The Changing Room

by Christine Sykes

‘So, your teeth were a good excuse?’ said Claire.

  ‘I think you might have something there. Maybe I should stop feeling guilty.’

  ‘Well, ya got great teeth,’ said Molly, who was embarrassed by her own teeth, which were stained, and chipped from one of Joe’s rages.

  ‘Even though I’m old, you mean?’ laughed Anna.

  ‘Sorry, not enough distance between my brain and my mouth. That’s what Grandma said was my biggest problem. “Think before y’ talk,” she told me. “You’ll save yaself a lot of grief.” But I can’t seem to get in there before the words are out.’

  ‘Well, I, for one, admire your honesty,’ said Anna.

  *

  That night, Molly settled into bed feeling good about herself and her new friends. If she could just get the kids back, she’d be happy. She drifted off.

  The sounds of someone banging on her bedroom window jolted her awake.

  ‘You in there, you two-timin’ bitch,’ screamed a male voice into the darkness. ‘Lemme in or I’ll break the fuckin’ window.’

  ‘What the – ? Who is it?’ Molly whimpered. ‘Joe, is that you?’

  After all this time, thought Molly. But not this way, please.

  Molly slid her dressing gown on – well, Joe’s dressing gown. She’d bought it for his birthday and could still smell his body odour on it.

  ‘You open up for those prissy uni types, so bloody well open up for me. Now!’ shouted the voice.

  Molly opened the window slightly. The window crashed in on her. Glass spattered over her face, hair and gown. She was too shocked to move. The man lunged through the window, knocking her to the floor. She was pinned under the huge hulk.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ Molly screamed. The man was on top of Molly, smothering her. Her mind raced. In the dark, it could have been anybody, but she knew who it was.

  ‘Not so fancy now, are ya?’ growled Greg. ‘Not too fancy to put out for me. God knows, I’ve made the offer enough times.’

  ‘What the fuck do ya want?’ Molly yelled.

  ‘I want what’s mine. You owe me one, ya stuck-up bitch.’

  ‘Bullshit.’ Her head jolted backwards as he hit her on the side of the face.

  ‘I expect to be treated with more respect. I respected you for long enough.’

  ‘Joe’ll kill ya when he finds out y’ve done this.’ Molly was sure Joe would claim ownership of her. That’s what had kept her safe from these drongos for so long.

  ‘Yeh, and what’s he gunna do to your fancypants man?’

  ‘What the frig are you talkin’ about?’

  ‘The one I seen you with in the garden. All clean an’ muscly.’

  ‘What a stupid jackass you are.’ Molly laughed at the thought of Steve being interested in her. She felt hysterical and shuddered so much she thought he’d fall off her. ‘Just get off me, ya rotten lug.’

  He rolled onto the floor beside her, breathing heavily. His breath was full of booze and drugs, the familiar smell Joe had when he’d come home off his face and push her around.

  Molly used all her strength to pull herself up onto all fours, and then shakily to her feet. Her arms ached more than when she’d painted all day and her legs wobbled like the jelly she’d made for the kids. How could she have the kids back with this thug turning up whenever he wanted to?

  She bashed him over the head with the bedside lamp and heard a crack. Her mind raced with thoughts about the trouble she’d be in if she’d killed him and how she’d go to jail and never see the kids again.

  Molly woke with a jolt. She was alone and a strong wind had caused the branch of a tree to bang repeatedly against the window, smashing it. She realised she’d had a nightmare and wondered whether Steve could help remove the branch and repair the window.

  20

  ANNA

  The morning after the Bastille Day function, Anna received a bouquet of mixed flowers from Ted. Inside was an opera ticket and a note that read: I apologise for the late notice, but could you accompany me to see Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ at the Opera House tonight?

  Ted also left a message on Anna’s phone to say he’d bought two tickets for the price of one in a last-minute deal. Anna wrestled with how to reply. She adored the opera, but this was a date, and Anna wasn’t sure how she felt about Ted.

  The act of prevaricating was making her uncomfortable and the prospect of refusing an invitation made her even more uncomfortable. She realised she’d spent most of her life following other people and didn’t know what she wanted.

  Anna decided to leave the phone free while she waited for Sophie from the welfare agency to return her call and postponed thinking about Ted.

  Rufus was whimpering for a walk when Sophie rang.

  ‘Thank you so much for calling,’ said Anna. ‘Molly asked me to contact you to see if you received the paperwork.’ Rufus settled at her feet and sighed theatrically.

  ‘Yes, and we received the note authorising us to talk with you.’

  ‘Could you let me know when you might be able to respond to her? She loves those children so much.’

  ‘Of course, but I’m sure you understand we have to have the interests of the children foremost in our consideration.’

  ‘I would have thought being with their mother was in the best interests of the child.’ Anna was surprised at her forwardness in questioning the welfare officer.

  ‘We would certainly hope so, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. Look, how well do you know Molly?’

  ‘Well enough to know she wouldn’t hurt those children.’

  ‘She has before. That’s why we have to be so careful now.’

  Anna touched her cheek and recalled the time her own mother had slapped her. It seemed to come out of nowhere, a clean, clear slap across her right cheek.

  ‘I know it’s hard, and even Molly herself doesn’t believe it happened. We just want to give those kids the best chance in life.’

  ‘And what about Molly?’

  ‘Well, it does no good for her if she fails. On the other hand, we were impressed by the letter from Claire; she’s such an amazing woman. And your support is also vital.’

  ‘Mine?’

  ‘Yes. As you know, Molly doesn’t have any family close, which makes her even more vulnerable. We would be more comfortable if there was a solid support network around Molly. One she could call if something happens, as she did with you.’

  ‘Well, I’m happy to assist where I can.’

  ‘That’s so kind of you and it’s great for Molly to have a grandmotherly influence in her life. However, she also needs support from peers who live nearby and are closer to her age group.’

  Anna was startled to think of herself as a grandmotherly figure.

  ‘Perhaps we could meet to talk about how to set up a support network. I’m sure with your input we could manage something which would be appropriate,’ said Sophie. ‘If Molly agrees, you could accompany her to the meeting.’

  Sophie confirmed she’d meet with Molly in the next week. Rufus looked up hopefully, but Anna rang Molly to give her an edited version of the conversation and to offer to attend the meeting at the welfare agency.

  ‘Sounds good,’ said Molly.

  ‘You’ve been very patient, Rufus,’ said Anna after finishing the call. Rufus leapt up, wagging his tail.

  Anna’s phone rang again. Ted. For a second, she thought of not answering but decided to get it over and done with.

  ‘Did you get my messages?’ asked Ted.

  ‘I’m so sorry, yes. I was just about to get back to you. I’d love to come,’ she said, sharing a look of despair with Rufus.

  ‘Wonderful!’ said Ted. ‘I’ll pick you up at six and we can have a light dinner before the show.’

  ‘Fine. Lovely,’ said Anna numbly. ‘See you then.’

  *

  Despite herself, Anna tingled with excitement. She had gone to the opera with her mother, who adored Bizet’s Carmen. She tried on several sets of clothes b
ut they no longer seemed to fit properly so she put on the outfit she had worn to the previous night’s styling session. It did look good on her. May as well get one more wear out of it before having it dry-cleaned, she reasoned. There was a stain on one of the cuffs, which she removed.

  Ted picked her up in his Mercedes and they shared a pleasant hour at a simple brasserie eating risotto, drinking red wine and talking about nothing in particular before walking together to the Opera House and taking their seats in the concert hall.

  Anna let the opera wash over her with its colour, music and words. She remembered how her mother had been transformed with joy by the music and costumes.

  At the interval, Ted went to the bar to get champagne.

  ‘Why, Anna, is that you?’ Genevieve approached. ‘The outfit looks stunning on you. It’s from last night, isn’t it?’

  ‘Um, yes,’ mumbled Anna. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I’m great. Can’t say the same about Claire though. She looked frightful last night. Did you get a chance to talk to her?’

  ‘Only briefly, to check some things.’

  ‘Molly, on the other hand, looked fabulous. She seems to be getting her life back on track.’

  Anna took a deep breath and decided to confide in Genevieve. ‘I have a problem in relation to Molly and I wondered if you could give me some advice.’

  ‘Sure, I’ll give it a shot.’

  Anna summarised the situation.

  ‘Sophie is right,’ Genevieve said. ‘The primary aim is to preserve the family unit, and to return the children as soon as possible. But Molly will need a lot of support. There are several programs available and I can explain the process and requirements to set up a strategy. Call me and we’ll set up a time to talk about it.’

  Ted arrived back with the drinks.

  ‘Thanks, Ted. This is Genevieve from Suitability.’

  ‘Speaking of Suitability …’ Ted sipped the sparkling liquid. ‘Ah, that’s better. Have you had any luck finding new premises?’

  ‘Not yet,’ said Genevieve. ‘We have a group working on it, but everything is too small, too far from transport or too expensive.’

  ‘Pity. I can’t promise anything, but I have a friend who has a vacant building and he might be interested in coming to an arrangement.’

  Anna wondered why Ted was offering to help, and whether he was genuine. Many times in her working career she had come across people who offered the world and delivered nothing. Her father had a term for them: ‘gunnas’, he used to call them. Unlike her father, who never said he was going to do anything; he just did it.

  ‘How fabulous,’ said Genevieve. ‘Can we talk to your friend? We are desperate. If we can’t find something soon, I’m afraid we’ll have to close down.’

  ‘That would be an unnecessary tragedy,’ said Ted. ‘I’ll ring my friend first thing in the morning.’

  ‘Maybe you should contact Genevieve directly,’ Anna suggested, not wanting to give Ted another reason to ring her. ‘It would be more efficient than going through me.’

  Genevieve gave Ted her card and they returned to the opera.

  On the way home, Anna told Ted about winning the flight to Paris. She hadn’t intended to, but it slipped out during a lull in the conversation.

  ‘Wonderful,’ he said. ‘Have you been before?’

  ‘No. It’d be my first time overseas.’

  ‘Oh, you have to go. I can give you tips on the places you must absolutely visit. My wife and I spent several wonderful holidays there. She loved travelling to Europe – Paris, Rome, Venice, London.’ Ted laughed. ‘She could pack a bag and be ready to leave within a couple of hours.’

  ‘Did you travel a lot?’

  ‘Oh yes. Even after the children were born, we packed them up and took them overseas. My wife thought it was good for their education. We only stopped when she became too ill.’

  ‘What about your children?’

  ‘I don’t see them much now. My daughter lives in Brisbane. I visited her a few times, but she’s busy with her own family and doesn’t need an old man hanging around. My son recently took up a position in Geneva. He wants me to visit, but without my wife I haven’t had the heart to travel overseas.’

  Anna had so many things racing around in her head. She sat silently. Ted seemed to have changed right before her eyes. He looked older and quite forlorn.

  When they arrived at her house, he walked her to the door. She thought she should be polite and invite him in for a drink but couldn’t get the words out.

  ‘Well, my sweet lady, I will bid you bonne nuit. Fais de beaux rêves.’ He kissed her on both cheeks and left, waiting in the car long enough to make sure she was safely in the house.

  Anna felt her cheeks tingle where his lips had been. It had been many months since she’d felt anything like sexual interest. She filled her hot water bottle and lay in bed cuddling the warmth to her breasts, then slowly moved it downwards, to the place between her legs.

  21

  CLAIRE

  Claire wanted to be left alone to wallow in her messy bed, but knew that would be impossible when Genevieve, the big gun, arrived.

  ‘What the hell are you doing to yourself? This is so out of character for you,’ said Genevieve. ‘Get out of bed now and have a shower.’

  ‘I can’t.’ Her long-time friend could be one of the most irritating people Claire had ever met.

  ‘What crap. You just won’t. I swear, I’ll bring the shower in here and then your bed will be ruined.’

  Claire struggled to sit up and Genevieve part pushed, part pulled her to the shower. When Claire was dressed, Genevieve grabbed Claire around the waist and helped her down the stairs.

  ‘Now, my girl. What are we going to do with you?’

  ‘Genevieve, I’m fine. I just have to rest until my back is better.’

  ‘Don’t give me that rubbish. I don’t think it’s going to get better this way and, in the meantime, you are doing more harm than good with all those bloody pills. What did the neurosurgeon say?’

  ‘He was useless.’

  ‘But what exactly did he say?’

  ‘He said an operation would relieve the pain in my legs. But it might not help the pain in my back. And if something went wrong, I might end up in a wheelchair. Genevieve, I’m so frightened.’

  ‘What are the chances of that happening?’

  ‘Anthony says they are minuscule. I know the surgeons have to talk about the risks to cover themselves, but I’m terrified. Genevieve, I’ve never felt so hopeless in my life. What if I can’t do the things I want to do?’

  ‘Well, you’re not doing them now, are you? Unless you want to lie around all day feeling sorry for yourself.’

  ‘You know I don’t. Anyway, surely I have a right to wallow a bit if I want. Other people do.’

  ‘But this is so unlike you, and anything has to be a step up from here. You’ve hit rock bottom. You are a physical mess and your husband is going through some midlife crisis and wants to go off overseas alone. What else can go wrong?’

  ‘I’m menopausal. One minute I’m boiling hot and the next I’m freezing cold.’

  ‘Well, there you are. The world is falling apart.’

  ‘Is that supposed to help me?’

  ‘I’m just pointing out if you want to wallow, you have good cause.’

  Now Genevieve had confronted her, Claire was shocked at how helpless she felt. She had never seen herself that way. She’d always been able to take command of situations and find solutions. She had been healthy and active and never suffered from a broken bone or even a twisted ankle. Her childhood illnesses had been short-lived and filled with hugs and treats.

  The combination of her sore back, her menopausal symptoms and Anthony leaving had brought her to her knees. For the first time, she understood why people might try to commit suicide.

  ‘Now you’ve hit rock bottom, there is only one way to go and that’s up,’ said Genevieve.

  ‘Didn’t some
actress say that?’

  ‘She did and she’s right. Even though, technically, you could go down a lot further.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Oh, come on, get real. You have a house to live in, food on the table, money in the bank.’

  ‘Don’t you dare tell me to count my blessings.’

  ‘I’m not, but if you want to catastrophise, you still have a long way to go. To continue, you have two wonderful and successful children.’

  ‘I’m not sure about that. I found out Lauren’s been missing uni classes. Says she’s discovered there’s a life outside of study and work and she intends to live it. I can’t believe, after all that’s been done to improve educational opportunities for women, my own daughter wants to throw hers away on a whim.’

  ‘OK, so you’ve hit a snag with one of your children. You won’t fix it by continuing this way.’

  ‘You’re right.’

  ‘Aren’t I always?’

  ‘Well, there was that time …’ Claire smiled for the first time in weeks.

  ‘That’s better. Now let’s work out your options and get a plan in place.’

  The first action Genevieve took was to move Claire into the guestroom, which was on the ground floor. It was smaller than Claire’s bedroom and didn’t have a view of the water, but it did have an ensuite, which was designed for people with mobility problems in case Claire had to accommodate her ageing parents one day.

  Genevieve pulled out her computer and looked up information on back operations. She made appointments with the acupuncturist, the pain management counsellor and another neurosurgeon for a second opinion.

  ‘I guess less than perfect is better than nothing at all,’ Claire conceded when she finally talked Genevieve into leaving.

  *

  The late-afternoon sun streamed in between the blinds when Anthony arrived home.

  ‘I see you’ve moved downstairs. How are we feeling?’

  ‘We are still in pain. Genevieve helped me. I assume it was you who contacted her.’

  ‘Well, something had to be done. You were wallowing in your own mess.’

  ‘And you want a clear conscience to leave?’

  ‘Claire, you don’t need to be sarcastic.’