Fireworks to Thailand

by J. R. Bonham

  “Gran doesn’t think we need another car!” Louise announced.

  “Oh, doesn’t she? Really?” Jan was a little annoyed to hear this. Betty was in her own kitchen making her lunch, with her radio on.

  They were walking towards the kitchen and Jan noticed that Betty was busy with her lunch, so she didn’t think she was listening or taking any notice. How wrong she was. Betty was up to speed on everything that went on in that house without, sometimes, saying anything.

  “Not only that. Washing up in the sink with rubber gloves is also going to be a thing of the past! We’ve bought a dishwasher!” Jan told the children.

  “I can’t think why you need a dishwasher!” Betty interjected. She had been eavesdropping as usual. “What’s wrong with rubber gloves and a bowl of good old fashioned hot water? Those dishwashers are lethal! They don’t wash anything properly, it’s a waste of money! But of course, it’s nothing to do with me!”

  “You are joking!” Jan exclaimed. “Dishwashers do actually wash things much better than with a bowl of hot water and Fairy liquid. In fact, so much so, everything is almost sterilised! And, not only that, it prevents breakages because things are stacked properly and not all milling around in a bowl.” Jan was starting to get exasperated with her mother-in-law’s interfering ways. This wasn’t the first time she had voiced her opinions.

  ‘So there! One thing you’re right about though, it is nothing to do with you,’ Jan thought.

  Jan didn’t like the way Betty arrived in her kitchen every morning, creeping quietly past Jan whilst she was washing up. She always faced the window and then suddenly she would notice Betty was in her kitchen completely ignoring Jan. She never ever bothered to say ‘Good Morning’, then she would put the radio on. This really annoyed Jan. She never told Geoff about it because she knew he would think it was too petty for words. At least with a new dishwasher, washing up would be a thing of the past. Everything would be much quicker in the mornings, saving time before she went off to work.

  “Anyway, you haven’t got the room for it,” Betty tried again. Louise was listening intently and this time she agreed with her Gran and was waiting for an explanation. Jan didn’t bother to answer. She had explained to Geoff where she wanted it and he agreed it would fit. It was nothing to do with anyone else, it was her kitchen and soon enough when it arrived they would see where it was going to go. She went to get changed and went into the garden for some peace.

  A good day thoroughly spoiled as far as she was concerned.

  Chapter 20

  Louise passed all her ‘O’ Levels later on that year with good grades. She was looking forward to the school holidays and even more so when she started back at school in the sixth form. From now on, it was going to be co-ed. Boys! She was starting to like the company of boys, although she didn’t know that many.

  “I want to do something special for Louise for passing her exams,” Jan told Geoff one day in their bedroom – so eavesdropping ears couldn’t hear. “I thought it would be nice to take her up to London to see the sights and maybe take in a show. She’s always mentioned how much she’d like to see Starlight Express. I’d like to take her as a special treat. What d’you think?”

  “I think that’s a silly idea. Why can’t you take her to the cinema here, somewhere local? I expect Steven would like to go too,” Geoff stated in no uncertain terms.

  “Yes, but then it’s not something special for her, is it? When Steven passes his exams then we can do something special for him. She’s worked really hard this last year to get good results and now she should be reaping the benefits. I know when I was at school I didn’t work very hard and only passed one ‘O’ Level first time. I had the slog of taking them all over again and wasted a year. She hasn’t got to do that because she worked hard first time around.”

  “Forget it!”

  “Well, I shall think of something else in that case.”

  Nothing more was said on the subject and Louise wasn’t even aware that her mum was trying to do the best for her. Jan wasn’t put off and she looked out to see what else there was she could do that was special for her clever daughter.

  A few weeks later Jan saw an advert for the Norwegian group ‘A-ha’ who were playing at a venue in Bristol. She knew that Louise liked the lead singer, Morten Harket. In fact, Jan herself liked him, but she never admitted it to Geoff for fear of his jealous streak. She bought two tickets and told him later that evening that she was going to take Louise to see the group – whether he liked it or not. She told him that as it was on a Saturday, they would go up that day, go to the show and afterwards go on to stay with John and Vera for the night – and come back on Sunday.

  A few weeks went by before she told Louise about her surprise.

  “Wow! I can’t believe it! I can’t wait! I love Morton Harket!” Louise was so excited. “Thanks, Mum, you’re the best.”

  “I’m so pleased. I can’t wait either! We’ll have a great time, just you and I. Girls together!”

  The show was at the beginning of December. The day before the trip to Bristol, there was the biggest snowstorm they had had in years. Louise and Steven had never ever seen snow first hand. They knew what it was of course, but Devon hadn’t had proper snow for over twenty years. There were snowdrifts and people were literally snowed in.

  “I haven’t seen snow like this since 1963 when I was 13,” said Jan disappointedly. “I wonder if it will disappear before tomorrow? I do hope so but be prepared for the worst, Lulu. If we can’t go, I’m really sorry. I can’t drive up to Bristol in this, it’s just not safe.” She gave Louise a hug. She knew how disappointed she was going to be if they couldn’t go.

  To make matters worse, it snowed even more overnight. Instead of leaving on Saturday morning, they were scraping snow off the driveway and putting down salt. It had been freezing overnight and so there was ice under the snow which made it treacherous underfoot.

  “Well, I’m not going anywhere… and it looks like you’re not either! That was a waste of money, wasn’t it?” Betty gloated. She always had to foist her own opinion on everyone else. Jan was getting sick of it.

  “No. We’re not. Thanks for pointing that out! Louise is very disappointed and so am I for that matter.” Jan didn’t want to say any more on the subject in case she said something she might regret later. She went in search of Geoff instead. She found him in the garage, putting antifreeze in the radiator tanks of both cars. Something he meant to do a week or so ago, before the winter started in earnest.

  “When is your mother going to hear from the council I wonder? She did put in for a flat, didn’t she? I don’t know if I can take any more of her interfering.”

  “I don’t know! What’s she done now?”

  “Petty bitching, nothing different. I can’t bear it.”

  “Oh, dear. Are you hormonal again?”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, that’s got nothing to do with anything. Are you ever on my side?” Jan was getting exasperated. She stormed out of the garage, muttering under her breath. ‘I hate you! And your bloody mother. I wish you would both just go to hell and never come back!’ She felt a tiny bit better after that outburst of thoughts in her head.

  “Steven!” she shouted when she got back in the house.

  “What!” Steven shouted back at his mother. He could tell she wasn’t in the best of moods. ‘Better humour her,’ he thought. “Yes, Mum, what do you want?”

  “This dog isn’t going to walk himself, is he?”

  “No, Mum he isn’t, is he?”

  “And less of the sarcasm. I’m not in the mood for it.” Jan was wondering if actually, she might be a tiny bit hormonal. She thought, ‘Better rein it in and try to be a bit calmer.’

  Betty by this time had disappeared to the sanctuary of her room and shut the door.

  “I’m going, I’m going!” Steven cried when he noticed his mother
glaring at him. “Look, I’m getting my shoes on. Although I think I might need my wellies looking at the thickness of the snow.” Steven knew when it was a good idea to behave better, and now was the time.

  “Yes.” Jan was calmer already. “Be careful you don’t slip. You don’t have to go too far with him in this weather but he does need his exercise.”

  “OK, I get the message.” With that, he got Hamish’s lead and disappeared out of the back door.

  Louise appeared and she seemed very subdued.

  “I know you’re disappointed and I’m so sorry.” Jan tried to make Louise feel better. “I’ll make it up to you somehow. I’ll think of something. That’s the only problem with arranging things when you don’t really know what the weather is going to do. Honestly, you wouldn’t believe it, we haven’t had snow in about twenty odd years and it has to come now!”

  “I know. You did your best. I suppose we have Christmas to look forward to.”

  “Yes.” But Jan was dreading Christmas. Really dreading it. “I’ll have to start buying presents soon. I’ll start with you. What would you like for Christmas?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “That’s not very helpful, is it? You’ll just have to have what I choose then. And you might not like it.”

  “Well, OK. There’s a lovely dress I’ve seen but it’s quite expensive! There’s an end-of-term Christmas party that all my friends are going to and I’d like to look nice.”

  “OK. A special party dress for Lulu it is then.” Jan was pleased to at least have one idea for Christmas out of the way. “You must look nice for the boys!”

  Steven had come back in with Hamish and heard the tail end of the conversation.

  “Oh, yes! What boys are these?” he asked.

  “Never you mind. It’s got nothing to do with you. Don’t pick up fag ends,” Jan said to him.

  Steven went bright red in the face. “What d’you mean? What fag ends?”

  “It’s just a saying. It means don’t interfere in what isn’t anything to do with you.”

  Louise was listening to the conversations and she noticed Steven blushing. She wasn’t going to leave it there. She would have it out with him and hang whoever was going to hear. She felt she had kept quiet for long enough.

  “Why are you blushing, Steven?” she asked.

  “I’m not! It’s very cold outside and now I’ve come indoors, I’ve got hot,” he explained.

  “Oh, nothing to do with fag ends? Cigarettes? Etc?” Louise was loving this. Embarrassing her brother in front of their mother.

  “Come to think of it, you do smell like you’ve been smoking!” Jan said to Steven.

  “I met a friend who was smoking. It must be that you can smell,” he continued.

  “You haven’t been out long enough.” Louise wouldn’t leave it alone.

  “Empty your pockets and let’s see,” Jan insisted.

  “No! Leave me alone!” With that, he ran upstairs to his bedroom and slammed the door. ‘This isn’t the reaction of someone innocent,’ Jan thought. She hoped she was wrong, but she wasn’t going to leave it there. She would leave him for the time being until she had thought how she was going to handle the situation.

  “How long have you known?” she asked Louise.

  “Probably about a year. I tackled him one day after he came back from taking Hamish out when he was a puppy. He said the same thing to me. That he had met a friend who had been smoking.”

  “Oh, dear. I can’t be a very good mum if I missed that. He’s far too young to smoke, it’ll ruin his health. I know your dad used to smoke, but he gave it up when my asthma got worse. I suppose his friends put him up to it and now he’s hooked. I’d better have a word with your dad and see what he says. It would probably be better coming from him, man to man. Steven won’t open up to me.”

  Jan went back out to the garage where Geoff was taking refuge. He had found a few more odd jobs to do until he felt that Jan might have calmed down.

  “Sorry if I was a bit cross earlier,” she said to him.

  “I still don’t know if Mum has heard from the council about a flat,” he stated.

  “No, I know, you said before. We have another problem now.”

  “Oh, what can that be?” Geoff was dreading the outcome of this conversation.

  “Steven’s smoking cigarettes!” she said as if this was a cardinal sin.

  “And? He can smoke if he wants to, can’t he? I used to smoke if you remember. You made me give it up.”

  “Well, yes but you wanted to as well, you said it was getting too expensive. I didn’t exactly force you, did I? Anyway, let’s not get away from the subject in hand, i.e. Steven and his smoking. He’s only 14 for heaven’s sake! That’s far too young!”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I’ll have a word with him. OK?”

  Jan heard him go upstairs to Steven’s bedroom and she heard them talking, but there were no raised voices. She hoped he would talk some sense into the boy.

  “All done!” Geoff announced when he came back downstairs. She wasn’t sure if it was all done. She would wait and see.

  “OK. While you’re on a winning streak maybe you could go and ask your Mum if she’s heard from the council yet.” Jan was ever hopeful he would be successful there too. But didn’t hold out too much hope.

  “She’s probably only been on the list for a few months. It’ll take a bit longer I should think. She probably wants that as much as you do. You’ll just have to get along a bit better than you do,” Geoff suggested.

  Just then the phone rang. Jan answered it and had a shock. A man’s voice on the other end was very irate.

  “Your son has been molesting my daughter!” he exclaimed without any niceties first, to break the ice.

  “Oh!” was all Jan could think of. “Are you sure?” she asked the man, trying to keep as calm as possible.

  “Yes, of course I’m sure! Sarah told me so and my daughter doesn’t tell lies.”

  “Well, I’ll have a word with Steven. I’ll get back to you after I’ve spoken to him. Please be assured I take this matter seriously and we will sort it out.”

  “Yes, and make sure you do!” he shouted and slammed the phone down.

  ‘Rude man,’ Jan thought. She went straight upstairs to Steven’s bedroom to have it out with him.

  “Who is Sarah?” she asked Steven.

  “I don’t know. A girl at school?” Steven said nonchalantly.

  “How well do you know her?” Jan tried to ask in a round-about way before diving in, all guns blazing because she didn’t think that would be the right way to go about this situation.

  “Not very well. She’s a girl in one of my classes. Science I think. Or biology.”

  “She’s not in your form class then?”

  “No. Why all the questions, Mum?” Steven was getting agitated, wondering why he was getting the third degree.

  “Well, apparently she’s told her parents that you’ve been molesting her!”

  “What? No way! If anything she came on to me. She’s after all the boys. Anything in trousers it seems. You ask anyone in the school. They call her the local bike but I’m not sure what that means.”

  “Oh, you will. When you’re older, you’ll understand.” Jan had a wry smile on her face, her innocent son won’t be innocent for too much longer. She didn’t think her son had been that interested in girls just yet anyway. She knew this would change soon enough but, for now, she must sort out this rude man who only believes what he wants to believe. First, she must tell Geoff and see what he says.

  “I don’t think he’s capable of molesting a girl,” he said. “He’s still much more interested in football and playing games on his computer than playing with girls. In fact, I don’t think he likes girls very much. Not surprising really, the way his sister treats h
im!”

  “But we don’t know that. They grow up so fast these days. I’ll get in touch with one of the other parents and see if they know anything about this girl. Other than that, I suppose I should speak to Steven’s headteacher to get advice.”

  “Yes, you do that,” Geoff was busy doing something else and didn’t really want to know.

  Jan spoke to one of the other parents she knew but they couldn’t shed any light on the subject. Jan rang the school and spoke to the headteacher who knew all about this girl.

  “Sarah is a right little minx!” said Mr Meacher, Steven’s headteacher. “She’s very well-known and has a bad reputation.”

  “Oh!” was all Jan thought to say. “I’ve never come across a situation like this. What advice can you give me? How do I deal with it?”

  “You could ring Sarah’s father back and tell him to get stuffed. But not in so many words, you understand.”

  “Oh, I think I shall have to be a little bit more diplomatic than that, don’t you?”

  “You know what I mean. You have the backing of the school if it goes any further.”

  “Oh, might it go further do you think?” Jan was worried now.

  “I very much doubt it. She’s been caught so many times with different boys. She has a name for herself, which isn’t a very nice one at that. She has her father round her little finger and he believes everything she says.”

  “Thank you for that information. I can deal with it now.”

  She rang Sarah’s father back.

  “Steven has had nothing to do with your daughter. My son is not interested in girls.”

  “Does that mean he’s a queer?”

  “You’re a very rude man and please don’t call again.” Jan tried to be as threatening as she could, except it wasn’t really in her nature. “Or else!” she added. She hoped that would be the end to it. She went straight upstairs to tell Steven not to worry. She had sorted it all out and it was just a misunderstanding. She didn’t want to worry him anymore.

  “I couldn’t help overhearing the commotion about Steven,” Betty was butting in again. “Is he interested in girls now? Isn’t he a bit young for that sort of thing?”