Rivals in Practice

by Alison Roberts

  Besides, Jennifer was looking forward to getting home. The day at work had been quiet and the early August weather had decided to pretend it was springtime. The sunshine and warmth of the day was fading rapidly now but it had been enough to spark anticipation of the pleasures of a New Zealand rural summer. Relaxing family times with the children. Picnics on the beach and lots of swimming. Lazy afternoons mucking about with the pony or floating toy boats down the stream. The sort of activities that had lived on in Jennifer’s memory from her own happy childhood and ones she could now share again with her sister’s children. Maybe this summer would be happy enough to heal the scars more effectively. Especially for Michael.

  Andrew declared himself well enough to join the family for dinner that evening, and he did look a lot better. He was still very pale, however, and Jennifer noticed that he paused to catch his breath on the way down the stairs. He ate very little but Saskia glowed with pride when he praised the lasagne.

  ‘It came out of the freezer,’ Saskia admitted. ‘But sometimes I still manage to burn it.’

  During the after-dinner flurry of clearing up, finishing homework and getting the younger children ready for bed, Andrew took himself into the living room adjoining the kitchen. Moving slowly, he set and lit the open fire and then eased himself onto one of the comfortable old couches nearby.

  ‘I’m sick of staying in bed,’ he responded to Jennifer’s suggestion that he needed rest. ‘I’ll sleep a lot better if I stay up for a bit.’

  Angus didn’t need to stay up any longer in order to sleep well. His thumb was in his mouth by the time Jennifer carried him upstairs and his eyes closed the instant his head touched the pillow. Jennifer kissed the tousled curls and tucked the teddy bear under the covers. She left the nightlight on and went to the bathroom to check on the twins’ progress. Jennifer sighed heavily at the sight that greeted her.

  Damp towels lay abandoned on the floor. Discarded clothing lay amidst puddles of water and plastic toys that had clearly been thrown from the bath. The girls had made no attempt to tidy up after themselves and had now absconded. Jennifer fished under the bubbles to retrieve the soggy bar of soap and then pulled the plug. More toys became visible as the water level receded, including a rag doll that had no business being in the bath. Jennifer shook her head and moved downstairs with the intention of rounding up Jessica and Sophie. They could clean up their own mess.

  The intention was postponed the instant Jennifer entered the living room. The scene was one of domestic warmth. The blazing log fire had much to do with the atmosphere, as did the old but comfortable furniture. Saskia sat cross-legged in a huge, cracked leather armchair, about to give Vanessa a bottle of milk. Michael lay on his stomach in front of the fire, using the poker to bat a tennis ball towards Zippy. Jessica and Sophie, fresh from their bath and cutely attired in fluffy pyjamas, sat on either side of Andrew on a couch. Elvis lay with his head on Andrew’s foot and Tigger was ensconced on his lap. Andrew was reading a picture book to the twins. Both girls had a stack of other books beside them, clearly ready to extend the session as long as possible. One look at the absorbed expressions on the children’s faces as they gazed up at Andrew, and Jennifer forgot about sending them upstairs. She quietly began clearing up the pile of paper and crayons left on the table, hoping that Michael might be enjoying the story as well. Maybe the novelty of hearing an adult male voice in the house might bring her nephew out of his shell just a little.

  Michael appeared disinterested, however. He poked the fire and watched the resulting shower of sparks. An ember landed on the hearthrug and Jennifer swooped, picking up the glowing fragment and throwing it back into the fire before it could burn her fingers.

  ‘Don’t do that, please, Mike,’ she told the boy quietly. ‘It’s dangerous.’ Jennifer put the container of crayons on top of the mantelpiece just as Andrew finished the story.

  ‘This one now, Drew.’ Jessica slotted a book into his hands swiftly.

  ‘No—this one.’ Sophie had a larger book, the corner of which dug into Tigger as she tried to position it.

  ‘Don’t do that!’ Jessica admonished. She tugged Drew’s arm. ‘Sophie’s poking Tigger.’

  ‘I can tell.’ Andrew nodded. ‘She’s digging her claws into my knee so she doesn’t fall off.’

  ‘Tell her to stop,’ Jessica commanded. ‘Anyway, she got to choose Little Bear so it’s my turn to choose.’

  ‘No more stories.’ Jennifer felt obliged to rescue Andrew. ‘It’s time you two were in bed.’

  ‘Drew could read us a story in bed.’

  ‘Not tonight,’ Jennifer said firmly. ‘Drew’s tired. He’s still getting better and he needs a rest.’

  ‘Oh, but—’

  ‘No buts. And I want the bathroom tidied up, too. It’s a disaster area.’

  Michael poked the fire again. The embers crackled and popped.

  ‘Nearly bedtime, Mike,’ Saskia warned.

  ‘No, it’s not,’ Michael responded loudly. ‘I’m nearly nine and I don’t have to go to bed until eight o’clock. It’s only the girls who have to go to bed now.’ The poker dropped onto the hearth with a resounding clatter. ‘It’s stupid not having a TV,’ he announced. ‘Other kids all do. We don’t even have a computer.’

  ‘Come on, girls.’ Jennifer was beckoning the twins. ‘Upstairs.’

  ‘I’ve got a computer,’ Andrew said casually. ‘Would you like to have a look at it, Mike?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I need to get it out anyway.’ Andrew ignored the ungracious response. ‘I’ve got a report to write for Jennifer.’

  ‘Can we see your computer?’ Sophie asked eagerly.

  ‘Tomorrow.’ Jennifer answered for Andrew.

  ‘Why have you got a computer?’ Jessica queried. ‘Where is it?’

  ‘In one of my boxes.’

  ‘Jennifer put your boxes in the cottage.’ Jessica could see a new direction to try and stall their departure. ‘We saw them. You’ve got an awful lot of stuff.’

  ‘It’s all my worldly goods,’ Andrew informed her solemnly.

  ‘What are worldly goods?’

  ‘Stuff.’ Andrew grinned.

  ‘Did you live in the camper van? Haven’t you got a house?’

  ‘Not any more,’ Andrew admitted.

  ‘Where do you live, then?’

  ‘Nowhere, I guess.’

  ‘Yes, you do!’ Sophie wasn’t going to be left out of this fascinating conversation. ‘You live with us.’

  Saskia was grinning broadly. ‘This is the place for waifs and strays all right. Look at me.’

  ‘Am I a waif?’ Jessica was determined not to be ushered from the room. Jennifer took hold of her hand.

  ‘Upstairs!’ she ordered.

  Jessica gave in. ‘’Night, Drew,’ she said reluctantly. ‘See you in the morning.’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘’Night, Mikey,’ the twins chorused. Michael ignored his sisters. He had wriggled closer to the couch and was fiddling with the long plume of the black dog’s tail.

  ‘Has your computer got games on it?’

  ‘Indeed it has.’

  Jennifer was pulling both twins away. ‘Why don’t you find a torch, Mike?’ she suggested. ‘You could show Drew where I stored his things. He won’t know where the key to the cottage is.’

  It took some time to supervise the restoration of the bathroom, tooth- and face-cleaning chores and the eventual settling of the twins into their beds. Jennifer wondered whether Michael’s interest had been stimulated. Perhaps a computer was just what he needed right now. She could ask Drew about what sort might be best. Drew. Maybe it was the children’s use of the name that now made Jennifer feel awkwardly formal using his full name. Or maybe it was because he’d been drawn into her unusual family over the last few days. A gathering point for waifs and strays wasn’t so far off the mark really, but the idea of Andrew Stephenson fitting that category was ridiculous. Or had been, until he’d become too ill to care f
or himself. There was no disputing how well he did fit in. No longer a stranger but not like a visitor either. He was carving a niche in the household that felt disturbingly comfortable. Sophie had declared that Andrew lived with them. Funny how Jennifer hadn’t felt any urge to correct the little girl’s statement.

  Returning to the living room, Jennifer found Andrew and Michael sitting at the table. A laptop computer was plugged in and they were both absorbed by what was on the screen.

  ‘You can use the mouse to jump the ravine,’ Andrew was saying. ‘See? You’ve got to get the timing right, though, or you’ll fall in and there are giant spiders out to get you down there.’

  ‘Can I try?’

  The smile on Michael’s face was fleeting but it twisted something inside Jennifer. How long had it been since she’d seen him really happy? Catching Andrew’s gaze, she realised that she wasn’t alone in assessing Michael’s state of mind. Andrew looked as hopeful as she felt that the boy’s reserve might be showing a crack. The phone rang as Jennifer smiled her acknowledgement. When she returned a few moments later, her expression was surprised.

  ‘It’s for you, Saskia. A man—but he didn’t say who it was.’

  Saskia looked disconcerted. ‘Who’d be ringing me up?’

  ‘Maybe it’s a modelling agency,’ Andrew suggested. ‘They saw your photo in the paper and fell in love with your hair.’

  Saskia grinned at Andrew. ‘I’ll show you how to do dreadlocks if you want.’ Uncurling her legs, the teenager lifted her now sleeping baby. Jennifer held out her arms.

  ‘I’ll take Vanessa. I’ll put her to bed while you get the phone.’

  Saskia was curled up in the armchair again when Jennifer returned. She was staring at the fire with an expression that made Jennifer pause.

  ‘What’s up, Sass?’

  Andrew’s glance in their direction was swift. His touch on Michael’s shoulder was light. ‘That thing’s got batteries,’ he told Michael. ‘Let’s unplug it and you can take it upstairs and do battle with the spiders for a bit longer before you turn your light out.’

  ‘It’s OK.’ Michael stood up abruptly. ‘I’ve had enough, anyway.’

  ‘’Night, Mike.’ Jennifer’s smile was a little distracted. ‘Don’t forget to clean your teeth.’ She picked a couple of small logs from the basket and knelt on the rug beside the two sleeping dogs to add the wood to the fire. Andrew moved to resume his position on the couch. Elvis roused himself with an effort, slipped onto the couch beside Andrew and immediately lapsed back into unconsciousness with his black, shaggy head now on the man’s lap.

  ‘Watch out,’ Jennifer warned. ‘He dribbles sometimes.’ She stayed where she was on the rug, turning back to the unusually silent teenager. ‘Who was on the phone, Sass?’

  ‘My dad.’

  ‘Really?’ Jennifer’s eyes widened.

  ‘He saw the photo in the newspaper.’ Saskia sounded very subdued.

  Jennifer leaned forward and touched Saskia’s leg. ‘Are you OK? Did he say something to upset you?’

  Saskia shook her head. ‘It was weird. He said he missed me. That he’s been trying to find me ever since I left.’

  ‘How long ago was that?’ Andrew asked.

  ‘Ages,’ Saskia told him sadly.

  ‘Almost a year,’ Jennifer added. ‘Saskia ran away from home when she found out she was pregnant. I found her sitting on the beach in the middle of the night and she’s been here ever since.’

  ‘And you didn’t let her parents know she was safe?’ Andrew sounded incredulous.

  ‘Of course I did. I rang as soon as Sass gave me her number. I spoke to her stepmother, Donna.’

  ‘She told Dad I was in Auckland, staying with friends,’ Saskia said. ‘That’s where he’s been trying to find me. He went to the police and everything.’

  ‘Did you have problems with your stepmother, Sass?’ Andrew asked gently.

  ‘You could say that. When she found out I was pregnant it was the last straw. She said I was a slut and it was just as well Dad had had some decent kids since he’d married her. She said I’d always been in the way and the sooner he kicked me out, the better.’

  ‘And he did?’ Andrew was outraged. ‘He told you to leave?’

  ‘I didn’t wait to give him the chance.’ Saskia turned to Jennifer. ‘He said he never knew I was pregnant. That he had a granddaughter. I think…’ Saskia added slowly, ‘I think he was crying.’

  ‘Oh, Sass.’ Jennifer looked ready to cry herself. ‘That’s so sad. I can’t believe your stepmother could have been so cruel.’

  ‘I can.’

  Both Saskia and Jennifer turned to Andrew in astonishment. ‘You don’t know anything about Donna,’ Jennifer said accusingly.

  ‘But I know what can go on in step-families. The preference that can be given to children that aren’t even half-siblings. How your life can be made absolute hell by being left out, taking the blame for things you didn’t do, being made to feel unwanted and in the way. Like nothing you could do would ever fix things.’ Andrew spoke softly. ‘Like you really weren’t worth anything at all as a person.’

  Saskia was nodding, her mouth gaping in amazement. ‘How do you know that? Did you have a stepmother?’

  ‘Stepfather. With two boys who were older than me. He wanted my mother enough to take on the burden of an unwanted child. My mother wanted him enough to put all her efforts into his sons. By the time I left home I was convinced that nobody would ever think I was special. I was going to have to make it on my own. It’s the loneliest feeling in the world.’

  ‘I felt like just walking out into the sea,’ Saskia confessed. ‘I’m so glad Jen found me.’

  ‘You were lucky,’ Andrew agreed. ‘And you deserve to be. I’m not surprised that your dad misses you.’

  Jennifer was watching the embers as she listened. Her opinion of Andrew was attempting another disconcerting U-turn. He’d always come across as vaguely superior at medical school. Aloof from the group. They’d assumed he’d considered their company undesirable but had it really been a lack of confidence on his part? Had he wanted to belong but hadn’t made an attempt to avoid the risk of being rejected?

  ‘Donna’s left,’ Saskia informed her audience. ‘Gone back to her ex-husband, and Dad’s on his own again. He wants to see me.’

  ‘How do you feel about that?’

  ‘I’m not sure. Excited, I guess. I need some time to get used to the idea.’ Saskia uncurled her legs. ‘I think I’ll go to bed.’

  No sooner had Saskia left the room than the door opened again. Michael held onto the doorhandle and looked at the floor as he spoke.

  ‘Thought I might have another go at that game.’

  Jennifer and Andrew exchanged a glance. She carefully hid any hint of a smile. ‘Sure, Mike. Light out in fifteen minutes, though.’

  ‘OK.’ Michael picked up the laptop and closed the living-room door behind him.

  Andrew was grinning broadly when Jennifer caught his gaze again. ‘I knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.’

  ‘It’s lovely to see him interested in something.’ Jennifer smiled. ‘Especially something that’s just for himself. Something fun.’

  ‘He’s a serious kid,’ Andrew agreed. ‘But I can’t say I’m surprised. He was old enough to be badly affected by his mother’s death.’

  ‘Actually, I think it was a worse blow when his dad left,’ Jennifer said. She raised her eyebrows. ‘How much have Saskia and the children told you about things?’

  ‘Not that much,’ Andrew responded. ‘I know that the children’s mother was your older sister. Janet, was it?’

  Jennifer nodded.

  ‘And that she was ill for a long time with cancer before she died and that their father…’

  ‘Philip,’ Jennifer supplied.

  ‘That Philip couldn’t handle the situation after Janet died and has gone to live in Australia.’

  Jennifer shook her head slightly. ‘That’s not anyw
here near the full story, though I can imagine it’s what Sass has picked up locally. People have very short memories about some things.’ Jennifer sighed sadly. ‘Philip’s a fantastic man,’ she told Andrew. ‘He came here to work about twelve years ago and single-handedly kept the family farm going after my father died. Mum got sick after he married Janet so they moved in here to look after her. It wasn’t easy. Mum had very hard to control diabetes and she went completely blind, but she was independent and terribly stubborn right to the end. They managed by themselves until Janet had the twins and then it all became a bit much. That was when I decided to take a year and work out here as a GP.’

  ‘You went to Christchurch hospital for your houseman years, didn’t you?’

  Jennifer nodded. ‘So did Hamish. It wasn’t a huge commuting time so we thought we’d still see each other at weekends. We were both so busy that I didn’t think it would change things that much.’

  ‘But it did?’

  ‘I guess so.’ Jennifer chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. ‘Hamish couldn’t understand me putting my family ahead of him. He was prepared to cut me some slack but became more and more impatient. Then I discovered he was seeing someone else.’ Jennifer smiled ruefully. ‘Our relationship was habit more than anything. All those years of being engaged without ever getting around to getting married. It was remarkably easy to let go. Almost a relief.’ Jennifer lapsed into a silence that Andrew finally broke.

  ‘And you stayed here? What happened to those ambitions of working overseas? Becoming a surgeon?’

  ‘It was nearly two years before Mum died and by then I’d discovered that I rather liked working here. My family history goes way back to the first settlers and it’s always been home for me. On top of that, Janet became unwell. She discovered a lump in her breast and had to go through all the trauma of treatment for breast cancer after it was confirmed to be malignant. Janet needed me. Philip and the children needed me.’