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Chapter ten

Never better

When I left Tom, I was also leaving a comfortable home, nice things, a car, and Tom’s money.

Now I had to find somewhere to live. I didn’t earn a lot of money in my job. I had to find somewhere cheap.

I stayed with Harriet for a few days, and she helped me find somewhere to live. It was in a small flat in a house not far away. I was happy to see it was a little nearer to George in Hackney.

A week later I moved in.

Harriet came to see me. ‘I brought you some cakes,’ she said. She looked around. ‘Are you sure you’re going to be OK here? It’s so small!’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘It is small. But I don’t want a big house anymore. I want to change. I’m going to do something with my life.’

‘Don’t change too much, Nancy. I like you as you are.’

‘Oh, Harriet,’ I said. I put my arms around her.

Harriet’s wedding was in a few weeks, and I knew she wanted me to be there. But I couldn’t go. Not now. It was too difficult.

‘Harriet,’ I said. ‘I’m really sorry. but. I can’t come to your wedding now. People won’t talk to me. They won’t understand why I left Tom.’

‘It’s my wedding, Nancy,’ said Harriet. ‘You have to come.’

‘Will Tom be there?’ I asked.

‘I don’t know,’ said Harriet. ‘He’s still very angry. He says you’re stupid. He says you’re with someone who just wants your money and a passport.’

I laughed. ‘But I haven’t got much money!’ I said.

There was a sound at the door.

‘This is George now,’ I said. ‘Please stay Harriet. I want you to meet him.’

I opened the door and George came in.

He looked at me, then at Harriet, then at the cakes on the table.

‘Are you Harriet?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘How did you know?’

‘Those cakes! Nancy told me about her friend the cook!’

Harriet laughed, and I knew she liked George.

‘Please try and come to the wedding,’ said Harriet again as she left.

‘OK, I’ll try,’ I said.

‘You can bring George.’

I smiled. ‘Thank you, Harriet.’

‘Bye, Nancy.’

After Harriet left, I went over to George and put my arms around him.

‘I’m happy that you met Harriet,’ I said. ‘She liked you.’

‘Nancy,’ he replied. ‘I’m afraid. Before you met me, you had all these friends. You had money. You had a big house and a garden. Wasn’t that a better life for you?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘because you weren’t in it.’ I pulled George to me and we kissed.

I was changing. I decided to become a writer. I wanted to leave the centre and do something I believed in.

Over the next few weeks George came to see me every day.

The flat was small and I didn’t have much money. But I loved George and he loved me. We were happy and life was never better.

Or that’s what I thought.