The Good Neighbour

by Beth Miller

  ‘Never had you down as a head-in-the-sand type, Liam.’ Minette pulled away from him. ‘I’m worried about those kids. I had to tell her.’

  ‘No, you didn’t. You wanted to.’ Liam’s voice got louder. ‘You were like a bored child putting a stick into a hornet’s nest. You’re just another under-stimulated mummy, in search of a hobby. Poking your nose into someone’s else’s life is a bit more interesting than feeding the baby, isn’t it? You need a fucking job, you know that?’

  Minette stared at him, her hands on her hips. ‘I see. That’s what you think of me. Good to know. Oh, one more thing, on the topic of babies. Cath told me that Josie’s pregnant.’

  ‘What? How the hell does she know?’

  ‘So it is true.’ Minette started running again. ‘Congratulations.’

  ‘Minette, please wait.’ He raced after her. ‘I’m sorry. I was going to tell you.’

  ‘When, exactly? Next time we had sex? The time after that? “By the way, Minette, you know I said I wasn’t sleeping with my wife? Oops.” And of course, I would reply …’

  ‘Don’t, Minette.’

  ‘I would reply, “Oh that’s OK, Liam, I don’t mind being lied to and made a fool of.”’

  ‘My god, the drama. Look, Josie and I weren’t sleeping together when you and I first met, I didn’t lie.’

  ‘And when you later reunited, you forgot to mention it?’

  ‘Not being funny, Minette, but I was hardly going to cock-block myself, was I? The sex was amazing, you got to admit.’

  ‘So is your conscience finally blocking your cock now she’s pregnant?’

  ‘You’re hot when you’re angry.’

  ‘Do fuck off, Liam. I’m not finding any of this remotely amusing.’

  ‘I’m not either. Christ, can’t we walk for a bit? I’m done in.’

  ‘You’re a big man, but you’re out of shape.’

  ‘How did Cath know? Josie’s barely seven weeks gone. We just had the first doctor’s appointment this morning.’

  Seven weeks. Minette did some rapid calculations. 24 June today. Cath’s party was at the end of April. So yes, technically, when they met at the party, he could have been telling the truth. But he must have got Josie pregnant at almost exactly the same time as he was starting the affair with her. It was Paul all over again. Paul trying to juggle her and Bella, everyone knowing but her. Liam was a player. A total fucking player. What an idiot she was, what a first-class fool, to risk her proper relationship with Abe on a pretty-faced bastard. Abe was worth twice what Liam was.

  ‘How did Cath know? Well, Liam, I’d say voodoo, except that as you pointed out, she’s just a middle-aged mum next door. So I guess logic dictates that Josie must have told her.’

  ‘I very much doubt it. We said we wouldn’t tell anyone till twelve weeks.’

  ‘Not even me?’ She laughed into his silence. ‘It’s all right, Liam. I know we’re through. Now, I’ve got a triathlon to train for. See you.’ She broke into a proper run, a sprint, knowing she could keep it going until she reached the pier.

  Chapter 23

  Davey

  DAVEY WOKE UP feeling more like Adam Purcell than he had done for ages. The light coming in through the curtains looked the same as in his old room in Harrogate, and made him think he was back there, with the stripy carpet, red, blue, orange, blue, his dad whistling and frying bacon downstairs. Just like that he remembered his old address: 68 Parkside Avenue, Starbeck, Harrogate. He got up quickly and wrote it down.

  At school he waited at the gate for Olivia. He was lucky because MT was dropping her off today. MT gave him the printout of faces he’d promised. ‘There are millions of Andy Purcells,’ he said. ‘These are just the first ten. Is he any of these?’ Davey looked through them quickly – too old, too young, wrong colour, too fat, too bald – and shook his head.

  ‘It would be easier,’ MT said, ‘if you come over to play with Olivia and we go through them together.’

  ‘OK,’ Davey said. He knew his mum wouldn’t let him go there, or if she did, she’d tell Olivia’s parents not to let him use the computer. But anyway, it didn’t matter. He triumphantly produced the piece of paper with his address on. MT put it in his pocket, and saluted. ‘Well done, I’ll call directory enquiries at lunchtime.’

  Davey went into school feeling brilliant. It was a lucky day because their teacher was away, and they had a supply teacher, a nice man with floppy hair. When he said it was time for ICT Davey went over to choose a DVD as usual, but the new teacher didn’t seem to know that Davey wasn’t allowed ICT because he said, ‘Come on, there’s a lift isn’t there?’

  At last, the internet! Davey could hardly believe it. He stared at the screen. There was so much he wanted to do. He had really missed Wikipedia, and Olivia had told him about a cute animal called a tarsier with enormous eyes that he wanted to look up. But first he typed in ‘Facebook Andy Purcell’ and some links came up. He clicked on the first one and there was a long list of Andy Purcells, MT was right. He couldn’t see his dad, all these ones were from America. At the bottom of the page it said ‘You must sign up for Facebook to see the full results.’

  The school secretary came in, and said something to their teacher. The teacher said, ‘Davey Brooke?’

  Davey looked up. He knew what was coming.

  ‘Can you go with Mrs Wallis, please?’

  Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Davey wheeled himself out of the room. He heard someone say, ‘Spazzos aren’t allowed to use computers.’ No one in his class had called him ‘spazzo’ before. They were copying those Year 5 boys.

  Davey followed the secretary along the corridor. ‘Well, that was lucky timing,’ she said. ‘I went to the classroom to get you and what do I find? You’re only up in the blooming ICT suite. I think,’ and she winked at him, ‘we won’t tell your mum, maybe?’

  They got in the lift and she let Davey press the button.

  ‘Where are we going?’ he said.

  ‘Oh, you’ve got this meeting with the ed psych.’

  ‘The who?’

  ‘Educational psychologist. Your mum’s already there.’

  The lift beeped, and they were at the ground floor. Mrs Wallis walked alongside Davey to the library, and opened the door for him. ‘Here he is!’ she said.

  Davey’s mum was sitting at a table with a woman with red curly hair. ‘Hello, Davey,’ the woman said. ‘Please join us.’

  ‘All right, lovie?’ Davey’s mum said. ‘Was it ICT? What film were you watching?’

  ‘Toy Story 3.’

  ‘Again?’ Davey’s mum laughed. ‘You must know it word for word by now.’

  ‘I’m Ilena,’ the woman said. ‘The school has asked me to have a chat with you about how you’re getting on.’

  ‘He’s doing really well,’ Davey’s mum said.

  The woman didn’t say anything to that. ‘I’m just going to run through some questions, Davey, OK?’ He nodded. ‘So, how are you finding the access in the school? Can your wheelchair go everywhere you need it to?’

  There were lots more questions like this, about moving about, whether his hands got tired writing, how much help the teachers gave him. Davey answered them with short answers. He felt his mum staring at him and he didn’t want to get things wrong, or mess up the golden rule. Then the woman said, ‘You have had a lot of time off since you arrived at school. Why is that, do you think?’

  ‘Hospital appointments,’ his mum said.

  ‘Yes, but there are also quite a few where he was off sick, according to the register.’

  ‘No more than other children.’

  ‘Yes,’ the psychologist said, ‘more than most.’

  ‘Well, you know, he gets so tired with the Duchenne. He has headaches, and tummy aches. I used to, as a child, too.’

  Davey noticed the woman’s eyes flicker. Not a normal blink, a kind of double blink. She made a note on her paper. Then she asked Davey’s mum more questions, about when she was little, whet
her she missed a lot of school, what sort of headaches did she have? Davey’s mum started answering but then she got cross. ‘Why are you interrogating me? I thought we were here for Davey.’

  ‘We are.’ The woman smiled calmly. ‘Thank you very much for your time, Ms Brooke. I’ll have a few words with Davey on his own.’

  ‘I’ll stay.’

  ‘It’s completely standard to speak to the child alone. After our chat, I’ll also speak to his teachers and then we’ll all of us meet with you to discuss suggestions for extra support that Davey might need.’

  ‘It’s just about support, then.’

  ‘That’s right.’ The woman stood up and held out her hand. ‘Lovely to meet you, Ms Brooke. I’ll make sure Davey gets back to his classroom when we’re done.’

  Davey’s mum left the room slowly. She didn’t want to go. She turned back to look at him and shook her head a little bit. When the door shut, the woman didn’t say anything, she just sat smiling at him. Finally Davey said, ‘I’m not allowed to use the internet.’

  ‘And if you could use it, what would you do?’

  ‘I’d look up my dad,’ Davey said, ‘but I need a bit of help with Facebook.’

  ‘That’s the trouble, Davey,’ she said. ‘Your mum doesn’t want you to look up your dad.’

  ‘Why?’ Davey said.

  ‘She hasn’t given us the full details, but reading between the lines, it will be because he wasn’t very nice to you all.’

  ‘He was nice.’

  ‘Sometimes grown-ups have to make difficult decisions, Davey. Why don’t you try asking your mum tonight? She might tell you a bit more than she has done already.’

  ‘My mum doesn’t always say the truth,’ Davey said. He stared at his hands, waiting for the woman to say something. But she didn’t understand him properly. Not like Minette would have.

  The woman said, ‘Parents can’t always give their children the whole facts, not when they’re young, anyway.’

  Davey shook his head.

  She said, ‘Did you mean something different?’

  He looked at her hopefully, and nodded. She made some notes. ‘I think it would be a good idea if I had another chat with your mum soon.’

  Davey couldn’t see how another chat would help. Still, it didn’t matter. MT would have got his dad’s number. But when the bell rang for the end of school, and Davey and Olivia went outside, MT was on the phone, and he shook his head at them.

  Olivia went over to ask him what had happened. She told Davey, ‘He says it’s extra-terrestrial.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  MT came over. He was off the phone now. ‘I’m sorry Davey, that number is ex-directory.’

  ‘What does it mean?’

  ‘It means it’s not listed in their phonebooks, I think. I was just trying another directory service but they said the same. I don’t know why some numbers are like that.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Your mum must have your dad’s number on her phone.’

  ‘Yes, but she doesn’t let me use it.’

  ‘Just borrow it, quickly, when she’s not looking. Get the number and then you can use my phone to ring him.’

  ‘Thanks, MT.’

  Davey was last to be collected again. ‘Sorry, sorry,’ his mum said, not looking sorry. ‘Feel like I only just left here from seeing that psychology woman. I don’t know why school finishes so early, it was four o’clock when I was a kid.’

  All the way home his mum asked what the woman with red curly hair had asked him, and he told her some of his answers. He and Lola watched telly when they got in, eating Mr Kipling’s jam tarts. Their mum always got them a packet of Mr Kipling’s on the way home. She said she loved them when she was little. Davey’s five favourite Mr Kipling’s cakes were:

  Viennese whirl

  Almond slice

  Cherry Bakewell

  Jam tart

  Apple pie

  He waited till he heard his mum go upstairs. He knew she had got their computer in her room. It wasn’t really broken. He’d heard her in there tapping on the keys. He went in the kitchen to see if her phone was charging. Yes! It was there. He typed in the passcode he’d seen his mum put in before, but it didn’t work. He tried it again, but it still said ‘Wrong passcode try again’. She must have changed it. Then he heard her coming down the stairs.

  Davey burst into tears. He hated crying, he didn’t want to cry, but he had tried so hard and nothing worked.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ his mum said, coming into the kitchen.

  ‘I want to see Daddy. Why can’t I see him? Why?’

  ‘Come here, lovie.’ Cath sat down, and Davey wheeled himself over to her. She put her arms round him and he leaned his head on her shoulder, making it wet with his tears.

  ‘I knew this would happen, that stupid woman today asking questions, raking up stuff. Do you know, she left a message saying she wanted to speak to me again? Like I’ve got nothing better to do than keep running up to the school. OK, I’m going to be honest with you, like I should have been all along. I didn’t want to tell you. You’re only a little boy. You shouldn’t have to have this great big burden on your shoulders.’

  ‘Tell me what.’

  ‘I know you love your dad. But he isn’t a good man.’

  ‘He is.’

  ‘He isn’t. He does love you, I know that. But he hit me. He tried to hit you. And there’s worse things.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t hate him, if I tell you this?’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘He said it would be better if you were dead.’

  ‘He didn’t.’

  ‘I’m sorry, lovie, he did. When we found out about your Duchenne, and the short life expectancy, the medical problems, I said, well we are going to get the best care, the best support, this child is not going to have a short miserable life if I have my way. And your father said, maybe it would have been better if he had died at birth.’

  ‘It’s starting, Davey!’ Lola called from the living room.

  ‘It’s my programme,’ Davey said to his mum.

  ‘Well, now you know the truth. That’s why I don’t want you to try and contact him. He’s a bad man, a bad dad, and I am frightened that he will hurt you and Lola. Do you believe me?’

  Davey really wanted to watch his programme. ‘Yes,’ he said.

  No.

  Chapter 24

  Cath

  ‘BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS, this is,’ Cath told Davey, noting the disgusted expression on his face. She spread another thick layer of peanut butter onto her bagel.

  ‘Looks like poo,’ Davey said. They didn’t usually have peanut butter in the house, because of Lola.

  ‘It’s high in protein, which I need. So, you looking forward to watching me? It’s going to be a beautiful day. Gina’s meeting us there.’

  He didn’t say anything, just carried on shovelling cereal into his mouth. Cath shrugged and looked through the race notes as she ate. It said to get there an hour before the start but she knew that was unnecessary. She was anxious about cycling, and there was no sense hanging around with the other competitors getting more nervous. Particularly if certain other competitors did actually turn up.

  ‘If I could walk, would we go back home?’ Davey said suddenly. His mouth was full, so Cath wasn’t sure she had heard him right.

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Yes, you did.’

  He looked up from his book. ‘I just thought. Why can’t we go home?’

  Cath wanted to cry. Of all the days! ‘You think you can walk now, do you, because of something that silly woman next door said?’

  ‘Dunno.’ He put his head back down.

  ‘Davey. Look at me. We aren’t going back there. I can’t. We can’t even stay here much longer. We’ll have to move on.’

  ‘You’re shouting, Mum.’

  ‘I’ll shout if I bloody well want to.’

  Davey put his hands
over his ears, and something in Cath snapped. The wiry feeling seemed to come on more often than it used to. She rubbed her arms to soothe the nerves back down, but it didn’t help.

  ‘You want a wallop, do you?’ She yanked his hands away from his ears and put her face right up close to his. ‘You are trying the last limits of my patience, Adam.’

  ‘Davey,’ he whispered.

  ‘I’ll call you what the fuck I like. Adam. Davey. Spazzo.’

  Davey pushed his chair away from the table and started racing out of the room. Cath was horrified at herself. ‘Christ, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’ She ran in front of him, stopping him, and put her arms round him. ‘Forgive me?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You’ll be so pleased with me when you find out where we’re going.’

  ‘I don’t want to move.’

  ‘I know. But you’ll love it.’

  ‘America?’

  ‘I’m not saying, lovie.’ She leaned in closer and stroked his hair. ‘It’s a big move, all right, and we’re going to have to leave a lot of things behind. But you, me and Lola will be together, and that’s the main thing. There’s some not-nice people out there, and we have to get away from them.’ She stepped back from him, so she could see his face, then wished she hadn’t. There was that sceptical expression she’d seen before. She’d seen it the afternoon of the quiz, when he wouldn’t change his shirt. She’d seen it when she prevented him from having to suffer through a blood test at the clinic. She’d seen it on his father’s face.

  ‘Let’s not talk any more now. Remember, don’t tell anyone more than they need to know.’

  Cath went upstairs to get into her gear, and to chivvy Lola along, who was attempting a new world record in slow dressing. Cath worried about Davey, and what she’d said to him. She didn’t know the right way to handle him anymore. Sooner they got away, the better. It was sad to be leaving Gina, but it was the right thing to do. As when she had left Andy, Cath felt frightened and energetic in equal measures. It was scary to leave safety nets behind, but also very freeing. It was too easy to get constrained by safety nets, tangled up in them.

  Cath had collected all her sponsor pledges, and Minette’s too, or at least, all the ones before they fell out. She was going to have to let the last ones go, but it wasn’t going to make much difference, what, fifty or sixty quid? Duchenne Together didn’t ask people to collect money before the event, but they were out of date. Most of Cath’s pledges had come in advance via her ‘Doing it for Davey’ donations page, so what difference did it make asking cash pledgers to pay up front also? It meant the charity got the money much quicker.