No Flying Tonight Ch 20

Epilogue: Shaw, Lancashire. 1963

It had been a nice day for Susan Armstrong's funeral and the church had been packed. After the service the family and close friends had disappeared to the crematorium, while the other mourners had made their way slowly to the Green Man for the wake. The pub was almost empty and rather than wait in the restaurant for the family to return from the crematorium they sat in the bar drinking and talking. The first family members to arrive were Susan's niece and her husband closely followed by her sister and her husband. A mourner got up from her chair and approached the niece.

In spite of the circumstances, Jane Henderson had been looking forward to seeing her friend, whom she hadn't seen since she and her husband had moved from Leeds to London, just over three years previously.

"Hello Sheila; everything go all right? I'm sorry I missed you before the service but Simon was in Bristol on business and I had to wait for his train."

"As well as can be expected at a cremation and don't worry about it, we'll have plenty of time to catch up. You've not got to leave early – have you?"

"No. Simon's got go back to London tomorrow but I've got a couple of days off and I'm not planning to go back until Sunday evening. I'm staying with my mother and apart from visiting my aunt and uncle, I haven't got much planned. Perhaps we can go out one evening? I really do need to talk to you."

"What's wrong with now?"

"It's private. We really need to be alone."

"Then let's go into the garden. It's quiet out there."

The two women walked out of the bar and into the garden at the side of the pub, passing on the way Susan's husband and his brother and wife; the last of the family members to return from the crematorium.

"It sounded fairly serious in there. What do you want to talk about?"

"Simon – well Simon and I. You know that things haven't been going well between us for quite a while?" Her friend nodded. "Well, I've had enough. I'm going to divorce him. Look I know it's not his fault, he loves me, he's kind and a good provider, but I don't love him and I don't think I ever did. In fact, until recently, your brother was the only man I've ever loved."

Sheila looked at her. She knew that Jane had loved her brother and had also known she had never loved Simon, but she was nearly forty-three, with two teenage children and was now proposing to divorce their father. It was apparent from the 'until recently' she had met someone else; nevertheless, it was not a step to be taken lightly.

"Jane, that's your decision. I can't say anything other than, think about it. I know love is important but it's not the only component of a successful marriage. The grass may appear greener etcetera, but there are often a lot of weeds hidden in the new pasture."

Jane had expected to receive her friend's agreement and was surprised by her response.

"I know I made a mistake when I dumped Jack. I loved him, but I was too frightened and too cautious. I'm not going to do the same thing again."

"I know you loved Jack, but I also know that you had good reasons to stop going out with him. In your position I would probably have done the same and in the end, it must be obvious to you that you made the right decision."

The two friends continued to talk until it became apparent they would never agree. Sheila took Jane by the arm and said,

"Let's go back to the bar. My family will be missing me and there's someone I want to introduce to you."

Once in the bar Sheila led Jane to the far corner and stood next to a young man dressed in a dark suit and tie.

"Jane, I want you to meet John, he's staying with us while he goes to Manchester University. He's my nephew, he's Jack's eldest son."