Time Goes By by Margaret Thornton Page B

that it was Kathy’s Brownie meeting on Tuesday. They met in the church hall at six o’ clock. Girls were supposed to be seven years old before they joined the Brownies, but as Kathy would be seven in June she had been allowed to join a couple of months early. This was really a special favour because Brown Owl was a friend of her Aunty Win, and also because Shirley, who had turned seven in January, had pleaded with Brown Owl for her friend to be allowed to join.
    This would be her fourth time at Brownies and to Kathy it was one of the special times in the week. She was proud of her brown tunic, the real leather belt and silver buckle, and the yellow tie with a lovely little tiepin shaped like an elf that was fastened to it. Some of the older girls – the eight- or nine-year-olds – had badges sewn on to their sleeves that they had been awarded for passing tests: homecraft, needlework, artwork, music, swimming and all sorts of other things. Kathy was already learning to tie knots – that was one of the first tests they worked for – and she knew it would be quite easy for her to get her homecraft badge as well. That involved doing simple jobs in the home, like makinga cup of tea, setting the table and washing up. She was already used to doing jobs like that.
    Shirley was already there when Aunty Win left her at the church hall. Kathy took off her coat and hung it up and went over to join her friend.
    ‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ said Shirley excitedly. ‘My mum’s going to come and work at your hotel. She’s going to be a waitress – I ’spect your aunty will let her be the one in charge, ’cause she says the two she had last summer were just girls helping out in the school holiday – and my mum’s going to do the books as well; y’know, sorting out the money an’ bills an’ all that.’
    ‘Oh … that’s nice,’ replied Kathy. She knew that if she told Shirley that she already knew – or at least had heard something about it – then Shirley would be mad at her and get all huffy like she did sometimes.
    ‘And your aunty says that me and our Brenda can come as well and play with you while my mum’s busy working. That’ll be good, won’t it?’
    ‘Yes, that’s very nice.’ Kathy nodded. ‘Actually … Aunty Win did sort of say that you and Brenda might be coming … but I didn’t know it was all decided. Why didn’t you tell me at school today?’
    ‘Because my mum’s only just told me, that’s why!’ said Shirley, a little impatiently. ‘Actually, they had a row – my mum and dad – when shegot back from your house last night. It was past Brenda’s bedtime, and she’d already had two stories read to her and Mum wasn’t there to see to her. So Dad told me to help her to get undressed and have a wash an’ all that. And he didn’t half shout at my mum for being such a long time. I could hear them from upstairs.’
    ‘Oh dear!’ said Kathy. ‘I thought he was really nice, your dad. He’s good fun, isn’t he?’ She didn’t say that he was not like her own dad who could be grumpy some of the time, because that wouldn’t be a very nice thing to say.
    ‘Sometimes he is,’ replied Shirley. ‘But he can get mad as well. He likes to be the boss, y’see; that’s why my brother thinks he can boss me around – he’s just trying to be like our dad. Anyway, my mum came upstairs then to see to Brenda and she looked real upset. I thought she was going to cry, but she didn’t. She said to me not to worry, ’cause Daddy would get over it, like he always does.’
    ‘So are they all right now?’ asked Kathy.
    ‘I think so. They seemed all right when Daddy came home from work. Mummy gave him his tea, then she had to come straight out to bring me here. But she told me and Graham at teatime about coming to work at your hotel. She said that Daddy wasn’t too pleased at the idea, but she would work on him. That’s when she said me and Brenda could come with her. And I think your