time tomorrow.'
Annie put her arms around her sister. As their cheeks touched, she said softly, 'Don't worry, Marie. We'll come through. One of these days, everything will be all right, you'll see.'
'I'm glad the summer holiday's nearly over,' Annie said with a sigh. 'School seems a nice change when you've been off six whole weeks.'
'I suppose it does.' Sylvia echoed Annie's sigh. They were bored, having done everything there seemed to be to do; gone to Southport and New Brighton numerous times, seen so many pictures that the plots had become
muddled in their minds, and they were sick to death of Liverpool city centre. School offered variety to what had become tedium.
They were sitting on the sands, having removed rubbish to make a clear space, watching a small cargo boat sail towards a rippling green and purple sunset,
'Have you made up your mind what to do when you leave?' Sylvia enquired. 'You'll be fifteen in October.'
Annie frowned. 'Dot thinks I should stay at school till next July. After that . . .' she paused, picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through her fingers. 'The thing is,' she burst out, 'I can't imagine things ever being different. I've got to look after me mam and dad.'
'You can't look after them for ever, or you'll end up with no life of your own,' Sylvia said warningly.
'Dot said that. She suggested I go to Machin & Harpers - that's a commercial college,' she explained in response to Sylvia's puzzled look.
Sylvia nodded her smooth blonde head. 'Good idea, but it doesn't solve the problem of your parents. What happens when you fall in love.^'
'In love?' Annie burst out laughing.
'All women fall in love,' Sylvia said wisely, 'even if all men don't. I can't wait. Bruno gets angry with me. He wants me to go to another school and get some qualifications, then go to university, when all I want to do is fall in love and get married.'
'You never told me that before!' Annie said in astonishment. Sylvia seemed too much in love with herself, her clothes, her hair, her figure. 'I thought you didn't like boys much. When we went on that double date, we decided afterwards it was more fun being with each other.'
They'd gone out in a foursome, their first dance and first date. The boys had them in stitches when they met
on the New Brighton ferry, pretending to be Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but on the date, the spark had gone and everyone was stiff and formal. Annie and Sylvia kept going to the Ladies for a laugh.
'We won't always feel that way. One day we'll each meet a man who'll be far more important to us than anyone else in the world.'
Annie felt slightly hurt. 'Will we?'
'Yes, though we'll still meet. We can take our children for walks together and ask each other to dinner.'
But no matter how hard Annie tried, she couldn't visualise Sylvia's version of the future. It was impossible to imagine living anywhere other than Orlando Street, and leading a life different from the one she led now. She would merely go to work each day, instead of school.
'How's Marie?' Sylvia asked politely.
It was almost two months since Marie had had her 'termination', as the nursing home called it. 'Quiet. She stays in watching television.'
'She'll bounce back up again. She'll feel better at school.'
'As long as she doesn't bounce back up as high as she was before,' Annie said darkly.
There was a new teacher at Grenville Lucas when they returned. Mr Andrews didn't look much more than a schoolboy himself. The girls fell hopelessly in love, despite the fact he wore glasses and wasn't exactly good-looking. There was just something carefree and exhilarating about Mr Andrews that appealed to everyone, girls and boys alike. He had an enthusiasm for life that the other teachers lacked. Nor did he dress as they did, but wore corduroy trousers and a polo-necked sweater under his shabby tweed jacket.
'Good morning, class!' He'd burst into the room,
eyes shining and nibbing his hands as if he were genuinely pleased
Annie put her arms around her sister. As their cheeks touched, she said softly, 'Don't worry, Marie. We'll come through. One of these days, everything will be all right, you'll see.'
'I'm glad the summer holiday's nearly over,' Annie said with a sigh. 'School seems a nice change when you've been off six whole weeks.'
'I suppose it does.' Sylvia echoed Annie's sigh. They were bored, having done everything there seemed to be to do; gone to Southport and New Brighton numerous times, seen so many pictures that the plots had become
muddled in their minds, and they were sick to death of Liverpool city centre. School offered variety to what had become tedium.
They were sitting on the sands, having removed rubbish to make a clear space, watching a small cargo boat sail towards a rippling green and purple sunset,
'Have you made up your mind what to do when you leave?' Sylvia enquired. 'You'll be fifteen in October.'
Annie frowned. 'Dot thinks I should stay at school till next July. After that . . .' she paused, picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through her fingers. 'The thing is,' she burst out, 'I can't imagine things ever being different. I've got to look after me mam and dad.'
'You can't look after them for ever, or you'll end up with no life of your own,' Sylvia said warningly.
'Dot said that. She suggested I go to Machin & Harpers - that's a commercial college,' she explained in response to Sylvia's puzzled look.
Sylvia nodded her smooth blonde head. 'Good idea, but it doesn't solve the problem of your parents. What happens when you fall in love.^'
'In love?' Annie burst out laughing.
'All women fall in love,' Sylvia said wisely, 'even if all men don't. I can't wait. Bruno gets angry with me. He wants me to go to another school and get some qualifications, then go to university, when all I want to do is fall in love and get married.'
'You never told me that before!' Annie said in astonishment. Sylvia seemed too much in love with herself, her clothes, her hair, her figure. 'I thought you didn't like boys much. When we went on that double date, we decided afterwards it was more fun being with each other.'
They'd gone out in a foursome, their first dance and first date. The boys had them in stitches when they met
on the New Brighton ferry, pretending to be Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but on the date, the spark had gone and everyone was stiff and formal. Annie and Sylvia kept going to the Ladies for a laugh.
'We won't always feel that way. One day we'll each meet a man who'll be far more important to us than anyone else in the world.'
Annie felt slightly hurt. 'Will we?'
'Yes, though we'll still meet. We can take our children for walks together and ask each other to dinner.'
But no matter how hard Annie tried, she couldn't visualise Sylvia's version of the future. It was impossible to imagine living anywhere other than Orlando Street, and leading a life different from the one she led now. She would merely go to work each day, instead of school.
'How's Marie?' Sylvia asked politely.
It was almost two months since Marie had had her 'termination', as the nursing home called it. 'Quiet. She stays in watching television.'
'She'll bounce back up again. She'll feel better at school.'
'As long as she doesn't bounce back up as high as she was before,' Annie said darkly.
There was a new teacher at Grenville Lucas when they returned. Mr Andrews didn't look much more than a schoolboy himself. The girls fell hopelessly in love, despite the fact he wore glasses and wasn't exactly good-looking. There was just something carefree and exhilarating about Mr Andrews that appealed to everyone, girls and boys alike. He had an enthusiasm for life that the other teachers lacked. Nor did he dress as they did, but wore corduroy trousers and a polo-necked sweater under his shabby tweed jacket.
'Good morning, class!' He'd burst into the room,
eyes shining and nibbing his hands as if he were genuinely pleased
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