Summer of 1975
July 1975
`I can`t believe it`s raining again.` Mary sighed tiredly, her cheek resting on the table, the sleeves of Marlene`s jumper pulled far over her hands. Mary wearing that specific jumper was something that Marlene wouldn`t easily forget; her perfume lingering in the fabric for months to come.
`What did you expect?` Lily laughed lightly, her back turned on them, facing the stove. `It`s summer in England.`
Mary sighed again. `It makes me gloomy.`
`I know it does.` Lily turned around and extended the ladle towards Marlene. `Taste.`
Obediently Marlene licked the spoon. `Hot.` She fanned her lips, the liquid scorching them.
`It`s soup,` Lily replied dryly. `It`s supposed to be hot.`
`Don`t you reckon there`re any weather spells?` Mary mulled, lifting her head off the table.
`Probably,` Lily shrugged. `Though, I don`t think you`d want to mess with the weather. Besides, we`re not allowed to do magic out of school.`
`Was only joking.` Mary put her head on the table again. `Too much of a faff anyway.`
`But back to the soup. Marls, enough salt?`
`Couldn`t taste, too hot.`
Lily rolled her eyes and dipped her finger into the pan, licking it clean and nodding satisfied. `Mary can you stop moping about the weather and set the table please?`
`Can`t Marls do it?` Mary closed her eyes pointedly. `Its her house.`
`Marlene helped me cut the vegetables.`
`Yes, mum.` Mary whinged teasingly, rolling her eyes and dragging her feet over the tiles as she got up.
Lily swatted at her with a damp kitchen towel, making Mary squeal and dart away.
Mary and Lily had been staying with Marlene at Hollyhock House for almost a week now; they would be staying until the start of August. Marlene`s mother and stepdad were travelling a lot this summer; her stepdad on ministry business; her mother to harvest some special herbs in Eastern Europe. Danny was home, making sure they were alright and didn`t get in trouble. Luckily he left them to their own devises for the most part.
This left them with a lot of freedom; playing house as it was. It made Marlene excited for life after Hogwarts, when they would be adults together; visiting each other’s houses, cooking meals, going on holidays, talking about their jobs, maybe even living together. If the war would allow it at least.
An added benefit of her friends staying here at Hollyhock was that the house instantly felt more like home. It didn`t feel like their house at the Loch yet, but it was getting there.
The kitchen door flung open and Danny sauntered in, leaving a muddy trail of footsteps, his fair mop of hair plastered to his forehead.
`Hi, Danny.` Mary smiled, busy putting plates on the table, suddenly a lot more lively.
`Alright, girls.` Danny shook his hair out, flinging droplets around the place.
Marlene turned her back towards them, rearranging some flowers in a vase. She was used to girls fawning over her brother, however, it was a lot worse when the girl she fancied did the same. Pointedly she put the vase in the middle of the table.
Danny extended a mud stained hand towards the plate of bread rolls.
`Eh,` Marlene slapped her brother`s hand away. `Wash them first.`
Mary giggled and Marlene caught her eye, her stomach erupting in butterflies.
*
The water was cold, but bearable, the waves sloshed against her waist as Marlene pulled the inflatable boat behind her on a rope. A wave rolled in, rocking the boat, Lily squealed, one hand clutching at her sunhat. It was the first day that the weather had allowed them to head down to the beach.
`Just don`t let me go, will you.`
`I won`t. I promise.` Marlene grinned, splashing some water at Lily. `Never in a million years.`
Turning her head, Marlene glanced at the beach, squinting her eyes against the sun. Mary was a little dark dot against the chalk white cliffs. Another wave caught them, Marlene winced as the water hit the bottom of her ribs. Wanting to get her whole body wet, she dipped entirely under the water surface, squeezing her eyes shut, protecting them from the salt.
`Ugh,` she spluttered as she resurfaced, spewing a thin strand of hair from her mouth. `Bleeding hair everywhere.`
Lily snickered and touched her own flaming red curls.
`I wish I could just cut it all off.` Marlene sighed.
`Why don`t you?`
`Mammy will raise hell if I do. Says I wouldn`t be a proper lass anymore.`
`Hmm.` Lily hummed pensively. After a prolonged silence she added, `Petunia always used to cut my hair.`
Marlene gazed up at Lily, trying to keep her footing on the rocky seafloor. `Do you miss her?`
Lily shrugged. `I`spose so.` she looked out over the sea. `But even I was at home, she wouldn`t want to talk to me.`
`I`m sorry.` Marlene said softly.
`It`s not like I don`t try.` Lily looked at her hands. `She just…I don`t know.` she shook her head. `It doesn`t matter.`
Marlene bit at her thumbnail and immediately retracted, tasting the salt. A cold breeze blew past them and she shivered, goosebumps rising on her arms.
`Let`s go back, shall we?` she said.
With quite some effort they managed to get themselves over the pebble beach, hopping from one foot to the other, careful as not to cut themselves on the shells. When they reached Mary she threw a towel at both of them.
Gratefully Marlene wrapped the towel around her shoulders, her teeth chattering and her breath hitched from the effort of carrying the boat with her.
`I`m fair puckled.` she sank down to the ground and splayed her legs out on the warm stones. She deliberately kept her eyes directed at the cloudy sky above them, not wanting to stare at Mary in her bathing suit.
Soon the air filled with the sweet tangy scent of citrus and Lily started handing out parts of an orange. All three of them sucked at the fruit, the juice dripping over their fingers, staining the towels and adding to the stickiness of the salt.
*
`Stand still!` Lily demanded. `Otherwise it`s going to be all blurry.`
`But I need to use the loo!` Mary said hopping from one leg to the other. `I drank too much squash.`
Marlene and Mary were posing in front of the record shop; Lily trying to take a picture of them. They had just acquired a new record: the self-titled Fleetwood Mac album. They had listened to it in one of the booths already; Marlene was absolutely mesmerised with Stevie Nicks` voice.
After the shutter had audibly gone off, Mary darted away into the nearest pub, her braids bobbing as she went. They had hiked all they way to the small village close to Hollyhock; a long and winding pathway overtop the white cliffs. The village wasn`t really something to write home about. A couple of stores, two pubs, and a stand that sold fish and chips. Still, it was a pleasant place to visit altogether. To the eye of the inhabitants they probably looked all the other tourists; Marlene liked to think of it that way.
These weeks she liked to think as little about Hogwarts or the war as possible. Aside from her brooding longing for her best friend, they could be normal teenage girls for a while. Staying up late listening to records; burning bonfires on the beach; baking cookies when it rained; playing boardgames; swimming; lounging on the beach; picking fruit and flowers in the garden; going on picknicks; cutting pictures out of old magazines; flying around the yard on her broom; letting Mary do her make-up; letting Lily read her some poetry; pestering Danny. All deliciously wonderful small pleasures that the summer had to offer.
***
In the distance the sea roared loudly, the waves building and breaking on the shore. It was an overcast and humid day; the damp warmth somewhat stifling. Lily picked at a bug bite on her leg; one of many. Her nose was sunburned and peeling; it didn`t matter how thick she lathered the sunblock on her skin, or how little sunshine the weather allowed, she always managed to get burned. Reclining on a rickety lawn chair, she was busy weaving flowers from the garden into a crown.
Marlene was soaring around the high goalposts, her pale blonde ponytail taken by the wind. At a lower hight Mary was staggering around on a spare broom. This spectacle was an attempt of Marlene to get Mary out of her spell of boredom. For the past couple of days, Mary had been begging them if they couldn`t go out dancing somewhere, or go to see the pictures. Yet, it being coastal Sussex, with only one small village in the vicinity, those chances were rather meagre.
Their days at Hollyhock House were nearing its end. In two days’ time, Marlene`s mother would return from her trip and arrange a portkey for both Lily and Mary to get back home. Though Lily was sad to have to say goodbye to her friends until the start of term, she was also glad to go back home. No matter how much she loved her friends, three weeks cooped up with eachother in the same house was more than enough. Besides, she could hardly wait to see her parents again. Seeing Petunia again was a whole different story. In the few days she had spent at home before heading off to Sussex, Petunia had completely ignored her; practically not acknowledging her existence at all.
By now Marlene had got a hold of a quaffle and threw it at Mary, willing her to catch it. It flew right past her, landing on the grass with a dull thud.
Lily shook her head, weaving the last of the flowers into the crown. She produced her book from underneath the chair and within minutes she found herself completely absorbed.
`Watch it!` Marlene yelped suddenly.
`Huh?` Lily looked up confused. She was just in time to see the quaffle entering her field of vision and colliding with her face.
`Oh my God!` Mary screamed.
Instinctively Lily clutched her hands to her face; her nose was burning and soon she felt the warm trickle of blood run through her fingers, dripping onto the white lace of her dress. Strangely enough it didn`t hurt as much as she might have expected.
Mary and Marlene had jumped off their brooms and were pelting towards Lily over the lawn.
`I`m so sorry!` Mary yelped anxiously. `My hand eye coordination is completely crap. I had no idea it would hit you!`
`It`s fine.` Lily mumbled through her hands, her nose still running. `It can happen.`
`I`m so sorry!` Mary repeated again, helplessly.
By now her nose did start to hurt; a dull and throbbing pain. The blood was pooling into the palm of her hand and the sight of it made her somewhat dizzy. She sat frozen, not sure what to do, scared she might have broken her nose.
Luckily Marlene was more apt to the situation.
`Sit back,` she demanded and guided Lily to lean back in the chair. `Pinch your nose here with your thumb and forefinger; just below the bone.` She moved Lily`s hand up. `Aye, right there. Mary can you please get a wet towel, or some tissues, please.`
Mary already started to scamper away towards the back door.
`Och!` Marlene called after her. `In one of the bathroom cabinets is a small green jar with a metal lid and no label; bring that too! I think it`s on the top shelf.`
Lily was still pinching her nose, no longer dizzy, but a little bit nauseous. She could feel the blood flow into her hand already diminishing.
`Does it hurt?` Marlene asked concerned.
Lily nodded and gingerly took her hand away, her fingers sticky.
`No keep them there.` Marlene ordered and leaned in, slowly pressing her own fingers against Lily`s nose, assessing the damage. `I don`t think it`s broken.`
Lily let out a breath of relieve; hurting her nose and wincing. In the meantime Mary had joined them again; carrying the jar, a towel and some water. Resolutely Marlene wet the towel and started to clean Lily`s face, hands and neck. Next, she uncrewed the lid from the jar and smeared some of the thick ointment onto Lily`s nose. It smelled foul.
`Murtlap essence.` Marlene said. `Sooths the pain and helps it heal.`
Immediately Lily could feel some of the pain subsiding and a warm tingle radiating throughout the bridge of her nose.
`It might be a wee bit sore for a couple of days.` Marlene wiped her own hands on the towel.
`Gosh, Marlene.` Lily snickered lightly, careful not to move her face too much. `You should become a healer.` With OWLs being this year, the fifth years would be implored to start thinking about their future careers.
`Aye, right.` Marlene snorted, getting off her knees. `They see me coming.`
`I`m serious.` Lily insisted. `You have the cool headedness and authority to do it.`
`I`ve just had a lot of quidditch induced injuries myself.` Marlene shrugged it off. `I know what to do.`
Lily dropped the subject, for now, she had seen something in Marlene. Mary guided Lily towards the house so she could take a shower and put on some clean clothing; all the while apologizing profusely.
*
`They`re here! They`re here!` Lily called excitedly as she saw three large owls flying up to the kitchen window, flanking eachother.
Mary groaned and put her half eaten toast back on her plate. `But it`s still a month away from classes. Quick hide me.` She slid down on her chair.
Ignoring her remark, Lily ran up to the window and opened it, letting the birds in. All three owls had a letter with the familiar Hogwarts seal stamped on them strapped to their claw; one for each of them. Clearly also having seen the owls approach, Marlene came in through the kitchen door, back from her morning run.
Not having enough patience anymore, Lily started tearing at the envelope, already feeling the anticipated weight of something more than her book and supply lists. As expected a gleaming silver badge tumbled onto the table. Grinning widely Lily picked it up and examined it; there was a P engraved on the front.
`I got prefect!` Lily cried. She couldn`t wait to tell her parents when she got home; they would be so proud. Petunia would…she didn`t know what her Petunia would think. Probably despise her even more.
Mary smirked. `Now you are an official goody-goody.`
`Hey! Remember when you almost broke my nose yesterday?` Lily raised her eyebrows; pulling her weight.
Mary perked up. `I mean…congrats!` She got up and gave Lily a sideways hug.
`Aye, congrats Lil.` Marlene chipped in. `We knew how much you wanted it.`
They started to go over their itinerary and Lily read the instructions for her new position as prefect. Every house had six prefects; two from each of the top three years. They were shepherded by the head boy and girl. To her utmost elation the other fifth year prefect was Remus. She couldn`t believe her luck. She had been slightly afraid that she would get paired up with Potter or Black. Though, those two didn`t really have the values of a prefect, so it made sense.
On the first day of term, she was expected to attend a meeting on the train to get further instructions.
`Does this mean you can now go into that posh loo?` Mary suddenly asked innocently. `The one all the prefects always brag about?`
`I am not sneaking you in.` Lily replied pointedly.
Mary held up her hands in mock innocence and gasped. `I would never suggest such a thing! But if you are offering-`
`Oh, shut it.` Lily laughed.
`Oh, no!` Mary teased. `Better not let the other prefect hear you use such foul language or they might sack you!`
`Just you wait before I put you in detention!` Lily teased her a back, putting the shimmery badge on her flowery pajama top.
***
Mid-August 1975
The neon sign above the storefront flickered in the grey mid-afternoon atmosphere; Non Stop Striptease, Only 50p shining down on them in bold lettering. Mary quickly averted her eyes, fingering her necklace, swiftly following her sister through the alley, pushing past shouting market vendors.
`You do know where you`re going, don`t you?` Mary called after at Gabi. `Don`t really fancy gettin` lost.`
`Of course I do.` her sister replied over her shoulder, her umbrella swinging in her hand. `I ain`t mad. Wouldn`t lead you into some abyss.`
Mary pulled at the bottom of her mini-skirt, staggering in her platform shoes; she really would have put on her trainers if she`d known they were going to walk this much. They passed a couple of food stalls, the smell of spices and oil mingling with the heat induced stench of festering garbage. A man tried to halt her in her step to sell her something, pulling at her arm, but Mary shouldered her way past him, keeping her eyes directed at the ground.
The streets and alleyways of Limelight Chinatown were a lot more crowded than what she was used to. After East London had been bombed in the Second World War, most of the neighbourhood had been left in rubble. The docks, which had previously been a thriving place of trade, were shutting down one by one. The waterways in the area were not equipped for the new shipping systems, leaving the Docklands a barren place. The majority of the population in Chinatown was rapidly losing their jobs, leaving the place poverty stricken with high unemployment rates.
Yet, people always found ways to hustle, to make a living; if only barely. Mary had seen it in Hackney, she`d seen it in South London, and now she`d seen it here.
`Here we are.` Gabi stopped abruptly in front of a dingy little café with a smeared Coca Cola fascia attached to the façade. The storefront was boarded up, but a window on the top floor stood ajar. Gabi rung the bell to the side of the café entrance; its tinny sound reverberating inside the house.
As they waited to be let in, Mary rubbed her bare arms, glancing up and down the street. Months away at Hogwarts, followed by a couple of weeks away at Marlene`s, had made her feel unaccustomed to the bustle of the city.
The door flung open and Jayden appeared in the doorway; his hair was longer than when she`d last seen him. His grin widened in surprise as he spotted his sisters.
`Wotcher!` He eyed Mary up and down, assessing her outfit. `Ma let you go out like that?`
`Shut your trap.` Mary jutted her chin out defiantly and perched a hand on her hip. As a matter of fact, her mother didn`t know she was wearing this. If she did, she most certainly wouldn`t let her go out.
Jayden laughed, `Oh I see, you`ve got a mouth on you know, innit?`
Mary smirked and her brother enveloped her into a hug. `Good to see you sis.` He kissed Gabi`s cheek.
Wanting to get out of the street, they followed Jayden up the narrow stairway to the flat above the café. Mary staggered in her platforms, glancing at the water stains on the walls and floor. As they entered the main living area, Mary looked around; it was absolutely disgusting; she wondered if anyone ever cleaned the place. Their mother would have a heart attack if she saw the state of the place. Still, she couldn`t blame her brother and his mates for living here; it was cheap and close to the centre of town.
`The lads are out, so we`ve got the place all to us. Make yourself at home.` Jayden called, his head stuck in the fridge. `I`d offer you somethin` to drink, but I wasn`t expecting company.`
Mary reluctantly sat down on the couch, eyeing a suspicious stain on one of the pillows. The place reeked of stale food, sweat and something a little more lucrative.
`Do `ave some beers though.` Her brother appeared out of the kitchen, holding three bottles.
`Don`t offer her beer.` Gabi frowned reprimanding.
`What?!` Mary cried offended. `I`m turning sixteen in a couple of days.` Still, she didn`t except the bottle as it was offered to her; she disliked the gritty texture, much preferring sweeter, headier drinks.
`Oh yeah, that’s right.` Jayden smirked. `That reminds me.` He disappeared into what Mary assumed must be his bedroom.
There was the sound of some rummaging, boxes shifting over the carpeted floor. Finally, Jayden appeared again, holding a flat package. He thrust it at Mary. Excitedly Mary started tearing at the old newspaper that wrapped the package.
`Thanks!` Mary beamed after she`d freed the record from its sleeve.
`I actually saw `em live at The Lyceum last month.` Jayden said, sitting down between Mary and Gabi on the couch. `Bloody legends.`
Mary spun Natty Dread by Bob Marley & The Wailers around in her hands, reading the back. One of the songs, No Woman No Cry, had been Bob Marley`s first song that had gotten recognition outside of Jamaica, now playing on every radio station in Britain.
`Ma sent some food.` Gabi pulled a Tupperware container out of her bag, pushing it at her brother.
`Cheers.` Jayden accepted the box, sniffing it.
`She also told me to ask when you`re coming back to church.` Gabi said hesitantly.
Jayden stood up, agitated. `What is this, some sort of surveillance visit? A crusade?`
`No.` Gabi shook her head, staring at her hands.
`Good. Well, you can tell Ma I won`t be comin` back. I`ve got my own life now.`
Gabi`s eyes shot around the room.
`Eh, look,` Jayden sighed, his hand grazing the back of his neck. `I know it`s a dump, but here at least I feel like I`m actually doin` what I`m s`posed to be doin`.`
Sucking her teeth Gabi raised her eyebrows. Mary pretended to be absorbed in the record; not wanting to get in the middle of whatever this was.
`Don`t give me that, eh?` Jayden frowned, taking a swig of his bottle. `Just because you`re all posh now with your A-levels and your nursing school doesn`t mean you can look down on me. I make my livin`.`
Just that summer her sister had finished her A-levels and applied for a position at a nursing course so she could start a job at the NHS.
Gabi didn`t have anything in response, hence the subject was dropped. They stayed a little while longer, Mary putting on the record and telling Jayden about Hogwarts and her friends, navigating her way around her recent break-up. She`d seen Darren a couple of times since being back in London. It was practically unavoidable. His family attended the same church, and if she wanted to leave the flat she had to get past his door. It stung a little less every time she saw him, yet it was hard to imagine a time where she wouldn`t feel anything for him at all. It had helped to stay at Marlene`s for a couple of weeks to give herself some much needed distance.
When they left it was raining. They had to huddle under Gabi`s umbrella to avoid getting soaked. Mary clutched the album close to her chest, not wanting to damage it.
Music was one of the main ways that her parents brought Jamaica back into their house; that and food. They had never intended to stay in Britain. After the war, the living conditions in the Caribbean had become dire. No social security, no dole, no child allowances, and high rates of unemployment had driven a lot of citizens to come to the United Kingdom; the British government encouraging them to do so, promising a prosperous future. They were coaxed in with the illusion that with this newfound British citizenship they would be granted equality and would be able return to their homeland after they`d acquired enough money to do so. However, most of them were housed in slum dwellings and were put in job positions way below their ability, barely earning enough to make a living, let alone return.
This fate had also befallen Mary`s parents; Jayden only a baby then. The illusions of a utopian Britain were shattered with the realities of poor working conditions and discrimination in many facets of society. After two decades, the bitter nostalgia for Jamaica remained within their household, even if the new generation had already rooted themselves firmly in Britain.
///