Two days later and I was beginning to feel almost normal again in my house. I didn’t jump as much when I heard the phone ring. And I hadn’t heard from the callers since the day I paid them the money. I guess I got that part right.
My grandmother was still in hospital, but she was doing better. They had moved her onto an ordinary ward now; my grandfather was there as often as he was allowed.
I tucked Robin up in her bed and stared out into the garden just as I had done a couple of days before, but that seemed so long ago, like another life time. The crickets though still played out there nightly tune going about their lives as always. Bexley stood with me this time, just staring with me. A soft tap on the front door of the house though soon broke his thoughts and he went happily padding into the house.
Keller’s bright smile greeted me when I opened the door and he shoved a bottle of wine in my face. “To celebrate.” He said pulling it back.
He was out of uniform and dressed very casually. His baggy t-shirt overlapped his jeans, but they suited him. He always looked stupid when we were kids in baggy clothes, as a child he was so scrawny, but he looked good now he had filled out.
“Celebrate?”
“Yes.”
“What are we celebrating?”
“I dunno, it seemed like a good idea an hour ago.” He laughed and I couldn’t help it I laughed with him and let him in. “How about old friends?” he said and I agreed.
“Oh, planning on getting me drunk were you?” I said joking. Damn I shouldn’t have said that.
“Always.” He said as his face lit up with mischief.
“Well I wont be any good to you asleep now would?”
“Depends if you still snore.”
“I do not snore.”
I threw him the cork screw so that he could open the bottle and I got the glasses. He was the last person I expected to see, well him and Mark really. It was nice to have company. We sat down in the doorway at the back of the house and Bexley tucked himself up in his basket out side the bedrooms. I obviously didn’t need watching tonight.
“Is that right? Have you ever listened to your self when you’re asleep?”
“Yes all the time.”
“Ha. I remember when me, you and Mark used to go camping, he said he was going to record it and play it back to you.”
I laughed at the memory, yes I did remember it. We always went camping if we could, just the three of us in one tent. Me sleeping with them on either side.
“Yes I remember hiding his recorder and threatening to push him in the lake if he did.”
“You did that anyway.”
“We had some good times didn’t we?” I said sitting myself down next to him.
“Yes we did.” He spun his glass round and smiled at it, staring at the clear liquid inside as it sloshed from side to side.
“Shame I wreaked it all.”
His glass stopped abruptly. “You didn’t ruin anything. I did it was me that should have kept my hands off you, but I couldn’t help it.”
“It doesn’t matter who did it really though does it?” I asked. “Either way, we broke his heart and he has the right to hate us both.”
I could feel him staring at me and I had no idea what to say to him. We were a world apart now, so much time and distance between us. We weren’t who we used to be.
“I saw him today.” He said “He came to see me; I still can’t work out why. The last time I had seen him he had been trying to punch me in the face.”
“Well we did hurt him.”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “That’s why I don’t get him coming to see me. He hates me.”
“And me.”
“No one could hate you Vanessa, not forever and certainly not Mark.”
“I wouldn’t blame him.” I replied. “What did he say?”
“Nothing really that’s the strange thing. He just said he forgave me and that was it, he left again.”
“Well at least he forgives one of us.”
We chatted for a while, not about anything important, just catching up on things, but it was nice. I enjoyed spending time with him just chatting, like old times. We always used to stay up talking right into and sometimes through the small hours. Putting the world to rights with our strange take on things and opinions of how things should be.
Two bottles of wine later and I was rather tipsy. I didn’t drink often so it didn’t take me much to get drunk. Keller was almost as bad, though I think I slurred more. It was good to laugh with him again. After the initially depressing subject of the part we had discussed anything and everything, but it was time for him to leave. I had to admit I was a little sad to see him go home, I had had a good day.
The taxi beeped impatiently outside. Sometimes I think those guys don’t care who they wake up. It was gone midnight. Robin was asleep, the last thing I wanted was for her to wake up and find her mother drunk.
Keller opened the curtains and waved at the driver letting him know he had seen him, he turned and smiled at me. “I had a good time today.” He said.
“I did too. Thank you.” I slurred.
“Night Nessa.” He said his voice soft as he ran his finger playfully down my face, flicking my nose.
“Night Kel.”
I flopped on the sofa after locking the door behind him. My eye lids grew heavy almost instantly and wine induced sleep took me.
----------------------------------------------
I squeezed my eyes open and shut them again almost instantly as the light burnt into the back of my eyes. My head felt like someone had it squashed in a vice and they were winding it tighter and tighter over my temples.
The light flooded through my shut eyes and I reached behind me for a cushion and pulled it over my face. I was never drinking again.
“Mummy?” asked Robin next to me and I moved the cushion slightly so I could see her through one half open eye, but even that hurt. It felt like my eyes weighed a ton. “Mummy are you ok?”
