THE PHOTOGRAPH by Jill Forrest (2nd place, Jan24)

There are four people in the Bennet family photograph, but there are five stories to tell.

SHIRLEY’S STORY:

This picture was taken on the day the beautiful lady came. I saw her come round the side of the house. She was waving and saying, ‘Cooee’. No-one else noticed her at first – they were all looking at the camera.

“I knocked,” she said, “but there was no answer.”

My dad gripped my shoulders so tightly it hurt. I looked up at his face, which was odd – he looked like he was scared. Nobody said anything but the lady ran across the lawn and lifted me up, calling me, ‘darling girl,’ and, ‘my little Peggy’. I didn’t know what was happening, so I looked round to my mum and dad, but they were just staring at her, silently; frozen, like they are in the photo.

Then mum grabbed me, and Anne, and pushed us into the house. I don’t know who she was. I asked mum why she called me Peggy, and she slapped me and sent me to my room. I don’t know what I did wrong. I didn’t ask her to call me Peggy.

I never saw the beautiful lady again. I think about her sometimes.

ANNE’S STORY:

This picture was taken just before that strange lady came into the garden and fussed over my little sister. I don’t know what it was all about, but I know it made my mum madder than ever. We were all dressed up in our best clothes for the photo and were meant to be going to the seaside afterwards, but we were sent to our rooms instead. Mum and dad had a huge argument and dad slept on the sofa for a long time afterwards. Shirley always ruins everything. Life was happier in our old house with just the three of us. Mum and dad don’t want to talk about it. They think I’ll forget eventually, but I won’t. I still miss my old friends. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

JEAN’S STORY:

I don’t want to remember that day. I had organised a proper photographer to come and take our picture, but SHE ruined it. I don’t know how she found us – Gordon had promised that she wouldn’t after we moved. I gave up everything so we could be a normal family here, with nobody knowing about the past. Well, that was a waste of time. How dare she just march into our garden like she had a right? Hadn’t she caused enough trouble? Every day I am reminded of her when I see Shirley’s ridiculously blue eyes, reminded of her and Gordon.

And he was so hopeless. He just stood there and let her fuss over Shirley, as though that was acceptable. If I hadn’t grabbed her, I’m not sure he would have done anything – my pathetic excuse for a husband.

And now I can never feel safe. Never know if people are talking behind my back. Never know if she might turn up again. Gordon says he’s sorted it, but I can never trust anything he says again.

GORDON’S STORY:

Jean wanted this picture taken of the four of us dressed in our Sunday best – evidence that we were a respectable family, I suppose. I remember being hot and uncomfortable in my suit and Shirley wriggling under my hands. Then Janet appeared in our garden, as though she was just popping round to borrow some sugar. It was so unexpected I didn’t know what to do; I was glued to the spot. Even when she picked Shirley up, I couldn’t move, until Jean grabbed the girls and ran inside.

Then there was just Janet and me, looking at each other. She started to cry noisily and pummel my chest. There was nothing I could say to make it better. I had done what I thought was best for Shirley. Jean had always wanted another child, but it had never happened, so she agreed, eventually, to adopt Shirley, as long as I could reassure her that Janet was safely out of the way. Obviously, not safely enough.

“Just leave, Janet,” I managed eventually, “You agreed to this.”

She looked at me and winced as though I had slapped her, but she didn’t say anything. She stumbled back the way she had come, and I walked slowly towards the door, knowing that old wounds had been re-opened, and Jean would make me pay.

I knew then that I would have to make sure that Janet was out of the way for good.

JANET’S STORY:

Who are they trying to kid with this picture? The perfect family dressed up to the nines – I should cocoa! Criminals they are – they stole my Peggy.

Gordon and I got friendly after his daughter Anne was born. Mrs Hoity-Toity didn’t want him near her after that, according to him, so he looked for comfort with me. He wasn’t the first man to do it and he won’t be the last. But we fell in love, see, Gordon and me and he told me he wanted to leave her, but he worked for her father, so it was difficult. We saw each other as often as we could and then Peggy came along.

The birth was difficult, though, and I was very ill afterwards, and then when I started to recover a bit, I came down with the baby blues something rotten. I could barely lift my head off the pillow, what with the blues and the drugs the doctor gave me. I don’t remember much, only that one day Peggy was gone. I don’t know what happened really, but they said I signed something agreeing to them adopting her and that was that. They told me to forget about her; but you don’t forget your own baby, do you?

I was given so many drugs I couldn’t think straight for a long time. Gordon never came to see me – or not that I remember anyway. I don’t know what happened with him and Mrs Hoity-Toity, but it looks like they were playing happy families all along, like I’d never existed.

It took me a long time to find out where they’d moved to, but I didn’t give up. I needed to see my Peggy. She looked just like me – my blue eyes and dimples. Everyone can see that she’s mine. They call her Shirley though, like she’s not my Peggy at all. But I know the truth.

He was so cold towards me in that garden. He used to tell me that he only wanted to be with me, but that wasn’t love in his eyes; I don’t know what it was. ‘You agreed to this,’ he said.  How could I have agreed to give away my daughter, like she was a rabbit or a toy, when I couldn’t even lift my head off the pillow?

I’m going to get her back, as soon as I’ve got enough money to pay a lawyer. There must be rules about signing stuff when you’re not well. I’ll find a lawyer and they’ll know what to do. Peggy doesn’t want to be with that stuffy old family, she wants to be with her mummy. We’ll have such a lovely time together: we can go to the park, bake cakes, go shopping, swim in the sea. We’ll have such fun – just her and me. All I need to do is get a job and somewhere to live, and then I can get a lawyer. Then I’ll get my Peggy back.

As soon as I get out of this hospital, that’s what I’ll do.