Straight After the Bend

by S M Mala

  She noticed he held her for a little longer than usual.

  ‘I think it’s wonderful that we know each other, I really do. It’s like fate,’ he said, holding her by the shoulders.

  ‘Did you know I look after Chloe at school?’ She watched his sheepish grin and how his cheeks looked flush. ‘Henry?’

  ‘Not at first but a few weeks later on I spoke to Rachel and she mentioned Chloe’s advisor was called Beatrice. She was pissed off I had a good time when she was sorting out her wilful offspring.’

  ‘The child needs a mother’s love and guidance.’

  ‘Rachel can’t even guide herself let alone a sixteen year old,’ he replied, now looking disheartened. ‘Thing is, our relationship has run its course.’

  ‘You do know Rachel Dewhurst is a nightmare? Can’t you tell her to take more interest in her only child?’ Chloe was in tears the other day due to some bitchy girls in school. I’m the one she turns to but she needs her mother.’

  ‘I agree about Chloe,’ replied Henry, saddened for a moment. ‘She’s a sweet kid though I know she’s no fan of mine. But what can I do? I can’t really interfere.’

  Bea let out a long sigh and thought about Chloe before shaking her head.

  ‘And the wedding?’ Henry asked, examining her closely. ‘How’s that? Still going ahead?’

  ‘Yes, why wouldn’t it?’

  ‘Just wondering,’ he sighed. ‘Listen, small world and that aside, I’ve got a problem.’

  ‘A problem?’

  ‘And it’s pretty big.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘And I’m not talking about my manly bits.’

  ‘Henry!’

  ‘You see, I think I’ve fallen in love.’

  ‘Ah,’ Bea said, gesturing at the girl behind the counter to get them two cappuccinos. ‘Is it serious?’

  ‘It’s never going to happen.’

  ‘Right.’ Trying not to look confused, she noticed Henry was staring at her. ‘And why is this?’

  ‘Because she’s in love with someone else.’ Henry bit his lip and glanced away. ‘And she won’t consider dumping him for me.’

  ‘How do you know? Has she led you on and-.’ Bea took a deep breath. ‘You better not be talking about Chloe!’

  ‘No, no!’ Henry said, starting to laugh. ‘I’m not that stupid!’

  ‘Good, because she’s only a child.’ Sinking into her seat and balancing on the back legs of the chair, she wondered what he was up to. ‘Who is this woman? Someone you picked up in Ibiza?’

  ‘Yes, sort of.’ She noticed he looked like he was composing himself. ‘Thing is, I’ve fallen in love with you.’

  Bea fell off her chair.

  ‘What?’ She jumped to her feet. ‘Are you crazy?’

  ‘Crazy in love with you,’ he sighed, looking up at her. ‘I know it’s not the right time to tell you and I didn’t even want to but I thought I better had. I mean, you’re marrying Mylo on Saturday but I wanted you to know. I think you’re bloody amazing!’

  ‘I think you’re bloody well round the bend!’

  ‘I love you!’

  ‘I don’t think you do.’ Gathering her composure, she sat back down, ignoring the people looking at them. ‘You think you’re in love with me because it makes it a whole lot easier to split with Chloe’s mother if there’s someone else to blame.’

  ‘All I think about are you and your wonderful breasts.’ Henry smiled. ‘And my painting said it all.’

  ‘It said you think I have dark blue nipples and dark brown breasts in the shape of well-rounded buns.’

  ‘Don’t you feel anything?’

  ‘Honestly, right now? Panic.’ Bea wondered what was going on in his little brain. ‘I hardly know you and you turn up here, declaring your love. Has someone put you up to it?’

  ‘Cupid,’ was the cute remark.

  ‘Henry, quite seriously, I am under a lot of stress right now. It’s the Monday before my wedding and I’m getting a declaration of love from a man I’ve met on a few occasions. It’s a little odd.’

  ‘But that’s what love is. Odd.’

  ‘No, I think that’s what you are.’ Examining his grin and seeing he wasn’t going to let up, she decided to deal with him as she would one of her wilful charges. ‘Do you feel under pressure, is that it?’

  Henry’s smile faded.

  ‘Why’d you say that?’ he replied, sitting straight back up. ‘What would pressurise me? I’m very laid back.’

  ‘Of all the women in the world, you just happen to fall in love with me. Someone who looks after your lover’s, I mean, your mentor’s teenage daughter. Me, who you know Rachel Dewhurst can’t stand.’ Bea noticed the flicker of confusion as he sat back in his chair. ‘Do you want me to call the wedding off and run away with you, is that it? That’s pretty mean considering you’re supposed to be coming to my wedding courtesy of banging Chloe’s mum.’

  ‘Bea, I’m very confused,’ he said sadly. ‘I don’t know which way to turn.’

  Henry rested his head on the table and sat there until their coffee turned up.

  ‘She’s not listening to me,’ he said, looking up straight into her eyes. ‘I told her I wanted time apart and she says she won’t let me. I’m being stifled.’

  ‘And declaring your love for me will do what? Help her realise that she’s not the one for you. Don’t you think if you told her she might, just might, come at me with a pick axe.’

  ‘Can’t you tell her for me?’

  Henry was simply human after all.

  He was scared shitless of a woman.

  ‘I think you’re gorgeous, I really do,’ he said, sipping his coffee and staring. ‘I told Erio I fancied you and he laughed.’

  ‘That’s my friend for you.’

  ‘He said you are all gooey eyed about Mylo even though he sucked cocked once upon a time.’

  ‘Henry!’ she shouted, putting a hand over his mouth. ‘Don’t say that!’

  He pulled her hand away and kissed her palm.

  ‘I feel being kind has backfired and it’s not fair,’ he mumbled. ‘Thing is, she wants to settle down and I can’t. I don’t want to. I know Rachel is living her own life at the expense of that child. No wonder Chloe keeps landing herself in shit with one thing or another.’

  ‘Tell the truth. If she doesn’t listen, at least you’ve tried.’

  ‘I’m scared,’ he suddenly said, grabbing Bea’s hand. ‘I don’t want to hurt her. But she says she loves me and I can’t say it back. If I say I’ve fallen in love with you, then that will make it better, won’t it?’

  ‘I was going to call off the wedding and run off with you in that split second! You lied to me about our love? I think that’s very rude, don’t you?’

  ‘Bea?’ He looked dumbstruck by her comment. ‘Look, I thought if I made out I had fallen for you then it would-.’

  ‘You little shit!’ she laughed out loudly. ‘You know Rachel is upset with me over Chloe. Instead of taking out her broken heart on you, she would use my head instead. And here I was thinking you were mature.’

  ‘I’m a man. Weak and scared of strong women.’ Henry sheepishly smiled. ‘Would you run away with me?’

  ‘Child.’ Bea patted his cheek.

  ‘I think Rachel was the one that wanted out of the marriage and found me at a party.’

  ‘And you wanted someone to help you in the art scene so picked up a painter, so to speak.’

  ‘I thought I might give her some focus and me a break.’ Henry grinned. ‘I’m twenty-eight and not the right guy.’ He let out another long sigh. ‘I hate it when women cry and even worse, when I cry.’

  ‘That’s what happens when love’s involved. Tell her now and get it over and done with.’ Taking a deep breath she stood up. ‘Mylo’s ex is turning up. I have some deep reservations about how Kayden is being treated but can’t tell Mylo, as he’ll get upset. We’re trying not to tell my dad about Cole being a man so all of us are lying. The wedding is not
what I imagined but I have to make people happy. All in all, this week is going to be a nightmare and I’m not sure I can get through it.’

  ‘Then runaway with me,’ he cheekily replied grabbing her hand and kissing it. ‘I might be the answer to your problems.’

  ‘Or you might be the beginning of many I for see this week.’

  And in Bea’s head, there were too many to mention.

  ‘I look…’

  Bea was standing in the sari and didn’t know what to say later on that Sunday. Even Jessica’s nose had scrunched up in confusion as she examined the outfit. ‘It’s like they’ve got loads of old net curtains and put them together while gluing diamante and other pieces of clear plastic to it. I’m not quite sure.’

  Next thing she heard was Jessica laughing, shaking her head.

  ‘This is positively horrendous!’ she said, stepping closer to Bea, trying to control her giggles. ‘If you move too fast, any static will make it go up in flames! And if it’s sunny! Oh heavens, you will combust or melt or both!’

  ‘Oh God!’ Sinking into the armchair, Bea was speechless. ‘And I have to wear it or daddy will get cross.’

  ‘You will look beautiful whatever you wear, you know that,’ her future mother-in-law diplomatically replied. ‘It’s about marrying Mylo.’

  ‘But I have to have photos taken looking like this.’ She got the material and held it in her hands. ‘I don’t even like curtains.’

  ‘Well, you’re dressed up as one, you’re going to have to pretend to love it for the day.’ Jessica kissed her cheek. ‘I need a drink and so do you.’

  Slowly unravelling herself from the dress and wanting to get a box of matches to end the dilemma, Bea ungraciously shoved it into the bag. Standing in her underwear she grimaced.

  ‘Here, drink that!’ Jessica said, returning with a glass and shoving it into her hand. ‘Never too early for a martini.’

  ‘Have you made a pitcher? I’m going to need another one.’

  ‘When’s Mylo due back?’ she asked, sitting on the sofa. ‘Jacob thinks it’s time to give Mylo a man to man chat. Had he done it earlier, then there would have never been a Cole.’ The smile slipped as she sipped her drink. ‘But we got Kayden and that’s the best thing to come out of it.’

  Bea’s miserable feeling increased thinking about Cole.

  ‘I know what it feels like to think Mylo doesn’t love you.’ She gulped hard and looked at her drink before glancing at Jessica. ‘It’s awful.’

  ‘But he does love you.’ Jessica stood up. ‘I need to use the bathroom. Trust in love and trust my son, that’s all you need to do.’

  The bell rang and she wondered if Mylo had forgotten his keys so Bea opened the door.

  Right then, she wished she hadn’t.

  ‘Do you spend all day walking around in your underwear?’ her father asked while shaking his head from side to side. ‘Is this what rich people do?’

  ‘As you know, I’m not rich and I was getting changed.’

  ‘You shouldn’t come to the door like that. It’s not very respectful.’

  ‘I thought it was Mylo. Anyway, what are you doing here?’

  ‘We need to chat.’

  Without even asking him to come in, Bernie barged past her and went straight to the living room. He sniffed her drink and scowled.

  ‘And drinking in the afternoon?’

  ‘Daddy, why are you here?’ she replied, throwing on her dress. ‘I’m in the middle of something.’

  ‘We need to talk about the child.’

  ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘Where’s his mother?’

  ‘Kayden was adopted so he is not in touch with the biological mother and-.’

  ‘You know what I mean. Where is the woman that adopted the child with Mylo?’

  Bea frowned before taking a massive slurp of her drink. Even the strength of the vodka wasn’t helping to steady her nerves.

  ‘Daddy, it really is complicated. I can’t answer on his behalf.’ Then she thought. ‘What have you found out?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he said, avoiding eye contact. ‘But you know the story and as your father, you need to explain it to me.’ Then he sat in the middle of the sofa. ‘I’m not going until you tell me everything. Bea, I don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Every time I ask regarding his ex, the question is ignored or the subject changed. Something doesn’t sit right.’

  She didn’t know how to respond and the last thing she wanted was to lie to her father.

  ‘I thought you liked Mylo?’

  ‘I do like Mylo but this child is obviously something big in his life and lives on the other side of the ocean. What does that mean for you?’

  ‘I admit, daddy, I was a little surprised but I also see that makes Mylo a better man. To take on another person’s child and love it as your own. Doesn’t that tell you something?’

  ‘And will you take on his child as if he were your own?’

  ‘If he had ten children, of course I would.’ Bea hesitated, seeing her father was building up to something. ‘Don’t you think I should?’

  ‘This is happening all too fast.’ He shook his head in dismay while looking down. ‘These people we hardly know. I worry, that’s all.’

  ‘I saw the man I love fall to pieces when Kayden went home in August. It broke my heart. He stayed an extra year in Chicago to be with his son, even though he had split with …’ Holding her breath, Bea was stuck on what to say. ‘That tells me a lot. Mylo brought up that little boy from the moment he entered his home to the time he flew back here. And he misses him.’

  ‘You know he might want to bring the child here, if he has equal rights with the mother.’

  Again, she breathed in sharply, hating the fact she couldn’t and wouldn’t tell her father the truth.

  ‘I need to tell you something,’ she whispered, closing her eyes. Bea knew this was going to blow the wedding right out of the water. ‘The thing is-’

  ‘My grandson is being brought up in a home where he is loved and cherished,’ Jessica interrupted. She was leaning against the wall with her arms folded. ‘Life has many complications as you know, Bernie. Some decisions that one makes are never right but at the time they seem so.’

  ‘I am not questioning your son’s reasons,’ he said, slightly startled to see Jessica. ‘I’m questioning my daughter’s. Why is everyone so guarded about Mylo’s previous relationship and this child?’ Bernie stood and walked closer to Jessica. ‘I and my wife come from humble beginnings and we worked very hard to give Beatrice a good life. Your family are successful and wealthy but that doesn’t mean to say they are better, or can take advantage of my daughter or me. I am not a stupid man and I can see something isn’t right here. I have a right to know.’

  ‘My ex was a man.’

  ‘Pardon me?’

  Bernie looked stumped for a moment. ‘A man?’

  All three turned to see Mylo standing by the front door.

  She didn’t know how long he had been there but nearly stumbled from the surprise.

  ‘I had a relationship with a man and we adopted Kayden. The relationship didn’t work out and we split. I love my son and made sure the transition of me leaving didn’t harm his well-being.’

  ‘A man?’ gasped Bernie, looking at Bea then at Mylo. ‘You were with a man.’ It was quite dramatic even for her father. ‘You’re gay and want to marry my daughter!’

  ‘I’m not gay,’ Mylo replied, walking in. ‘I was with another human being who I cared about and-.’

  ‘Are you HIV?’ asked Bernie, looking horrified, nearly making Bea keel over from the shock of his question. ‘Have you been tested?’ Then he turned to Bea. ‘Did you know about this?’

  ‘Yes,’ she replied, seeing Jessica had put her hand over her mouth. Bea wasn’t too sure if it was out of shock or disgust at her father’s questions. ‘And I thought the same as you, though not so bluntly.’

  ‘In answer to your question, not all gay
men are HIV, nor do I have Aids or anything like that. I don’t even have fillings.’ Mylo smirked in response as if he had heard it all before. ‘I would never risk my well-being or someone else’s by not taking precautions, either man or woman.’

  Bea felt faint.

  She had never discussed sex with her father, ever.

  And this wasn’t the time to start.

  ‘I can’t allow this,’ her father said, walking up to her and looking devastated. ‘Is this why you were vague about the child?’

  ‘Daddy, please understand that I know what you’re like. It doesn’t matter if it was a man or a woman.’

  ‘Do you truly think so?’ Bernie said, starting to get angry. ‘Your mother would never have allowed this, not in a million years! Beatrice, you cannot and will not marry this man. I want you to leave now and come home with me. This is not right!’

  ‘It is right!’ shouted Jessica, looking like she was fit to burst. ‘My son cannot and will not be labelled. How dare you ask questions like that in front of me, his mother?’

  ‘Jessica, I didn’t mean to be rude but can’t you see they’re making a terrible mistake? He is using her, my only child, to try to become acceptable in society. It’s a cover!’

  ‘He’s marrying a woman he loves and she loves him. I think this is an excuse for you not wanting to let Bea go,’ Jessica huffed. ‘She said you might be a challenge.’

  ‘That’s putting it mildly,’ mumbled Bea. ‘He was with Cole and they split.’

  ‘Cole,’ her father said, shaking his head out of sheer shock. ‘Cole. A man.’

  ‘Like you Bernie, every parent has concerns about their child,’ Jessica replied calmly but looked flustered. ‘There is nothing wrong with Mylo.’

  ‘But your son is a homosexual!’

  ‘He is not!’

  ‘Did he not have sex with a man?’ Her father slapped his forehead looking stunned. ‘Why didn’t I see it? The ear-rings and a far too handsome face as well as mannerisms. Of course he was gay!’

  ‘Daddy, that’s a stupid thing to say, like the HIV comment!’ shouted Bea, getting very angry. ‘Mylo is certainly not gay! Men wear ear-rings you know. Pirates used to.’