February 2006.
After a while of wondering how to broach the awkward subject, Henrietta hesitantly confronted Terry about his bankruptcy:
“Who told you that?” He enquired.
“Is it true? My solicitor heard a rumour and felt obligated to tell me about it.”
“I reckon that Rob fancies you and wants to rubbish me so he can get me out of the way. What a smug shit! Surely he realises that real businessmen have to be creative, especially when they are in a tight corner. I don’t suppose he would understand. Do you fancy him?”
“Are you bankrupt?”
“I have been. In business you have to have faith in your own ability and take chances. If it doesn’t work, you have to evaluate your options and dump those businesses and move on.”
“But you don’t owe anyone any money do you, except to me?”
“Of course not, I’m a trier not a thief! How else would I be able to lease an expensive car and get a mortgage and credit cards? You have seen them. We are a team now and this is the beginning of a whole new life for us and it must be based on trust. Surely you trust me?” He moved closer and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her deeply and passionately. “Forget the past and think of the future because from where I’m looking it is magical.” He smiled like a man in love who had everything in life to live for. Henrietta wanted to be just as happy and carefree.
“Of course I trust you, what option do I have?”
“Good girl, you know it makes sense.” He kissed her on the end of her nose.
Henrietta consciously tried to please Terry and enjoy her busy new life with him. He said he wanted to brighten every aspect of her existence and encouraged her to put her smart black outfits to the back of her cupboards and buy and entirely new wardrobe of clothes which were noticeably trendier and brighter in hue. She continued to introduce him to all of her friends whom she hoped he would also like and be happy for her to socialise with them without reproach. She wanted to have the jolly social evenings she had conceived for her new ‘couples’ life style and convinced him to allow her to invite several couples to the farm for supper, however to her surprise, none of her friends seemed to reciprocate the invitations and social occasions dried up. Henrietta’s friends did not want to hurt her feelings or spoil her chance of happiness, so were polite and always available for a ‘girls only’ get together, as before but avoided any couples social gatherings.
Terry sulked and accused Hetty of portraying him in a detrimental light to her ‘snooty’ friends yet during several emotional outbursts he implored her to help him attain their social acceptance. He emphasised his desperation to make her happy but filled her days with errands which gave her little time to spend shopping or lunching with Ruth or other friends. She saw less of Yvonne and entirely gave up on her usual Friday nights out with Louise and others at their favoured wine bars. Her absence was felt but she assured everyone she was happy and busy arranging her new home and family. Meanwhile Terry repeatedly cancelled her phone contracts and set up new ones without her authorisation or knowledge which annoyed and confused her friends who had to constantly update her contactable number.
Ruth was determined to return the loyalty she had been shown by Henrietta in the past, so continued to phone or drop in at the farm when Terry was at work. Her fierce loyalty extended to a suggestion that they turn vigilante and pick the lock of Terry’s locked briefcase to discover what secrets were hidden inside. Henrietta was shocked by Ruth’s proposed invasive spying but the friends sat at the breakfast bar until they found the illusive combination.
“What is this?” Ruth picked out two passports from the multitude of documents inside, one which was Terry’s and another which belonged to a man with the same surname and very similar looks. “Why has he got two?”
“I don’t know but I will find out. Do you think it is his brother?” They re-locked the case and put it back where Terry had hidden it at the back of the wardrobe.
Henrietta consulted once again with her friend whose husband was a police officer in the vice squad and gave her a letter which outlined her concerns about the passports she had found. A few days later Paul phoned to let her know that although it was irregular for Terry to have his brothers passport in his possession, it had been correctly applied for in line with current regulations and had replaced a former one which had expired and had been sent to the mans ‘care of’ address. There was evidently no clandestine mystery but Hetty still wanted answers for the locked and hidden case and planned to hoover out the master bedroom wardrobes one Sunday morning whilst Terry was at home.
“Terry, what’s in the hidden briefcase?” She pulled it out in front of him. He denied any secrets but explained that his brother, who now lived in Australia, had asked him to keep certain documents safe until he saw him again. Hetty accepted the plausible reason for the security and dismissed her suspicions and worries.
Terry gradually became rather emotionally and romantically distant and Hetty was troubled by his prolonged and out of character silences and his fascination with the violent films he brought home on DVD. It was blatantly obvious that Terry was not happy with his role and he did not pull his weight in the home or pay the household bills as promised. When the mortgage arrears came to her attention, she had to reluctantly take up his failed obligation as there was so much money invested in the equity of the property. He made several earnest excuses including the need to sell his flat and clear its associated mortgage which he confessed, was larger than he had previously admitted. In short; he was struggling to cope with his bills, the Christmas takings had not met his projected expectations and he had numerous un-paid invoices for the unsold festive stock.
He begged her to help ‘their’ company and was notably shocked when she informed him that she has resigned as a Director on the advice of her solicitor. They argued and Henrietta told him that she felt abused and humiliated and questioned his commitment to their personal relationship. Terry voiced his disapproval of Robert’s interference and grumbled about the financial error made by Aiden, whose negligence had put an unforeseen and catastrophic burden upon him at a very difficult time. He chose to remind Henrietta that she had the huge financial over payment sitting in her savings account and suggested she use it.
Terry also began to moan about the remote location of their new home and the awkwardness and cost of having to travel so much further to collect his children for weekends. Henrietta asked why he had encouraged her to buy the farm if it was unsuitable for his family’s social arrangements but Terry replied that ‘it was a big house and it served a purpose’ but he could not currently accept the gargantuan burden of the ruinous mortgage.
Henrietta questioned which purpose ‘it’ served and his motive for their relationship and was less than enthralled by his irresponsible and glib answers which left her feeling angry and used. When she suggested he spend the weekends at his apartment with the children, Terry told her that he had rented it out and needed to give at least two months’ notice to his tenants. She was appalled that he was collecting a considerable rent yet contributing nothing towards their household bills and although she felt devastated at the prospect of another failed relationship, she suggested they terminate their engagement and asked him to leave the farm as soon as logistically possible.
Terry felt bitter and unhappy with his sudden demotion within the household hierarchy and used his limited time at the farm to say and do small cruel things which were designed to make Henrietta question her decision, her abilities and sanity. He also encouraged his children to leave their beds unmade, drop their clothes and belongings on the floor and leave sweet wrappers anywhere they liked. Hetty felt unhappy, tired and totally disillusioned.
March 2006.
Arguments between the betrothed but antagonistic pair became frequent and animated and culminated in a fight when Terry insulted and demeaned Hetty in front of the children and made her cry. In frustration she grabbed a plate of sausages and flung them a
t Terry who dodged the plate but lurched towards her, grabbed hold of her hair and kicked her legs until they buckled and she fell to the ground. He twisted her arm up behind her back until it hurt and kicked her in the stomach and stomped on her bent legs, then grabbed hold of her pony tail and repeatedly smashed her skull against the stone flagged floor. Everyone was hysterical and screaming especially his two daughters who jumped up and down and the older girl pleaded with her father to stop and the little girl squealed loudly and almost wet herself. The adrenaline helped Henrietta endure the pain as she tried to protect herself by raising her hands to cover her face and her forearms to shelter her breasts. In spite of her panic she was nevertheless concerned for the girls’ mental and emotional wellbeing and repeatedly shouted demands that they should go outside.
When their father finally released Henrietta, he kicked her in the chest with his boot and spat on her, then strode towards his traumatised children and herded them out of the front door and into his car and took them to see the latest Disney film at the cinema. He justified his behaviour by explaining ‘that is what happens to naughty women who turn against Daddy’. They knew that something similar must have happened to their mother and his subsequent girlfriend, who Henrietta did not know, as they had also needed medical attention when their respective relationships had ended.
Henrietta’s mother heard the fracas from her kitchen and saw Terry’s car speeding out of the driveway. She came across the yard to find her daughter curled up on the hall rug, wincing and rocking back and forth in pain and her grandson by his mothers’ side crying helplessly and similarly in a state of shock. Grandma took the view that she must cuddle and comfort her grandson first and ask Hetty which one of her friends she could phone to drive her to hospital. Ruth was the only friend Hetty felt she could ask for help who would not judge.
Once the x-rays were completed and it was established that no bones were broken Henrietta was able to leave the hospital but not without social services receiving a ‘tip off’ that domestic violence had taken place in front of impressionable children of whom the youngest was only four years old.
Later that evening after Terry had returned his children to their mother, he went for a drink with an acquaintance who also ran a mobile phone shop in the city. They discussed ideas of how they might assist one another during the hard times and how and where they could make extra income to survive financially, even if it meant trading their respective client’s private information to a third party.
It was late when Terry arrived back at the farm and everyone was in bed and not expecting his return. He crept into the bedroom in the dark, took off his clothes and got into bed beside Hetty as if nothing had happened. In an unusually soft voice he told her that he was prepared to forgive her for putting such financial pressure upon him and offered to overlook the fearful experience she had made his children endure but he insisted that she must not cross him in future. Terry explained that her suspicions of his sincerity and integrity had led to the argument and that she only had herself to blame for the fight. He said that she must prove that she loved him and his children, admit that she had been disrespectful and understand that he was head of their family and that in future she must a ‘be a good girl’. She lay in the dark and dared not move any muscle until his breathing changed and she was sure he was asleep, she felt helpless, trapped and resentful and knew she had to get the cruel and manipulative bastard out of her home and her life.
She tried to calculate how much longer Terry had to wait before he could resume occupancy in his own home but she realised she also faced the dilemma of how to pay the mortgage repayments long term without an income. Her capital was severely depleted as she had lent so much to Terry for his business. Having spent so much money on the decoration of the house, she did not know whether she could recover financially. The only solution was to sell up but this time she had the compounded problem of moving her mother and letting her down too.
A week later two police officers were sent to investigate the incident on the instruction of the hospital staff and Social Services but Henrietta was too frightened to make a formal complaint and left the attack ‘on file’ in case anything else happened. On Terry’s way home from work that afternoon he saw the brightly labelled police car drive out of the farmhouse gate and demanded to know, in a calm yet threatening voice, what she had said to them. Henrietta was frightened by the evident malice in his eyes and begged him to believe that it was simply a follow up formality and that she had said nothing of consequence. Henrietta trod on eggshells and advised Oscar to do the same until he was gone.
May 2006.
The day finally arrived when the removal company would transport Terry and his belongings back from whence they came. Henrietta was almost sick with anxiety and feared that he might change his plans or cause another violent argument. Terry clattered around the house with a glum face and cardboard box in hand and every time he was near Hetty he tried to scold her for her lack of respect and effort. Henrietta avoided eye contact with him and did not respond. When he got into his car to follow the removal lorry, his parting words were that if she was stupid enough to put the love money before her love and support of a man, then she deserved to live a lonely and pitiful life. He promised her that she would soon realise the error of her misguided choice.
Grandma remained in her barn with the door locked and sat in a comfy armchair with a large gin and tonic which she raised and cheered a ‘Hurrah’ as she heard the vehicles depart. Henrietta took hold of Oscar’s hand and led him back into the house, hearts beating wildly as they sat on the snug sofa and stared at the empty space where Terry’s huge flat screen TV had previously stood. She looked at her little boy with compassion and affection and with uncharacteristic extravagance she immediately jumped up and took him to Currys to replace the TV, DVD player and order a sky box, so that Oscar would be able to keep the one treat that Terry had provided in their lives. She called in on grandma for a drink and a chat and genuinely hoped that all parties could all begin again in peace but Terry had other ideas and needs.
June 2006.
It was early on a pleasant summers weekend morning when Terry bounded in to the hall through the unlocked front door and demanded a key to the tack room, where he had inadvertently left his custom made golf clubs behind. The key was not hanging in its’ usual place and he yelled at Henrietta who panicked as she always did when he raised his voice and nervously scurried around the house randomly opening drawers and looking on window ledges for the mislaid key.
Terry stomped outside and stood beside the locked tack room door and began to count out loud. When he had counted slowly and loudly to ten, he picked up one of the logs from the fire wood stack and hurled it through the window causing shattered glass to fall inside and out and leaving large pointed spikes around the frame. Whilst Henrietta continued to search for the key, Oscar appeared in his pyjamas and slippers and Terry forced him climb up the wobbly pile of logs and through the broken window and unlatch the door.
Terry left Oscar in tears and Henrietta shaking with fear and anger. Her mother appeared in the yard in her towelling bathrobe and asked what the commotion was about, as she had heard a crashing sound and loud shouting whilst in her shower. She was very disturbed when she was told what had happened and that the dreadful man she despised had once again upset the ones she loved. She silently vowed that if the police couldn’t do anything and her daughter was too frightened, then she would stand up to him if there was a next time.
This she did, when he returned a week later to collect his mail. He passed the outbuilding where Grandma had just taken the gardener a mug of tea and suddenly they were uncomfortably face to face.
“I suppose you’ve come to take money from my daughter have you? You despicable leach.”
“Mind your own business and get on with your washing. Keep your nose out of my affairs!”
“My daughter and my grandson are my business and I won’t let you hurt them again. Please leav
e immediately!” She demanded.
Terry laughed at her and shoved his face up close to hers and sneered.
“What are you going to do about it? You are an interfering old cow who needs to join your dead husband and get out of my way.”
“Oh, you’d love that wouldn’t you? Then you could get your hands on even more money!”
“Great idea, let’s get it over with now.” He grabbed hold of her shoulders. “You’re going in that pond and I’ll hold your head under the water until the bubbles stop. You fucking bitch!”
“You don’t frighten me, you fowl mouthed parasite, you’re pathetic!” She said whilst he opened the five bar gate onto the garden and began nudging and shoving her gradually down the grass incline towards the huge lily covered pond. The gardener appeared silently in the doorway of the stable with a very large shiny hammer in his hand and spoke:
“I think I’d stop that if I were you!” Terry was shocked and turned.
The Unsuspecting Housewife Page 6