Free Stay as Sweet as You Are by Joan Jonker

didn’t think it was a bit funny. But when I came back after paying the club woman, he had one of the wooden chairs in the middle of the room. He held his hand out and said, “Here yer are, Ma, I’ll help yer stand on it. I deserve me ears boxing for pulling a stunt like that. I’m a fool to meself, that’s what I am. After all, yer could have had a heart attack, and who’d have made me dinner for me then, eh?”’
    Irene was shaking with laughter as she pictured the scene. ‘There’s never a dull moment with your Titch around, is there? But I bet yer wouldn’t have him any different, though, because I know yer love the bones of him.’
    ‘Ye’re right there, queen. He’s been going to sea since he was eighteen, and I don’t see that much of him. But I treasure every minute he’s with me.’ Aggie put a hand on Irene’s arm and pulled her to a stop outside a butcher’s shop. ‘I’m going in here, love, to get some shin beef. When Titch gets homethere’ll be a pan of scouse simmering on the stove, and four light-as-a-feather dumplings ready to pop in. He always looks forward to his favourite meal on his first day home.’
    ‘I’m made up for yer, Aggie, and I hope he gets a decent leave this time. Tell him to give his friends a knock when he can, we’d love to see him.’
    ‘If I know my son, he’ll make sure he’s home in plenty of time to eat his meal and go down to the pub. He wouldn’t miss either on his first night. Nor would he miss asking George and Bob to go for a welcome home drink with him. So tell George to expect a knock, will yer?’
    Irene nodded. ‘I’ll do that, he’ll be tickled pink to see Titch again. And as luck would have it, Bob’s on early shift this week, so he can join them.’
    ‘I’ll have to go, queen, ’cos I’ve a fair bit of shopping to do to make me larder look a bit healthier. One egg and one rasher of bacon doesn’t look out of place when yer live alone, but yer can’t feed a hungry man on it. Besides, I can afford to splash out a bit today because Titch put a pound note in with his letter.’
    ‘So, ye’re not only happy, but rich as well?’ Irene was pleased for her neighbour. Aggie never complained, but she must get lonely at times. Her husband, Les, had died ten years ago, and although Titch had offered to find a shore job at the time, she wouldn’t hear of it. The sea was in his blood, and although he argued otherwise, she knew he wouldn’t be happy working in a factory and sent him off to join his ship, so great was the love this mother had for her son. ‘I might see yer tonight, then, Aggie, if Titch doesn’t bring a bottle of the hard stuff home with him, like he did last time. Yer were too drunk to go down to the pub!’
    ‘Nah, I wasn’t, queen.’ Aggie’s teeth fell down again. The trouble was, her gums felt much better without them and kept pushing them out. So there was a constant war between teeth and gums. But the gums were fighting a losing battle today. No way was Aggie having her son come home to a motherwith no teeth in. ‘I was a bit tipsy, perhaps, but certainly not so legless I couldn’t make it down to the pub. I just felt the men would feel more free to talk if they were on their own.’
    Irene laughed. ‘I’ll believe yer, where thousands wouldn’t. Anyway, sunshine, I’ll be on me way. Ta-ra for now.’
    Aggie heard the key turn in the lock and stood up. Her tummy was doing somersaults with excitement and her heart was crying out with hunger for the sight of her beloved son. Then she heard his familiar voice. ‘What’s that delicious smell? I must be in the wrong house. We never have no smells like that in our house, ’cos me ma’s a lousy cook.’
    Aggie rounded the table and held her arms wide. ‘Ye’re a cheeky bugger. But I’ll forgive yer, seeing as it’s yer first day home.’
    ‘Ma, it’s good to see yer.’ Titch put his hands on her waist and lifted her until their faces were on a level.