OFF TO PECKHAM WITH JANICE.

A BOY AND GIRL IN 1950S LONDON

Janice and I went by bus
to see my gran in Peckham
we got on
at the Elephant and Castle

and sat on one
of the side seats
and I paid the fare
to the bus conductor

it took me a while
to persuade Gran
to let me come
Janice said

there's dangerous people
out there she said
but when I said
I was coming with you

she seemed
a little less worried
Janice lived with her gran
I didn't know what happened

to her mum and dad
and didn't ask
I go here quite often
usually with my parents

but also on my own
I said
I wore my grey flannel trousers
and white shirt

Janice wore a lemony dress
and white ankle socks
and had a small
brown hand bag

(her gran had bought for her)
the bus was crowded
some people were standing
swaying to and fro

some guy
with a ginger moustache
kept staring
at Janice and smiling

she looked away shyly
but I gave the guy
my best John Wayne glare
a woman next to Janice

of a tubby size
swayed side to side
like a large red
flowered jelly

once we got off
at the Peckham Rye
we walked along the road
and through back streets

and side alleys
where I went with my parents
some Sundays on a visit
to my nan

(my maternal grandmother)
does your grandfather
live there too?
Janice asked

my step-granddad does
I said
my granddad died
in 1936 of TB

how sad
she said
my great-granddad died
the same year

and I met neither of them
I said
we walked through an alley
and into the street

where Nan lived
in the corner terrace house
I rang the doorbell
Janice stood anxious looking

I looked at the door
the door opened
and Nan stood there
looking at us

what a surprise
Nan said
fancy you coming
all this way

to see your old nan
and who is this
young lady?
she said

Janice blushed
and took my hand
this is Janice
I said

a friend of mine
nice to meet you Janice
Nan said
and beckoned us in

along the passage
I shut the front door
after me and followed
Nan and Janice

we went though the kitchen
to the back living room
with two armchairs
by a fireplace

and a table
and four other chairs
around it
with photographs

and statues and flowers
and other nicknack’s
on shelves around
we sat at the table

and Nan said
your granddad’s laying down
he's unwell
ok too bad

I said
Nan said she'd get us
something to eat and drink
the big clock

on the mantel piece
chimed the hour loudly
and made Janice jump
and me smile

and we looked
around the room
waiting for Nan
for quite a while.