untroubled by this. His host was facing the other way, putting the teapot back, so Frank didn't care about the spillage. He slowly straightened up and lifted the cup to his lips. His hand trembled somewhat as he had little energy in him but he managed to take a large gulp whilst looking into nowhere in particular.

He rested his other hand back on the worktop and sighed. Valerie still didn't turn round as she felt that she didn't want to look at Frank. She collected the spoons and the other cups and methodically put them into the sink.

Frank took a smaller sip as his eyes drifted over to Valerie. He saw her but took in nothing of what she was doing. She continued to slowly wash the cups. She didn't realise that if she finished them quickly she would be more comfortable as she could then leave the room. She was getting bored of this exercise so she chanced it to turn round and walk past Frank without looking at him.

Frank noticed her exit out of the corner of his eye but didn't look across. He took his final sip of tea and placed the cup down on the worktop. He tried to think of what to do next but his mental faculties were deserting him. The remnants of the tea dribbled down the outside of the cup onto the counter. He looked out of the window and saw that the clouds were darkening the sky. He slowly turned around and walked out into the hallway.

He could hear the others in the living room. There was talking going on but he couldn't make out the words. The voices had a sound of indifference and melancholy and failed to raise him from his tiredness.

He didn't know whether he should go into the living room so he looked around the hallway. He saw the old clock hanging on the wall with the pendulum swinging. There was a mirror just past it; a cheap, standard one with an imitation gold frame. Below it was a small wooden table with keys and small useful items on it. To his left was the staircase. He was away from the bottom step so he couldn't see up. He didn't know that Valerie was standing on the landing, looking down, waiting to see what would happen.

Frank put his hand against the wall below the staircase and rubbed the palm of his hand heavily across the wallpaper, which was textured with nondescript patterns that he had seen in so many other houses but which had never aroused his senses.

As his arm stretched out, it curved down across the wallpaper and he left a stain on it from the tea that had spilt on him earlier. He didn't notice it and he turned his head once more towards the living room door.

He decided to go in. He had nothing else to do but had no intention of joining the conversation in there. He opened the door and walked in. He made a point of looking to see who was in there as he closed the door behind him. Tony was sitting in the chair below the front window. He was leaning forward, as much as he could over his belly, with his blue and grey striped shirt bursting at the seams under the pressure. He was talking to Susan, who sat to his right on the sofa with Terry. Susan sat cross-legged in her flowery but almost colourless dress with her hand on her knee as she gesticulated with her other hand to Tony.

Terry was the only one who looked up at Frank. He was not involved in the conversation at this point, which seemed to revolve around the words 'awful', 'pipes' and 'council'. Terry showed no emotion on his face. He looked at Frank as though he was noticing a plant in the corner. However, his eyes stayed firmly fixed on Frank's face. Terry's grey moustache hung over his top lip but Frank wasn't looking at him anyway so couldn't tell if his mouth gave away what he was feeling.

He sat down on the only free chair, which was opposite Tony. He slumped into it and rested his hands on the arms, which were wooden and the varnish had deteriorated after being here for at least twenty years.

Terry turned away and back towards the conversation, although he showed little interest in joining in with it. Susan laughed as Tony told her about a phone call he had received from his brother. Apparently, he had picked up a load of bricks from a warehouse and broken half of them when he unloaded them from his lorry back at home. Frank paid no attention and stared out the window above Tony's head.

Hey, Frank, you'll like this one, called Tony. My mate, you know Malcolm, don't you? Well he tried to make some whiskey but it came out so strong that he almost passed out after drinking his first sip of it!

Frank looked at him blankly.

Have you ever done that? Made some whiskey?

No, I don't like it.

Right... well, I told him not to invite me to his next party!

Susan laughed as she slapped Tony's knee. Ooh, you're so cruel!

He knew I was only having a laugh!

You're more of a bitter drinker, aren't you, love? Susan asked Frank.

The more I drink, the more bitter I get, Frank replied.

Tony and Susan laughed while Terry looked at him as though he had just used the Lord's name in vain.

That's a good one! shouted Tony in between his laughter. "We'll have to put that on your gravestone!

Yes, you can put a pint of bitter on it, in case I wake up thirsty in the night. Frank replied without any sign that he was joking.

He can still crack the jokes even without trying! laughed Susan.

All this time, Valerie had been standing at the top of the stairs, listening to the conversation but only making out what Tony and Susan said. She was scratching at her skirt whilst being rooted to the spot, not knowing if she should go to the bedroom or go back downstairs. Her cat walked past her and meowed up at her. She didn't notice it. She was wanting to hear what Frank was saying but he spoke too quietly for her to hear through the door.

Back in the room, Terry leaned back on the sofa and found a loose thread on the seam under his knees. He started picking at it as he wished he wasn't there. He didn't notice that it was getting longer the more he fiddled with it and he ended up undoing about ten centimetres of stitching on a piece of furniture that had hoped to give Valerie another few years' service.

Frank yawned as the other two carried on with what to them was witty banter but to Frank was nothing more than mindless time-filling rubbish that he wished he could turn off with the remote control.

Ooh, you need to get to bed early, Susan quipped. You need your beauty sleep!

The beauty of sleeping is that you forget about the real world. Frank responded.

The livelier two were not sure if that was meant as a joke or a philosophical interjection. They both sniggered uncomfortably and were quite lost with what to say next.

When I dream, continued Frank I find myself lost in a world of other people. People I don't know and places that don't make sense.

The other three in the room stopped to listen to him.

I travel through tunnels that lead to small cave-like rooms and go up and down in lifts with people who never say a word to me.

Susan and Tony looked at each other in bewilderment. What could either of them say to follow that?

And I bet they all hate you for being there. These were the first words from Terry as he scowled at Frank.

Oh, Terry, said Susan unhappily. There was no need to say something like that!

He doesn't care, Terry replied. He's used to everyone around him hating him.

Frank heard all this without taking his eyes from the window. He didn't respond as he didn't care about anything that Terry had to say. He hadn't liked him for weeks since he let him down by refusing to take him into town when he'd said he would. Frank had had enough of Terry's lack of dependability and had cut him off from his world.

Well, you've brought down the mood there, Terry. offered Tony. We were having a good laugh then, weren't we, Susan?

Yes, maybe it's time you went home, Terry. she said as carefully as she could without him taking offence.

I'd be happy to. Terry said. But I think I've ruined this sofa. Look.

He showed them a long piece of thread which he'd completely removed by accident and the seam had opened up, revealing a brownish, stained foam interior.

Oh, Terry. What are you going to say to Valerie?

I don't know. Keep it quiet, will you?

Tell her to stuff it. suggested Frank.

Tony laughed out loud as Terry got up and mumbled his goodbyes to the others. He slung his coat over his arm and went out the front door.

She's had that sofa for as long as I can remember. Tony remarked.

She'll be able to sew it back together. It's not that bad. said Susan.

Do you think we should tell her how it happened? Tony asked.

I dunno. Where is she, anyway?

I don't know. Do you know, Frank?

I think she's upstairs.

Valerie had gone from the landing after she saw Terry leave. She was looking through the bathroom cabinet and seeing what pills she had in there. There were only a few aspirins and a couple of old antibiotics she'd had about a year ago. She looked in the cupboard under the sink but all she found were some toilet rolls and cotton buds. She closed the cupboard door and looked at herself in the mirror above the sink. She leaned in closer and inspected her eyes. Her mascara had become smudged and she tried to clear it from under her eyes when she heard Susan call up the stairs.

Valerie, are you all right, love?

Valerie stopped in surprise and turned her head towards the door.

Yes, I'm fine.

Are you coming down?

Yes, I'll be down in a minute.

She looked back into the mirror, tidied her hair up a bit and promptly left the bathroom. She went down and into the living room.

Is everyone okay? Can I get you another cup of tea?

No, we're fine thanks. answered Tony. I think we'll be going now, actually.

Susan looked carefully at Valerie to discern if she was okay. She was looking either tired or sad but she couldn't work out which of the two it was.

Valerie noticed the foam sticking out of the edge of the sofa.

Oh, look at that. I bet it's Sandy. She's always clawing away at that.

The others put on fake smiles and acted as if they knew nothing about it.

How long have you had that, now? Tony asked.

I've had that since my mother died, so twenty years or something now. I'll have to try and fix that. I haven't got any money to buy another one.

Well, if you can't, give me a call and I'll see if anyone's got one they don't need.

Thanks, Tony but it'll be all right.

Right then, lads and lasses, shall we make a move?

Tony and Susan got up and put their coats on. Frank got up with a bit of a strain and looked at Valerie. See you soon, he said quietly to her.

She just looked at him and let him walk past her into the hall. The other two were given a forced smile from her and they attempted to look a bit more upbeat for her. She watched them as they went out the front door.

You off home, then, Frank? Tony asked.

Yeah, it's getting dark soon.

Okay mate, see you around then.

Frank walked off to the right while Tony and Susan went the other way. There was no-one else around in the streets and Frank walked back with his head down, looking just in front of his feet and not noticing anything else. He walked through the few streets back to his and there were some kids playing in the street with a ball.

One of them, a boy aged about eight saw Frank and decided to try to annoy him. He kept the ball at his feet and waited till Frank had just walked past him. Then, he kicked the ball so that it would hit Frank on the legs. He felt it but couldn't be bothered to turn around.

Sorry, mister! shouted the boy with a smirk on his face.

Frank had walked on further when he felt the ball bounce off his right arm and it landed just in front of him.

Pass us the ball back, mate! the boy shouted. But Frank just ignored them and he walked around the ball, turned the last corner and reached his house. It was an old terraced house, built in the 1920s and looked identical to all the others in the road. He put his key in the door, went inside, took off his coat and went into his living room.

He looked into his fireplace in silence for a few seconds then quietly sang to himself Valerieeee, oh what you could have done with meeeeee.

He sat down on his equally antique sofa and took off his shoes. He gazed vacantly into the fireplace as he put his shoes on the seat next to him and leaned back, closed his eyes and fell asleep.

––––––––

2. Valerie washed up the cups, dried them with her old tea-towel and put them into her cupboard. She was thinking about the afternoon she had just spent with her friends. She had known them all for many years and used to go to school with Susan and Tony. She knew Terry from seeing him around the neighbourhood. He lived a few streets away and he used to be friendlier than he was now. She thought back to the times when she used to have a laugh and a joke with him but he hadn't been like that for many years. Now he was more difficult to talk to and he was known as someone who people used to end up on the wrong end of. He liked to complain about anything he could think of. He'd had to leave his job as a forklift driver as he'd pulled a muscle in his back that he never properly got over and he'd spent the last four years claiming incapacity benefit. At fifty-two he faced the prospect of living the rest of his life without working again. He'd grown to get used to it. In one way he was glad not to have to get up and go to work every day but his endless days of having nothing meaningful to fill his time had taken its toll on him. Without realising it, he had become an invisible character on the street. He hardly spoke to anyone unless he could make up some problem that they had caused him. If someone dropped some rubbish on the pavement outside his house and he saw them, he would tell them they were disrespectful sods and they should chuck their rubbish outside their own house.

Valerie went to sit down in her front room. Her cat was in there, lying on the chair in front of the window.

Look what you've done to my sofa, Sandy. I'll have to get you a scratching post.

Sandy opened her eyes ever so slightly as she spoke then closed them as soon as she stopped. Valerie tutted and went to look for her box of cottons and needles.

Tony arrived home in his car and went inside to see if his dinner was ready yet. He found his wife, Trisha, sat in the front room, watching the telly.

Hiya, love, he called through the door as he took off his coat.

Hello.

Tony went in and sat down next to her.

What you watching?

Neighbours.

We just had a bit of a strange time round at Valerie's.

Shush. I'm watching this.

Tony stopped mid-conversation and raised his eyebrows. There was usually no disturbing his wife when she was watching her soaps. He couldn't care less about them and got up again and went into the kitchen to see if dinner was on. There was nothing cooking on the hobs or in the oven but he never made the dinner so left it until her programme finished. He went out into the garden and walked over to his shed. He'd been trying to fix the lawnmower which they'd had for years. It was getting rusty and the wheels wouldn't turn properly. He turned it over to take a look inside. He tried to turn the wheel but it was not moving easily. He plugged it into the extension cable and turned it on. He heard a dull noise as the wheels tried to force themselves to turn. He was having a close look at it when he heard a snapping sound. Smoke started to pour out of the front.

Oh, bleedin' hell! he shouted as he turned it off and pulled the plug out of the socket. The smoke was filling the shed and he tripped over the lawnmower as he went for the door. He twisted his ankle and came crashing out with the smoke escaping all around him.

Ooww! Trisha!

Trisha couldn't hear him above the sound from the telly and through the kitchen window. Tony was crawling across the grass looking like a soldier that had just narrowly missed a mortar hitting him in his ditch.

Trishaaaa! Get out here!

Trisha noticed the shout this time and got up to go to the window. She saw Tony lying on his back, watching the smoke coming out of the shed. She ran outside and asked what had happened.

It's that bloody lawnmower.

Well, what the hell are you doing down there?

I twisted my ankle when I tried to get out.

The smoke was dying away and the lawnmower breathed its last breath.

I told you to get a new one, she said as she went back inside. Tony remained lying on his back, looking like his captain had just deserted him. He rolled over and tried to get up but with his sizeable gut and his throbbing ankle he couldn't manage it. He reached over to the fold-away metal chair that was still opened out and pressed on it to help himself up. He put his hand too close to the front of the seat and he