The bright light of sunny summer mornings had long since begun to fade as September had progressed and early Autumn had started to set in. Wednesday 15 September, however, seemed particularly dull, as the girls began to stir. "What is that noise?" murmured Patsy, forcibly opening her eyes; the clattering of rain against the window testament to the most unwelcoming of days that lay beyond. As she reached up and dragged back the curtains, she recoiled as the rain hammered relentlessly against the glass. The overcast skies and sea mist meant that she could see little of the expanse of water to which she had become so accustomed.
Groaning audibly, Patsy sank back onto the bed, glancing at the still sleeping Delia who was curled into a ball, her hands positioned across her face in an uncharacteristically defensive pose. She leant over and planted a soft kiss on the side of her head before sliding silently from the mattress and tiptoeing across the room.
"I'll get you a cup of tea," she whispered affectionately, despite the fact that the brunette was clearly still sound asleep.
In the kitchen, Patsy encountered a tired and grumpy-looking Trixie whose morning greeting of choice was little more than an irritable grunt. Opting to leave her in peace, the redhead proceeded to boil the kettle and quickly retreated back to her room, two mugs of steaming tea in her hand. Delia had still not stirred and, for a few moments, Patsy sat watching over her, noting the tension on her girl's normally passive features and wondering what troubling thoughts were plaguing her dreams.
The aroma of a fresh morning brew seemed to rouse Delia from her fretful slumber and twitching nervously she opened her eyes. Patsy's calming hand was quickly there to provide reassurance as the brunette struggled to untangle herself from her scrunched sleeping position. Her expression suggested that she had some memory of the night's events but Patsy was not going to allow her beloved girl to feel a single second of embarrassment.
"Thank you for letting me look after you last night," she whispered, gently smoothing the mahogany tresses back off the younger woman's face.
Delia looked initially astonished but her expression of shock quickly dissolved into a smile of genuine gratitude - gratitude that Patsy was sparing her blushes, gratitude that she had been there to help her when she had felt most vulnerable and gratitude, quite simply, that she loved her.
Determined not to rush her, Patsy passed Delia a mug of tea and interlinked the fingers of their free hands as they sipped their drinks in silence. This was always going to be a most testing day. There really wasn't much that any one of them could say. They knew what was to come, how the day would pan out...the waiting, the uncertainty, the anxiety and, hopefully, ultimately the news that they were so desperate to hear. But there were no guarantees, even now, and all four girls were going to have to weather the emotional storm ahead, just as much as they would have to sit out the physical storm playing out beyond the window panes.
With no appetite for breakfast that morning, they eventually found themselves gathering in the lounge and were soon joined by Jenny, who had obviously been enlisted to try and offer some degree of emotional support. Trixie rolled her eyes dramatically at the arrival of the psychologist but, on this occasion, nobody returned her sardonic glances. Patsy's attention was entirely focused on the pale, withdrawn Delia who was sat in silence alongside her, whilst Barbara appeared to have lost all control of her emotions and, in the space of 30 minutes, had already burst into tears no fewer than 4 times.
Jenny tried her utmost to engage the girls in conversation, even attempting to persuade them to play cards; anything to pass the time but her efforts were all in weather was clearly not going to offer any assistance whatsoever either; the persistent driving rain making any prospect of escaping into the grounds for some cobweb-clearing fresh air, a less than attractive prospect. The tension in the room only intensified as, at every creak of a door, every sound of voices from the floor below, all four women tensed, lest this should be a sign that the long awaited call had come through. However, 12 midday came and went, and there was still no news.
Louise popped her head around the door to gauge the mood and sighed silently as Jenny caught her eye and shook her head despondently. Barbara was still dabbing her eyes with a tissue and Trixie was picking furiously as a loose thread on her sweater, her face a vision of pure frustration. Patsy glanced around hopefully but it was obvious that Louise had no information to relay.
"Ladies, I realise that this is a very difficult time for you all, but I am going to make us all some lunch," announced Louise with as much cheer as she could muster.
This declaration was greeted with deafening silence; Trixie's glare the only acknowledgment that Louise had even spoken. Undeterred the kindly woman made her way to the kitchen and did her best to prepare a tempting platter.
As the time approached 3pm, even Jenny and Louise were beginning to fear that perhaps the sentencing would not, in fact, go ahead today, after all, and their reassurances seemed to sound increasingly hollow. By now, Barbara had practically cried herself to sleep in her arm chair and the loose thread on Trixie's sweatshirt had become a sizeable hole, although nobody dared to challenge her on it.
Finally, at nearly quarter past three, Louise's mobile phone rang. Five sets of eyes were fixed on her, scrutinising every word and facial inflection, desperately trying to glean an indication of the result. Louise's face gave nothing away as she scribbled furiously in her notebook. Only once she had ended the call, did she face the girls with the faintest hint of a smile.
Patsy and Delia held hands tightly, barely daring to breathe.
"Just tell us," begged Trixie, her face white, as poor Barbara, once again, succumbed helplessly to tears.
"Of course," nodded Louise steadily. "As expected, the judge has passed custodial sentences on all four."
Nobody spoke; they needed to know more.
"Rafi Karim - 22 years
Hamid Karim - 16 years
Greg Pennington - 12 years
Robert "Razor" Brown - 9 years"
The silence that followed was punctured only by the sound of gasps and Barbara's sobs. These were not just custodial sentences, they represented significant statements of intent by the judge who evidently wanted to send an unequivocal message to any other individuals involved in similar activities.
"So, that really is it?"
Five whispered words verbalised what each person in that room was thinking. It had been one heck of a journey but here they were, ready to make their way back out into the world and start their lives again. Louise turned to Delia and smiled kindly.
"Yes, my dear. Justice has been done."
"Why do the cars have to come so bloody early?" moaned Trixie. "I mean, is 4am really necessary?"
"For the fifth time Trix, you know why! It's not about us anymore; it is about protecting the location of the house for the next people who need to come here."
Delia's calm and rational approach simply earned her a glower.
"Have you even finished packing yet?" enquired Patsy with a wry smile.
The blonde snorted in disgust and flounced out of the room.
"I guess not," giggled Delia.
"Don't wind her up," pleaded Barbara dolefully, "I think she is just as worried about moving as we are."
Patsy shook her head.
"I know we are all feeling it, but it's going to be fine, better than fine in fact."
"But..."
"But nothing. We will all keep in touch and visit each other often...please Barbara, please don't be sad."
Barbara nodded reluctantly. She knew that Patsy was right, but that still didn't make the prospect of this transition any easier to bear.
Partly in an attempt to empty the fridge but, in reality, more in an effort to appease Trixie, Patsy opened the bottle of wine which had mysteriously appeared during the course of the day, most likely, they suspected, courtesy of Louise. Pouring four glasses, she handed them around to her friends, a small pang of sadness stinging in her chest as she realised that this was the very last time that they would do this, at least the last time that they would do this here, in this place. As they sat, each staring thoughtfully into the glass before them, it was Barbara who surprised them all by breaking the silence.
"When I arrived here, I was terrified, uncertain of where I was and who I would meet," she started shakily. "All that I wanted to do was to go back home. Now I sit here with three of the most amazing friends that any girl could ever wish for and I know that, thanks to each of you, I am no longer the same shy person that came into this house. I am really going to miss spending my days with you."
She raised her glass,
"To true friendship; may it last forever, no matter where each of us may travel. I really do love you all."
As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, Patsy couldn't help but think back to transfer night, all those months before. Back then, she had not known when the time would come for her to move and night after night she had felt the same knot in her stomach, wondering whether she would be stirred and ushered through the darkness into a waiting vehicle. The fear and the loneliness had been all consuming and she shuddered at the memory. She glanced gratefully at the small brunette laid beside her; in the space of just a few months, Delia had changed her world beyond recognition. Patsy knew that she wasn't alone any more.
Patsy didn't remember having dozed off but she certainly did jump when, at 3:30am, the harsh, screeching bell of the alarm clock sounded.
"It's time, Deels" she whispered, giggling nervously as Delia attempted to pull the duvet up over her head and go back to sleep. "Come on darling, we don't have long."
They washed and dressed and before they knew it, the time was creeping ever closer to 4am. Patsy took a deep breath and attempted to swallow the unwelcome lump of emotion that constricted her throat as she took a final look at the now empty bedroom before taking hold of Delia's hand and leading her down the stairs.
"NO! I am NOT going until I have said goodbye!"
Immediately recognising the raised, agitated voice as belonging to Barbara, the girls ran down the last few steps and made their way quickly to the front door, where the youngest housemate flung herself unceremoniously into Patsy's arms, whilst simultaneously grasping for Delia and pulling her in.
"I am going to miss you both so much," she gasped, unable to prevent the tears from cascading down her cheeks.
Patsy glanced to her right and noticed Trixie standing alongside her. Poised and immaculately dressed though she was, the glassy sheen of unshed tears in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Trix?" she coaxed, beckoning for her to join the embrace. The blonde nodded and stepped forward, grateful to be welcomed into this circle of pure friendship and love.
"We really must get going..." came an unfamiliar voice, but the calming response was one that they recognised all too well.
"Just give them a moment," said Louise softly, a sad smile on her lips but immense pride in her eyes. The four women held tightly to each other, savouring the last few moments all together before reluctantly easing apart, Patsy clasping Delia's hand, whilst Trixie linked arms with Barbara. It never failed to amaze her, just how courageous people could be when they were up against the toughest odds and these young women were certainly no exception. She sighed sadly, unable to quash the feeling of loss as they each climbed into the waiting vehicles and, in a matter of moments, disappeared down the dark, tree lined driveway.
