Big Molly
Molly, take the delivery! Whereve you got to? Im shouting my head off here!
Alex peeks into the storeroom at the back of his little village shop, where he brings fresh produce from his farm each week, and lets out a surprised whistle.
Mary Smithknown around here simply as Big Mollyis sitting on the floor, absolutely bawling, wiping her face on the hem of her bright, flowery apron. The hem is already soaked through, but more tears keep coming, and every now and then she wrings out the edge in her large, capable hands then shakes out the fabric. The soft smack of the fabric seems to somehow set Molly off again each time, and she bursts into a fresh round of sobs, ignoring the world around her.
She doesnt even notice Alex standing there.
Whats up, Molly? he asks, using her old school nickname as he crouches down beside his former classmate. Someone upset you? Just say the word! Ill
Noooo, Molly howls so suddenly and loudly that Alex sits down hard, startled.
Maybe his face looks so shocked, or maybe Molly just decides she cant cry any longer, because the torrent of tears dries up all at once. She gives her red, swollen nose a final, world-shaking sniffle, then mumbles:
“Alex, do you think Im pretty?
It doesnt take Alex by surprise. Having been a good son, husband, brother-in-law, and the father of two teenage girls, he answers without skipping a beat:
Yes!
And its the truth. Beauty, for Alex, is not about looks.
Hes known Molly for as long as he can remember. They sat side by side in nursery, squabbled over sweets at school Christmas partiesconvinced the others treat bag held tastier chocolatesand were inseparable at school, never once thinking of changing seats. Both only children, they became each others family. Alex has long considered Molly a sister and treated her as such.
At school hed been her defender, even though Molly always towered over the rest of the class in PE.
But anyone can hurt a girl, even if that girls a head taller than her would-be tormentors and could, with a flick, bring order to the unruliest of heads.
Strangely though, Molly wasnt much good at standing up for herself. Stand up for her friends, yes; she became an avenging angel if they were wronged. But if the unkindness was aimed at her, she turned timid. Shed quiver her lip, sniff her outsized nosea nose fit for a lad, reallyand wail in a way that was… well, difficult to witness. Her nose would balloon, eyes squint to slits, and no one could console her: not the teachers, not her mates. Only Alex, knowing exactly how shed react, would go and take her hand, commanding:
Come on, lets get you washed up.
Molly always listened to Alex, even though she was six months older and nearly two heads taller. Alex had been a short lad until he shot up at sixteen, and back in school he and Molly were affectionately called Little and LargeMolly, of course, being the Large.
But the nicknames and height difference never hurt their friendship. Alex would always turn to Molly when another crush left his heart in pieces, and Molly would confide her own rare romantic troublesrare, because she considered herself a one-man girl.
That man was Paul Johnsonthe schools number-one tearaway and the terror of girls from junior school onward. Pauls mum adored him, always crowing about her angelic boy.
“My Pauls a blessing! Have you ever seen anyone so handsome?”
And Paul did have something striking about him: as a baby, people said he could be a cherub in an old painting. By secondary school the baby plumpness faded, but the beauty lingered. He looked like a film star, though with navy blue eyes, not blue.
Molly noticed Paul for the first time on her tenth birthday.
Her birthday, by some strange twist, was on the first of September, so there she was, dressed up to the nines and accepting birthday wishes from classmates in the playground, when a nasty tug yanked her plait and her carefully tied ribbon. She felt a hard poke in the back:
Oi, beanpole!
It was so sudden and so mean that Molly didnt react immediately. She finished laughing at a friends joke, then turned around.
And thats when everything changed for her…
Apparently the look on her face said it all to Paul. He waved the ribbon under her nose and laughed right in her face.
What are you staring at? Never seen someone this gorgeous before?
Molly didnt get the chance to reply. Alex swooped in and dealt Paul a couple of good wallops, then snatched Mollys ribbon back.
Here you go! Oi, Molly, you alright?
She just stared at Paul as he ran off to complain to his mum.
Alex got a telling off from the teacher for it, but he didnt mind. Mollys peace meant more to him. As for Paul, hed suss out when Alex wasnt around and keep teasing Molly, knowing she wouldnt grass.
And she didnt. Shed let him copy her work at the merest glance. Shed be first to press her homework into his hands, feeling she was being helpful.
Shed stand in corners at school discos, watching her idol dance with other girls, pretending not to mind.
Shed put up with his moods and jokes if it meant being near him.
To be fair, Paul wasnt all bad. Over time, Molly became part of the furniture for him, so familiar he stopped noticing her. If he did notice, he no longer bothered to wind her up. After all, what lad doesnt like someone hanging on his every word?
Alex watched this, biting his tongue, knowing Molly wouldnt thank him for stepping in. Hed listen patiently to her gushing about Paul, saying nothing, knowing she had to get over it herself.
Molly had no idea that, in Year 8, Alex once cornered Paul behind the bike sheds and grabbed him by the collar:
Pick on Molly again and Ill flatten you.
Yeah? Terrified, mate.
Im not joking, mate. Stay away from her.
Alex, having wrestled for a couple of years, was filling out, and Paul, recognising the threat, kept his distance.
Molly had no idea. She wrote love letters to Paul in a notebook covered with hand-drawn hearts, knowing shed never send them, daydreaming of when hed finally appreciate her devotion.
Alex hoped it was just a phase. By the end of secondary school, he was tall and handsome, and his mum joked shed need a broom to chase away all the brides. But it was Katie who saw him off to university and later married him.
Molly was the life and soul at Alexs wedding. She loved Katie, loved seeing her friend happy, loved the guests and the buzzexcept for the ache that Paul had left town straight after school without a word, never to be heard from again.
The only news came from Pauls mum, who looked Molly up and down, then sneered:
My sons doing wonderfully. Why would he come back to this backwater? With his brains and looks, hes destined for greater things.
Molly thanked her and watched her sweep away, puzzled by such coldness.
Alex, when Molly told him the story, just shook his head sympathetically:
Mol, look around you! Theres decent blokes everywhere. Youre still mooning over that numpty? Hes not coming back Mol!
But Molly didnt want to hear it. She stuck her fingers in her ears and shook her head. You cant just tell your heart what to feel, can you? Is it so terrible to dream she might see the one shes loved all this time again? She didnt want anyone elsethere could never be another Paul.
Alex understood Mollys torment. He sympathised, apologised, and even asked Katie to talk to her.
Its sad, you know? She could have had a life by nowa house, kids.
Alex, Katie stroked his brow, You dont get it. She loves him. You cant ban love.
No you cant.
After that, Alex stopped trying to persuade Molly. He introduced her to friends, invited her to every do, hoping someone would turn her head. But it was no use.
Molly was waiting.
The years went by. Alex finished uni, became dad to two lovely girls, and decided he didnt want city life any more. Katie was right beside him. They bought a big house near the outskirts, started a farm, and convinced Molly it was time to open a shop.
Who else would help me, eh, Mol?
But Alex, I cant do anything! Never had time to study, and it doesnt take brains to mop shop floors.
What dyou mean, never studied? What about?
Dont, Alex. My hands have never worked out that wayyou wouldnt be here now, would you…
It was a sore point. Molly had wanted to be a doctor, to heal people, but had to go to work straight after school.
Her mum, Christine, was a respected factory manager and had always hoped to put Molly through college. But tragedy struck: Christine slipped at work, rushed to a meeting, hit her head, andthough the injury wasnt seriousworrying about Molly caused her to suffer a stroke.
Molly had to forget university. She cared for her mum, organised treatments, and did so well even the doctors were amazed:
What a girl! Cant get adults to listen like thisshe does everything perfectly. Top notch!
Molly found a job close by, learnt massage to help her mums recovery.
Mol, you should get qualified as a masseuseyour hands are strong, Alex said, helping unload a chair for Christine. Its better than mopping floors!
When though, Alex? And whod pay for me? Whod look after mum?
Alex dropped it, but the idea took root.
A few days later, Molly got a call.
Hello! Im Anna, the carer, sent by Alex Smith. When can I come meet you and your mum?
Molly was bewildered, but Anna wouldnt take no for an answer.
Finances are sorted with Alex. Just pick a time.
And so Anna entered their lives.
No one called her anything but Anna after an hour with her. There was a warmth about her that made you want to breathe out and relax, just like you would as a kid at break time.
The winds fading and the little trees growing
Molly, like that little tree, lifted her head and began to breathe again as she saw her mum respond to Anna, squeeze her hand, make an effort for her daughters sake.
With encouragement from Alex and Katie, Molly let out one room in her flat and began to study.
It was tough, even with Annas help.
Molly stubbornly refused Alexs money and struck her own deal with Anna. Annas grandson needed therapy, and Mollys strong hands were just the ticket.
So Molly paid Anna only half her carers feethe rest she paid in treatments for Annas little boy. Anna tried to refuse payment altogether, but Molly stood firm: Work deserves pay.
Annas grandson, astonishing his family and the doctors, got up and walkeda thing none thought possible. Each step he took filled Anna with hope and tears. The doctors tutted, baffled at how a student had achieved what theyd thought impossible.
How?!
Molly had no answer. She just did what felt right, learnt new techniques, persuaded muscles to work, found the pressure points.
A stroke of luck brought her a meeting with a master of Chinese massage, and Molly seized the chance, leaving Anna at home with Christine, who happily agreed:
Learn, Molly! Youve a gift from above, and so many children need it!
The training was long, but soon Molly was working again, now in a childrens clinic and taking private clients.
Everything was fine until, on the way home from a session, Molly slipped on the icy pavement outside her old school, skidded with a group of rowdy second-years and went down hard.
She tried to lift herself up, only to find her arms wouldnt respond. Then darkness.
She woke in a hospital bed, with Katienow expecting her third childsleeping by her side.
Katie Molly tried to whisper, but it came out an odd rasp. She coughed; pain rippled up her arms and spine.
Luckily, Katie was a light sleeper, especially now she was pregnant. She woke instantly and jumped to her feet:
Molly! Youre awake! Dont cry, the doctor will be cross! The op went well, youll recoveritll just take time. Alex will be in soon, tell you about your mum. Dont worry! Annas with her. Christine didnt even get a scare. So thats all the news. Now, sleep! Ill stay. Theyre short-staffed, so Alex sorted it with them. He wanted to stay but they wouldnt let him in the womens ward, so I had a strop. Nowsleep, and dont fret. Itll be fine.
But Molly did worry in the morning, when she realised she was helpless. Even washing her face required help.
It was agonising, but Molly fought to get her arms working again. It took months, but she managed, although proper massage was out of the question for now.
Physio, Molly. Give it time, Alex said as he brought her home to Anna. Well help.
Molly refused help. She didnt want to be a burden. She watched Alex drive off, full of gratitude. If there is such a thing as a lucky ticket, she reckoned shed drawn it the day she met Alex.
Isnt it a blessing to have someone who doesnt need a call when disaster strikeshes already on his way, dropping everything for you?
Molly was godmother to his kids, confidante to his wife, keeper of family secretsbe it at Alexs big house or Mollys little flat. She was closest to Alexs youngest, Michael, who swore Aunt Molly loved him more than anyone. Shed spoiled him rotten, played for hours, and was the one who took him to London for the operation that let him finally hear like other children. He remembered his mum crying, and Aunt Molly hugging her tight, promising:
Dont fret! Well get through! Together we can do anything!
To Michael, Aunt Molly was the strongest woman alive. Mummy said so, toono one even had to ask her for help; somehow she knew when she was needed.
No, Molly wasnt societys poster girl for beauty. Three hundred years ago shed have been the ideal. Not petitemonumental. She might have belonged in a temple, not a kitchen. A big nose, dramatic eyes, flowing dark hair, shoe size ten…
All together, she was remarkable. Molly was beautiful, in her own powerful, English way.
Not that admirers clamoured for her. Working behind the shop counter shed jointly opened with Alex, she looked above customers heads, knowing they saw only the shop girl. No one in the village knew she co-owned the little chain of shopswhy invite gossip? Her neighbours either pitied her for not massaging children anymore or said she was better off in the fields with Alexs workers, praising the vegetables.
She knew Alexs farm couldnt supply the whole areas shops, so now Katie managed that while Alex travelled about, buying crops, meat, and milk direct from other locals, making fair deals for everyone, with more offers than he could handle.
Molly barely thought of tomorrow. She lived for her mums smile, for her tiny victoriesthough sometimes, in quiet moments, shed remember Pauls blue eyes, now faded in her memory.
But fate enjoys surprises. On the day Alex delivered produce and couldnt find Molly, something wonderfuland long-awaitedfinally happened.
Paul came home.
He was sent by his mum to the shop, and what happened next was stranger than Molly could have imagined.
She didnt recognise her true love at all.
It was no wonderno one from school would have known Paul now. Hed changed, and not for the better.
Those blue eyes, once so captivating, were bleached out, and his hands twitched nervously, always searching for something to hold onto in a world too shaky for him.
Alright there, Large! Paul greeted her with a grin. You havent changed! Still massive! Do you still trumpet about, or have you learnt to carry a hanky? Although, youd need a sheet at your size. Remember me?
The world split into miserable shards, cutting right into Mollys soul, and she gasped in shock.
Was that it? Was he really the one shed carried a torch for all her life? What had she ever seen in him?
Paul, baffled, watched as Molly turned and bolted.
With only one doorinto the storeroomshe didnt get far. Crashing into the dim back room, she darted between shelves, knocked a table (which flew across the room despite its size), and collapsed onto an ancient, rickety stool she refused to throw out, always insisting it would hold her up.
Today, it finally gave out with a groan, and Molly sank to the floor, crying afresh.
Paul, meanwhile, probably never understood what happened. He grabbed a bottle of milk and disappeared.
Thats where Alex found her, answered her question, and waited patiently.
Molly dried her tears, tried to make sense of it all, then smiled shyly.
Alex
Yes, Molly?
Thank you
For what?
For everything! For just being there! For Katie… for Mum… for Anna… for all of you!
Two days later, Molly learned that, over the years, Paul had racked up three wives and failed to make any happy. His children were scattered about, and hed no time for them, nor had he made much of a life for himself.
Pauls mum came to the shop, singing his praises as ever.
Hes just not appreciated! Who likes it when the underling is brighter than the boss? As for the wiveswell, a mothers one thing, but wives come and go. Now, give me half a pound of cheddar and the freshest eggs. Paul loves my omelettesdo you have free-range today? Oh, Im wasting my breathjust give me the eggs, dear!
Years later, one sunny afternoon, Katie steps onto her porch, shading her eyes with her hand.
Alex! Alex, love?
Im here!
Molly rangshes on her way!
Driving herself again?
No, Tonys back from offshore. Dont fret!
Shes a dynamo, that woman! How can you not worry? Shes about to pop, and still running about in that car!
Shes got to driveher massage clients are all over town, and you know the queue! Not like me, eh? Katie teases, nestling beside her husband and smoothing down her pregnancy bump. Calm, quiet, mild-mannereda dream wife!
You?! You must be joking! Alex splutters, then laughs, pecking her nose. Right, go greet them, my little dumpling! By the time you waddle there, theyll be here!
Dodging her mock-protesting, Alex heads back inside. The barbecues ready, the meats marinating. Time to change and get the grill goingMollys eating for three now, after all.
He pulls off his mucky T-shirt, ruffles his sons hair as the boy darts from the bathroom, and asks,
Off to?
Doing bubbles for Aunt Mollys Katie! Remember her giggle last time? And Aunt Christine liked them too. Anna said Im a real chemist! Dad, can I get a chemistry set? Molly said they make ones for kids.
Ask your mum. Im not taking the blame if you blow the house upagain. No, thank you! Im out!
Oh, Dad!
Alex flicks his sons nose, makes a mental note, and heads for the shower.
Its shaping up to be a perfect day. What more do you need? Good people around your table, proper food, children chasing bubbles around the garden, and happiness perched on the veranda rail, listening for secrets not yet revealed. Then itll laugh, hugging its secret, knowing itll soon make someones day.
And thats just as it should be. Big, kind-hearted folks deserve big, bright secretsenough to share with everyone they love.
