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Chapter 14
After a few minutes, the kettle boiled with a shrill shriek. Alice got up and poured the water into the teapot.
"I haven't got any milk, I'm afraid," sniffed Jessica.
"Then we'll drink it without," said Alice, sipping at hers.
Then the children burst back into the kitchen, red faced with running and laughing with the pleasure of it. Jessica quickly wiped her eyes so they wouldn't see she had been crying and cuddled them to her.
"We're hungry mummy," said Tim.
"What's for tea," said Samantha.
"Tea is not yet," said Jessica. "Go off and play for a while."
She shooed them off through the front door to an accompanying chorus of complaints and returned.
"When you got the tea, I noticed your cupboards are rather bare. There isn't any food is there," said Alice sympathetically.
"I was hoping some money would come today but now I know it isn't coming at all. Things are desperate but it isn't your problem." There was a defiant tone in Jessica's voice. She still had her pride.
"What will you do?"
"I don't honestly know. Fred helped me out with some provisions last week. He's a cousin a couple of times removed but he'll most likely want something in return if I ask him again ..."
Alice looked understanding.
"Will you be getting some money in, eventually?"
"No it seems not. I've been living abroad for too long and there are no benefits for me. I have to get a job but there aren't any around here. The only family I have is Fred."
"What brought you to this area?"
"I was brought up here but moved to the Middle East where my husband came from. One day, he just didn't want to have anything more to do with me or the kids. He even claimed that they weren't his, which was ridiculous. Samantha has his looks written all over her face. He basically just kicked us out. His family, who had never really liked the girl from England, backed him. I had a little money but spent most of it trying to challenge them in the local courts. In the end I gave up and used the last money I had to come back to England. My parents were dead by then and Fred was my only family link so I just came back to where I had spent my childhood. Amazingly, nothing had changed. The house I was brought up in was still here, although very much the worse for wear. Nobody seemed to want it so I quietly moved back in. The children love it. There are few amenities but we can just about manage if we can keep a source of food going. I was working at the pub with Fred but Ruby didn't like the attention he was giving me and so I got kicked out."
Alice leaned over and put her hand over Jessica's, opened it and gave her a £20 note. Jessica's eyes widened and she started to refuse.
"You said you had some nettle wine ready waiting to be drunk. I'll provide the food, if you pop along and buy what your kids like from the shop, and we'll have a party. The kids will be alright with me while you are away."
Alice reckoned the look of relief on Jessica's face would have been worth any amount of money as she disappeared out of the door.
Three hours later, a little unsteadily and with a reserve bottle of wine, Alice found her front door in the dark. As she inserted the key to open it, she felt herself grabbed from behind and her eyes covered by a strong pair of hands.
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