“Traitors”
“I taught your little Alfie to play cards!” Grandma Pauline announced cheerfully.
“Why?” asked weary Emily, just back from workAlfie had only just turned six.
“Well, imaginehe visits someone, and they sit down to play cards!” the grandmother explained. “Hell join them! Good for company, as they say!”
It made senseshed been raised in post-war Britain, where card games and dominoes were considered fine pastimes. And this wasnt happening now, but back in the mid-20th century. So, bring on rummy and whist!
Grandma Pauline came to babysit her great-grandson, baby Oliver. Alfie, who hated nursery, hovered nearby. The boy was quite independenta key around his neck and lunch in a thermos. Back then, that was normal. These days, kids arent weaned off their mums till theyre practically adults.
The neighbourhood wasnt bad eithera cosy square enclosed by four blocks of flats. There was even a ping-pong table and a decent playground with a sandpit and swings.
One of the buildings housed a shop called “Bright Lights,” which sold lampshades and chandeliersand, for some reason, furniture. Heavy furniture. And unloading it brought out language not fit for polite company.
So, children often came home with new words for every letter of the alphabet”Mum, what does ‘bl’ mean?” These were known as “enlightening” words.
But these were minor inconveniences compared to the big plus: kids playing outside were safeeven the delivery men kept an eye on them!
Emily married firstshe fell for a classmate and got pregnant. Later, her mother-in-law, who worked at a nursery, took the boy during the week, letting Emily finish medical school. After, both she and her husband became GPsback when job placements were still a thing.
Pretty Lily didnt marry till twenty-fivelate by the standards of the time.
The sisters couldnt have been more differentquick, slender, dark-haired Emily was the opposite of slow, curvy, fair Lily. Yet both were strikinglike black and white, not just a contrast but two halves of a whole.
People often asked, “Are you sure you share the same father?”
“Not sure at all!” the sisters would snap, though they got on brilliantly.
Their father had died long ago, and their mother had remarried, leaving the flat to her grown daughters. She dodged the question artfully”Why does it matter? Of course, you have the same father!”
Till twenty-four, Lily toyed with men at willher heart still asleep, though she had her flings. She met her future husband at a schoolmates party a few years after graduationhe was a friend of Alexs from next door.
Lily even agreed to a date with Peter. But she came back horrified.
“You wont believe how dull he is!” she fumed. “He actually asked if Id worn warm knickers! Can you imagine?”
Emily gasped”What a cad!”
But really, the manthree years older and smittenhad simply been concerned. It was freezing, and everyone wore thermal underwear. Yet youth is mercilessPeter was rejected, knickers and all.
He reappeared seven years later. By then, Lily, having exhausted her admirers, was still single, living in the same two-bed flat with Emilys family.
Then, after New Years, she realisedno one had invited her out. Then Emily found a needle tucked in her quilt. Someone had cursed herwith a hex or worse!
Lily had many friends who often stayed overthe flat was near the Tube, handy for uni and work.
The needle was removed, and Lily immediately bumped into Peterfate, surely! This time, his “warm knickers” question was endearing”How sweet!” she gushed. She married himnow a maths PhDsoon after.
Peter moved in, marking his arrival with a new enamel kettle and sofa.
“But we already have a kettle!” Emily said.
“That ones yours,” the mathematician explained. “This is ours.”
For the first time, tension flickeredPeters kettle was nicer, more expensive.
His parents were well-off, unlike Emilys husband, Tom, whom their mother privately called a “tightwad.” Plans were made to swap the flat for two smaller ones, with Peters parents covering the difference.
Time passed, and baby Oliver arrived. Lily went back to work, and clever Peter enlisted Grandma Pauline to babysit.
One day, Emily came home early with a fevermaybe Tom had infected her, or a patient had. Her calls had been reassigned. “Get well soon, Dr. Emily!”
The flat was darkeveryone must be asleep.
Inside, it was a sickbayLily had taken leave with Oliver, and Tom had a slight fever. Alfie, as always, was home.
Emily quietly unlocked the doorthen froze. Strange noises. God, dont let the children be hurt!
Still in her coat, she peered into the roomin the fading light, six-year-old Alfie and drooling Oliver sat on the rug, cards in hand. Alfie was teaching his cousin to play rummy”for company.”
“Wheres Dad?” Emily asked.
“Dad and Aunt Lily are washing clothes in the bathroom!” Alfie said, then turned to Oliver”Your turnpick up!”
Grandma Paulines lessons had borne fruit.
“How long have they been washing?” Emilys heart pounded.
“The big hand was on six, now its on nine!” clever Alfie replied.
Fifteen minutes. With her, Tom never lasted that long.
She felt sickso this was why Lily kept delaying the move! Silly excusesthe door was ugly, the Tube too far. Now she knew.
Did Peter know? Unlikelyhis parents wouldve tanned Lilys hide. Yet they were happy to pay extraclueless, then.
Still in her coat, Emily waited outside the bathroom. Soon, flushed Tom and Lily stumbled out, stunned.
“Youre supposed to be on call!”
“Came to help with the washingthought you might struggle,” Emily said coolly. “Done already? Mustve spun fast!”
“Its not what you think!” Tom blurted. What else could he say?
“Fine,” Emily said. “Show me the laundrymaybe you can talk your way out of it.”
Come on, think of something! Say you had a fever, and Lily was cooling you with compresses!
Tom and Lily stood dumbno alibi. It had all been going so well
“Both of youget out,” Emily said. Lily grabbed Oliver and fled. Tom sent Alfie outsidestill lightand begged forgiveness. “A moment of madness, love! I only love you! She came onto me!”
But Emily, frozen, didnt buy it. Shed been cheatedprobably for ages.
Later, she learned “laundry days” were frequent. Neat, werent they?
Feverish Tom (37.2°C) was kicked out. Contact with Lily was cut to a minimum.
Emily told Peter nothing. If he knew, hed divorce Lilytrapping them both in that two-bed flat indefinitely.
Instead, Lily agreed to the first flat swaptwo tiny ones, with extra cash.
Divorced Emily ended up in a cramped flat with a four-square-metre kitchen and a “wet room”a combined bathroom-toilet. But it was hersshabby but home.
Tom crawled back to his parents, begging for another chance. No luck.
One evening, Emily returned from her new clinic. The flat was quietAlfie was playing.
Her self-sufficient boy missed his cousin but amused himself well.
Now, he sat on the rug. Propped against a chair leg was a large teddy bear, with cards fanned out before itAlfie was teaching his plush friend to play rummy “for company.”
Emily heard him murmur fondly”Teddy, you daft sod, whyd you lead with trumps?”
Hello, Grandma Pauline. And cheers to the “enlightening” furniture ladsmiss us much?
