Love Letters From the Grave(23)

‘Our own home, Charlie!’ Muriel was so excitable sometimes, it was as if she was a girl playing with a doll’s house.

‘And a bank account,’ said Charlie solemnly. ‘Who would ever have thought?’

He tried not to think about what had happened all those years ago. It was like a ghost had taken part, not him. But walking into a bank would always make him feel a little strange.

His wife, however, was simply impressed that they’d have enough money to build their savings.

‘We are quite the grown-ups,’ quipped Muriel, before dragging him into the utility room for some furtive love-making.

So that was the pattern they established. During a typical week, Charlie operated machinery at the factory and Muriel and Betty worked all day at the restaurant. Muriel and Betty usually brought home food from the restaurant for their supper. They went to bed early, and arose early in the mornings. The newly-weds, of course, made love at least once, often twice, each night that they could. On Friday nights and Saturday afternoons, Muriel usually joined Betty for a few games of bingo at the Catholic church. Betty was a bingo addict, and had hardly missed a game over the past few years.

Charlie didn’t like gambling, so he never went with them. Instead he would usually take in a picture show on Friday evenings, and on Saturdays he would walk about the downtown area, marvelling at all the changes which had taken place while he was in prison.

Predictably, after four months of marriage, Muriel announced that she was pregnant. She and Charlie continued their love making pace for another two months then gradually slowed to zero during the ninth month, when they welcomed into the world their daughter, Bernadette, whom they nick-named Detty. By mutual agreement, they decided that Muriel should quit her job by the seventh month of her pregnancy, and that she would stay home until their children were raised.

In compensation for the lost income, Charlie successfully volunteered for as much over-time work he could get. Moreover, at the end of one year, Charlie was rewarded with a nice raise for his excellent work performance. As a result, he was able to continue putting a substantial part of his pay check into savings while also paying their living expenses.

At the invitation of a co-worker he befriended at the factory, Charlie had also taken up fishing. His friend, Johnny, had a cabin and a fishing boat on a lake, which was stocked with game fish. Charlie quickly became an avid fisherman, and fished with Johnny as often as possible - usually a couple of weekends a month, sometimes making the excursions on Saturday mornings; staying overnight in the cabin; and returning home early Sunday afternoons, bringing home enough fish for several meals during the week.

Muriel turned out to be a good mother to Detty, and Charlie a very good father. He doted on his daughter and spent substantial parts of most evenings helping Muriel take care of her. Mostly, he played with Detty, despite the mocking he received at work for not being manly and a disciplinarian. Moreover, when Muriel and Betty played bingo, Charlie would take care of little Detty. Between the three adults and one teenager, living in the house, there was never a need to hire a babysitter. Whenever Charlie and Muriel went out on the town, usually to see a picture show, either Betty or Roger would take care of the baby.

Several times during his first year of marriage, Charlie also visited the prison to see Sister Brighid, Father Hannity, Warden Kelly, and a few of the guards who happened to be available. The only prisoner he visited, often with Muriel and Detty, was Cecil, as Justin had recently died. Most of the other inmates who had been there with Charlie had been paroled or sent off to war, so he didn’t really miss any of them – apart from Amos.

The last he’d heard of Amos, he’d been in the South Pacific fending off Japs. Not for the first time, he wondered how his friend had fared during the war, and what he was doing now. The memories of prison life, however, were already beginning to fade. Maybe Charlie would just have to accept that his friendship with Amos had faded too.

Besides, there were more than enough people in his life now to keep him occupied.

More than enough.





Chapter 7




* * *



Baby Blues



* * *





When a man is wrestling a leopard in the middle of a pond,

he’s in no position to run.



David Huxley in Bringing Up Baby



Early in their second year of marriage, Muriel announced that she was pregnant again.

‘But Detty’s only seven months old!’ cried Charlie, bemused.

Muriel laughed. ‘You know what we’re like, Charlie. It’s a wonder I wasn’t pregnant again when Detty was only one month old!’

‘You … you weren’t, were you?’

She didn’t look that big, but Charlie wasn’t sure he knew as much as he should about such matters.

‘No. But the doctor said I’m probably three months pregnant.’

Charlie stared at her burgeoning belly, trying to calculate the birthdate. ‘But they’ll be barely a year apart. Thirteen months between Detty and the new baby!’

Muriel gave him her mischievous smile again. ‘Babies. The doc’s pretty sure it’s twins.’

‘Oh, my dear Lord.’ Charlie slumped down onto the sofa bed. ‘Three children within two years of marriage! That has to be a record.’ Then he kissed Muriel’s forehead. ‘I guess I’m making up for lost time.’