Sixty - Three

Mike was choking and spluttering as he arrived at the school gates. The punishing run had taken him longer than he thought. He was so out of condition, and he promised himself that he would do something about it.

He edged his way through the throng of children leaving the school and found Daryl and Hannah waiting on the front steps of the entrance. There was no sign of Maggie. Daryl’s frown, the one which was almost permanent, grew more pronounced.

‘Where’s Mum?’ he demanded.

Mike shrugged and tried to speak, but he was too out of breath.

‘Have you been running?’ said Hannah.

Mike nodded. Daryl turned to his sister and spoke to her matter-of-factly.

‘He’s been done for drinking and driving.’ He stared up at Mike, his eyes hostile and challenging. ‘So where’s Mum, and how are we getting home?’

‘I’ve no idea. I thought she was picking you up, seeing as the car wasn’t at home.’

‘Have you tried her mobile?’

Mike shook his head as Daryl turned to Hannah and muttered something he didn’t catch. Precocious little bastard, thought Mike. He had tried to make the effort and like the boy, but it was difficult. He was hoping to avoid the old cliché about stepfathers and resentful stepchildren but somehow the boy wound him up the wrong way, especially when he stared at him in that infuriatingly knowing way.

He took his mobile out of his pocket, scrolled down to Maggie’s number and dialled. It was on voice mail. Gritting his teeth, he clicked it off impatiently. Daryl stared at him accusingly.

‘If you got her voice mail, why didn’t you leave a message?’

Mike was about to answer when the mobile rang. When he answered it was Craig, breathless and speaking hurriedly.’

‘Mike! We have a major problem - at the wine bar. My sister’s here and she’s out of it. Christ! I’ve never seen her so drunk. She’s collapsed and we’ve managed to get her out into the kitchen, but not before she insulted a party of some of our regular customers. Hello? You still there?’

Mike answered gravely, ‘Yes, I’m still here.

‘You’d better get over here, Mike, and see if you can get her home.’

‘That might be a bit tricky. I’ve just picked up Hannah and Daryl at their school. So I’m going to have to take them home on the bus.’

‘Can you take them to my mum and dad’s house in Rusthall? Then maybe get back here. I don’t think it would be good for the kids to see their mother like this.’

‘Yeah, OK. And I’ll get down to the wine bar as soon as I can. I’d get a cab up to Rusthall, only it’s the school run, so the bus might be quicker.’

He glanced at Daryl and Hannah who were staring at him intensely, trying to work out what was going on. He said a brief goodbye to Craig and hung up.

‘We going to Nanny and Grandpa’s?’ asked Hannah.

‘What’s happened to Mum?’ said Daryl.

‘She was working at the wine bar and she’s not feeling too well. Come on, we’ve got at least a ten minute walk to catch the bus. We’d better get going.’

As they walked out of the school gates, Mike noticed how sullenly quiet both the children were, probably both suspicious about their mother’s illness and the cause of it. He started to feel sorry for them.

‘Sorry about having to go on the bus. Maybe we can grab a bar of chocolate on the way.’

Both children visibly brightened, Mike thinking it was at the prospect of chocolate. But he was mistaken as they both had an excited conversation about a bus journey, a journey that was probably a novel experience for them.

‘Have you ever been on a bus before?’ Hannah asked her brother.

Daryl frowned thoughtfully. ‘Once ... I think. But I can’t really remember it. I wish it was longer bus ride than just to Rusthall though.’

‘Yeah, me too,’ said Hannah.

‘Hey!’ said Mike, with false cheerfulness. ‘Maybe we could go on the bus to Brighton one day. That’s quite a long journey.’

They both looked at him so gratefully, that he warmed to them for the first time.

***

When Ted arrived at Donald’s house, Donald took him by the hand, led him into the living room and sat him down on the sofa.

‘Have you thought about it yet?’ Donald asked, with a tremor of excitement.

Ted nodded. ‘I have. And I’d like to take you up on your offer.’

Donald laughed. ‘Dear boy, I’m delighted!’ He bent forward and kissed Ted on the lips briefly. ‘But don’t make it sound so formal. Your offer makes it seem like a job offer, like I’ve just asked you to become an employee. Not someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.’

Ted smiled sheepishly. ‘What about Bamber?’

Donald tapped the side of his nose. ‘I can handle Bamber, who I think will be living at his mother’s house in Lewes from now on. But the hard part is dealing with the wife from hell.’

‘I think I’ve sorted it out,’ said Ted. ‘I bought her a mobile phone. I had to spend an hour teaching her how to receive text messages.’

Donald frowned. ‘What about sending them?’

‘No need for that. I saw this story in a newspaper I found on the train. Some pop singer gave her husband his marching orders by sending him a text.’

Donald giggled excitedly. ‘And you’re planning to give your wife the heave-hoh in the same way?’

Ted smiled, preening himself at his devilish plan. Sweet revenge.

Donald clapped his hands together. ‘This calls for a celebration. I’ll go and open the bubbly.’

‘While I write the text,’ Ted said, grinning hugely.

While Donald was in the kitchen, Ted composed a brief message in his Messages mode.

Marjorie Am leaving U. I want a divorce. Goodbye and good riddance. Ted.

Ted stared at the message for several minutes. And then he thought about Donald and their trips to the theatre. And the money he had in his own bank account. Money that had given him so much confidence. He felt like a new man. It was a new beginning. Discovering the person he had always wanted to be, but couldn’t because of her.

He pressed the send button, and imagined his message travelling like a magic carpet across the air waves, bleeping its way into Marjorie’s phone.

‘I’ve done it!’ Ted yelled triumphantly. ‘Donald, I’ve done it!’