The Life Of Robert Peterson

by Paul Kelly

  “Does that name ring a bell, Robert?” she asked impatiently, but Robert could only shake his head and murmur into the phone that the name meant nothing to him.

  “I don’t know anyone of that name,” he said, “and besides, I think if Sarah wanted to change her name ... unless she had married a guy by the name of Sullivan, she would have chosen a much more impressive name ... something like Gonzales or Montserat-Smith, but not just plain Mrs. Sullivan.”

  Freya felt disappointed when she heard that, but she shrugged her shoulders and suggested she could try again, if Robert could give her some idea of what to do.

  “Wait a minute ...” Robert went on, “I told you in the beginning not to be bothered doing this query at the school, but perhaps it might not be such a bad idea.”

  Freya switched the telephone from one hand to another.

  “What do you mean, Robert?” she asked and he replied very solemnly into the phone that she may have given him an excellent idea,

  “I’m gonna hang up now, Freya, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, Bye.”

  Two minutes later Robert was telephoning St. Michael’s and the secretary answered in her usual high spirited voice asking him what she could do to help him.

  “I wonder if you can,” he said with a firm voice, ”I see by the newspapers that you are looking for a new music teacher, is that correct?”

  The secretary answered in the positive without hesitation and within a few seconds he was talking to the Headmistress, where he repeated his enquiry.

  “Yes,” she asked, but her voice sounded much lighter and more patient than when Freya had spoken to her earlier and Robert asked her the same question about the music teacher’s position.

  “Well, I know it may sound strange and I know it shouldn’t, but I didn’t expect a man to make this enquiry. Are you musically trained?” the Headmistress asked.

  Robert cleared his throat and explained to her that he was qualified from the Royal College of Music with a degree in teaching music.

  “Oh! that sounds interesting, but what sort of salary are you expecting?” the Headmistress asked and Robert was prepared for such a question with his knowledge of applying for similar jobs in the past.

  “At the moment, I am prepared to accept whatever you are offering as I have a problem in my married life and money can only be considered to be a secondary item,” he said and it was obvious from the change of the Headmistress’s voice that she was pleased.

  “When can you come to see me, Mr?”

  “My name is Peterson,” he replied, “Robert Peterson,” and the there was a long silence on the telephone.

  “Is this some game you are playing, Sir?” asked the Headmistress and Robert knew by that enquiry that something wasn’t just quite right at St. Michael’s school for young ladies.

  “No.” he replied “Why do you ask that?”

  “The last music teacher we had here was a Mrs. Peterson; a Mrs. Sarah Peterson and she left because of some trouble in HER marriage. I believe her husband used to beat her ... would that be correct, Mr. Peterson?”

  Robert smiled and wished he could have spoken to the Headmistress face to face.

  “The name is correct but the facts are wrong, madam. My wife walked out on me for another man ... and a man who is teaching at your school at the moment. Would you like to ask her how she did that ... or better still, would you like me to tell you the teacher‘s name; the man she went to when she left me?””

  There was a strange gasp heard at the other end of the line, before the Headmistress spoke again.

  “Mr. Peterson,” she said and her voce was very sober, “Mr. Peterson that will not be necessary. I fired your wife, if this was indeed your wife ...”

  “Yes, it was. Well my ex-wife now. We are waiting for a divorce.”

  “I fired her Mr. Peterson because she was the cause of a great deal of trouble at this school and I can tell you now, I know the person of whom you speak. He too has been ... well not fired, but severely reprimanded, as I feel it was your wife who was the ring leader in this business. She was trouble personified, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

  “Not at all, I quite agree,” said Robert with a grin and the Headmistress went on, “ I don’t want to know where she is now, but several men have tried to get in touch with her by phone since she was dismissed and I am tired of it all, to tell you the truth. We have had several enquiries about the vacant situation, but none seemed very satisfactory with the exception of one; a Mrs. Marjorie Sullivan and she seemed alright ... until she let slip that Mrs. Peterson had suggested she should apply for the post and when I found that she was a friend of this evil woman, I fired her too. I just couldn’t take a chance of having all this trouble start again at the school, Mr. Peterson because as you know this is a private school and we are here to teach young ladies, where our reputation must be of the highest and without any trace of scandal.”

  Robert apologized for his intrusion into the affair, knowing full well that he would not be offered the job even if he wanted it, but the Headmistress dismissed that apology and surprised Robert with what she said next.

  “I am sorry for your problem, Mr. Peterson and I believe you when you say that your wife ... your ex-wife was never treated badly in the marriage. I felt all along that this woman was lying as there was something in the way she went about her work; in her eyes and the way she spoke to me ...and if I can help in another way perhaps? ...”

  Robert was surprised as he listened more carefully into the phone.

  “Yes ... I don’t understand what you mean, madam,” he said but the Headmistress came back very quickly to tell him that her name was Miss Bradley-Smith and that she would be very willing to act in any way at the divorce proceedings where she might be able to help him. She also added that if he was still teaching, she could put forward some pupil’s names from the school whom she knew would be interested. “That would indeed be very kind, Miss Bradley-Smith,” replied Robert, “ but there is one other thing I would like to know ... that is, if I may?”

  “Yes, Mr. Peterson and what is that?” she asked.

  “Do you know where Mrs. Peterson is living now ... and with whom?”

  Miss Bradley-Smith hesitated for a moment before she spoke again.

  “ I have her address in my files, but I hope this information will not add to your troubles, Mr. Peterson,” she went on, “and I don’t want any rows or fights from what I am going to tell you.”

  “I have no fears about that, Miss Bradley-Smith,” replied Robert and the Headmistress left the telephone for a moment whilst she checked her files.

  “Ah! yes, I have it here,” she went on, “Sarah Peterson,” she said and Robert could hear her laughing.

  “Yes, Miss Bradley-Smith. Have you found it?”

  “I am sorry to sound so rude Mr. Peterson, but your wife, or rather your ex wife has so many names on this file. Peterson was the last name she gave us and we just presumed from the other names that she had been married before ... and several times it would seem.”

  “Sarah had been married before,” replied Robert, “but only once as far as I know and that only lasted about six months, but I know she has been unfaithful many times in her past and I wouldn’t be surprised at anything I hear about her now. Please help me if you know her present address?”

  “Yes, of course Mr. Peterson, she is living with a much younger man than herself at 52 Trafford Road. Do you know that address?”

  Robert grinned again,

  “Yes I think I do Miss Bradley-Smith, but thank you anyway. There will be no further trouble I do assure you, Goodbye.”

  “Au revoir, Mr. Peterson and remember what I said I could do if you want my help,” the Headmistress continued, but as a parting shot, Robert was surprised at the question she put to him.

&
nbsp; “Mr. Peterson ... forgive me as I know it is none of my business, but do you have multiple sclerosis?”

  Robert was surprised at how much of his life had been discussed with this Headmistress person, but the he presumed that Sarah had used all she could to discredit him.

  “Yes, I have Miss Bradley-Smith, but it is totally under control and it would never be detected unless I told you I had it.”

  “But why on earth did you think to marry such a person as this Sarah woman. You sound so nice and very practical, but she was a venomous creature, if you will forgive my expression.”

  “Sarah knew my health situation before she married me, but I had one small relapse whilst we were married which lasted about two weeks and in that time, I think she realized what she might have to endure if she stayed married to me.”

  “For better or for worse; for richer, for poorer, Mr. Peterson,” quoted the Headmistress as she replaced her telephone.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  FREYA stretched her arms above her head and yawned as she glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed. It was ten past eight and the clock danced about her tiny table as it shouted its call for her to rise and shine. She put her tongue out at it before she calmed its noisy protest and threw her house coat over her nightdress. It was at that moment that the telephone rang.

  “Hello ... hello ... Oh! it’s you Robert. I wondered what you were up to when you told me you had something in mind regarding St. Michael’s young ladies and I hope it was honorable ...” she jested and she could hear Robert laughing.

  “I have made a pact with the Headmistress there,” he said, “and I wanted to tell you all about it yesterday evening, but your phone was dead.”

  “Yes, I disconnected it at the wall switch as I was getting so many calls where nobody would speak to me and I thought they might be some of those strange calls that people get from time to time and which can be very worrying. Sorry Robert, I just forgot to connect it again before I went to bed and then I got up at one o’clock this morning and reconnected it again, but tell me about this affair with the Headmistress? When I spoke to her she sounded a right old bat and no mistake, so you must have some special charm to get through to her.”

  “She thinks I’m lovely, if you really must know,” replied Robert and grinned as he spoke, but Freya blew him a kiss into the telephone and explained that she never worried about conquests as they only deepened the passion and made it more real, she insisted and Robert laughed again.

  “I know where Sarah is living now and I think I can guess who she’s living with,” he went on and Freya pricked her ears up at that information.

  “You’re having me on,” she replied astonished that he should have acquired such detailed information from the old bat of a Headmistress ... or had he charmed the soft spoken old ‘biddy’ and light hearted secretary. “Where is it?” she asked, “in some high falootin’ place in Belgrave, I should imagine, but with who?”

  “With whom,” Robert corrected and Freya didn’t hear him as he went on, “the address is Trafford Road ... number ...”

  “Number 52,” shouted Freya in her excitement,” and not with old Boyle, for goodness sake, is it?”

  “Spot on, “ replied Robert and Freya sighed heavily into the telephone.

  “She’s come down somewhat in the world, hasn’t she?”

  “Maybe, but I thought it strange when I heard the connection and she is using several names now. Not just old Peterson, although that was what they knew her as at St. Michael’s.”

  “She is a total fabricator, is that one,” replied Freya, “living in a dream, poor sod.”

  “Did I tell you that Cameron is coming home to be with me this weekend?” Robert went on, as if the previous news was of no great concern.

  “Well, that’s wonderful, but why has he been avoiding you lately. He still loves you doesn’t he?”

  “Of course he does and he hasn’t been avoiding me. I have agreed to let Rita have him for some of the time he is free to visit us, as that was what she wanted, but I think she must have found him something of a ‘handfull’ as she telephoned me last evening to ask if he could come and stay with me this weekend, as she has to go away somewhere and I think she will be a way for months, by the way she speaks.”

  “Bully for you. It will be nice to see Cameron again and then I can come and tell him how much I love him as well as I love his father, eh?” replied Freya, emphasizing her love for the two men in her life. “but what are we going to do about this Sarah affair?” she added hastily.

  Robert scratched his head and closed his eyes to have a good ‘think’, but he was no wiser or nearer any conclusion when he opened them again.

  “I’m not sure at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll think of something and anyway, she is the least of my concerns at the moment and if she couldn’t turn up at our Court session, I don’t think I need to rush into anything on that score, at least for the present, don’t you think?”

  “I guess you’re right, but she is a thorn in the flesh wherever she is and whoever she’s with, but I don’t envy her if she has Boyle as the love of her life. Neither he nor she will have their sorrows to seek, I would say.”

  “Sarah will never settle to one man in her life, Freya. She is too self-centred and to her . . . variety is the spice of life. I don’t know what I ever saw in her, but then as we know ... love is blind or so they say and I needed not one, but two white sticks, I imagine.”

  Freya laughed as Robert was talking. She was content to listen to anything and everything he spoke about, regardless of whether it made sense or not and the nearness of his voice was enough for her, as she sighed and wished the telephone conversation would never end, but sadly it did ...Robert broke into the conversation to announce that Cameron had arrived at the flat and he would have to go, but Freya made her immediate plans to make a visit to 52, Trafford Road.

  Chapter Forty

  Cameron came on his visit to Robert and Freya came to visit Robert, in that order and they had a wonderful time, as always with Freya throwing herself around the room as they danced together or getting down on all fours while Cameron played with her as a horse.

  “You’re getting a bit too big for this, you know young man,” Freya called out to him in a breathless tone as she struggled to get up from the floor, “I think I’ll teach you how to dance in future. That would seem to be more fitting for when you bring a girlfriend home to see us, eh?” she gasped, but Cameron only laughed all the more.

  “Girlfriend, you say, “ he smirked, “not one like those that daddy has had ... that’s for sure.”

  “Well, I’ll always be here for you,” added Freya with a great smile on her face

  and Cameron laughed.

  “You’ll always be my number one, Freya. I thought you knew that,” he replied.

  “Of course I do, but I like to be reminded,” she grunted as she blew the little boy a kiss. “I’d like a cup of coffee,” she sang into the air, “Would anyone like to join me?”

  “I would,” replied Cameron merrily, joined by his dad who said that he would have preferred tea but coffee would do and Freya called him a ’spoil sport’, but as they were drinking together in the lounge, the telephone rang and Cameron ran to answer it.

  “”No, there’s no one here by that name,” said Cameron as he glanced at his dad with fear in his eyes and Robert and Freya looked up in alarm when they heard Cameron say that. Robert moved across to where the little boy was standing and took the telephone from him as he nodded for his son to go to the other side of the room and stay with Freya.

  “Yes, can I help you?” he asked and the voice on the other end of the phone; a male voice enquired if he could speak to Mrs. Peterson ...” “Who are you and why do you want to speak to this person?” Robert continued and the other voice stated that he wanted to speak to Mrs.
Peterson and that he was a policeman making some enquiries where she might be involved.

  Robert looked across to where Freya was sitting with Cameron cradled up against her knees and he raised his eyebrows.

  “Mrs. Peterson no longer lives here,” he said and Freya put Cameron down as she came towards the phone. “I am ... or rather I was married to this lady, but we are awaiting a divorce.”

  “Mr. Peterson, may I enquire if you know where your ex- wife is living now?” came the next question which Freya also had heard having moved closer to the phone. She signaled to Robert to say nothing and Robert changed the phone from one ear to another.

  “No, I am sorry I don’t have that information.” he lied and looked to Freya for her approval. She nodded and he returned to the telephone conversation “She may be at the school where she teaches music, but I understand she hasn’t been taking her classes for some time. May I enquire why you want to get in touch with her?”

  There was a drawn out silence on the phone before the voice spoke again.

  “At the present I am unable to answer your question, Sir, but may I just ask you as a final question ...has your ex-wife married again, or does she have a partner, would you know?”

  R0bert looked at Freya who shoved her ten fingers in the air and made a face.

  “As you say, Sir,” answered Robert, “I am unable to answer that question, but if you do get in touch with her, don’t ask her who she is living with at that moment ... find out the last dozen idiots she has seduced. Good day Sir.”

  Freya danced around the telephone and threw her arms in the air as Robert put the telephone down.

  “That’ll show them,” she said, “but what do the police want her for now?”

  Robert looked grave when she asked him that question and Freya looked at him with fear in her eyes, “Maybe ... maybe ...” she stuttered, but Robert put his hand in the air.

  “Maybe that was the police on the phone and then again, maybe it wasn’t ... who knows ...” he replied and immediately dialed the 1471 to check the caller’s number, but the only reply he got was that the caller did not leave either a name of a number ...