EPISODE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE
Nicky took off her
crash helmet and placed it on the kitchen table. Jackie could hardly believe
what she was seeing: her daughter, her little girl, getting on the back of one
of those terrible – dangerous – machines. And the new boyfriend didn’t seem to
be the catch of the century, with his rather weak, gormless chin, lifeless eyes
and lank, greasy hair. He hovered in the doorway, clutching his helmet, waiting
to be introduced.
‘Mummy, this is Anthony.’
Jackie managed to control a hand-shaking impulse and gave him a cursory nod
instead. ‘Pleased to meet you, Anthony.’
‘Yeah, you too.’
Jackie was at a loss, unable to think of any way to be natural and
domestic. Her thoughts were filled with
fear of her daughter riding pillion on this idiot’s bike. She had heard it roar
up outside, giving an unnecessary loud throttle prior to being switched off.
Why did they always have to do that? Why couldn’t they just switch the damn
things off?
After an embarrassing pause, Jackie collected herself, and offered to make tea.
‘Never touch the stuff,’ Anthony said. ‘Wouldn’t mind a coffee, though.’
Jackie’s mind raced. Her daughter’s life might be at stake here. Her protective
instinct took over. A plan began to crystallize in her brain.
‘I’ll make a cafettiere of fresh coffee,’ she said, smiling at the boyfriend,
although there was no warmth in here eyes. ‘Or perhaps you prefer instant?’
It came out sounding supercilious and Anthony decided it was time to put the
old bat in her place.
‘I prefer fresh coffee. Costa Rica blend, if you have it.’
Jackie felt her new-found composure slipping away. ‘I – er – I’m not sure where
it’s from, actually.’
Anthony grinned cockily, pleased with the shift in control.
‘Whatever,’ he said.
But Jackie, still feeling the panic of losing a loved one, managed to deflect
his volley, and turned her attention to Nicky.
‘Darling, would you have a word with Vanessa? See if you can cheer her up. God
only knows what will happen now that she and Paul…’ She stopped speaking and
gave Anthony an apologetic smile. ‘I hope you don’t mind, Anthony: family
problems. Perhaps you can stay and talk to me while I make the coffee, and
Nicky can have a word with her sister.’
Anthony was far from pleased, but what could he do? He felt trapped. He tried
not to frown as he grunted and nodded his acquiescence. And then he noticed
Nicky had already turned tail and escaped from the room, without giving him a
second thought.
Jackie turned her back on him while she filled the kettle, and he imagined what
it would be like to punch the back of the old bag’s head – really hard, so that
it smacked into the window and broke her nose. Perhaps the glass might shatter,
creating havoc. Blood everywhere. Like something out of a Tarantino movie.
‘Sorry?’ he said. She had spoken to him but his mind was elsewhere.
She repeated the question. ‘What is it you do for a living?’
‘I’m an architect.’
‘Oh.’
Anthony frowned deeply and felt anger and resentment building up inside him.
Her exclamation of surprise had sounded so supercilious he wanted to do
something obscene, something really vile. Instead, he controlled himself,
smiled thinly, and said, ‘Does that surprise you? I expect you thought I’d be
some oik who works in a factory, or fits exhausts onto cars.’
Cornered, Jackie snapped at him, ‘Of course I didn’t think that.’
But she had. She had made the assumption from the way he looked, and the fact
that he rode a motor bike. And he was grinning at her, knowing he had the upper
hand.
Never before had she felt such a desire to smack someone across the face, and
she inwardly prayed to God for forgiveness.
*
‘So what’s happening between you and Paul?’ Nicky asked, putting on a worried
frown for her sister, who was stretched out on a sun-lounger.
‘How d’you mean?’
‘I mean, he’s…he’ll be the father of your baby. Don’t you think you ought to
make it up with him.’
‘Why?’
‘I would have thought that was obvious. So the child has a father.’
‘No child deserves a father like Paul.’
‘Oh come on, Vanessa, from what you’ve told me about him…’
Anger rising in her throat like bile, Vanessa sat bolt upright and confronted
Nicky. ‘Now listen, Nicky, he hit me. Hard. And no man has ever done that to
me, and never will again, if I can help it.’
‘But surely these things happen. I mean, people get passionate. Tempers fray,
and all that. I’m sure you can work it out.’
‘You’re not listening to me, sis. It was one strike and you’re out. If he hit
me once, he can do it again. That’ll never happen.’
‘OK. But when the child’s born, he’ll probably want to see it. He’ll want
access.’
Vanessa shook her head emphatically.
Nicky sighed with frustration. ‘He will. He’ll want to see his own child.’
‘Nicky: forget it. Like I’m going to forget him. And, believe me, Paul’s the type who won’t
show any interest in his child. And that suits me fine.’
*
Anthony winced pointedly as he sipped the coffee, which irritated Jackie. Now
she felt she could really speak her mind.
‘Something wrong?’
‘How long have you had this coffee?’
Jackie, an excellent tennis player in her younger days, knew all about
wrong-footing, and realised this was gamesmanship, so she ignored his question
and launched her attack.
‘Aren’t those bikes rather dangerous?’
‘What?’
‘I don’t think I want my daughter on the back of one.’
‘Statistically, bikes are no more dangerous than…’
Jackie interrupted with, ‘Don’t give me rubbish about statistics. I don’t want
her on the back of your bike.’
Anthony laughed. ‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this. I suggest you ask your
daughter what she wants to do. She’s old enough to make up her mind, you old
bitch.’
At first Jackie thought she had misheard, because of the way he had dropped his
voice almost to a whisper.
‘What did you say?’
He grinned challengingly at her, and rose, glancing at his un-drunk coffee
disdainfully.
‘Thanks for the coffee. Nicky and I need to get going.’
‘But you’ve only just got here…’
Anthony shrugged. ‘Yeah, well, it’s been nice meeting you. See you again,
maybe. And don’t worry about the safety aspect. I can handle the bike.’
Jackie felt tired and confused, aware she had handled the situation tactlessly.
She smiled weakly at Anthony and said, ‘Drive carefully on you way back.’
IN EPISODE 156
Marjorie seeks advice from a friend.