as a baby’s bottom? Well, fancy that now! As soon as I get home, that mirror is going in the ruddy midden, and me wrinkles with it.’
Jean Bowers came rushing out of her house dangling a key on a piece of string. ‘Yer were right, Ada, it was hanging on a nail inthe wall.’ She handed it over. ‘I’ve changed me mind, and I’m coming in with yer. I can’t go through life being a coward.’
‘That’s not being a coward, girl,’ Hetty told her. ‘Ye’re worried about the old lady, that’s all. Same as me. I’m concerned about her, too, and that doesn’t make us cowards.’
‘There’s only one way to find out why Eliza hasn’t opened the door to yer, Jean, and that’s to go in and see if she’s all right.’ Ada slipped the key in the lock, and said softly, ‘I’ll go in first and call her name, so she won’t get a fright.’ She jerked her head. ‘You two follow me in.’
There wasn’t a sound as the three women huddled together in the tiny hall. Then Ada called, ‘Eliza, it’s Ada. You know, the nosy parker from over the road. Where are yer?’
A faint voice came back to them. ‘I’m in me bedroom, Ada. Will yer come up, please? I’ve had a bit of an accident.’
Ada pushed her two neighbours aside and made for the stairs, fearful something serious had happened to the old lady. ‘I’m on me way, Eliza. Hetty and Jean are with me.’
When the three women crowded into the room, it was to see the old lady sitting on the side of the bed, still in her nightdress. ‘Oh, I am so glad to see you.’ Her lips quivered as she tried to smile. ‘I thought I was going to be here all day.’
Jean rushed to sit beside her on the bed, and she took a frail hand in hers. ‘Eliza, yer’ve had me worried to death. I’ve knocked at least six times in the last hour, and when I didn’t get an answer, I didn’t know what to do. I mentioned it to Ada and Hetty, and fortunately Ada remembered about yer leaving a spare key in the lavatory.’
‘I heard yer knocking, sweetheart, and I shouted as loud as I could. But me voice isn’t very strong now, and yer couldn’t have heard me.’
‘Well we’re all here now, Eliza,’ Ada said, ‘so tell us what’s happened, and why ye’re sitting up here?’
‘I’ve been very silly,’ Eliza said. ‘I know that when yer get to my age yer shouldn’t be in a hurry to do things ’cos yer can go dizzy and lose yer balance. So as a rule, whether it’s getting out of a chair, or out of bed, I give meself a minute for me brain to get organised. However, I forgot the golden rule this morning, got out of bed too quickly, went dizzy, stumbled, and twisted me ankle. I was afraid I’d broken it at first, but now I think I’ve just sprained it. Thank God it happened by the side of the bed, and I was able to sit down.’
‘What time did it happen, sunshine?’ Ada asked. ‘Have yer been sitting there long?’
Eliza nodded. ‘I woke at the usual time of seven o’clock. When yer get to my age, yer don’t need much sleep. I have tried a few times to stand up, but it’s too painful.’
‘Yer must be hungry, queen,’ Hetty said. ‘I’ll go and make yer a cup of tea and a piece of toast.’
‘While Hetty’s doing that, sunshine, we’ve got to try and get yer down the stairs.’ Ada put a hand on her chin as she weighed up the situation. ‘I might be able to carry yer, ’cos I’m strong, and there’s not much of you. Or me and Jean could carry yer between us. I could lift you under yer arms, while Jean took yer feet. One way or another, we’ll get yer down those stairs in time for the promised tea and toast. Which way would yer like to be carried down, Eliza? Which would be the least painful for yer?’
Jean thought she had a brainwave. ‘Why don’t you and me join hands, Ada, and make a chair to carry her down?’
‘I don’t think so, sunshine, the stairs are not wide enough. But what I could do is give yer a piggyback, Eliza, what d’yer
Jean Bowers came rushing out of her house dangling a key on a piece of string. ‘Yer were right, Ada, it was hanging on a nail inthe wall.’ She handed it over. ‘I’ve changed me mind, and I’m coming in with yer. I can’t go through life being a coward.’
‘That’s not being a coward, girl,’ Hetty told her. ‘Ye’re worried about the old lady, that’s all. Same as me. I’m concerned about her, too, and that doesn’t make us cowards.’
‘There’s only one way to find out why Eliza hasn’t opened the door to yer, Jean, and that’s to go in and see if she’s all right.’ Ada slipped the key in the lock, and said softly, ‘I’ll go in first and call her name, so she won’t get a fright.’ She jerked her head. ‘You two follow me in.’
There wasn’t a sound as the three women huddled together in the tiny hall. Then Ada called, ‘Eliza, it’s Ada. You know, the nosy parker from over the road. Where are yer?’
A faint voice came back to them. ‘I’m in me bedroom, Ada. Will yer come up, please? I’ve had a bit of an accident.’
Ada pushed her two neighbours aside and made for the stairs, fearful something serious had happened to the old lady. ‘I’m on me way, Eliza. Hetty and Jean are with me.’
When the three women crowded into the room, it was to see the old lady sitting on the side of the bed, still in her nightdress. ‘Oh, I am so glad to see you.’ Her lips quivered as she tried to smile. ‘I thought I was going to be here all day.’
Jean rushed to sit beside her on the bed, and she took a frail hand in hers. ‘Eliza, yer’ve had me worried to death. I’ve knocked at least six times in the last hour, and when I didn’t get an answer, I didn’t know what to do. I mentioned it to Ada and Hetty, and fortunately Ada remembered about yer leaving a spare key in the lavatory.’
‘I heard yer knocking, sweetheart, and I shouted as loud as I could. But me voice isn’t very strong now, and yer couldn’t have heard me.’
‘Well we’re all here now, Eliza,’ Ada said, ‘so tell us what’s happened, and why ye’re sitting up here?’
‘I’ve been very silly,’ Eliza said. ‘I know that when yer get to my age yer shouldn’t be in a hurry to do things ’cos yer can go dizzy and lose yer balance. So as a rule, whether it’s getting out of a chair, or out of bed, I give meself a minute for me brain to get organised. However, I forgot the golden rule this morning, got out of bed too quickly, went dizzy, stumbled, and twisted me ankle. I was afraid I’d broken it at first, but now I think I’ve just sprained it. Thank God it happened by the side of the bed, and I was able to sit down.’
‘What time did it happen, sunshine?’ Ada asked. ‘Have yer been sitting there long?’
Eliza nodded. ‘I woke at the usual time of seven o’clock. When yer get to my age, yer don’t need much sleep. I have tried a few times to stand up, but it’s too painful.’
‘Yer must be hungry, queen,’ Hetty said. ‘I’ll go and make yer a cup of tea and a piece of toast.’
‘While Hetty’s doing that, sunshine, we’ve got to try and get yer down the stairs.’ Ada put a hand on her chin as she weighed up the situation. ‘I might be able to carry yer, ’cos I’m strong, and there’s not much of you. Or me and Jean could carry yer between us. I could lift you under yer arms, while Jean took yer feet. One way or another, we’ll get yer down those stairs in time for the promised tea and toast. Which way would yer like to be carried down, Eliza? Which would be the least painful for yer?’
Jean thought she had a brainwave. ‘Why don’t you and me join hands, Ada, and make a chair to carry her down?’
‘I don’t think so, sunshine, the stairs are not wide enough. But what I could do is give yer a piggyback, Eliza, what d’yer
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