Chapter 19: Thursday 21st May.
I awoke as usual at 7 am to the sound of the radio as the sun shone through the window and instinctively I looked across to see Jackie before I remembered that she wasn’t there anymore.
I quickly washed, dressed and made for the breakfast table where I found Marcie, Rachel and Debbie, as usual, crunching on Cornflakes reading magazines.
“Good morning” they all said as I sat and returned the greeting.
“Remember,” Marcie stated. “We’ve got a date at three o’clock today at the hospital chapel.”
We all confirmed that we would be there as the door opened and Jaclyn entered wearing a different outfit from yesterday, which looked just as fetching.
“Good morning,” we all replied in unison while I presented her with a bowl and she poured her breakfast into it.
“Jackie,” Marcie called,
“Could you call me Jaclyn?” she interrupted.
“Sure, Jaclyn.” Marcie continued, “We’ve all got a funeral to attend this afternoon so we might not be back in time for tea.
It’s unfortunate, your first night here, but if we’re not back would you mind making us something to eat?”
“Sure,” she replied, “I would be delighted.”
“I’ll put a hot-pot in the oven on the timer, so it’ll be ready by 5:30, all it needs is enough chips for six of us, okay?”
“Okay” Jaclyn confirmed.
“Like I say, we should be back long before then, it is just if we get held up.”
“Don’t you worry” Jaclyn assured her. “I’m sure I can handle it.”
In the car as I drove to work I asked Jaclyn,
“Have you cooked enough chips for six people before?”
“Sure,” she stated, “In my former life, I used to cook all the time whenever mum couldn’t be bothered - which was most of the time.
Cooking was probably the only thing Jackie was any good at and I would love the opportunity of cooking for the girls.
I hope that I can be accepted as part of the family.”
“Okay,” I whispered, “I was going to say if you get them from the chip shop don’t get any salt on them.
Would you like a cigarette before we reach work?”
“No thanks.
Actually, I went the whole day yesterday without one and today I feel great so I won’t be having any more, and anyway you told me that ladies don’t smoke.”
“Good girl,” I smiled patting her hand. “You’re learning kid.”
At 11 o’clock Sarah brought me a mug of tea and sat in her usual place on the desk smiling broadly as I lowered down my pen.
Lifting my mug I leaned backwards into my chair and smiled at one another for a few seconds before I took a sip of tea and asked,
“Okay Smiler, what’s on your mind?”
“I’m trying to figure you out,” she replied quietly.
“Is there something that’s puzzling you?” I smirked.
“Just one tiny thing is bothering me?” she sighed.
“I have just done my usual rounds of all the departments to collect yesterday’s sales slips. When I reached the shoe department I found it very difficult to believe that the girl behind the counter was the same one I met here yesterday morning.”
“Jaclyn told me all that you’ve done for her and I know she’s had a hell of a life up ’till now.
What I can’t figure out is why a guy, who is engaged to be married in a few months time, would lift a total stranger out of the gutter.
Buy her £226 worth of new clothes, get her a job, a flat, sort out all her problems with the police and turn her from a drunk, chain-smoking, junkie prostitute into a very respectable, clean-living, very attractive young lady.
Without asking for any thanks in return.”
“Because,” I said rather smugly trying to sound modest, “I’m such a nice Guy.”
“A nice guy!” She bellowed, “You’re a saint.”
“But,” I interrupted, “I still need my guardian angel, and I hope you’ll be Jaclyn’s guardian angel whenever she needs one?”
Sarah jumping from the desk kissed me lightly on the cheek and whispered, “You know I will.
I take back all I thought about your activities with Melanie, Debbie, Rachel and any of the other women in your harem and, if it doesn’t inflate your ego too much, I think you’re a nice guy too.”
We looked at one another for a few moments until we were brought back to reality by a loud knock on the door.
“Come in,” I called as Sarah quickly moved a discreet distance from me and Julia entered to lay a few bills onto my desk, then hovered nervously.
“Sarah, I’ll be knocking off early today at about two-thirty to go to Aleesha’s funeral. I’ll be working through lunchtime if you could pick me up something to eat and make sure Jaclyn gets the correct bus home?”
“Sure will boss.” Sarah confirmed writing in her notepad as I gazed at Julia who was still hovering.
“Yes Julia, What can I do for you?”
“The new girl, Jaclyn Bradley,” Julia began,
“Maureen gave her a personnel form to fill in for our records.
It came back blank, except for her name and a note saying ‘See Brian’.”
“I see,” I laughed, “I’ll get all the details for you – leave it with me.”
Two hours later Sarah brought me a mug of tea and a few hot rolls as she, as usual, perched on my desk saying, “We’ve got a big problem”.
“We have?” I asked thanking her for her concern by buying me lunch.
“Yes,” she sighed, “I spent lunchtime talking to Jaclyn trying to get the answers to Maureen’s questionnaire, but she doesn’t know what a National Insurance number is?”
“That’s not a problem,” I laughed, “the Inland Revenue will re-issue one if she’s not got one.”
“That’s not the biggest problem?” Sarah sighed, “She has no idea what her date of birth is.”
“What?” I asked.
“She says she has never had a birthday, or Christmas or anything else.
That girl’s life is so sad it’s unbelievable and don’t ask me to contact her father for you. I won’t be responsible for what I might say to him.”
“I won’t,” I assured her, “I have a much better idea. Leave it with me, Sarah, I’ll get Rachel onto it.”
At two-thirty I left my desk to make my way to the hospital - stopping only to buy a black tie from the gents department and leaving Jaclyn money for the bus home, I arrived at the hospital at the same time as Debbie.
“Where do we go?” she asked me as if I should know - I’d never even seen the giant hospital never mind the small chapel.
“I don’t know, princess, we’ll have to ask someone.”
Ten minutes later we found the door with ‘chapel’ on it and slowly entered to find Marcie, Rachel and Lynda sitting in silence before a very plain altar with an, equally plain, coffin beside it.
“Hi.” we all whispered as I followed Debbie into a pew beside the others.
“Do you know,” Rachel whispered looking about her, “I’ve never been inside a chapel before?”
“You’re not the only one.” Lynda laughed before Marcie hushed them as, apart from us, there were a few other people sitting in silence with their own personal thoughts.
A few minutes later a door behind the altar opened and the chaplain entered as we all stood up.
He was dressed in white robes and came to each of us in turn clasping our hands in his whispering, “God bless you for coming today.”
He was quite an old man with a round face and white hair.
Features that could warm many grieving hearts - giving comfort to many with a welcoming smile.
“My dear friends,” he began, “we are gathered here to say farewell to a young girl who was so troubled that she took her own life.
Aleesha Kennedy was a very shy girl who didn’t really unders
tand that life presents us all with many hardships, disappointments, and failures, but, it is out of these sad moments that we learn to appreciate the joys, happiness and successes of life.”
“She believed her family would turn their backs on her because she did not achieve success.
Rather than admit that to her family, in her confusion, she also failed to confide in her friends, who would never turn their backs on her and are here today to testify to that friendship.”
The chaplain went on at great length about Aleesha’s confusion at thinking her family would disown her if she failed and how much we, her friends, cared for her in her time of need that I was beginning to become somewhat confused.
We were only there because her family HAD disowned her and in her time of need SHE had turned her back on the people who could have helped her, but if he managed to reconcile her troubled soul with her God then, I suppose, it was a very worthwhile exercise.
About an hour later it was all over.
The strain was beginning to show on the face of the chaplain, as we all thanked him for his kind words. We had to wait quite a long time until a couple of hospital porters took the coffin away to cremate Aleesha in the hospital incinerator and return the coffin to the stores.
Marcie had several forms to fill in and while we waited for her we spent some time chatting to people in an adjacent ward until I managed to have a quiet word with Rachel.
“Could you do me a big favour?” I asked her.
“Depends on what it is?” she smiled.
“Could you send Jaclyn’s father one of your best ‘official’ letters for me?”
“Sure.” she confirmed.
“Could you ask him to send you a note, or preferably a copy, of her birth certificate and adoption papers.”
“She could easily get copies herself,” she informed me, “if she contacts the registrar’s office.”
“That’s the problem,” I explained to her, “Jaclyn doesn’t know where or when she was born.”
“What?” she gasped in disbelief.
”It’s a really long story, Rachel, but we need the information rather urgently.”
“Assure her father that she isn’t in any trouble at all, but you do need her details ultra-quick and if you don’t get a reply can you follow it up until he parts with the info?”
“Sure,” she smiled, “I’ll get onto it tomorrow.”
“By the way, Rachel. You can use any means at your disposal.
If there’s any cost involved I’ll cover it, but you mustn’t let her father know where she is, and don’t tell her you’ve contacted him, okay?”
“Sure,” she repeated, “I’ll get onto it tomorrow.”
Friday 22nd May.
Friday was rather boring, compared with the other days.
One of the highlights was when Tom Beveridge came to see me mid-morning to discuss Jaclyn’s employment details and to tell me he was so pleased with her he intended to fire Liz.
“If she ever makes an appearance at work that is.”
“You know,” he said sipping a mug of coffee much more relaxed than when I had seen him on Wednesday.
“I reckon I could have a winning partnership there with Colette and Jaclyn.”
“I’m glad I could help.” I smiled, modestly.
“I reckon,” he continued, “Colette is the biggest asset my department has.
She has never missed a days work since she arrived, she oozes so much enthusiasm for selling shoes she’s an absolute joy to behold, and she’s so helpful and obliging to customers and staff that everyone immediately falls in love with her.”
“But – I also believe Colette is our biggest liability because of her incessant chattering.
Some people can’t take her infernal talking for too long, which is probably why I cannot hang on to any staff.
I have watched Jaclyn closely, to see if there are any signs of her getting bored with Colette and there are none.
Jaclyn seems to ‘lap up’ all Colette’s stories and never tires of hearing about what she’s been up to and it’s becoming a very pleasant department to work in again.”
“I’m very pleased for you,” I assured him as he finished his coffee and headed for the door smiling.
“If you find any more like Jaclyn let me know. Thanks again Brian.”
“In all,” I thought, “It’s been quite a hectic week, but it’s all turned out okay for Jaclyn.”
I revelled in the part I played in the saga until I remembered that it all came about because I had broken a promise to Tracey, when I said that I wouldn’t get involved with ‘Suzy’.
I was sure as soon as I tell Tracey how the week went she would see why I had to help Jackie, and as soon as she meets Jaclyn she will forgive me for breaking that promise.
I did not have long to wait to find out as Tracey arrived at 6:30 as she had done every Friday.
Before she arrived I was sitting at the table opposite Marcie who was entering some bills into her ledger.
Lynda and Debbie took care of the dishes as Rachel made her usual hurried exit to another ‘Diamonds’ gig, and Jaclyn went to her room to get ready for a big night out with Sarah.
“By the way Brian,” Marcie whispered, “Just before ‘little Miss Dynamite’ arrives, I’ve picked up a little something that might help sort out your problem.”
Marcie produced from the pocket of her jeans, a hospital urine specimen bottle containing a light-brown liquid and waved it before her.
“When she arrives, before you get down to basics, tell her that I want to see her to discuss how the wedding arrangements are going and I’ll slip some into a mug of tea, okay?”
“Okay,” I smiled, “Thanks Marcie, I appreciate your help.”
“There’s no guarantee this’ll work,” she warned, but it comes very highly recommended.”
At that moment the doorbell rang and I winked at Marcie before I opened it to kiss Tracey passionately on the doorstep.
“Hi Tracey, I’ve missed you so much.” I whispered.
“I’ve missed you too.” she replied as a taxi stopped at the door and Sarah got out dressed immaculately, as usual, in a scarlet and white cocktail skirt and looked stunning as she skipped up the steps towards us calling “Hi Brian.”
“Hello,” I smiled enthusiastically, as Tracey looked curiously at her,
“Tracey, I’d like you to, finally, meet someone who you’ve spoken to on the ‘phone several times.
My guardian angel, Sarah Nicholson - Sarah, this is Tracey.”
They smiled, shook hands and said “Hi.”
Sarah smiled back “I am so pleased to eventually meet you, I must have spoken to you dozens of times.”
“Yes quite,” Tracey laughed asking, “Do you two not see enough of each other at work?”
“Oh, I’m not here to see him,” Sarah laughed back, “I’ve got a date with one of his flatmates.”
”You’d better come in then,” I ushered both girls inside.
“I’ll go and tell her you’re here.”
Leaving Tracey and Sarah chatting about how nice it was to meet after all this time while I knocked on Jaclyn’s door and called “Jaclyn, Sarah’s here.”
“Okay, be right there,” she called back.
I relayed the message to Sarah complimenting her on her appearance.
“Brian, can I ask a huge favour?”
“You can ask.” I smiled.
“Daddy couldn’t let me borrow his car for tonight,” Sarah sighed,
“I don’t like to ask, but could I please borrow yours?”
“Sarah, I trust you,” giving her the keys and £40,
“Enjoy yourselves but not too much I would like my car back in one piece.”
“Okay,” she confirmed as Jaclyn emerged from her room dressed in a black and white flowery-patterned cocktail skirt similar to Sarah’s which looked as good on her as Sarah’s did.
“Jaclyn you are beautiful” Sarah gasped,
taking the very words from my mouth.
“Jaclyn. This is Tracey.” I introduced them.
“Tracey, this is the new girl on the block - Jaclyn Bradley.”
They said “Hi” before Sarah led Jaclyn out the door.
“I get the distinct feeling,” Tracey said as she watched them leave, “I’ve seen that girl before, somewhere.”
“Marcie wants to see you,” I quickly changed the subject ushering Tracey to the table before she could link Jaclyn with Suzy.
“Well,” Marcie smiled, “I was wondering how the wedding was coming along?”
“It’s coming together.’’ Tracey confirmed agreeing to have tea with Marcie.
“So despite everything,” Emily smiled, “things had, once again, returned to what you call ‘normal’ and you’d gotten away with it again?”
“That would appear to be so,” I replied, “everything was going along well –perhaps, a little too well.
It was, still, the month of May and a lot of things had happened this month.”
“In the month just passed, Emily, I had been seduced by Debbie and assaulted by Lynda who, I believed, could have murdered me.
I became engaged to Tracey to cover my infidelity with Debbie.
I was then seduced by Melanie and rescued by Sarah.
I knew I was falling deeply in love with Debbie and became her best friend.
Tracey and Rachel became friends and Debbie became a bridesmaid.
Aleesha was gone and had been replaced by Jaclyn.
Things were going along extremely well but I knew all that was about to change.”