One o’ t’lads might ’ear us.’
‘Y’used t’tell me when ah were a girl,’ said Ruby softly.
Ronnie looked around furtively to make sure no one was in earshot and then he spoke softly in Ruby’s ear, ‘Ah love you, Ruby.’
Ruby stared at Ronnie and put her dumpy hands on either side of his Leeds United bobble hat. ‘Come ’ere, y’soft ha’porth,’ she said.
She pulled his head into her prodigious bosom, kissed the top of his bobble hat and held him there lovingly. Twenty years of mopping floors had given Ruby a grip like a steam shovel. Ronnie was slowly asphyxiating but he knew there was no escape. When he was finally allowed up for air, Ruby let go of his head and wrapped her arms round him in a loving bear hug. Ronnie thought he heard two of his ribs crack as he desperately tried to breathe.
‘An’ ah love you, Ronnie,’ whispered Ruby.
‘So, y’don’t fancy that Jimmy Witherspoon?’ wheezed Ronnie.
‘No, ah don’t,’ said Ruby.
Ronnie looked relieved. ‘So are y’coming?’ he said.
‘Not yet, Ronnie. You walk on ’ome, put t’kettle on an’ ah’ll wait f’our Duggie.’
Ronnie set off to the council estate and Ruby walked to the bench by the duck pond and sat down. She stared at Jimmy Witherspoon’s platinum-blond wig with its bright red LOVE MACHINE headband as it sank for the third and final time into the murky depths.
Then Ruby reflected on happier times and thought about one of her favourite scenes from
The Sound of Music
. She recalled Julie Andrews in the summer house singing with Christopher Plummer and then wearing the most magnificent wedding dress. When the ripples in the pond had settled and the village green was silent, Ruby leaned back on the bench and looked up at the graceful canopy of branches of the weeping-willow tree. In the strange silence she looked round and remembered a summer’s day long ago when she had sat on this very spot. The young slim Ruby had looked beautiful in her borrowed wedding dress and the scent of her bouquet of wild roses was still vivid.
Suddenly the bright full moon reappeared from behind a cloud, bathing the village green in a mysterious white light. Ruby held up her work-red hand to shield her eyes from the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the pond. As she began to hum ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria’, the bright shafts of light flickered through her fingers.
And, in that moment, Ruby wondered if, one day, it would ever be her turn to hold a moonbeam in her hand.
Chapter Four
Rita’s Revolution
Miss Evans, School Secretary, left today for three days of compassionate leave to attend a funeral. A temporary secretary will be provided by County Hall until Miss Evans returns
.
Extract from the Ragley School Logbook:
Monday, 15 October 1979
‘ABSENCE MAKES THE’ eart grow fonder, Miss Evans,’ said Ruby in a singsong voice.
‘It’s only three days, Ruby,’ said Vera. ‘Joseph and I will be on the train to Truro tomorrow, the funeral is on Wednesday and we return to Yorkshire on Thursday. So I’ll see you all again on Friday.’
The sad news of the death of Vera’s favourite aunt in Cornwall had caused a flurry of activity. It was the end of the school day on Monday, 15 October, and all the staff had gathered in the school entrance hall to say goodbye.
‘Ruby’s right,’ said Anne: ‘we shall all miss you.’
Vera gave her a tired smile and squeezed her hand.
‘Best wishes, Vera,’ said Sally, and gave her a hug.
‘And have a safe journey,’ added Jo anxiously.
Vera glanced round at our concerned faces and handed me the keys to her precious filing cabinet. It was a symbolic gesture and everyone recognized it as such.
‘Thank you, Vera,’ I said quietly.
‘Don’t worry, Mr Sheffield,’ said Vera. ‘Everything will be fine.’
There was a moment’s silence as we all looked at one another. I noticed that Anne looked decidedly nervous. ‘I’m sure it will,’ she said a
‘Y’used t’tell me when ah were a girl,’ said Ruby softly.
Ronnie looked around furtively to make sure no one was in earshot and then he spoke softly in Ruby’s ear, ‘Ah love you, Ruby.’
Ruby stared at Ronnie and put her dumpy hands on either side of his Leeds United bobble hat. ‘Come ’ere, y’soft ha’porth,’ she said.
She pulled his head into her prodigious bosom, kissed the top of his bobble hat and held him there lovingly. Twenty years of mopping floors had given Ruby a grip like a steam shovel. Ronnie was slowly asphyxiating but he knew there was no escape. When he was finally allowed up for air, Ruby let go of his head and wrapped her arms round him in a loving bear hug. Ronnie thought he heard two of his ribs crack as he desperately tried to breathe.
‘An’ ah love you, Ronnie,’ whispered Ruby.
‘So, y’don’t fancy that Jimmy Witherspoon?’ wheezed Ronnie.
‘No, ah don’t,’ said Ruby.
Ronnie looked relieved. ‘So are y’coming?’ he said.
‘Not yet, Ronnie. You walk on ’ome, put t’kettle on an’ ah’ll wait f’our Duggie.’
Ronnie set off to the council estate and Ruby walked to the bench by the duck pond and sat down. She stared at Jimmy Witherspoon’s platinum-blond wig with its bright red LOVE MACHINE headband as it sank for the third and final time into the murky depths.
Then Ruby reflected on happier times and thought about one of her favourite scenes from
The Sound of Music
. She recalled Julie Andrews in the summer house singing with Christopher Plummer and then wearing the most magnificent wedding dress. When the ripples in the pond had settled and the village green was silent, Ruby leaned back on the bench and looked up at the graceful canopy of branches of the weeping-willow tree. In the strange silence she looked round and remembered a summer’s day long ago when she had sat on this very spot. The young slim Ruby had looked beautiful in her borrowed wedding dress and the scent of her bouquet of wild roses was still vivid.
Suddenly the bright full moon reappeared from behind a cloud, bathing the village green in a mysterious white light. Ruby held up her work-red hand to shield her eyes from the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the pond. As she began to hum ‘How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria’, the bright shafts of light flickered through her fingers.
And, in that moment, Ruby wondered if, one day, it would ever be her turn to hold a moonbeam in her hand.
Chapter Four
Rita’s Revolution
Miss Evans, School Secretary, left today for three days of compassionate leave to attend a funeral. A temporary secretary will be provided by County Hall until Miss Evans returns
.
Extract from the Ragley School Logbook:
Monday, 15 October 1979
‘ABSENCE MAKES THE’ eart grow fonder, Miss Evans,’ said Ruby in a singsong voice.
‘It’s only three days, Ruby,’ said Vera. ‘Joseph and I will be on the train to Truro tomorrow, the funeral is on Wednesday and we return to Yorkshire on Thursday. So I’ll see you all again on Friday.’
The sad news of the death of Vera’s favourite aunt in Cornwall had caused a flurry of activity. It was the end of the school day on Monday, 15 October, and all the staff had gathered in the school entrance hall to say goodbye.
‘Ruby’s right,’ said Anne: ‘we shall all miss you.’
Vera gave her a tired smile and squeezed her hand.
‘Best wishes, Vera,’ said Sally, and gave her a hug.
‘And have a safe journey,’ added Jo anxiously.
Vera glanced round at our concerned faces and handed me the keys to her precious filing cabinet. It was a symbolic gesture and everyone recognized it as such.
‘Thank you, Vera,’ I said quietly.
‘Don’t worry, Mr Sheffield,’ said Vera. ‘Everything will be fine.’
There was a moment’s silence as we all looked at one another. I noticed that Anne looked decidedly nervous. ‘I’m sure it will,’ she said a
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