Part Six
The house was too still and quiet for Yvonne, these days now that she rattled around on her own in contrast to years ago when the place was full of life, for good or bad. Another Christmas had passed and, this time, Lauren wasn't at home to share it with her nor Karen either. Even Trigger clearly missed one of his mistresses being around as his tail hung low and his big round doggy eyes looked up at Yvonne asking questions. Once more, she was to drive the familiar route to Larkhall from the date of the visiting order that she had been sent. It helped give her some purpose in life.
Aside from Cassie and Roisin whom she was going to pick up from home, Yvonne met up with Karen from time to time as in the old days for a drink in a nearby pub. The pleasant flow of conversation suited both their purposes as intelligent women who wanted more out of life than wondering what was going to happen in Corrie and talking about Changing Rooms and the normal dull suburban commonplaces. It might have been expected by the casual observer in the pub with ears for casual talk but not eyes to see but both their lives had defied normal expectations in the way that they had intertwined. The bread and butter of their conversation was about the way Lauren was bearing up over the months. Yvonne knew that Karen would keep a discreet yet searching lookout for what was going on at Larkhall. Outside of that, they let the conversation drift in whatever way it cared to blow.
It was a relief to be out of the house to go, with Cassie and Roisin to visit Denny and Lauren, as Yvonne coupled the two names with a gulp. She was used to Denny being a fixture in Larkhall, having come from the children's home that she had torched but Lauren being there, even if on remand, it had hit her hard. She had got used to saying to herself to have faith in the one brief and the one judge who would give them the time of day and not as a client to make their money out of. At heart, she feared for Lauren and a sinking feeling in her stomach told her that Lauren could be put away for a very long time. She couldn't wait to be out into the cold, sharp winter sunshine with the sun barely peeking through the trees and casting long shadows and she powered her red Ferrari round to the sanctuary of Cassie and Roisin's. For once, they were on their own as on no account would they dream of taking the children to Larkhall prison after the dreadful experiences of Aiden hurling abuse at their mother and later, being stopped at the last minute from seeing them.
Roisin greeted Yvonne effusively with open arms and a big warm hug that was almost motherly, as she knew all too well what it was like being separated from your children. This time, Yvonne's situation was reversed from her own experience of being in Larkhall. The fact that Lauren was twenty-four made no difference in Roisin's eyes as, in her mind, you never leave your children. Yvonne felt warmed through and through equally by Cassie's light hearted joking and her companionship. They looked so well together with each other that she could never be jealous of them but bathe in a soothing undemanding loyal friendship.
They had half an hour to kill and, while Cassie checked herself over in the mirror to ensure that she looked her best, Roisin poured out cups of coffee and chatted away to her. Yvonne lay back in the comfiest armchair, which seemed to swallow her up.
"We'd better go, girls. Can't be late for Old Bodybag," Yvonne smiled faintly.
"To think that we'd see the day that we would ever set foot in that place again," Roisin's intense Irish spirit was awash with loathing for the place and said the same thing each time they went.
"We'll be all right, babe, but Bodybag will be sicker of seeing us than we will of seeing her," Cassie grinned mischievously. The balance of power had shifted in their favour as her impotence to boss them about aggravated her temper every time.
Yvonne smiled broadly, enormously grateful for their company. She could do with a few laughs in her life. She drove the car steadily down leafy roads, in her mirror seeing Cassie and Roisin cuddling up together. For once, the radio was off as the casual friendly chat was a version of when they met up but carried along on four wheels.
Pretty soon, the city streets closed in and the familiar signposts directed them in to their destination and all three of them felt that familiar sick feeling as if they were forced against their wills to pass through the solid wooden gates and let those high stone walls, topped with curled barbed wire, surround them. No matter how many times they visited, they never lost that initial feeling.
Yvonne swung her car to a halt and they made their way to the gatehouse, inside the massive open wooden door which was swung back.
"VO for Denny Blood and Lauren Atkins," Yvonne insisted with the firmness of an ordinary member of the public who could reasonably expect proper treatment as of right. "You know which way to go," came the response that did not look their way.
Instantly, they trooped into the room where Bodybag's hectoring voice lectured the audience that the prisoners were to stay in their seats and did not move until they were told to.
"Oh you again," Came the hostile tones. "Thought we'd get a holiday from you three." "Aaah Sylvia," Emphasised Yvonne in parody, "we thought you'd miss us if we stopped coming. Give you something to look forward to, Miss." "No backchat then, Atkins…" "Yvonne Atkins, if you please. I'm a free woman remember." Bodybag pointedly ignored them to hector prisoners who would put up with her ways. Close the prisoners in their kennels and no home visits, that's the answer to a smoothly running prison. If she'd told Stewart and then Betts, she'd told them a thousand times but would they listen? So Jo Soap had to struggle on, and noone thanked her for the way she struggled on.
Gina Rossi entered the visiting room and felt the invisible backwash of bad atmosphere between Sylvia and Yvonne and tut tutted under her breath. Why does the silly cow try to get one over Yvonne Atkins as she loses every time. She's as much chance as being 'made over' as Britney Spears in "Stars in your Eyes." "Hi, Yvonne," She greeted her with a broad smile much to Bodybag's annoyance as she had to put down her magazine. "Make yourself at home. Is that Cassie Tyler and Roisin Connor? Haven't seen you for months." "Why thank you," Roisin flashed her brilliant smile while Bodybag scowled impotently at that Irish druggie.
"It's nice to meet a decent screw," Yvonne smiled.
"More than she gets," Gina muttered cryptically, jerking a thumb in Bodybag's direction who was staring vacantly around.
Yvonne grinned and Denny and Lauren came forward, Denny with a big grin and Lauren following with an uncertain smile. This was not the confident Lauren that Yvonne had seen before.
"We're really sorry, babe, that we haven't seen you for a while," Cassie ventured apologetically.
Tears sprang into Lauren's eyes and she hugged the other woman tightly.
"Here, none of that," Bodybag sounded off, her eyes alert for only one thing at visiting time.
Gina let that one pass, as, technically, she was right to restrict the amount of human contact, which was a very effective way of smuggling in drugs. It's just because the cow wasn't getting it that she enforced the rule so rigidly.
"I'm really glad you could come here just before the trial as I'm really scared," Lauren frankly confessed as Jo's last visit had made her all too acutely aware of what she was up against. The five of them comandeered a couple of tables and chairs which Gina's warning eye told Bodybag not to do her jobsworth routine and object to. "Hey, I thought Atkins didn't do scared." "Mum and I are just better at hiding it, that's all, Denny."
The other woman puzzled over this one, her forehead furrowed in deep thought, trying to get her head round this one. She had seen that Lauren had got over her initial shock of being locked up for the first time in her life and she had slipped effortlessly into Yvonne's old shoes as 'top dog.' with that mixture of diamond hard confidence, sharp intelligence and the sense of invisible feelers for what went on in Larkhall. The difference between Lauren and Yvonne was that there was far less to battle against with some decent screws coming back to Larkhall and Miss Betts's firm but fair regime. Lauren had achieved a balance of sorts, which was helped out by the personal officer that she was allocated.
"I'm Dominic McAllister and I'm to be your personal officer. Any problems you have around here then give us a shout and I will see what I can do to help," Were the first words from the polite knock on the door first thing and a fairly shy, pleasant good looking man appeared round the door.
"Why, thank you," Lauren started in with a slightly mocking and seductive stare. "I'll be hanging on your every word." "So long as you don't buy me a new Harley Davidson like your mum did. I had a great burn up the Old Kent road but I wasn't allowed to keep it. I have to stick by the rules, same as you do." Lauren did a double take, sensing the traces of humour, which coloured but did not soften the very serious way he took his job and remembered Mum talking about him with affection. Things were starting to look up.
"Look, I know it will be a week max before you take over the running of G wing but just don't give us a hard time as there's been a few changes amongst the prison officers since your mum was here." "I promise you faithfully that I'll behave myself," Came the half flippant reply which she softened up. "You were fond of mum, weren't you." "It's weird, when I first came here and I was new and inexperienced that I was told to watch out for your Mum and Nikki Wade as the troublemakers and there was no harm in either of them when you got to know them, yet the one prisoner who did give me trouble, Shell Dockley, was one that I was never warned about. I make my own mind up but I'm a good listener And yes, I'm fond of her." "Suits me fine," Lauren's casual reply told him that he had passed the Atkins test with flying colours.
So Denny reasoned to herself that Lauren had felt she was only here temporarily but the days had relentlessly crossed themselves off the wall till the date of the trial until the one-day's mark remained. The days of decision were on her.
"I just think that it's such an open and shut case no matter what Jo Mills has been telling me. I can sort of believe it myself when she's talking but a day after she's gone out the door and I'm back the same way of thinking before she comes." "You've got one of the best barristers and the best judge that I've ever seen," Yvonne's respect evident in her choice of words to describe Jo Mills and John Deed. "If there's a way of doing the best for you, she'll do it and the judge ain't likely to put on the black hat for you. You've seen them both." "Mum, that's when I was looking on and wanting them both to send Ritchie and that Merriman cow down for a long stretch. It seems different when you're in the dock." "We've all been there, Lauren, don't forget," Came Roisin's gentle reminder.
Lauren coloured a little at that remark. She had forgotten that both Cassie and Roisin had stood in that same dock charged with embezzling funds from the company they had worked for. Her mum and Charlie likewise had had their collars felt by the Old Bill and had stood up in court though ironically, Charlie had got off by bribery and corruption until he had faced a much sterner justice arranged by herself.
"I'm sorry, I've forgotten." "Doesn't matter, babes. We're all here for you today and we'll be in the gallery in court." Lauren smiled nostalgically at the feelings they had when they were all together in that mutual comfort zone, even if they were perched up on high sitting endlessly on those hard benches. She would give anything to be there right now, not stuck there in the dock, the focus of attention. She remembered the feelings of dark jealousy when mum was holding hands with Karen as she was then. If she only knew then what she knows now, her life would be so different.
"You've got to go for it, kid. It ain't going to be easy. I ain't going to tell you to go out there as an Atkins as you have got to go out there with whatever strength you have. Just don't do the same as Ritchie did and mouth off as that didn't work. You're stronger than that, you've got to keep your cool whatever happens and you'll help Jo Mills to do her bit." It was that occasional soft and gentle and infinitely caring voice of her mother which had been that thin tracery of a golden path which had led her through the darkness of what had been the story of her life. She had to cling on to that feeling to pull her through. Lauren lay back in her chair staring at the ceiling and took a number of deep breaths in and out as she let the words sink in. Mum was right and so were Roisin and Cassie. Her mind stopped racing as she could do no more right now.
"Time's up. All the visitors, go back to the other end of the room and make your way to the gates and sign out. And don't leave anything accidentally on purpose behind or it will be immediately confiscated." Spare us, Gina thought, she never gets any better. Lauren and Denny kissed the other three women gratefully as their messengers of good from the other side, the place where who knows, they may go to in time.
"Two of us will be with Lauren over the next few days. If it can't be me, I'll choose a couple who won't be a pain in the arse. See you." The three women diminished in size and mingled with the crowds, which queued out of the far door. Denny gestured to Lauren to follow her back to their cell while Bodybag stomped self importantly behind them.
The house was too still and quiet for Yvonne, these days now that she rattled around on her own in contrast to years ago when the place was full of life, for good or bad. Another Christmas had passed and, this time, Lauren wasn't at home to share it with her nor Karen either. Even Trigger clearly missed one of his mistresses being around as his tail hung low and his big round doggy eyes looked up at Yvonne asking questions. Once more, she was to drive the familiar route to Larkhall from the date of the visiting order that she had been sent. It helped give her some purpose in life.
Aside from Cassie and Roisin whom she was going to pick up from home, Yvonne met up with Karen from time to time as in the old days for a drink in a nearby pub. The pleasant flow of conversation suited both their purposes as intelligent women who wanted more out of life than wondering what was going to happen in Corrie and talking about Changing Rooms and the normal dull suburban commonplaces. It might have been expected by the casual observer in the pub with ears for casual talk but not eyes to see but both their lives had defied normal expectations in the way that they had intertwined. The bread and butter of their conversation was about the way Lauren was bearing up over the months. Yvonne knew that Karen would keep a discreet yet searching lookout for what was going on at Larkhall. Outside of that, they let the conversation drift in whatever way it cared to blow.
It was a relief to be out of the house to go, with Cassie and Roisin to visit Denny and Lauren, as Yvonne coupled the two names with a gulp. She was used to Denny being a fixture in Larkhall, having come from the children's home that she had torched but Lauren being there, even if on remand, it had hit her hard. She had got used to saying to herself to have faith in the one brief and the one judge who would give them the time of day and not as a client to make their money out of. At heart, she feared for Lauren and a sinking feeling in her stomach told her that Lauren could be put away for a very long time. She couldn't wait to be out into the cold, sharp winter sunshine with the sun barely peeking through the trees and casting long shadows and she powered her red Ferrari round to the sanctuary of Cassie and Roisin's. For once, they were on their own as on no account would they dream of taking the children to Larkhall prison after the dreadful experiences of Aiden hurling abuse at their mother and later, being stopped at the last minute from seeing them.
Roisin greeted Yvonne effusively with open arms and a big warm hug that was almost motherly, as she knew all too well what it was like being separated from your children. This time, Yvonne's situation was reversed from her own experience of being in Larkhall. The fact that Lauren was twenty-four made no difference in Roisin's eyes as, in her mind, you never leave your children. Yvonne felt warmed through and through equally by Cassie's light hearted joking and her companionship. They looked so well together with each other that she could never be jealous of them but bathe in a soothing undemanding loyal friendship.
They had half an hour to kill and, while Cassie checked herself over in the mirror to ensure that she looked her best, Roisin poured out cups of coffee and chatted away to her. Yvonne lay back in the comfiest armchair, which seemed to swallow her up.
"We'd better go, girls. Can't be late for Old Bodybag," Yvonne smiled faintly.
"To think that we'd see the day that we would ever set foot in that place again," Roisin's intense Irish spirit was awash with loathing for the place and said the same thing each time they went.
"We'll be all right, babe, but Bodybag will be sicker of seeing us than we will of seeing her," Cassie grinned mischievously. The balance of power had shifted in their favour as her impotence to boss them about aggravated her temper every time.
Yvonne smiled broadly, enormously grateful for their company. She could do with a few laughs in her life. She drove the car steadily down leafy roads, in her mirror seeing Cassie and Roisin cuddling up together. For once, the radio was off as the casual friendly chat was a version of when they met up but carried along on four wheels.
Pretty soon, the city streets closed in and the familiar signposts directed them in to their destination and all three of them felt that familiar sick feeling as if they were forced against their wills to pass through the solid wooden gates and let those high stone walls, topped with curled barbed wire, surround them. No matter how many times they visited, they never lost that initial feeling.
Yvonne swung her car to a halt and they made their way to the gatehouse, inside the massive open wooden door which was swung back.
"VO for Denny Blood and Lauren Atkins," Yvonne insisted with the firmness of an ordinary member of the public who could reasonably expect proper treatment as of right. "You know which way to go," came the response that did not look their way.
Instantly, they trooped into the room where Bodybag's hectoring voice lectured the audience that the prisoners were to stay in their seats and did not move until they were told to.
"Oh you again," Came the hostile tones. "Thought we'd get a holiday from you three." "Aaah Sylvia," Emphasised Yvonne in parody, "we thought you'd miss us if we stopped coming. Give you something to look forward to, Miss." "No backchat then, Atkins…" "Yvonne Atkins, if you please. I'm a free woman remember." Bodybag pointedly ignored them to hector prisoners who would put up with her ways. Close the prisoners in their kennels and no home visits, that's the answer to a smoothly running prison. If she'd told Stewart and then Betts, she'd told them a thousand times but would they listen? So Jo Soap had to struggle on, and noone thanked her for the way she struggled on.
Gina Rossi entered the visiting room and felt the invisible backwash of bad atmosphere between Sylvia and Yvonne and tut tutted under her breath. Why does the silly cow try to get one over Yvonne Atkins as she loses every time. She's as much chance as being 'made over' as Britney Spears in "Stars in your Eyes." "Hi, Yvonne," She greeted her with a broad smile much to Bodybag's annoyance as she had to put down her magazine. "Make yourself at home. Is that Cassie Tyler and Roisin Connor? Haven't seen you for months." "Why thank you," Roisin flashed her brilliant smile while Bodybag scowled impotently at that Irish druggie.
"It's nice to meet a decent screw," Yvonne smiled.
"More than she gets," Gina muttered cryptically, jerking a thumb in Bodybag's direction who was staring vacantly around.
Yvonne grinned and Denny and Lauren came forward, Denny with a big grin and Lauren following with an uncertain smile. This was not the confident Lauren that Yvonne had seen before.
"We're really sorry, babe, that we haven't seen you for a while," Cassie ventured apologetically.
Tears sprang into Lauren's eyes and she hugged the other woman tightly.
"Here, none of that," Bodybag sounded off, her eyes alert for only one thing at visiting time.
Gina let that one pass, as, technically, she was right to restrict the amount of human contact, which was a very effective way of smuggling in drugs. It's just because the cow wasn't getting it that she enforced the rule so rigidly.
"I'm really glad you could come here just before the trial as I'm really scared," Lauren frankly confessed as Jo's last visit had made her all too acutely aware of what she was up against. The five of them comandeered a couple of tables and chairs which Gina's warning eye told Bodybag not to do her jobsworth routine and object to. "Hey, I thought Atkins didn't do scared." "Mum and I are just better at hiding it, that's all, Denny."
The other woman puzzled over this one, her forehead furrowed in deep thought, trying to get her head round this one. She had seen that Lauren had got over her initial shock of being locked up for the first time in her life and she had slipped effortlessly into Yvonne's old shoes as 'top dog.' with that mixture of diamond hard confidence, sharp intelligence and the sense of invisible feelers for what went on in Larkhall. The difference between Lauren and Yvonne was that there was far less to battle against with some decent screws coming back to Larkhall and Miss Betts's firm but fair regime. Lauren had achieved a balance of sorts, which was helped out by the personal officer that she was allocated.
"I'm Dominic McAllister and I'm to be your personal officer. Any problems you have around here then give us a shout and I will see what I can do to help," Were the first words from the polite knock on the door first thing and a fairly shy, pleasant good looking man appeared round the door.
"Why, thank you," Lauren started in with a slightly mocking and seductive stare. "I'll be hanging on your every word." "So long as you don't buy me a new Harley Davidson like your mum did. I had a great burn up the Old Kent road but I wasn't allowed to keep it. I have to stick by the rules, same as you do." Lauren did a double take, sensing the traces of humour, which coloured but did not soften the very serious way he took his job and remembered Mum talking about him with affection. Things were starting to look up.
"Look, I know it will be a week max before you take over the running of G wing but just don't give us a hard time as there's been a few changes amongst the prison officers since your mum was here." "I promise you faithfully that I'll behave myself," Came the half flippant reply which she softened up. "You were fond of mum, weren't you." "It's weird, when I first came here and I was new and inexperienced that I was told to watch out for your Mum and Nikki Wade as the troublemakers and there was no harm in either of them when you got to know them, yet the one prisoner who did give me trouble, Shell Dockley, was one that I was never warned about. I make my own mind up but I'm a good listener And yes, I'm fond of her." "Suits me fine," Lauren's casual reply told him that he had passed the Atkins test with flying colours.
So Denny reasoned to herself that Lauren had felt she was only here temporarily but the days had relentlessly crossed themselves off the wall till the date of the trial until the one-day's mark remained. The days of decision were on her.
"I just think that it's such an open and shut case no matter what Jo Mills has been telling me. I can sort of believe it myself when she's talking but a day after she's gone out the door and I'm back the same way of thinking before she comes." "You've got one of the best barristers and the best judge that I've ever seen," Yvonne's respect evident in her choice of words to describe Jo Mills and John Deed. "If there's a way of doing the best for you, she'll do it and the judge ain't likely to put on the black hat for you. You've seen them both." "Mum, that's when I was looking on and wanting them both to send Ritchie and that Merriman cow down for a long stretch. It seems different when you're in the dock." "We've all been there, Lauren, don't forget," Came Roisin's gentle reminder.
Lauren coloured a little at that remark. She had forgotten that both Cassie and Roisin had stood in that same dock charged with embezzling funds from the company they had worked for. Her mum and Charlie likewise had had their collars felt by the Old Bill and had stood up in court though ironically, Charlie had got off by bribery and corruption until he had faced a much sterner justice arranged by herself.
"I'm sorry, I've forgotten." "Doesn't matter, babes. We're all here for you today and we'll be in the gallery in court." Lauren smiled nostalgically at the feelings they had when they were all together in that mutual comfort zone, even if they were perched up on high sitting endlessly on those hard benches. She would give anything to be there right now, not stuck there in the dock, the focus of attention. She remembered the feelings of dark jealousy when mum was holding hands with Karen as she was then. If she only knew then what she knows now, her life would be so different.
"You've got to go for it, kid. It ain't going to be easy. I ain't going to tell you to go out there as an Atkins as you have got to go out there with whatever strength you have. Just don't do the same as Ritchie did and mouth off as that didn't work. You're stronger than that, you've got to keep your cool whatever happens and you'll help Jo Mills to do her bit." It was that occasional soft and gentle and infinitely caring voice of her mother which had been that thin tracery of a golden path which had led her through the darkness of what had been the story of her life. She had to cling on to that feeling to pull her through. Lauren lay back in her chair staring at the ceiling and took a number of deep breaths in and out as she let the words sink in. Mum was right and so were Roisin and Cassie. Her mind stopped racing as she could do no more right now.
"Time's up. All the visitors, go back to the other end of the room and make your way to the gates and sign out. And don't leave anything accidentally on purpose behind or it will be immediately confiscated." Spare us, Gina thought, she never gets any better. Lauren and Denny kissed the other three women gratefully as their messengers of good from the other side, the place where who knows, they may go to in time.
"Two of us will be with Lauren over the next few days. If it can't be me, I'll choose a couple who won't be a pain in the arse. See you." The three women diminished in size and mingled with the crowds, which queued out of the far door. Denny gestured to Lauren to follow her back to their cell while Bodybag stomped self importantly behind them.