Wayeyi-siren yaseSitalatweni eneliso leeblokes kunye nobuchule bokuphakamisa i-hackles ye-Ena Sharples ephakamileyo. Kwaye kanye ukuya kuthi ga kwimbonakalo yokugqibela kaPat Phoenix ngo-1984, uElsie wethu wayethumela imbiza yamadoda. Kwiiveki zakhe zokugqibela e-Weatherfield, ilangatye elidala uBill Gregory wabuya ukuze amnike ithuba lokuba ngumfazi wakhe kwaye aqhube ibha yewayini ePortugal, kwaye emva kokutshaya kakhulu kunye nokungcungcutheka, wamjoyina. 'Uza kude kube nini?' wabuza umqhubi weteksi. 'Ah, ngoku kukho umbuzo,' yeza impendulo kaElsie.
Kodwa kwafumaniseka ukuba esi iya kuba sisihlandlo sokugqibela ukubona iqhawekazi elivuthuzayo njengoko kwiminyaka emibini kamva uPat Phoenix wasweleka ngumhlaza. Ababukeli bashiyeke bezibuza ngonaphakade ukuba u-Elsie uphumelele na kwi-Peninsula yase-Iberia okanye wabuyela eManchester enomsila phakathi kwemilenze yakhe. Ewe ngoku, enkosi ngokuvela kwakhona konyana uDennis Tanner kwiziqendu zeveki ezayo, sinazo iimpendulo.
Ukulandela ithuba lokudibana kunye nexesha lakhe elimnandi uRita Sullivan, uDennis uchaza ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kumama wakhe. Kwafumaniseka ukuba naye uswelekile, kodwa kule minyaka mithandathu okanye isixhenxe idlulileyo kuphela, kwaye wanamathela kuBill. 'Thixo wam, ngaba babephila ubomi obuphakamileyo,' uyachaza uDennis. 'Wayenale sports car ebomvu umama wayephambene ngayo. Ngobunye ubusuku babebhinqe le ndlela iliwa baza babalekela kwesi saqhwithi ngokucacileyo. Babafumana emotweni ngentsasa elandelayo kumatye angezantsi. Amarhe athi bebesabambene ngezandla. Yiyiphi indlela yokuhamba, eh? Wayeneminyaka engama-81 ubudala, eswelekela ezingalweni zendoda yakhe kweyona moto ibalaseleyo wakha wayibona.'
Ngoko ke sinayo. U-Elsie Tanner, ophila ubomi kwindlela ekhawulezayo ukuya kuthi ga kwimizuzwana yokugqibela kunye nemfihlakalo yesitalato iCoronation ekugqibeleni yasonjululwa. Ngoku ukuba besinokufumanisa ukuba u-Annie Walker waqhuba njani eDerby emva kokuthatha umhlala-phantsi okanye ukuba u-Ena wathomalalisa ngeminyaka yakhe e-St Anne's…