EPISODE THIRTY-EIGHT

After hurrying out of the house, Mike spotted Andrew about a hundred yards away, going along St. John’s Road towards the centre of Tunbridge Wells. Instead of following him, Mike went into the Kelsey Arms, bought himself a pint of bitter, then sat on the benches outside. He dialled Maggie’s number on his mobile. Her daughter answered and Mike heard her squabbling with her brother over who should deal with the phone call. The boy won and went to call his mother. When she came to the phone, Maggie answered ‘Hello?’ cautiously, as if she was expecting more bad news.
‘It’s Mike,’ he announced. ‘I know I said I’d ring on a weekday but I had to speak to you.’
‘Why? What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to hear your voice again.’
He heard her quick intake of breath and he felt insecure. Was she irritated by his phone call? Perhaps she didn’t want to see him again.
‘Mike,’ she said, ‘it’s Sunday. Why aren’t you at home?’
‘I’ve got some work to do,’ he lied. ‘And as I’m between customers, I thought I’d give you a bell.’
A motorbike shot by on the main road, the decibels loudly deafening. He didn’t hear what Maggie said.
‘Sorry?’
‘I said as long as you’re sure everything’s all right.’
‘Why wouldn’t it be? So when am I going to see you again? It’s been nearly two weeks since we...’
‘What about Thursday? About one o’clock.’
‘That’ll make it nearly three weeks. Can’t you make it sooner? What about tomorrow?’
‘No, I’m sorry. I can’t.’
‘Why not? Half Term’s over now.’
‘No, Mike. I can’t. ’She sounded annoyed. ‘It has to be Thursday. Like it or lump it.’
‘Guess I’ll have to lump it then,’ he replied hurriedly. ‘The time’ll drag until Thursday. I miss you.’
‘Yeah. Me too.’
‘I love you.’
‘Don’t be stupid, Mike. See you.’
An abrupt click and she was gone. He stuck his mobile back in his pocket and took a sip of his beer. He winced slightly. It tasted weak and flat. Like his mood, now that his conversation with Maggie had ended. It was an anti-climax. He smiled grimly to himself as he realized why he was off his beer, then quickly downed the rest of it.
He went inside The Kelsey for another pint. Maybe the second one would taste better.

A mighty wall of sound blasted Jackie and Nigel as they stood framed in the living room doorway, a look of stunned disbelief on their faces. Seeing them enter, the musicians exchanged looks, grinned, shrugged, and carried on playing. Vanessa and Nicky, who were sitting on speaker cabinets, drinking cans of beer, saw their mother’s numbed expression as she attempted to absorb what she was seeing: the snake-like mass of wire and electronic equipment cluttering her lounge.
Jackie turned and fled, followed by Nigel. Vanessa and Nicky scrambled across the clutter and caught them up outside the front door.
‘How dare you!’ Jackie screamed.
‘It’s only a rehearsal,’ Vanessa shouted. ‘They had nowhere else to rehearse.’
‘We thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow,’ said Nicky sheepishly, but no-one heard her.
‘Haven’t you any consideration for the neighbours?’ Nigel yelled.
Vanessa stared at him. ‘What?’
He shouted louder. ‘The neighbours!’
‘Our immediate neighbours on the left are away. And on the right they said they’d go out for the afternoon.’
‘And what about me?’ shrieked Jackie. ‘I can’t stand this noise. And that mess. ’She turned to Nigel. ‘I’m taking you up on your offer. I’ll move in with you right away.’
Nigel grinned and grabbed the handle of her suitcase. ‘I’ll put your things in my car.’
‘But, Mum...’ Nicky whined.
‘I’ve had enough!’ Jackie snapped. ‘When Nigel and I get married, we’ll sort something out for you two. But, up until then, I’m going to live at his place. And we’ll eventually be putting this place on the market and combining both our properties into one big one.’
Vanessa looked miffed. ‘But what about us?’
‘That’s your problem.’
‘But you can’t just leave us to our own devices.’
‘You’re both old enough to fend for yourselves.’
Nigel returned from having put Jackie’s suitcase in the boot of his car. He had a smug-self-satisfied tilt to his mouth, which Vanessa wanted to slap.
‘What are you grinning at?’ she demanded.
‘I don’t think this is the time or place...’ he began.
‘Piss off!’ she screamed.
‘Charming!’ he said, with an infuriating expression of self-righteousness. ‘Come on, darling. Let’s get to my place and unbend.’
As they walked to the car, Jackie corrected Nigel. ‘I think you mean unwind, darling.’
‘I expect I do,’ Nigel smirked.
Vanessa and Nicky watched their mother depart with increasing dread. It had all gone horribly wrong. Now they would have to fend for themselves.