Beholden Read online

  “I’ll be around. Come on, greedy guts.”

  Hobbs slunk out of the store ahead of me. “Bye, Danny.”

  “Bye, Bridie. May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my grandmother’s teeth.”

  I moped around the house for a while. Jack tried to make me feel better, but I was determined to sulk. He was busy on his dad’s farm and there was no one around. Barbara was studying to be nurse and Linda was at teacher’s college. Being left behind didn’t feel very nice.

  One day out of the blue I called Patty. “What’s it like being a secretary?”

  “I wasn’t a secretary for very long, but I enjoyed it. When are you coming to visit? Pup is asking for you.”

  “I’ll be down in a couple of weeks maybe, but right now I need a job.”

  “Try the bank. They’re always looking for people.”

  That one off-the-cuff remark landed me employment. I walked into the Royal Bank and they happened to be looking for someone. Talk about luck. What was even more amazing was how much I enjoyed being a teller. Mrs. Beliveau was my superior, and she was a tough taskmaster, but I soon became confident thanks to her exacting standards.

  The job of a bank teller is to handle money, but there’s more to it than that. As Mrs. Beliveau explained, “You need to make the person feel important, like it’s their money alone that’s holding up the economy. People are proud of their hard work.”

  “But what do you do when someone comes in and they have very little money?”

  “I hasten to add that this in not in the company manual, but make sad eyes like a beagle and shake your head in a sympathetic manner. Like it’s not their fault that they’re spending their money like water. That it’s the goddamn government that’s to blame.”

  “Gotcha.”

  By the time Remembrance Day rolled around, I knew everyone in the village. There were definitely regulars, and most of them were business owners. I enjoyed chatting to Nell Sampson. She often changed her position in line so she’d end up at my wicket.

  She’d pass me her bank book and an envelope of money.

  “Good morning, Bridie. How’s your grandmother these days?” she asked one day.

  “She’s fine, Miss Sampson.”

  “Please call me Nell.”

  “Nell. That’s such a pretty name. Is it short for something?”

  “Eleanor.”

  “Danny Flynn told me that Bridie was an Irish name and it’s short for Bridget.”

  “It’s a special name.”

  “Is it? How so?”

  “It’s yours.”

  I blushed and counted out her money.

  Mrs. Beliveau was impressed with the rapport Nell and I had.

  “She’s usually a sour old thing when she comes in here. What on earth have you done to her?”

  “She’s always been lovely to me.”

  The other customer I loved was Danny Flynn. He’d rush in with dead leaves flying behind him, in a panic because he had to put the Closed sign up at the store to bring in the cash for deposit. His hair was usually every which way and he always had stubble on his face, like he didn’t have time to shave.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” he panted. “Wasn’t I wishin’ I had one of your cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning, because didn’t I end up burning my porridge, and that’s the third pot of my Aunt Janet’s I’m apt to ruinin’. She’s gonna kill me dead, I swear. I’m after trying to buy some new pots, but I never have the time. Running a general store is as time consuming as being a leprechaun on St. Paddy’s Day!”

  I made Danny a batch of cinnamon rolls and dropped them off at the store before work, along with a couple of Gran’s old pots. She loved him, but then so did everyone in St. Peter’s. Everyone was kind of hoping his Uncle Tim didn’t recover enough to be back behind the counter. His Aunt Janet hoped not either. She said she needed to retire and put her feet up.

  Danny put his hands up to his cheeks when he saw me coming. “Can it be? Oh, you’re Saoirse, so you are!”

  “Saoirse?”

  “A lovely and beautiful girl, among other things. And not only goodies, but pots!”

  “The pots are from my gran.”

  He came around the counter and held my shoulders. “You’re a wonderful girl.” And suddenly he reached out and grabbed my hair. I screamed and shoved him away. “Don’t ever do that again!”

  He looked distressed. “Please accept my apologies. I just—”

  “I have to go.”

  I dropped the cinnamon rolls and pots and left quickly, my heart racing. Danny meant no harm, but it was my body. And anyone grabbing my hair brought me right back to the high school bathroom.

  My hatred for Eric would last my whole life. Look what he’d left me to deal with. And he’d probably forgotten all about me by now. I fervently hoped that he’d always remember Jack.

  Jack never told me what happened, but he seemed satisfied with the results.

  A bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt note appeared on our back porch the next morning. Gran wanted to know who they were from. I told her about the Danny incident and she nodded.

  “There will always be scum-of-the-earth men roaming around, but thank the Lord that there’s also the dearest men too. Danny is obviously a genuine soul. You need to forgive him, or he’ll eat himself alive. Just explain it to him.”

  So I did. It was after work and bitterly cold. The sky looked like it was about to blast us with our first snowfall. When I walked into the store, it was almost too warm, and yet there was Danny with a scarf wrapped around his neck. He looked up and froze.

  “I’d like to talk.”

  He pointed at the door. “Turn over the sign and come in the kitchen. The place won’t go bankrupt in fifteen minutes.”

  It wasn’t the least bit odd, telling Danny about Eric. I already felt like I’d known Danny forever. He was a wonderful listener; he must’ve taken lessons from Mrs. Beliveau, because he looked proud and sympathetic at all the right moments.

  “Well, you’ll be happy to know that I’ve learned my lesson and will not be putting my hands anywhere near a woman without a written invitation that’s been signed and notarized. Even a woman with a spider in her hair.”

  “I had a spider in my hair?!”

  Danny nodded. “You were truly a Little Miss Muffet.”

  “I just love you,” I smiled.

  “I only like you, slightly.”

  We parted friends.

  Every time I thought nothing ever happened, another Christmas arrived on the scene. The years were passing by. Time to count again how many Christmases Mama and Pops weren’t with us. Five and three years respectively. But at least Pup made Christmas fun again.

  Gran and I were going to spend Christmas Day with Uncle Donny and Aunt Loretta. Mavis, Patty, Ray, and Pup were going to be there for dinner too.

  Patty informed me how it worked. “Once you’re married, you have to split it even-steven between the in-laws and the outlaws. Last year we were at Ray’s parents; this year, it’s Uncle Donny, only because they have a big enough table. Mom has nothing but card tables for her bridge club.”

  “But when will it be your turn?”

  “Probably when number-two baby comes along, which will be happening before next Christmas, but don’t say anything. I’m going to tell everyone at Christmas dinner.”

  I squealed. “Another puppy! I can’t wait!”

  Jack was disappointed that I wouldn’t be in town. He wanted me to come to Christmas dinner with his family.

  On Christmas Eve day, I made mincemeat pies. Two for our family, one for Danny, and one for Jack. I told him to come by and pick it up to take to his aunt’s potluck. Then I helped Gran put up the decorations on the tree that Jack cut down for us earlier that week. I also made a chicken and dumpling stew to ha
ve before I took Gran to midnight service.

  I had Gran’s full-length apron on, and I was covered with flour and dumplings when Jack arrived for the pie. I wiped my hands on the apron.

  “Good timing. I was just about to put tinfoil over the pie. Tell your mom she can heat it up in the oven beforehand if she likes.”

  “Right. Let’s go for a walk.”

  “Now?”

  “Just throw on a coat. We can take Hobbs.”

  Hobbs overheard and immediately ran to the door, ready to go. I peeked around the corner of the living room to tell Gran, but she was immersed in her detective show, Mannix, so I left a note instead.

  There was a light snowfall as we walked down the driveway towards the highway.

  “How far are we going?”

  “Right…here.”

  We stopped by the curve of the driveway, where you couldn’t see the house.

  “What so special about here?”

  He took my hands. “This is where I first kissed you.”

  I leaned against his chest. “Silly boy.”

  He got down on one knee and took a box out of his jacket pocket. It was like watching a movie. It didn’t feel real. Then he took my hand again and opened the box with a nifty manoeuvre he must have practised.

  “Bridie, I love you more than Napoleon. Will you please marry me, so the three of us can ride off into the sunset together?”

  “What about Hobbs?”

  “He’s a given.”

  My hand was now over my mouth. “But I always said I was never getting married. That I planned on being a spinster for life.”

  “That was before you met me.”

  “So true. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He took the ring and put it on my finger. I couldn’t tell what it looked like because it was too dark, but that didn’t matter. We kissed each other until Hobbs got tired of standing in one spot and started whining, wondering when the walk was happening.

  We strolled arm in arm for a good mile, just so Hobbs would be happy. Then we went back in the house, and Mannix was over so I showed Gran the ring. She clapped her hands and hugged us both. It was a great moment.

  Jack left with his pie, and Gran and I ate the chicken and dumplings while staring at the ring. Then we got ready for church, and on the way, I dropped the mince pie for Danny by his back door, since he didn’t seem to be home.

  The church was packed, as always, as there are no heathens on Christmas Eve. We greeted our neighbours, and Gran told everyone and their dog that I was engaged. You’d think she’d gotten the ring. A lot of little old ladies I didn’t know kissed me and wished me luck. It was very sweet, actually, how happy people were for me.

  I wondered what my family would think.

  The first person I told was Patty. “I don’t want to take away from your announcement about the baby.”

  “I’ve grown up, Bridie. Two people can have announcements. One doesn’t take away from the other.”

  Wow. Still, I took my ring off so she could tell everyone first.

  I spent the afternoon helping Loretta with the turkey dinner, because the last place I wanted to be was sitting in the living room with Uncle Donny and Mavis. At intervals I would run out so I could see what Pup was up to, running around with his new blocks in his mouth. My cousins Cheryl and Ellen were put to good use by their mother, setting the table, while the boys played with their new hockey tabletop game.

  Uncle Donny seemed to be more smashed every time we came out with a serving dish. Poor Ray looked hopelessly weary. If there’s anything worse than sitting with boring relatives on Christmas Day, it’s sitting with boring relatives who aren’t technically your own.

  “Dinner is served!” shouted Aunt Loretta.

  The twelve of us jockeyed for our seats, Aunt Loretta pointing and shaking her arms to try and get her kids’ attention. Uncle Donny sat at the head of the table, almost nodding off at this point, still with a tumbler of rum and Coke in his hand. Loretta told Gran to sit beside him, probably to discourage him from belting them down quite so quickly.

  Fortunately, I was seated by Patty, who had Pup perched on her lap, since she forgot to bring his high chair. But passing him back and forth between us wasn’t a problem.

  Aunt Loretta had the foresight to bring the turkey in already carved. The thought of Uncle Donny with a knife was terrifying. It took about fifteen minutes for everyone to get at least something on their plates, and then Gran spoke up, because she knew Donny wouldn’t.

  “May we say grace?”

  Uncle Donny cried, “Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot, nine days old!” And then he laughed.

  We looked at him with varying degrees of disgust. And then Gran bowed her head. “Thank you, Oh Lord, for this, thy bounty. We praise you, in Jesus’s name, Amen.”

  “Amen,” we parroted.

  Everyone talked at once to get rid of Uncle Donny’s words, still floating around in the air. It’s funny how the older you get, the more you see. At Christmas dinners before, I hadn’t been aware of the undertones around the table—I was too busy thinking of my gifts under the tree.

  We all zeroed in on Pup, because there’s nothing like a toddler to put everyone back in a good mood. Patty must have felt it too. She dinged her water glass with a fork. “Next year, our darling Pup will be a big brother!’

  Mavis looked as proud as a peacock, and so she should have. Gran beamed at everyone. The rest of us around the table clapped and Uncle Donny whistled like he was at a hockey game. Patty held out her hand to me, which I assumed was her sign for me to go ahead.

  “And I’m getting married!” I took my ring out of my sweater pocket and put it on my finger.

  Cheryl and Ellen were at the age where this was very exciting. They both left their seats to come and take a look at it. Mavis had a pained smile on her face. She hadn’t grown up the way Patty had. But everyone else shouted congratulations and I was pleased being the centre of attention. I looked at my ring and wished Jack could have come with me.

  Uncle Donny tossed back the rest of his drink. “Well, well, well. I guess I better get into shape now that I’ll be walking you down the aisle.”

  My blood froze. “You’re not walking me down the aisle.”

  Uncle Donny looked at Gran, confused. “What’s she talking about? Her father is dead. I’m her father’s brother. It’s my duty to walk her down the aisle. There’s no one else.”

  Gran looked at me. “I suppose he’s right, Bridie. There is no one else.”

  I stood up. “He will walk me down the aisle over my dead body.”

  Everyone’s eyes were on me now. Gran looked heartbroken, and I instantly regretted making a scene, but it was one of those moments you can’t take back.

  “What do you mean?” Aunt Loretta said. “Why can’t he walk you down the aisle? George would have wanted him to.”

  Mavis agreed. “Yes, George would definitely have wanted him to.”

  I looked at Patty. She was trying to figure out what was going on. Then Ray reached over and took my hand. “I think what Bridie is trying to say, with an unfortunate manner of speaking, is that she already asked me to walk her down the aisle, seeing as how I’m her brother-in-law and am closer to her age, and we’ve grown up together through the years. I’ll always be her Sting Ray and she’ll always be my Squirt. I was thrilled and honoured when she asked me before dinner. It’s no reflection on you, Donny. It’s just that we’d like to keep it within our own family.”

  I reached down and hugged Ray with all my might.

  Gran patted Uncle Donny’s hand. “Your day will come, Donny, with two beautiful daughters of your own.”

  I could tell that Aunt Loretta and Uncle Donny were annoyed with me for the rest of the night, but I wouldn’t see them until next Christmas so hopefully the
whole incident would be forgotten by then. I just had to get through sleeping in their guest bedroom tonight.

  When Patty, Ray, and Pup left, I walked them to their car. I hugged Ray all over again. “You really saved my bacon in there.”

  “What was that all about, anyway?” Patty asked.

  Ray leaned close to her ear. “Remember, you told me about that incident with your Uncle Donny, how he kissed you in your bedroom at one of your mother’s cocktail parties? I assumed he probably did something like that to Bridie, in which case, no wonder she doesn’t want the old goat touching her on her wedding day.”

  Patty gave my shoulder a shove. “Did that jerk try it out with you too?”

  I nodded. “He kissed me on the lips when I was nine. It was revolting.”

  Patty have Ray a big hug. “You’re a hero. And if this baby is a girl, that asshole is never getting anywhere near her.”

  “Oh, don’t worry,” said Ray. “I’d kill him with my bare hands.”

  When I went down to the guest room, Gran was already on her side of the bed. She looked at me sadly. “That wasn’t very nice, dear.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “He is your father’s brother. Donny was only trying to help. He thought he’d be doing you a favour.”

  “True.”

  She sighed. I quickly got undressed and didn’t even bother brushing my teeth. I didn’t want to meet my helpful uncle in the hallway. I got in the bed and turned out the lamp on my side.

  “Merry Christmas, Gran.”

  “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

  The next morning, we went upstairs and Loretta made us a cup of coffee and a piece of toast for breakfast. Donny wasn’t even up. No doubt he couldn’t get his head off the pillow.

  She saw us to the door.

  “Goodbye, Loretta,” Gran said. “Thank you for the lovely meal.”

  “You’re welcome, Jean.”

  “Goodbye, Loretta,” I said. “Everything was delicious.”

  “Oh, I forgot,” She quickly ran down the hall and came back with my mince pies. “We don’t like mince pies in this house.”