by Menon, David
‘Remind me where you and Angus flew off to for two weeks last October?’
Susie narrowed her eyes at him. ‘ Malaysia.’
‘And where is that in the Great British isles?’
‘I would only let you get away with cornering me like that.’
‘I know.’ said Matt, laughing. ‘Because I’m your big brother and therefore allowed.’
‘Anyway, what are you doing with yourself today?’ Susie asked.
‘Charlie’s coming over later with the boys’ said Matt, ‘I’m looking after them for the day and probably the rest of the weekend.’
Susie gave him a stern look.
‘Don’t start, Susie.’
‘Matt, you’re heading into the back end of your thirties and it bothers me to think that you spend your Friday night getting pissed alone and then your Saturday looking after the kids of your totally irresponsible friend.’
‘Susie, they’re my God children and Charlie isn’t totally irresponsible,’ said Matt who leapt to Charlie’s defence like he always did. ‘ I could’ve gone out last night but I chose to stay in and that’s an important difference.’
‘But you’re a social bunny,’ said Susie, ‘you always have been.’
‘But I’m getting older, Susie,’ said Matt.
‘And you’ve not got many single friends left to run about with.’
‘Yeah, that’s right to tell you the truth.’
‘Everybody is coupled up and you didn’t feel like being the odd number at someone’s house for dinner.’
‘Sometimes I don’t mind, last night I didn’t feel like it.’
‘But like you said, Matt, you’re getting older and the picture of that house with the right man and a couple of dogs is fading.’
‘Susie, you’re talking as if I’m some kind of sad bastard who can’t get a date.’
‘That’s not how I see you,’ said Susie, ‘I know you can get a date.’
‘So?’
‘So I’m convinced you won’t get a date because you’re in love with your straight best friend.’
‘Susie!’
‘Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not in love with Charlie.’
‘I’m not in love with Charlie, Susie.’
‘Tell me like you mean it.’
‘Oh Susie, give up.’
‘You let him walk all over you. He’s earning a fortune being the resident GP on Sky News. He’s got a whole celebrity thing going on now as the dishy TV doctor.’
‘He was on Loose Women last week,’ added Matt. ‘But Susie, I’d clam up on television.’
‘Well what about his column in the Manchester Evening News? That all came out of the Sky News gig.’
‘Granada are doing a new medical TV soap,’ said Matt, ‘they’ve asked him to be medical consultant on it.’
‘And why didn’t they ask you?’
‘I don’t…’
‘…because everything that comes into the practice that pays hard cash goes to him.’
‘Susie…’
‘…whilst you get all the social work crap that has to be done out of the goodness of your bloody heart because he’s too busy raking it in at your expense.’
‘Susie, I’m not like you. I don’t see a pound sign in everything I do.’
‘Oh spare me the bloody socialist sermon.’
‘Susie, I’m a doctor, I treat sick people, and I’m good at it. I’m happy enough doing that without all those extras that Charlie is much more suited for.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘Well you’re going to have to.’
‘Just like I don’t believe you about your feelings for him.’
‘Well you’re never going to get any other answer out of me than I’ve already given because it wouldn’t be the truth.’
‘Matt, I love you dearly, you’re the best big brother a girl could have but I’m worried that you’re going to end up a lonely old man because of your unrequited feelings for a straight man who’s never going to give you what you want.’
Matt buttered the toast and made sure Susie’s eggs were still runny, just how she liked them, before placing them on top. He handed them to her and said ‘Get tucked into them.’
Susie smiled.
‘Or else?’
‘Or else you’ll be wearing them.’
*
DI Tim Norris and his wife Helen didn’t have to worry too much about the pennies. They were both earning good salaries and despite Helen’s tendency to be frugal, Tim could always persuade her to agree to them splashing out on occasions like tonight which was their anniversary. So it was a great dinner in one of Manchester’s best restaurants where the clientele included soap stars, premiership footballers and BBC television presenters who’d moved up from London with the move to media city in Salford Quays. And they were both in their best clothes. For Tim that meant a Hugo Boss suit in camel with a dark chocolate coloured shirt with which he wore his cufflinks. Helen was in a simple black strapless dress with a neckline that was low enough to show off her long flowing curly black hair to full effect but with a hem that was high enough to make Tim, and probably every other man in the place, feel the strongest desire. She did have the most fantastic legs and he never stopped believing how lucky he was to have this woman on his arm. He was also relieved that any feelings that Sara Hoyland might’ve stirred up in him had passed.
‘If I have a dessert then I’ll never fit into this dress again,’ announced Helen after the waiter had presented them with dessert menus.
‘It’s our big night, baby,’ said Tim, ‘we’re celebrating. Six whole years.’
‘And to think I thought I was going to lose you last year when Sara Hoyland came back into your life with her little bombshell.’
Helen had never been the kind of woman who was jealous of her husband’s ex-girlfriends. She wasn’t the kind of woman who had to believe that he couldn’t possibly have ever been happy before she came along. That kind of attitude was for silly little girls and not grown women. But even Helen had been rocked by Sara’s revelation that she’d had Tim’s baby and given it up for adoption without saying a word to him. Helen hadn’t been angry with Tim for having kept it from her once he knew. She’d understood his reasons for that. He hadn’t wanted to upset her when they were in the middle of trying so hard to conceive themselves. Her distress had been caused by Sara’s deception that had broken Tim’s heart and because it spelt out loud and clear that Helen was the one with the fertility problem and that Sara had been able to give Tim what she couldn’t.
‘You would never have lost me, baby.’
‘It crossed your mind though.’
‘Helen, Sara was right’ said Tim. ‘If we’d got together all those years ago it would’ve only been because of the baby. Once I’d met you there was nobody else and never could be.’
‘But I heard you in the pub that night … ‘
‘…Helen, we’ve been through all this’ said Tim with a note of exasperation, ‘I didn’t mean what I said that night. I was muddled. It was just because of…’
‘…the baby?’ said Helen. ‘The baby that she can give you and I can’t?’
Tim took hold of his wife’s hands across the table. ‘That means nothing to me, Helen. I’m not interested in what she can give me. I’m only interested in what you and I can give each other.’
‘So you’re sure about us adopting then?’
‘Of course I am. And are you sure?’
‘Yes. But she got one over on me where you’re concerned and occasionally I don’t think that grown up about it.’
‘But it’s you I love, Helen.’ said Tim, ‘Not Sara.’
Helen had never really doubted that deep down but if a woman turns up and tells a man that she had his baby five years ago but gave him up for adoption it’s bound to have an effect on him. And Helen knew her husband. She knew how sensitive he was. She also knew that his character was strong. Otherwise, how could he carry on working
with Sara?
‘I know,’ said Helen, ‘I do know that and I do believe it.’
‘Good,’ said Tim ‘because it’s the truth.’
‘Do you ever think of your son out there?’
‘Now and then,’ said Tim, ‘you don’t mind?’
‘No, of course I don’t.’ said Helen. ‘You’re bound to think of him and of course I don’t mind.’
‘So you are ready to find out who we may be adopting ourselves?’
Helen and Tim had been through the adoption procedures and had passed all the tests. It was now time for them to be given a child and the social worker who was handling their case had called them in tomorrow to discuss it.
‘Oh yes’
‘It’s exciting isn’t it’
‘It is,’ said Helen ‘and you know, if your son decided to find you when he grows up, that’ll all be cool with me. You do know that?’
‘I do,’ said Tim who then lifted her hand and kissed it, ‘and thank you. But let’s see to our immediate future first and that means us becoming a family.’
Helen smiled. ‘Happy anniversary, detective.’
‘Happy anniversary, Mrs. Norris’ said Tim. ‘Now what do you fancy for dessert?’
‘Well it’s not something you’ll find on this menu.’ said Helen, smiling that way that Tim loved. ‘Let’s go home.’
*
Time swept by so fast as it always did when Matt was looking after Charlie’s boys. First of all they played some of the games on the Nintendo that Matt had bought especially for when they came to visit. Then he gave them Chilli con Carne for lunch which was one of their favourites and which he’d made the previous evening knowing that they were coming. After that he took them to see United thrash Sunderland by four goals to nil and then they headed back into Manchester city centre where he bought them a pair of shoes each after Wendy had told Charlie that they needed them. He asked them what they wanted for their tea and the answer was a unanimous ‘pasta!’ so he cooked some ravioli for them and served ice cream for dessert. He found it a joy to look after them and he didn’t care about whatever his reasons for doing it were.
It was half past seven and he knew that Charlie wouldn’t be coming to collect them now. Any moment he’d get a call from him to ask if he’d keep them overnight. And just as he was thinking that his phone started to ring. The caller ID told him it was Charlie’s mobile.
‘Hi mate’ said Charlie.
‘So what time tomorrow?’
‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’
‘Charlie, I knew you wouldn’t be coming back this evening so they’re already in their pyjamas and watching ‘Thunderbirds’ on DVD.’
‘Put them on and let me wish them goodnight.’
After Charlie had done his fatherly duties over the phone, his youngest son Harry handed the receiver back to Matt.
‘That was short and sweet’ said Charlie.
‘They’re watching Thunderbird 4 come out of the pod that comes out of Thunderbird 2.’ Matt explained. ‘It’s a very complicated procedure and requires the absolute attention of our little International Rescuers here.’
Charlie laughed. ‘I suppose so. Look, thanks Matt, I hope I haven’t spoilt your plans for the weekend.’
Matt stood up and walked through to the kitchen with the cordless receiver in his hand. ‘No, you’re fine,’ he said, ‘but when can I expect you tomorrow?’
‘ Lunch with some more of Natasha’s friends at some posh sort of restaurant in Prestbury’ said Charlie. ‘The boys wouldn’t like it.’
‘So when will you be picking them up?’
‘About five?’ Charlie ventured.
‘So that means that for your entire access weekend the only time you’ll have seen them will be when you drove them here yesterday and when you drive them back again to Wendy’s house tomorrow’
‘Will you take them to your parents with you for lunch?’
‘You fucking know I will but that’s not the point, Charlie.’
‘I know, I know, and I’ll make it up to them, I promise.’
‘I hope you mean that,’ said Matt. ‘because they’ll drift away from you otherwise and you’ll only have yourself to blame.’
‘I don’t know what else to say, mate.’
‘No? Well look, you get on with your Cheshire set weekend. I’ve got somebody else’s children to look after.’
*
Penny was desperately upset when she came home from her parents’ house. Her younger sister Natasha had done it again. Natasha had been saying how wonderful things were going with Charles and that she expected him to pop the question any time. Penny was genuinely pleased for her and hoped that Charles did make Natasha happy. But Natasha used her good fortune as an opportunity to have a stab at Penny and told her how she couldn’t understand how Penny could’ve settled for so little in her life.
‘She said what?’ Adrian asked as they shared a coffee in the kitchen. They’d just had dinner and the kids were in the living room watching TV.
‘She said that marrying a policeman and living in a semi with three kids is hardly having arrived. Then Mum joined in.’
‘What did she say for God’s sake?’
‘That she didn’t talk about me to her friends anymore because she thought my life was so boring,’ said Penny. ‘She said she only talked about Natasha now because her life was so exciting compared to mine.’
‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this,’ said Adrian, exasperated at his in-laws insensitivity towards his wife.
‘The thing is, they throw out their nasty remarks but if I retaliate then I’m the one who’s accused of causing trouble. I can’t win with them, Adrian, and it hurts, you know, it really, really hurts.’
‘Oh, baby,’ said Adrian taking her into his arms whilst she sobbed. ‘They’ll never have what we’ve got.’
‘They wouldn’t recognise what we’ve got,’ said Penny. ‘Remember what happened when Natasha split up with Robbie? She woke up and realised she didn’t love him enough to marry him the morning after he told her that his business had failed and he had to file for bankruptcy. Did my parents give her a good talking to like they should’ve done for kicking a man when he was down? No. Did they tell her that they could see through her little gold digging act? No. But me, the one who marries for love and has three wonderful kids, I’m not worthy of being talked about by my own mother.’
‘Your parents have never been able to see through all Natasha’s crap,’ added Adrian, ‘I really don’t know why.’
‘Because they’re like her, Adrian, especially Mum. I’m the black sheep for leading a normal, happy life without drama.’
‘It must’ve been hard when you were a kid, baby?’
‘Christmas, 1989,’ said Penny, ‘That was a hard time.’
‘You’ve never spoken about it before?’
‘I’d tried to block it all out,’ said Penny.
‘What happened?’
‘After the school Christmas party I stayed out half an hour longer than I’d been given permission to. So Mum said that because I’d been so naughty and disobedient, she was cancelling Christmas for everybody.’
‘What?’
‘She said that I had to explain to Natasha why she wouldn’t be getting any presents and to Dad as to why he wouldn’t be sitting down to his usual Christmas dinner that he liked so much. I felt like the whole world hated me that Christmas. It was horrible. And do you know what? I found out from my grandparents on my Dad’s side that they hadn’t cancelled Christmas because of me. They’d overstretched themselves financially and couldn’t afford it but instead of owning up to that they decided instead to put it all onto my shoulders and use the fact that I’d stayed out half an hour too long one night. Not Natasha who’d been suspended from school for bad behaviour and who’d admitted to having slept with half the boys in our street. Oh no, none of that was naughty enough to suspend Christmas for. But I’m late one time and I’m used to cover up their fai
lings. And Mum could shout. She never hit me but she may as well have done with the way she shouted and bellowed at me in front of everyone all the time.’
Adrian held her tight. ‘But why did she single you out?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Penny. ‘All I do know is that our Natasha could get away with murder but I was wrong every time I took a breath. Natasha said some horrible things today, Adrian. She said that if I wasn’t her sister she wouldn’t want anything to do with me.’
‘Oh, babe.’
‘Mum never offered me one word of comfort or support and when I left the house in tears nether of them came after me to see if I was alright.’
‘I don’t know what the hell is wrong with your Mum and Dad at times.’
‘Natasha also said something else.’
‘What more could she have said?’
‘She said that I was so boring that she couldn’t work out how you’ve stayed with me and had three kids and that you’d be off shagging if you got the chance.’
‘I’ll bloody swing for her!’
‘It’s not true though, is it, Adrian?’
‘You know it’s not true,’ said Adrian, still holding her tight in his arms. ‘Penny, no other woman could ever hold a candle to you as far as I’m concerned. As for your Mum and Dad, well, I don’t know what goes on inside their heads. What I do know is that they should be proud of their eldest daughter.’
‘They never come and see the kids, do they. That’s because they don’t like me.’
‘Oh Penny, sweetheart,’ said Adrian as his wife broke her heart. ‘They couldn’t be more wrong. Natasha is jealous because we’ve got real love. That’s something she wouldn’t recognise if it leapt up and slapped her across the face.’
‘I nearly slapped her one this afternoon.’
‘You should’ve done.’
‘My parents really would’ve really hated me then.’
‘But you’d have got a lot of satisfaction out of it.’
‘Too right. It’s never even crossed my mind to slap any of our kids but my sister could turn me into a female boxing champion.’
‘Well before you do, let’s wait until the kids are all in bed and then curl up on the sofa with a bottle of wine and talk about how boring we are.’