My Mother’s Eyes By bestselling author Elaine Everest

On Mothering Sunday, Ruby reflects on how lucky she is and reminisces about her own mother

Imust say your family have done you proud, “Vera Munro said as she gazed around her friend’s front room.

Ruby Jackson smiled. “I’m truly blessed to be remembered by the youngsters on Mothering Sunday. You’ve not done so badly for flowers from your Sadie and her kiddies. I saw you’d placed them in your bay window for the world to see.”

“Well, they are worth showing off. There was a time people looked down their nose at my granddaughter, but she’s not turned out so bad. At least she remembered me. Which are the flowers from your Sarah?” she asked looking around the room.

Ruby didn’t like to be reminded she’s yet to hear from her eldest granddaughter, even though she lived not far from number thirteen. “Have you seen these?” she asked getting to her feet, wincing as her aging bones protested. Freda brought them over this morning. She’s such a thoughtful girl. She gave me this as well,” she added running her hand down the arm of the yellow handknitted cardigan she was wearing. “Maisie’s kiddies brought down the daffs they’d picked themselves.”

“So, nothing from Sarah?”

“It’s not a competition, Vera. If someone wants to treat me on Mothering Sunday it has to be their choice and not forced upon them. Gifts are given with love, not through a sense of duty.”

“Even so, it’s strange that people who aren’t your blood relatives have thought of you when your own kin haven’t.”

Ruby bristled. Vera was one of her oldest friends, but she had a tongue as sharp as a knife and right now it was stabbing her in her heart. “Those girls are as much my family as my own are. I treat them equally and love them all. Besides, my George and Pat have treated me like a queen. George is taking me out for the day down to the coast. I can’t wait, there’s nothing better than breathing in all that sea air. The chocolates are from my Pat and her brood,” she added noticing Vera eyeing the large box on the sideboard, the cover depicting a country cottage with roses round the door. “We’ve a lot to be grateful for, more so than our own mothers ever had.”

“I never knew your Mum,” Vera said before poking the last of the cake into her mouth. “Were you alike or are you more like your dad?”

Ruby spluttered on the tea she’d been sipping. “Lord no, we were like chalk and cheese in temperament,” she laughed when she’d composed herself and wiped stray drops of tea from the front of her cardigan. “As for my dad… well, he died just before I was born. I’d love to have known him. I should have asked my mother more about him, but it’s too late now… You know there are times I can’t recall what she looked like, let alone her voice. The more I try to remember the more she seems to drift away. Is it bad of me to say such a thing?”

Vera leant over and patted Ruby’s hand. “It’s been a long time and neither of us are any younger. At least you had a mother to remember. I’ve never told anyone this before, not even my Sadie, but my mother died having me and I was brought up in a workhouse over Sidcup way,” she said looking ashamed.

“Well, I’ll be blowed. I’d never have thought of someone I know having experienced such a place.”

“I’m five years older than you, Ruby, and will be seventy-five in a few months. Not bad for what we’ve been through with two wars and God knows what else, eh? There were times, I don’t mind saying, I didn’t think I’d see in 1950. We’ve not done so bad have we?’”she said reaching for the box of chocolates, “I think we deserve a couple of these don’t you?”

The women were just starting on their third chocolate each when there was a knock at the door then they heard it open.

“It’s only us, Nanny Ruby,” her two great grandchildren called out as they came running into the room cheeks glowing from the chilly March day.

“Look at you two all dressed up in your Cubs and Brownie uniforms,” Ruby beamed, opening her arms to hug Buster and Georgina. “Where have you been?”

“Hello, Nan,” Sarah Gilbert came into the room, her cheeks as red as her children’s. “There was a special service at Northend Baptist Mission for Mothering Sunday. Georgina carried the Brownie pennant in the parade,” she said proudly.

“Aren’t you a clever girl?” Ruby smiled as she reached for the chocolate box. “You both deserve a treat.”

“I kept quiet in church,” Buster beamed as his hand hovered over the box.

“Wonders will never cease,” Ruby chuckled. “That’s a big achievement for a seven-year-old lad. You’d best take two for being so good.”

“Oh, Nan, you do spoil them, we’re here to spoil you today,” she said pulling her son away from the chocolate box. “What do you say to great grandma apart from thank you for the chocolate?”

“Happy Muvver’s Day,” Buster spluttered, spraying chocolate.

“Oh goodness child I can’t take you anywhere,” Sarah sighed pulling out a handkerchief to scrub at his face.

Vera roared with laughter. “Do you know who he reminds me of, Ruby? Your Eddie. Look at that cheeky face.”

“Who is Eddie?” Georgina asked sidling up to Ruby.

“Why, he was my first husband,” Ruby smiled. Your mummy will remember him.”

“I do, and I miss him very much, even though I’m fond of Bob. You picked two good ones, Nan.”

“Blimey, Eddie wasn’t always a good one from what I heard,” Vera was quick to say as Ruby hushed her up. Some stories were not for young ears.

“We were talking about family likenesses before you arrived,” Ruby explained. I was saying to Vera as how I can’t imagine my mum’s face any more, but yes, you do look like Eddie,” she smiled patting the boy’s dark head of hair.

Georgina screwed up her faced with distaste. “Who’d want to look like my brother? Who do I look like?”

“We’ve a lot to be grateful for – more so than our own mothers ever had,” Ruby said

“You take after your daddy’s side of the family. You must ask your Nanny Maureen to show you some photographs.”

“Do you have one of Great Grandad that we can look at?”

Ruby started to shake her head then stopped. “Why, there’s a photograph of him in my dressing table drawer. He gave it to me as a gift when he came back … well, when he came home to me after the great war.”

“Can I get it?” Georgina asked excitedly as Buster started to jump up and down.

“Why don’t you give Nanny Ruby her presents first?” Sarah laughed. That’s what we came to visit her for.”

The children took the two parcels from their mother and thrust them to Ruby.

“I hope it fits,” Georgina said, as she watched her open the neatly tied ribbon and take out a floral apron from between the layers of coloured paper.

“I’m sure it will,” she winked at Sarah as she gave Georgina a cuddle.

“This is a bottle of water,” Buster said eager to head off to look for Eddie’s photograph.

Ruby looked puzzled as she unwrapped a small bottle until she read the label. “Oh, lavender water. Why it’s my favourite,” she exclaimed pulling the lad close to give him a kiss. The look on his face made them all laugh as he hopped from foot to foot.

“I can see you won’t be happy until you’ve seen Eddie’s photograph. Georgina, take Buster up to my bedroom. You’ll find it in the left-hand drawer of my dressing table. No rummaging about mind you. I don’t want his sticky fingers on my unmentionables.”

The children raced up the stairs and the women could hear their excited shouts as they hunted for the photograph.

“What made you think about great granny?”

Ruby shrugged her shoulders. “We were just chatting, what with it being Mothering Sunday. I just wish my mind wasn’t so foggy these days and I could remember more about lost loved ones,” she added looking sad.

Sarah reached for her bag. “That reminds me, I’ve not given you my gift yet,” she said handing over a square flat box wrapped in tissue paper. It doesn’t come from Woolworths like the kids’ gifts. I found it in Mitchell’s second-hand department,” she added as she watched Ruby open the box. “I thought with you having so many photographs you’d like to choose one to put in the frame?”

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she said as she showed Vera the carved wooden photograph frame. “I shall find something really special to place in it,” she added as she ran her fingers over the dark wood.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s just a small something to say thank you for all the times you’ve been here for me,” Sarah said leaning in to kiss her nan on the cheek.

“There’s no need for that. I don’t expect presents, but all the same I’m really grateful … what the hell was that?” she exclaimed as a loud crash was heard from the bedroom above.

Sarah ran from the room and was upstairs before Ruby had risen from her armchair. “Nanny Ruby will be so upset. Get yourselves downstairs now and say how sorry you are!”

Vera raised her eyes at Ruby as the subdued children entered the room.

“We’re sorry! Buster was bouncing on your bed and he knocked the picture out of my hand,” Georgina started to cry while Buster stuck out his bottom lip.

“Oh, Nan, your beautiful photograph of Grandad Eddie is broken,” Sarah said as she placed the pieces of silver frame and glass onto the table next to the tea tray. “I’m not sure if it can be fixed, but I’ll ask Dad to take a look.”

“There’s no use crying over spilt milk,” Ruby consoled the children. Tell me, Sarah, is the photograph damaged?”

They all watched as Sarah carefully removed the shards of glass and slipped out the sepia photograph of handsome Eddie. “Not a scratch,” she sighed with relief. “It was protected by this piece of card packed behind it. “Oh …” was all she could say as she turned the card over to show a pencil sketch of a woman’s face. “Who is this, Nan?”

Ruby placed a hand to her mouth in surprise. “It’s my mother. Eddie must have drawn this – he was a dab hand at sketching.” Her eyes started to water as she looked closely at the picture before staring up at Sarah. “There was me thinking I’d forgotten what she looked like when all the time her eyes have been smiling at me,” she whispered as she held the image beside Sarah’s face. “You have my mother’s eyes.”

A perfect Mother’s Day read. It’s 1905 and Ruby Caselton is penniless and pregnant with her second child. As she faces poverty, grief and betrayal, she finds love and comfort along the way. A story of community, family and a mother’s love. Another moving and heart-warming read.

A Mother Forever by Elaine Everest, published by Pan Mac, £7.99. Out now.