Everything to Nothing

by Mark Henthorne

  She got up in the late morning of Wednesday and when she went downstairs for some breakfast she was not surprised to see her mother sat watching the Jeremy Kyle Show while consuming a bottle of whiskey. Sarah was just in her knickers and bra but this did not concern her as she leant over and pecked her mum on the forehead. Her mum gazed vacantly up at her and muttered a good morning and then turned her attention back to the television.

  Sarah stood next to her and watched the program for a few moments. This show was typical of the Kyle show and other similar shows such as Jerry Springer. Basically it consisted of numerous unemployed people embarrassing themselves on national television, talking about their problems and woes which Jeremy would then try to correct. Sarah laughed at the irony that this particular program was about people drinking too much alcohol. She could not help wondering whether her mum would learn anything that would lead her to reducing her vast consumption of alcohol but she very much doubted it.

  ‘Mum, I’m going out tonight.’

  ‘Okay dear. You have a good time, but before you go could you nip to the market for me and get me something nice for tea?’

  Sarah thought that maybe she was not too bad today; she never usually asked for food.

  ‘And some beer.’

  ‘Beer mum?’ This was a new one.

  ‘Yes deary, beer. I’m trying to cut down on spirits.’

  Sarah near enough staggered. ‘You’re trying to cut down?! Mum, in the last few days and nights you’ve drank bottles and bottles of spirits ranging from whiskey right through to absinthe! No matter how hard I try you always want to drink. And now you’ve suddenly decided to cut down?!’

  ‘This program has really made me think. I don’t want to end up like them.’

  ‘Jeremy Kyle is going to help you stop drinking?! You won’t listen to what I’ve been trying to tell you for months, but you’re listening to Jeremy fucking Kyle?! Bloody hell mum, this I got to see! If you’re serious about packing in then let me take this whiskey and pour it down the sink.’

  ‘Take it. I would have done it myself but it was the only drink I could find.’

  ‘Well, if you wanted to pack in you wouldn’t have started to drink this, you would have poured it away yourself!’

  ‘I know darling, but like he says,’ she nodded towards the television, ‘one step at a time.’

  ‘Right, okay.’

  ‘And I’d like you to organise me an appointment with the alcohol organisation.’

  ‘Mum, I organised a meeting with them for you a few months ago which resulted in you getting a national ban from all their meetings!’

  ‘But I’ve never been to one of their meetings before. You sort it out for your mum.’ She patted Sarah’s arm and returned to the watching the program, but Sarah was not going to let it go that easily.

  ‘What the hell do you mean you’ve never been to a meeting before?! You went there, and, and…’ Sarah was bordering upon speechless.

  ‘Book me a meeting deary. There’s a leaflet over there.’

  ‘You really don’t remember do you?’ Sarah shook her head in bewilderment. ‘You got thrown out. You offered the other members a drink from a bottle of whiskey!’

  ‘I’m sure I didn’t.’

  ‘But you did! I had to come and get you, which was the most embarrassing moment of my entire life!’

  ‘Book me a meeting. There’s a leaflet over there.’ Sarah again shook her head in bewilderment and reached for the bottle of whiskey. ‘Leave that for now. Get me some beer and I’ll pour it away then.’

  ‘Right, okay then mum.’

  ‘Phone up now for me.’

  ‘Right okay mum.’

  Sarah took a few steps over to the phone and picked up the leaflet. She took a deep breath and dialled.

  ‘Hello.’

  ‘Hi, my name is Sarah Jones.’

  ‘Hello Sarah. How can I help you today?’

  ‘I was wondering whether I can ask you to allow my mum to attend one of your meetings?’

  ‘Of course Sarah. But can I ask you one question; it is your mum who you’re phoning for, not you?’

  ‘No, genuinely my mum.’

  ‘And has your mum asked you to call or is this something you are doing without her knowledge? Because if she does not want to come herself then her attending a meeting will not be beneficial.’

  Sarah contemplated this question for a moment and then with a touch of pride in her voice stated, ‘No, it is something she has asked me to do for her.’

  ‘That’s good. We’re actually meeting tonight. Will she be able to come?’

  It would mean cancelling the date but Sarah quickly made the decision that this was more important. ‘Yes, definitely.’

  ‘Very good. What was your surname again and also your mum’s?’

  ‘Both our surnames are Jones.’

  ‘Okay, fine.’ Sarah heard her tapping on a computer. ‘Jones, Jones, Jones. And your mum’s first name and postcode?’

  Sarah told her.

  ‘Ah, here we go. Oh! Oh dear! Erm, let me confirm those details with you.’

  Sarah confirmed the details with her.

  ‘Well, it looks like your mother caused a little bit of trouble the last time she attended a meeting. I’ve never seen anyone given a national ban before Sarah.’

  ‘She’s better now. Last time I made her go, she didn’t want to, now she does. Can you not give her a chance?’

  ‘I’ll have to ask. Can you confirm your telephone number for me?’

  Sarah did so.

  ‘I’ll call you back very shortly.’

  Sarah paced around the living room while her mother continued to watch television. After five minutes the phone rang and Sarah dashed to answer it.

  ‘Hello, is that Sarah?’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  ‘Hello Sarah. My name is Jim and I was the leader of the meeting that your mother attended. I’m sorry to say that what your mother did that night was the worst I have ever seen in many years of leading meetings. There is no possible way we could offer her a place. I’m very sorry.’

  ‘But, but she is willing to stop! I really believe that with some help and guidance she could stop drinking.’

  ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t be persuaded. We have to consider our other members. Some of them were deeply shaken with what your mother did. I’m sorry. Good-bye.’

  Sarah started to speak again but he had already hung up. She turned round to face her mother. ‘Great mum! Well done! The only meeting for alcoholics in our area and you’re banned from it for life! Well fucking done!’

  ‘Never mind. I’ll take care of it myself. Could you move out of the way of the television please deary?’

  ‘You’ll take care of it yourself?!’Sarah was again left speechless so she stormed out of the living room and back upstairs. ‘Sort it out herself!’ she ranted as she threw on some clothes and a jacket. ‘This I got to see!’

  *

  Sarah took her time strolling the couple of miles to the supermarket. She would have taken the bus but she needed the money to help towards buying some food and some cosmetics for her date. It was a cold day and she muttered against the government who were trying to reduce the number of cars on the roads, yet the price of public transport was generally more expensive than driving. It made no sense to her.

  She strolled around the supermarket too, taking her time, in no rush to get home. In front of the lipsticks she thought about which dress to wear that night and found a lipstick that matched and was not too expensive. Having naturally good skin and being naturally pretty, she did not use much makeup, however, she did need some more foundation so she picked her usual and moved on. When walking through the lingerie section she noticed a gorgeous set of deep red lingerie. She first checked the size which was fine and then the price discovering there was no way she could afford it. She then checked for a security tag and was pleased to see that there was not one fitted. Then she quickly glanced around and up
along the walls and the ceilings, looking for people then cameras. She did not see either so she did what she always did when faced with something that she could not buy; she slid it very quickly and discreetly with a practiced hand under her jacket.

  She got her mum’s beer after this simple act of shoplifting, she opted for eight Carling, nothing too strong, and hoped that it would indeed be a start for her mum. Sarah thought she was helping her mother’s addiction by giving her weaker alcohol. She did not realise that she was still fuelling her addiction and still making it worse. This thought did not occur to her though so she brazenly approached the cashier and paid for all the items in her trolley, her jacket easily hiding the stolen lingerie. She strolled out of the supermarket, past the security point, and walked at a faster pace home as the temperature had dropped while she was shopping and shoplifting. On arriving home her mother was asleep, but Sarah noticed that the whiskey had been consumed.

  Shaking her head she took the bottle into the kitchen and before throwing it into the bin she peered into it and noticed three empty bottles of spirits already in there. She had emptied the bin about twenty-four hours ago, so presuming that her mother had slept for at least eight of those twenty-four hours, that left sixteen hours and even Sarah, maths not being her strong point, could work out that her mum had consumed at least one bottle of spirits every four hours. Not for the first time that day, Sarah shook her head in bewilderment. She unpacked the shopping and placed the beer in the fridge and then took her new makeup upstairs with her as she started to slowly get ready for her date.

  *

  Peter’s day was spent chilling out and tidying his parent’s house in preparation for his visitor that night. His parents were still away and he had no intention of leaving the house with Sarah tonight even though he knew that she was probably expecting to be taken out and wined and dined. At around seven o’clock that evening he got up from the sofa where he had been watching some snooker and started to get ready. When it got to quarter past eight and she still had not arrived he was reaching for his mobile when there was a tapping on his door. He walked down the hallway, checking himself in the mirror before opening the door. Peter was actually surprised about how good she looked.

  Sarah had lightly curled her blonde hair into ringlets and applied a little makeup, highlighting her big, brown eyes which were sparkling. She wore a rich blue dress that was low cut and her new bra pushed up her breasts into an inviting cleavage. The dress was also short, and her legs looked toned and tanned after she had applied a subtle tanning lotion to them. He almost felt guilty about what he had planned, the drugs and the sex, but he quickly toughened himself up mentally and told himself that she was just another person to exploit, to take pleasure from and then forget.

  ‘Are you going to invite me in or keep me standing on the doorway?’

  ‘Sorry, come in, come in. I was just considering how beautiful you look tonight!’

  ‘Thank you. Very nice of you to say.’

  She pecked him on his lips, then turned and walked into the house. He followed her, admiring the back of her legs and her tight bottom. Taking her arm he led her into the kitchen.

  ‘Wine?’

  ‘Yes please.’

  ‘Red, white or rosé?’

  ‘Rosé please.’

  ‘No problem.’ He opened the fridge and took out a bottle of rosé and poured each of them a glass.

  ‘What have you got planned for us tonight?’

  ‘Whatever you want to do Sarah. We could go out for a meal, go for drinks or go for a movie. What do you think?’

  ‘How about all of the above, but without the going out part?’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m sure. We can eat here, get a Chinese or something, we can drink here and we can watch a movie here. Plus, if we go out there are no beds are there?’ Peter’s surprise must have shown in his face. ‘I’m not a shy girl Peter. I didn’t go to this effort to sit here and play chess.’

  ‘I, I suppose not. Just not used to my dates being, well, so forward.’

  Sarah walked towards him, swinging her hips, her heels tapping on the tiled floor. ‘Are you complaining? Would you prefer it if I was a demure, naïve girl, someone who you’ve got to date for months before you get into my knickers?’ By the end of this sentence she was pressing herself against his body, rubbing against him.

  ‘I like you just the way you are, and if you want to be forward then that’s fine with me. It wasn’t a complaint.’

  ‘Good, I’m glad to hear that. So, what are you going to do about it?’

  *

  Sarah’s mind was racing. She had no idea that she was going to be this open with him, this forward. It was her full intention to have a proper date for once, have a meal, watch a movie, some kissing with her knickers staying firmly on her body. But, she really liked him, and after seeing him stood in the doorway looking so handsome and smelling so good, she knew that she wanted him to be her boyfriend, to date her seriously. Unfortunately, the only way she knew to get a man to like her was to offer herself to him, quickly and openly.

  *

  ‘What am I going to do about it? For now, nothing.’ He kissed her quickly on the cheek.

  Sarah did not know what to say. She had never been refused before when offering herself in this manner. ‘What do you mean nothing?’

  ‘We’ve got all night.’ It was then that he saw the look in her eyes and realised that he may have actually offended her by slowing the seduction down a little.

  ‘I really like you. I was just trying to show you how much.’

  ‘I know you like me and I like you too as proven the other night. But there are other ways you can show a guy you like them Sarah, without offering to shag them at the opening to a date.’

  ‘Okay, I’m sorry. I just thought you’d like me more if I gave you sex.’

  ‘I do like you, and you look amazing tonight. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just see how the night unfolds.

  *

  Peter’s mind was also racing. He could not believe he was knocking back sex, yet there was a method to his madness, or that was what he was quickly trying to convince himself. His thoughts were that he needed to get the drugs involved somewhere tonight and then his plan of getting her hooked and her paying for it with sex would start to happen. There was another question too though that he was thinking about, should he get the heroin involved? He would just see how the night developed.

  ‘Why don’t we go and relax in the living room, have some more drinks and see what the night brings? To be perfectly honest, I’ll be gutted and regret it if I don’t make love to you tonight. Let’s build up to it though, be romantic.’

  ‘Okay. That sounds fine and lovely. Sorry. I don’t want to put you off. I’m not very good at the whole date thing. Not been on many.’

  ‘I don’t know why not. You’re lovely.’

  He leaned forward and pecked her on the lips to which responded by pressing her body against his again. Peter leaned away though, and then took her hand and guided her into the lounge. They curled up together on the settee, cuddled and hugged together and exchanged a few more kisses, some which lingered and were more exploratory. Eventually, Peter suggested ordering some food and they both agreed on Chinese which was delivered from a local restaurant.

  After consuming this they decided together on a film to watch during which they had more kisses and in fact missed the end of the film as their hands were now exploring each other’s bodies. Peter had just run the zip down on the back of her dress and she had just unfastened his belt with a touch of eagerness, when Peter’s mobile rang. She moaned as he reached to answer and he was just going to busy the call when he noticed that for some reason Reg, his supplier, was calling him. ‘Shit! What the hell does he want? Hello Reg. How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine thanks Peter. And you?’

  ‘Top drawer. To what do I owe this pleasure?’

  ‘Spot check. You know the drill. I want to
know your inventory and money taken. Then I’ll compare to how much you show me on Saturday.’

  ‘Right, okay. Can I get back to you tomorrow? A bit busy at the moment.’

  ‘No. You’ve got an hour.’

  ‘Okay then. I’ll call you then.’

  ‘No, I’ll call you in exactly an hour. Make sure you’re ready.’

  Reg did not wait for a reply and Peter stood up from the settee throwing his mobile onto a chair and he fastened his belt.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Sarah sat up looking concerned.

  ‘I’ve got to do something. Actually, you can help if you want, if you don’t mind, then we can get back to our date. This isn’t something I can get out of unfortunately.

  ‘Okay. I’ll help. No problem.’

  ‘Thanks. Follow me then.’

  He led her by the hand upstairs into his bedroom. The house had been changed since it was originally built. The entrance to the attic was originally above the landing, but since his room had been extended the entrance was in a corner of his bedroom. He stretched up to the attic hatch and pulled it down which clicked a mechanism that lowered the ladder. Quickly climbing up, he grabbed two large suitcases, swung them down and lowered them onto the floor.

  Peter climbed back down the ladder and flung open one of the suitcases. Sarah let out a gasp as she saw the contents and let out another gasp when the second suitcase was opened. The first case was full of ecstasy tablets, bags upon bags of them.

  ‘Can you count those bags for me? Each bag should contain fifty tabs. Don’t count all the tabs, but spot check every five and see that they contain fifty. Write down on this piece of paper the number of bags in total and the number of bags you spot checked.’