edge of the bed.
'Is this Gwen, Willie, I can't tell the difference? Gwen are you all right? Gwen? Gwen?'
'She's breathing I can see. Go round the other side and try the other one.'
Pat did. She could see that Beryl or Gwen, whichever one it was, was breathing, but she got no response.
'I reckon we've caught 'em only just in time Willie.'
'So do I.'
It must have been all of twenty minutes after Jimmy got back before the ambulance came. Even they, who must have seen some dreadful sights in the past, were appalled at what they saw. They wrapped the sisters up, put them on stretchers and with Willie and Jimmy's help manouevred them down the narrow staircase.
When they'd gone Willie locked up and went to tell Peter what had happened.
'I reckon they're touch and go, sir. Don't know what's caused it, but by Jove they aren't half poorly.'
Til ring the hospital and then go in to see them tomorrow. Though if my last encouter is anything to go by it will be far from pleasant.'
'They's too ill to be nasty sir, far too ill.'
'Right Willie. My word, they are two very peculiar women, aren't they?'
'Peculiar is putting it mildly. They weren't that bad as
89
kids. They've gone funnier and funnier since they got into women. You should see the house.' Sylvia came down the stairs and Willie smiled and nodded to her.
'Hello, Sylvia.'
'Hello, Willie.'
Peter tactfully retired to his study.
'There's a good film on in Culworth this week. Funny title, Fried Green Tomatoes in a Whistle Stop Cafe, or something. I'm told it's good. Wondered if you'd like to go see it.'
'I would indeed. And when we've been perhaps you'd like to come back here for a coffee.'
'Right you're on. I'll look up the times.'
'I'm buying myself a little car, if it's arrived by then, we could go in that.'
'Didn't know you could drive.'
'Well, I had a car for years for getting into work and then it packed up. But I've decided to get another one. Only an old banger mind.'
'Never mind so long as it goes. I'll be in touch.'
Peter couldn't get to the hospital for two days but he reassured himself by phone that they were recovering. When he did manage to visit them they were unrecognisable, not only because they had lost weight but because they were so scrupulously clean.
'Sister Murphy, how are you?'
'Why, hello, Mr Harris, long time no see. These two parishioners of yours are going to be all right, though heaven knows why. They were in a terrible state when they came in. Dreadfully dehydrated, absolutely filthy and in need of a lot of loving care. Could you come into the office and give me a few details.'
Peter told all he knew and then went to speak to them. He hardly knew which was which.
'Hello, Gwen? Is it Gwen? It's Peter here from the
90
Rectory. How are you today?'
Her eyes opened slowly and focused on his face.
'Go away.'
'I've come to see you because you've been very ill.'
'I don't need you.'
'Very well, my dear. You're in good hands. All you have to do is get yourself better, then you can go home.'
He went to the next bed took hold of Beryl's hand and spoke her name.
'Beryl, are you awake?' She opened her eyes, looked him full in the face and whispered, 'I told her we shouldn't drink it. I told her.'
'What did you drink Beryl?'
'It was the well.'
He could learn no more from her. She'd fallen asleep again.
The sisters were due home at the end of the next week. Apart from Peter no one had visited them. He organised a plumber to attend to the burst pipe but other than that he did nothing to the house, outfaced by the enormity of the task and afraid of intruding.
The social services were there when he called at the hospital a couple of days before they were to go home.
'We really cannot understand how two people have been allowed to live like they do. Does no one in your village have a conscience about them at all?'
'I know things look very bad and that the house is in a terrible state, but these two women will allow no one in. They
'Is this Gwen, Willie, I can't tell the difference? Gwen are you all right? Gwen? Gwen?'
'She's breathing I can see. Go round the other side and try the other one.'
Pat did. She could see that Beryl or Gwen, whichever one it was, was breathing, but she got no response.
'I reckon we've caught 'em only just in time Willie.'
'So do I.'
It must have been all of twenty minutes after Jimmy got back before the ambulance came. Even they, who must have seen some dreadful sights in the past, were appalled at what they saw. They wrapped the sisters up, put them on stretchers and with Willie and Jimmy's help manouevred them down the narrow staircase.
When they'd gone Willie locked up and went to tell Peter what had happened.
'I reckon they're touch and go, sir. Don't know what's caused it, but by Jove they aren't half poorly.'
Til ring the hospital and then go in to see them tomorrow. Though if my last encouter is anything to go by it will be far from pleasant.'
'They's too ill to be nasty sir, far too ill.'
'Right Willie. My word, they are two very peculiar women, aren't they?'
'Peculiar is putting it mildly. They weren't that bad as
89
kids. They've gone funnier and funnier since they got into women. You should see the house.' Sylvia came down the stairs and Willie smiled and nodded to her.
'Hello, Sylvia.'
'Hello, Willie.'
Peter tactfully retired to his study.
'There's a good film on in Culworth this week. Funny title, Fried Green Tomatoes in a Whistle Stop Cafe, or something. I'm told it's good. Wondered if you'd like to go see it.'
'I would indeed. And when we've been perhaps you'd like to come back here for a coffee.'
'Right you're on. I'll look up the times.'
'I'm buying myself a little car, if it's arrived by then, we could go in that.'
'Didn't know you could drive.'
'Well, I had a car for years for getting into work and then it packed up. But I've decided to get another one. Only an old banger mind.'
'Never mind so long as it goes. I'll be in touch.'
Peter couldn't get to the hospital for two days but he reassured himself by phone that they were recovering. When he did manage to visit them they were unrecognisable, not only because they had lost weight but because they were so scrupulously clean.
'Sister Murphy, how are you?'
'Why, hello, Mr Harris, long time no see. These two parishioners of yours are going to be all right, though heaven knows why. They were in a terrible state when they came in. Dreadfully dehydrated, absolutely filthy and in need of a lot of loving care. Could you come into the office and give me a few details.'
Peter told all he knew and then went to speak to them. He hardly knew which was which.
'Hello, Gwen? Is it Gwen? It's Peter here from the
90
Rectory. How are you today?'
Her eyes opened slowly and focused on his face.
'Go away.'
'I've come to see you because you've been very ill.'
'I don't need you.'
'Very well, my dear. You're in good hands. All you have to do is get yourself better, then you can go home.'
He went to the next bed took hold of Beryl's hand and spoke her name.
'Beryl, are you awake?' She opened her eyes, looked him full in the face and whispered, 'I told her we shouldn't drink it. I told her.'
'What did you drink Beryl?'
'It was the well.'
He could learn no more from her. She'd fallen asleep again.
The sisters were due home at the end of the next week. Apart from Peter no one had visited them. He organised a plumber to attend to the burst pipe but other than that he did nothing to the house, outfaced by the enormity of the task and afraid of intruding.
The social services were there when he called at the hospital a couple of days before they were to go home.
'We really cannot understand how two people have been allowed to live like they do. Does no one in your village have a conscience about them at all?'
'I know things look very bad and that the house is in a terrible state, but these two women will allow no one in. They
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