Genius

by Clare Nonhebel

CHAPTER 57

  Keith was coming home. Dad, Grandad and Andrew came to the hospital to fetch him.

  'Mum's getting the lunch ready,’ Andrew told him. ‘Jessica's helping.’

  Keith smiled.

  As usual, the hall was decked with bunting and unseasonal paper chains. A helium balloon with WELCOME HOME, KEITH printed on it hovered near the ceiling, with its string hanging just out of reach of the tormented tabby cat, who kept making frantic leaps for it.

  'Darling!’ His mother came out of the kitchen and hugged him. 'Is it good to be back?’

  'Very good,’ said Keith.

  'We're having an early lunch because I know you - once you get near your computer again we won't see you!’

  'Is it hooked up yet?’ He could only turn his head slightly but his father was used to knowing when a question was aimed at him.

  'It is. We had a bit of trouble with it; had to get your IT teacher over to show us what to do. But now you're ready to cruise the Internet, man!’

  'My teacher? Came out here to help?’

  'Saturday morning. Nice of him, wasn't it?’

  'It certainly was. I'll have to thank him.’

  'A lot of people care about you, son. He was only too pleased to help, and glad to hear you were coming home. You'll get a good welcome when you go back to school.’

  They went into the dining-room. Paper napkins were folded into flower-shapes by every plate and a table decoration of leaves and silver twigs was the centrepiece.

  'What's all this elegant living?’ said Keith.

  ‘Jessica did it,’ said his mother. 'Isn't she clever?’

  'It looks terrific,’ said Keith. He hoped there wouldn't be too much to eat. He always felt a bit emotional, coming home, enveloped in everyone's relief that, once again, he'd made it through the operation and had come back to them.

  'Did you tell him the news?’ Jessica asked Andrew.

  'Not yet. He and Dad wouldn't stop talking modems and software.’

  'What news?’ Keith asked.

  'You tell him,’ said Andrew generously.

  'No, it's okay; you can,’ Jessica responded.

  'Why not wait for Christmas, while you argue about it,’ Grandad joked, 'and let Santa Claus tell him? Oh no, of course, then it would be too late because the date for the TV show would be past by then ... ooops! Nearly let it slip!’

  'Oh, Grandad,’ Andrew protested. 'You told him!’

  'Am I going to be on it, then?’ asked Keith.

  'Yes,’ Andrew said. 'The letter came this morning.’

  'It's going to be you and two children,’ Jessica said. 'A boy genius and a girl acrobat.’

  She looked much happier, Keith thought; her eyes were shining, her hair was newly washed and she was wearing what was probably her best dress. He was glad he had insisted that his mother should invite her to this family occasion. Family was what she needed. And Andrew's sense of responsibility for her would be shared. He looked more relaxed as well. Keith was happy.

  'Well!’ he said. 'An acrobat! I'll have to practise my handstands, to compete with that. What kind of genius is the boy?’

  'Don't know yet,’ Andrew said. 'Mum was going to phone them up to ask for details of how to get to the studios but Dad said to wait until you were home, in case there were any questions you wanted to ask as well.’

  'Like whether to wear a flowery hat,’ said Grandad. 'That's really what your mother's ringing to ask them. She wants to be sure she's wearing the same kind of outfit as every other woman in the audience, so she won't feel out of place.’

  'Ooh no, not the same outfit,’ Dad retorted. 'That would be a disaster. She'd have to come all the way home again and change! She wants to be sure she's wearing something unique but similar enough to the others not to stand out. Isn't that it?’

  'Take no notice of them,’ Mum told Jessica. 'What do they understand? They're only men.’

  Jessica giggled. 'So what are you going to wear?’

  'I haven't decided yet.’

  'There you are!’ said Grandad. 'She has to consult the powers­that-be before she can make such a major decision. I mean, they might not let her in if she was wearing last year's fashion, might they?’

  'What are you going to wear for it, Keith?’ Jessica asked.

  'I haven't thought about it,’ Keith said.

  'You can wear that bow tie,’ said Mum, 'with your suit.’

  'No way,’ said Keith. 'NO WAY is anyone putting a bow tie on me! That is my last word on the subject,’ he added, seeing his mother open her mouth.

  She laughed. 'I can't say anything to you these days! He's got such a mind of his own,’ she complained to Grandad.

  'I should hope so, a grandson of mine. Are we ever going to eat or are we all going to stand round gassing all day? And talking of gas - where's that champagne?’

  They had only finished the soup when the doorbell rang. Dad was in the kitchen carving the chicken, Mum was chopping up Keith's portion into small pieces, and Jessica and Andrew were carrying out the empty soup bowls and bringing in the gravy and roast potatoes. So it was Grandad who, getting to his feet with a groan of, 'Now who can that be?’ went to answer the door. And it was Grandad who returned, like a very old man.

  Grey in the face and shaking, he took his place at the table, clutching the edge of it. Everyone was alarmed.

  'What's happened?’

  'Who was it, Grandad?’

  'The police,’ he said. 'Wanting to know if we'd heard from Dan. They're coming back later this afternoon. They want us to give them some photos of him.’

  'Uncle Dan? Has something happened to him?’ Andrew was alarmed.

  Grandad hung his head.

  'They've already got that photo we gave the police when we reported that Dan had gone missing,’ said Mum. 'Why do they want more now? Oh no - Dad, he's not been found ...?’

  'He's not dead,’ Grandad said. 'We might live to wish that he was.’

  'Dad! How can you say such a thing? Your own son!’

  Keith's father went round the table and laid a hand on his father­in-law's shoulder. 'Has there been some report of him? Has he done something?’

  'They have some clues as to his whereabouts,’ said Grandad heavily. 'They haven't got him. They need more evidence.’

  'Evidence of what?’

  Grandad shook his head. 'Not now,’ he said. 'This is a family celebration. God damn Daniel, he's not going to spoil it for us. Serve the meal.’

  They ate obediently. Keith's mother failed to keep up the usual stream of cheerful remarks. Andrew hardly ate anything, Keith noticed. Uncle Dan and he had always been close, till Dan disappeared one night with no word to anyone. Jessica was nervous. Whatever the trouble was, Keith thought, it would be better spoken out loud than pondered in this heavy silence. This family was full of taboo subjects. Keith had broken the one about his death. But the taboo about Uncle Dan wasn't his to break. He supposed it was Grandad's. Even his mother hardly mentioned her brother Dan in front of him.

  No one knew what Grandad had felt when Dan left. He had gone back to his own house and shut himself away for days. When he came back, he hadn't wanted to talk about his son and by tacit agreement his name wasn't mentioned again in front of Grandad. Till now, by two uniformed police officers calling to the door in the middle of Keith's homecoming meal.