World of Maccy Tamryn

Chapter Four

 

                                                                                                              

Old Friends and Faces

 

 

 

I am somehow as excited and nervous too as the day I took over the Lighthousekeeper. It had been a while since I had stood behind the bar. Since the day I lost Jen' I hadn’t even set foot inside the building. I had discarded my friends, my family and somehow I had discarded the Crew. The Crew is the Lighthousekeeper’s clientele, its regulars, The pub’s bread and butter, minus the butter.

   I am here now, alone apart from the scruffy Alsatian. The dog is already in his place beneath the pool table and cleaning that which hardly needs any further cleaning. Actually I think the mutt just has a  licking fetish.

   It is time now to open the doors and face these friends again. I had turned my back on them at my time of need. I realise now how stupid I had been. I would have to be on top form today. These people had been like family to me. Humble pie may have to be eaten in large chunks. Not something I learned while I attended catering college in West London.

   Who would be first, I wondered as the huge door opened slowly.

   “Maccy, my ‘ansome, bleddy ‘ell, we thought you were gone forever.”

   This is Lil, Lil the tart. Lil has been on the game since the end of world war one. Many of us think she hasn’t even retired yet. “Come here Lil, give us a kiss darlin’.”

   And she did just that. Dear old Lil would kiss anything in trousers. Maybe I should re-phrase that. She would snog any male providing they were still breathing and had money in their pockets. Any clothing isn't important. “Gin and Tonic, Lil?”

   “You know me well enough, young Maccy.”

   Lil's right, I do know her and I know her well enough. I wouldn't want to know her better. I have some standards, not many but some. As far as I know; I'm not on her client list. I have no intention of joining it. Poor old Lil, she is a dear but I do wish she would use a mirror when applying her lip-stick. For as long as I remember; it has always looked as if some three year old kid has been crayoning on her face.

   Lil takes her drink and turns away to sit at her regular table. The first crew member to be on duty. I wait patiently to see who will be next in. I have plenty of time to wait and use the time to allow my memory to travel back to my early days here in the Lighthousekeeper.

   I had sneaked in here once or twice, more than that actually, while still under the legal drinking age. I had exited in various ways but never sneakily. I had been thrown out, kicked out and even on occasion had tumbled out while involved in some pointless brawl. More often than not; I had just fallen out the door; the inability to stand any longer being my only excuse. As I got older; I was less likely to be thrown or kicked out. I'm a big bloke, there are few Camelonians who would attempt to dislodge me from the building. Now of course; it is mine. I am the incumbent. It is my duty now to eject troublemakers. What's that oldest of sayings? 'what comes around, goes around'. It really is a funny old world, and there is another old saying!

   Next to appear, a couple in their late twenties arrive. They quietly order two drinks and retreat to the darkest corner of the Doom Bar. For as long as I can remember these two have been coming here. Their habits have never changed. They will stay in the corner now until closing time. They will snog, giggle and grope each other until it's time to leave. As far as I know they still have never married but they have been coming here since teenagers. They hardly ever speak to anyone and it isn't surprising, they can't. Saying number three: 'never speak with your mouth full'.

   The appearence of these last two has somehow allowed my guard to slip. She has re-appeared. Ashley, the little American with the large guns. Somehow, almost supernaturally I can see her and I can hear what she is saying. It isn't good, not good at all. My turmoil has been stirred up. I feel she wants to know why I left so suddenly. The thing is; I don't really know for sure. of course; everything could be explained by an over-active imagination. It might be I am being a tad immodest. She probably hasn't given me a second thought.

   But her nagging insistence is so strong I have to stop myself from speaking out loud.

   When she came to the riverbank the second time she had asked me if I was staying  a while and I told her I would be. I had left within days and hide it as I may; it makes no difference. I had left early because of her. I had skedaddled. I don't know why. We hadn't indulged in anything, other than eat a decapitated fish and drink a beer or two. The two of us had just yakked about anything and almost everything, nothing that could be conceieved as courting. Okay, it had got dark and we had sat closely and a million Crickets had tuned up their instruments by the time we parted but that was it. I never even saw her after that.

   I had no idea where she lived, what she did or even if she had a husband, fiance or boyfriend. I never asked and she never asked me. No information was exchanged that might lead to complications. Mostly I had talked about America and Kansas especially and she had wanted to know more about England and Cornwall in particular. It was all just idle chit chat. there was some gentle teasing about accents and quaint old-fashioned customs, nothing more.

   "Maccy Tamry! I see you're back in town."

   "Alice." Now here is Alice Copestick. Alice is an old friend, a very old, close friend. In fact at one time we had been as close as two can become. I'm not sure what the opposite of innocence is but whatever it is, we were. Fortunately or unfortunately, certainly in Alice's fiance's case, there are permanent results of our late-night entanglement. Thankfully Alice and Mervyn were already engaged and their wedding was just brought forward a tad which allowed both of us off the hook. I mean no disresepct to Mervyn in this last confession. Poor Mervyn had a terrible time of it when he was a kid. the story goes he was out night-fishing, that's another name for poaching Salmon. He had an accident with his fishing lines in the dark. The fishing hook got blown into his eye and that was that. Let's just say Mervyn is not all-seeing, very appropriate under the circumstances. As I have already mentioned the youngster is thriving and occasionally when it is safe; I will spend an hour helping him with his education. Sort of parental guidence in a non parental role.

   "So, Maccy where have you been all this time?"

   "Here and there, Alice. Nowhere in particular."

   "I heard you were in America?"

   "Hmm, not right now darlin', I'm here." I winked at Alice and she returned one of her own before stepping away to challenge the honesty of the fruit machine.

   "The boy's looking good, Alice." I shout over the din of far too many dropping coins.

   "Yes, Maccy, he is." And Alice winked again. Another satisfied crew member.

   And so Ashley returned again just for a moment. Looking at Alice and knowing what I know of the little American, there is little to compare the two. Alice is, well maybe I'd better not go there, let's just she is Alice. She is also Lenny's sister, which is another good reason for the youngster's blood-line to stay a secret. Lenny is more than a little fightable if he finds someone has been tinkering with the womenfolk in his life. One very good reason for his never knowing about his mother and me. Anyway, that's another story and I still cling to the excuse; she started it!  As for Ashley? Ashley is as far distant from Alice, and Mrs Copestick as the Atlanic Ocean is wide. There are no comparisons. I could be wrong of course. How the hell would I know?

   And so to the last members of the crew who might or might not arrive on this damp January Saturday afternoon. The Birdsalls aka The Birdseyes! This odd couple live in the quay. They are proud owners of a very small cruiser. It is their four walls, where they live permenantly. They are the real thing; quintessentially English. The roguish pair live the high life and why shouldn't they?

   The Admiral and his wife are retired accountants, except in my case; they are still employed. When I took on the Lighthousekeeper around ten years ago; the couple had no hesitation in answering my call. They readily agreed to take care of my business finances and they still do but strictly on a cash basis.

   Alma and the Admiral also have what is quaintly called an open marriage. She does her thing, she almost did it with me once, sort of touch and go, she touched and when I got free; I went! The Admiral does his thing,and he didn't, thank the lord. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-gay, I'm just anti-gay, with me. So the loveable Birdseyes do there thing, mostly seperately. they know how to entertain though. The little cruiser is a floating gin palace and I have spent many a pleasant hour in their company.

   Talk of the devil and they shall appear. At last, the Lighthousekeeper's crew is once again altogether.

   There was just one other original member of our illustrious group but he's long departed. One Armed Frank has long gone now but still he has an honorary place with we others. There are others; Lenny is a regular under normal circumstances but he's tied up right now, probably anyway.

   It was a strange day. I had the feeling everyone had questions for me but were too afraid to ask them. Alice asked one or two but  my answer to each was the same. 'No thanks Alice, I'm not in the mood.'

   As I clean up the day's mess there is one question gnoring away at me. Of course it has to do with Ashley and the question in question has been growing for a while now. I had a reason for being in the States, I had a reason for being in McCarthy City, I had a reason for being at the stream. I just cannot fathom why Ashley had been there, and twice. What was the reason for the feisty but obviously well educated Ashley's appearences in my ghost town? I guess now I will never know, it's a puzzle.