EPISODE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR
As Mike pulled up
near Blockbusters in Calverley Road, he spotted Andrew in the distance,
shuffling along, shoulders hunched and head bent, his demeanour that of someone
much older than his teens. But perhaps, Mike reflected, that was just typically
teenage, the way they all seemed to shamble along in a disgruntled way.
Then Mike remembered: his son was now twenty and no longer a teenager. Not that
it made any difference to his attitude. Andrew had always been immature. He had
a lot of growing up to do, and now that the family was divided it would be a
test of his manhood to see if he could survive without too much parental help.
As Andrew shuffled nearer to Mike’s car, he gave his father a wan smile, a
smile indicating the need for paternal sympathy. Mike who was parked on
double-yellow lines smiled back, but was suddenly distracted by a figure
walking up from Argos on the opposite side of the road. A traffic warden,
hatchet-faced and stern, was about to cross the road diagonally as she had
spotted Mike’s car.
Mike leaned across the passenger seat hurriedly and flung open the door as
Andrew drew level.
‘Quick, Andy! Get in.’
Giving his son barely time to close the door, Mike quickly checked his wing
mirror and pulled out without indicating, revving towards the traffic warden,
who was forced to step back out of the path of the vehicle. Mike grinned
maliciously as he saw her outraged expression, gave a light toot on his horn,
and muttered, ‘Merry Christmas, you fat old bitch.’
Andrew sniggered. ‘She’s only doing her job, Dad.’
‘Some job, eh? I mean, no one likes them. Imagine going home at night having
been hated all day long. You’d have to be thick-skinned.’
‘I expect it’s like most jobs,’ Andrew observed. ‘You put it behind you and
wait for pay day.’
‘Talking of jobs, Andy: have you thought what you might do now?’
Without taking his eyes off the road, Mike knew his son had shrugged a
response, he could feel it.
‘Well?’ he prompted.
‘I haven’t really thought about it. I need to get myself together first. You
know: a roof over the head.’
‘What pays for the roofs over most people’s heads, Andy, is a job.’
‘Yeah, I know, I know. I just need a bit of breathing space.’
Mike tried to restrain an impatient sigh. He felt tension building in his neck
and shoulders. He hadn’t been back to the family home in weeks and he was
dreading it.
‘Well,’ Mike began, clearing his throat softly, ‘you’ll have a good couple of
months at the house – probably longer.’
‘Why? What’s happening to the house?’
‘Your mother and I have split up.’
‘Yeah, I know that.’
‘So the house’ll need to be sold, the mortgage paid off, and the balance
divided equally between the two of us.’
‘So what do I do after the house is sold?’
There was a long pause before Mike said, ‘I suppose that’s why you’ll need to
get a job, Andy.’
*
Penny stood at the front door long after Mike had departed, and then went back
into the living room to check he hadn’t left anything behind.
‘He’s gone,’ she shouted at the dining room door. ‘You can come out now.’
The door opened suddenly, as if he’d been standing behind it, listening and
waiting.
‘Would you like a cup of coffee, Donny?’
He nodded. He was in his late twenties, but looked older. He had a rodent-like
face, with a pasty complexion and a chin that tapered to a point. He was less
than six feet tall and his dark brown hair was a tangle of weeds.
While Penny went to make the coffee, he flopped into an easy chair, grabbed the
television remote and clicked it on. He watched, not taking it in, with the
sound turned low. He sat in this zombie-like state until Penny returned with
two mugs of coffee and a plate of biscuits on a tray.
‘There we go, Donny darling,’ she said as she dragged an occasional table in
front of him for the tray. She took a biscuit, chocolate bourbon, and her mug
of coffee, and went and sat close to him in an upright chair, so that she was
higher than he was, making it seem as if he was her little boy and she was
there to protect him.
‘I see they’ve got snow up in Scotland,’ she said.
He nodded, his eyes glued to the television set now that a young, pretty
presenter showing some cleavage was interviewing a minor celebrity. From the
street outside came the screech of car breaks, followed by an angry blast on
the horn.
Penny watched as her Donny frowned worriedly and turned his head towards the
door.
‘It’s okay, my pet, you’re safe with me. The police have already been, months
ago. I think they might have given up.’
He laughed humourlessly. ‘Those bastards never give up. And they know I might
end up here.’
‘But I was only one of your foster parents, my precious. You had four others.’
‘Yeah, but they’re bound to know that you and Clive was the only ones who
treated me right – like proper parents.’
‘That’s ‘cause we loved you, Donny. Well…I still do. But Clive…’
She broke off, looking slightly tearful.
Donny ground a fist with his other hand. ‘Those bastards wouldn’t give me
compassionate leave for his funeral. Said I was too dangerous.’
Penny smiled sympathetically. ‘They don’t know you like I do. Don’t you want a
biscuit?’
‘Not hungry.’
‘They’re your favourites. Jaffa Cakes. I wonder why they sell them as biscuits since
they call ‘em cakes?’
Donny shrugged, and the light died in his eyes as the female presenter faded
from screen with the programme end.
‘D’you think my hair looks nice?’
Donny nodded and smiled. ‘You look great, Mum. There’s something I want to ask
you?’
‘What is it, Donny?’
‘I’m finding it difficult to sleep at night.’
‘I know. I hear you pacing up and down.’
‘I used to do that in my cell. I was biding my time. Waiting. Waiting for an
opportunity to escape.
‘But now you’re free, Donny, there’s no need to…to pace, is there?’
A cruel smiled stretched Donny’s wafer-thin lips. ‘Oh, there is. I need to get
out. Just a little walk. Maybe at night. I can’t stay cooped up forever.’
Tears sprang into Penny’s eyes, and her voice shook as she spoke. ‘Oh please,
Donny. Don’t do anything silly. Clive and me, we stood by you. But it was
terrible things what you done to those poor girls. Terrible.’
‘I won’t do anything like that ever again. I promise.’
He saw his ex-foster mother frowning, struggling between doubt and wanting to
believe him. He thought it was time to call in the brilliant actor reinforcements.
He turned to look at her, his eyes brimming with sincerity and love, and said,
‘Okay, I won’t go anywhere if you don’t want me to. But all the things I done,
that’s all behind me now. I know it was wrong. And I’ve served four years for
it. I mean, it’s not like I killed anyone, is it? But I’ll never look at a girl
like that again. I give you my solemn promise. You do believe me, don’t you?’
Penny reached across and patted and squeezed his hand. He smiled reassuringly
at her, before turning back to look at the television. A commercial showed a
blonde girl in a mini-skirt getting into a car.
Donny’s eyes lit up and, although his eyes remained neutral, inside his head
his fantasy soared into dark areas of delight.
IN EPISODE 165
Andrew tries to patch things up with his parents.