Threads of Silk by Roberta Grieve Read Free Book Online Page B

mind me, love. I’m sure it’ll be all right. But I know how much you were banking on going to college.’
    ‘It was just a dream, Gran.’ She stood up and picked up the watering-can . ‘Anyway, I thought I’d come round to help with the garden.’
    Lou Bowman glanced round at the riot of colour which filled the tiny yard. ‘I don’t know why I’m bothering really. Looks like I won’t have a garden for much longer.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘I’ll be moving out soon. They haven’t given us a date yet, but I’ll be going into a council flat.’
    ‘Oh, Gran. They can’t make you move, can they?’ Ellie was horrified. She knew how much her grandmother loved the little house and garden, and its convenient position close to the shops and the market. And all her friends were here. She’d lived all her life in this street, moving only a few doors away from her parents when she’d married Fred Bowman.
    Lou waved her hand at the little row of houses. ‘It’s all going – the whole terrace. The end ones are empty already – all boarded up. As soon as there’s a place vacant, I’ll be off.’ Her voice caught as she went on, ‘It was that big bomb that did it. Brought down the whole of Hope Street, as well as part of this terrace. It undermined the foundations, they say, and now it’s too late to fix it. The whole lot’s got to come down.’
    Ellie patted her grandmother’s hand sympathetically, reminded of the story Gran had told her about Harry’s family, trapped in the rubble. It had all happened so long ago, before she was born, but for Gran the memories would always be there. Maybe it would be better for her to move away from the constant reminders. But would she be happy in one of those new multistorey blocks of flats with no garden and no neighbours to chat to over the wall?
    Not knowing what to say, Ellie went indoors to fill the watering-can. When she came out again, Gran was sitting with her eyes closed, her face turned up to the sun, her dark print dress pulled up above her knees to expose the thick white legs, knotted with blue veins like rivers on a map.
    As Ellie started to water the plants, Gran opened her eyes. ‘Take no notice of me, duck. I’m just feeling a bit sorry for meself. I daresay one of these new flats will suit me fine – they’ve got a lift, and a nice bathroom and indoor lav. What more could I ask for at my time of life?’
    ‘And I’ll still come and see you,’ Ellie promised.
    ‘Vi’s moving too,’ Gran said. Her sister still lived in the house a few doors along where the sisters had been brought up. ‘With a bit of luck she’ll get a flat in a different block.’ Gran gave her throaty chuckle and continued, ‘but knowing my luck, the council will put her right next door.’
    Ellie laughed too. The sisters were close but she knew Auntie Vi sometimes got on Gran’s nerves with her bossiness and constant criticism of everything and everybody.

     
    When she left her grandmother’s house Ellie felt a lot more cheerful. Gran had seemed much better, resigned to the move and grateful for Ellie’s promised help with the packing and sorting out of the accumulated debris of a lifetime.
    Ellie stepped over the broken wire fence and, instead of turning into Kendall Street, she decided to go and see Mr Varney. She couldn’t face going home yet.
    As she neared the Roman Road market she scarcely took in the raucous shouts that had formed a background to her life for as long as she could remember. She could hear Sid Varney’s voice above them all. He hadn’t taken on a new assistant after Harry left, promising to keep his job open until he’d finished his national service. Maybe he’d take her on, Ellie thought, at least until Harry came back. If she had to leave school and start earning she’d rather work for Sid than for Tommy Green.
    Most of the stalls were family businesses, run by parents and children who all mucked in with unloading the vans, stacking the