‘I’m sorry, darling. I’m afraid I’m going out on Friday.’
Cathy pursed her lips and surveyed her mother with raised eyebrows.
‘That’s a pity, Mum. I was rather relying on you. It’s quite difficult to get baby sitters at the moment, as you know. Exams and things not finished yet.’
Effie winced. Had she done something wrong?
‘I’m sorry, Cathy. Perhaps if you’d asked me earlier. I do get booked up sometimes, you know.’
‘So what is it? Your latest beau?’
‘Well, I’m not sure if I’d describe him quite like that, but, yes, I’ve been invited out for dinner and I’d rather not cancel it.’
‘So, what’s this then? Effie’s got an admirer?.’
Jim had returned from work and was hanging up his jacket. Effie shifted uneasily in her chair. She was not at all sure if she felt ready for enquiries about her social life. Leave it alone, Cathy. She had no desire to talk about it in front of Jim, nor the children who she knew would pester her with questions if they got wind of anything exciting in their grandmother’s normally uneventful life. She realised that since the episode with Oliver, she hadn’t told Cathy anything about her social life, nothing about Kenneth, and this unwelcome scrutiny left her wishing that she had.
Cathy, clearly oblivious to her mother’s discomfort, pushed on.
‘Oh, come on then, Mum, tell us who he is. I think I’d like to know who my competitor is.’
‘That’s not how I’d put it, Cathy.’
‘What’s a competitor?’ piped up Rosie who had also just entered the kitchen where Effie was now helping to clear up the children’s tea.
‘I know’ shouted Daisy who was pirouetting round the table in her ballet shoes, ‘competitor is when you want to beat someone.’
‘Something like that’ said Cathy’ though in this case it is us having to get in first to get grandma’s time so she can look after you when Mum and Dad go out.’
‘Don’t you want to look after us, grandma?’ Rosie’s little face was crestfallen.
‘Of course I do, poppet, it’s just that sometimes I have other things to do.’
‘Like what?’ persisted Rosie.
‘Well, I’ve already arranged to do something and Mummy only just asked me and when you’ve said you’ll do something to someone, it’s important that you do it. I mean’ Effie added, aware that she seemed to be tying herself up in knots `if I’d said I’d baby sit for you two on Friday I’d not have let anything else get in the way, I promise.’
Daisy had stopped pirouetting and the two little girls were looking seriously at their grandmother. It was Jim’s turn to comment.
‘So what’s this then, Effie? Are you being a dark horse?’
‘Why is grandma a dark horse?’
‘It’s a figure of speech, Daisy’ snapped Cathy.’ So, come on, Mum, don’t keep us all in suspense.’
‘Honestly, Cathy, don’t make such a big thing of it. It’s nothing really.’ Effie was turning to the sink, pushing her hands into a pair of rubber gloves and grabbing a brillo pad with which she proceeded to scrub the nearest saucepan with a great deal of force.
‘Well, come on, Mum, it is a big thing if you’ve met someone you like and I can’t think why you don’t want to fill us in.’
‘Why does Grandma need to fill us in?’
‘It’s another figure of speech, Daisy. Just be quiet a minute.’
Effie continued her energetic pan scouring, studiously ignoring the family that had formed itself into a crescent shape behind her back. After a few moments when the only noise was the sound of scrubbing, she turned off the tap and tugged off the marigolds which she arranged neatly beside the sink before turning to face her expectant family.
‘I’m sorry Cathy, and Jim, if you think I’ve been secretive. Anyway, if you really want to know, my dinner date is with a man called Kenneth who lives in West Langdon, he’s about my age, looks nice, runs a business and lost his wife a few years ago. He’s got two grown-up daughters, one of whom I’ve met, and he likes things like food and eating out, modern art and going to the movies. He seems kind and rather generous in his outlook. And really, that’s about as much as I know.’
Four pairs of eyes were staring at Effie whose colour had livened up a couple of shades as she spoke. Jim was the first to speak.
‘Hey, that’s great, Effie. I thought there was something different about you recently, a certain, je ne sais quoi?’
‘Who’s Jenny Saykwa, Daddy?’
‘What?’
‘Jim, must you confuse the child.’
‘I think, Cathy, I am just trying to clarify things and say something nice about your mother’s news’ he sighed, flashing Effie a smile: ‘so, keep us posted won’t you, Effie. I’d no idea you were expanding your social life like that, and wish you luck with it.’ Then as an afterthought he added ‘I mean he is OK I suppose?’
‘You mean, is he after my money?’ Effie laughed. ‘Oh that I had some for someone to chase me for.’
‘But you do have a house and a reasonable income, mum.’
‘Thank you for reminding me, Cathy, but I can assure you that it is very unlikely that Kenneth’s interest in me is financial. He’s obviously much better off than me anyway, lives in a big house and doesn’t seem to be short of funds. We’ve been to some rather nice restaurants together and he always pays the bill. Doesn’t even let me get a glimpse of it.’
‘So long as he’s not just putting on a show to impress you. I mean don’t let him go to your head.’
‘Cathy really! I am not a silly teenager and I can look after myself. I can see I should have told you about him before but I was waiting to see how things go. I mean’ she added ‘I am entitled to a private life I think.’
‘Oh of course you are, Mum’. Cathy’s voice softened. ` But it is a bit of a surprise. I thought you’d given up dating since your experience with that man Oliver who sounded quite an odd-ball.’
The still attentive Daisy was about to ask what an odd-ball was but was pre-empted by her grandmother who found herself coming to Oliver’s defence. ‘No he wasn’t odd, just not properly recovered from his wife’s death and a bit distracted. I can’t really blame him for what happened.’
‘Happened...?’ Jim’s eyebrows rose quizzically.
‘Look, I’d rather not go into that now. Shall we get back to the question of who’s going to baby sit for you on Friday?’
‘Fair enough’ said Jim. ‘So what about Lauren from round the corner? Maybe she’s finished her exams and could help out.’
‘I don’t like Lauren’ complained Daisy, ` she ‘s not any fun. She only wants to do things on her mobile. She doesn’t play games like grandma.’
Cathy now turned to her husband: ‘this whole thing would not be a problem if you’d given us a bit more warning, Jim. You just sprung it on me this morning.’
‘No, Cathy, I told you about it last week. Work things I always tell you about.’
‘Well, I don’t remember, but then I’m so busy I may have missed it. You have to make sure I hear you when you tell me things like that. You know how much I’ve got to cope with.’
‘Yes, I know, but all I can say is I did tell you. It’s been a busy week for me too.’
‘But it doesn’t take much effort just to make sure your wife has absorbed a bit of information if it’s so important, which you always tell me work things are.’
‘Cathy, I don’t say that just to be awkward - it really is important.’
The temperature between husband and wife was clearly rising while the two girls were standing there listening, looking unhappy, and Effie had the uncomfortable feeling that she was the cause of it all. Should she cancel her rendezvous with Kenneth? She hated bad feelings and felt taken back at the turn of events, an unpleasant twist to what had so far seemed an exciting and enjoyable prospect. She also felt a degree of pique at her daughter’s response and found herself comparing her unfavourably to her sister who she was sure would not have reacted like this. No, she was not going to give up her evening that she was looking forward to.
‘Look, I’m really sorry I can’t baby sit but I’m happy to help you find someone else. Even if Lauren can’t do it, surely she’s got a friend and she’d know who’s finished exams. Why don’t you call her now, Cathy?’
‘But it’s all very well, Mum, just anyone won’t do. The children need to know who it is... but I guess we haven’t much choice’ Cathy protested as she marched off to make the phone call to Lauren.
An hour later, after half a dozen calls, a lot of irritable waiting and a general deterioration in the atmosphere, the matter was finally settled. A girl from Lauren’s class, Jasmine, who had just finished her exams and had met Daisy once or twice at the dance studio agreed to baby-sit on condition that she didn’t have to cook any meat for the girls. ‘I’ve recently become a vegetarian’ she pronounced ‘and I don’t like to contaminate myself by touching meat.’
‘No problem’ responded Cathy tersely ‘the children will be watered, fed and in their night clothes. You don’t have to touch anything or anybody except the light switch, to put it off.’
‘Not put it off!’ yelled Rosie who had been listening intently to the conversation ‘not put it off. I don’t like the dark!’
‘Don’t worry, darling’ Cathy addressed her youngest daughter, her voice at last softer, ‘of course I won’t leave you in the dark. You’ll have your Hello Kitty light on as usual and I’ll give Jasmine strict instructions not to shut the door and Daisy will be with you.’ She hugged her daughter to her and Rosie, who looked on the point of tears, buried her face in her mother’s chest. Effie surveyed the scene soberly. Should she stay and try and sort things out before leaving? She wasn’t sure if she felt guilty or annoyed or both. Jim was looking serious too, sitting at the table with Daisy now on his lap, and she wished someone would speak to her.
No one did. And so it was Effie herself who spoke up ‘well, would anyone like a cup of tea, now we’ve got Friday sorted?’
Cathy ignored her mother. Jim was rocking Daisy in his arms but looked towards his mother-in-law and smiled. `Yes, that would be nice. I think we could all do with some tea.’
‘Ooh, can I have some’ perked up Daisy ‘I like tea’.
‘Too late,’ said Cathy as she put the now-recovered Rosie down. ‘It’ll keep you awake and it’s nearly your bedtime.’
Daisy grimaced but did not protest. She slid off her father’s lap, grabbed her sister’s hand and the two girls hurried off.
‘Fifteen minutes!’ shouted Cathy after them.
Effie poured out three cups of tea and sat down with the still serious –looking parents. Cathy exuded tension into the atmosphere and was not looking either at her husband or her mother.
‘Come on, Cathy’ coaxed her husband ‘I think it’s fine now.’
‘Only because I spent hours on the phone’ she protested, banging her tea cup down. `It wouldn’t’ve been such a business if you’d only let me know earlier. I just hate doing things at the last minute, you know I do.’
‘But I did tell you Cathy. I distinctly remember telling you, and you muttered something.’
‘Muttered, probably means I didn’ t hear... I mean does it never occur to you that I am so busy that I may have other things on my mind.’
‘I know, I know... anyway I don’t think we should go on with this while your mother is here and the children are not in bed,’ he said, rising.
Effie, with her inbuilt abhorrence of leaving a troubled ship, in a last ditch attempt to improve the atmosphere, offered to help Cathy put the children to bed.
‘No, it’s all right,Mum. It’s Jim’s turn to do the bed-time reading’ said Cathy firmly.
‘Well, if you’re sure?’
‘Quite sure thanks, Mum.’
‘I’ll be off then.’
Effie picked up her bag, leaving her unwashed teacup on the table, anxious now to get going. The bus journey home gave her a chance to consider the situation which had taken her by surprise, both her daughter’s display of ill humour towards her and also the obvious tension between Cathy and Jim which was new to her. Or was it? She gazed out of the window from the top of the bus as it sped down the High Street and remembered Daisy’s remark the other week about Mummy and Daddy shouting, which she had rather dismissed. And as for Cathy’s mood this evening, it had also not occurred to Effie that her children would be other than delighted if she found herself a new partner. And was that what it was about anyway?
She put her ruminations on hold as the bus reached her stop. It was a fine evening, almost the longest day and still clear light at a little after eight o’clock. People were sitting outside in the garden of the King’s Head enjoying the evening warmth. Effie was briefly tempted to join them but pushed on homewards driven by a desire to offload her troubling thoughts by some other means. En route, she nipped into her local Tesco, exiting with a bottle of Pinot grigio, some milk and a packet of salted peanuts.
Fifteen minutes later she was ensconced in her favourite armchair with a bowl of peanuts and a glass in hand. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to speak to Susie or run things by her older daughter Jane whose approach to life was considerably more laid back than her sister’s. Not for the first time she thought the girls had been given the wrong names, Cathy, with references to the wildness of Wuthering Heights, and Jane with its suggestions of plainness. They really ought to be reversed. But, yes, she needed to speak to her older daughter and see if she could help her comprehend the situation.
Jane answered promptly and sounded cheerful.
‘Hi, Mum. How’s things?’
‘To be frank, darling, a bit bothersome’ Effie confided and proceeded to give an account of events, emphasizing Cathy’s reaction to the information about Kenneth as the source of the baby sitting problem.
‘I mean, I did tell you children that I was going to develop my social life, and I thought you were all OK about it.’
‘Well, I certainly am. I think it’s great, and so does Leo...’
‘Does he?... He hasn’t said anything..’
‘Oh, you know Leo. It’s not his style to let on about things. He’s fine but just doesn’t want to know too much about it. I mean you don’t really want to have to think about your sixty-year old mother having sex, do you?’ Jane tittered on the other end of the phone.
‘Jane, I certainly haven’t said anything remotely about that to anyone as far as I know.’
`Yes, but you can’t stop people thinking things, Mum. When it was just you and Dad, well, we didn’t have to think about it. Children don’t think of their parents like that. Then you two split up and we had to get used to the idea of Dad and Helen which wasn’t easy since she used to be your best friend. We were used to you and Helen sitting in the kitchen having a cup of tea together and gossiping. So now, if you have a man friend – a boy friend - it’s something else to have to get used to.’
Effie considered this silently and took a large sip of Pinot before replying.
‘I think I do understand that but you know, the thing is,...I’ve been so close to Cathy since the kids and to be honest, I’ve done a lot for them. I’m usually very happy to baby sit. I adore those two. So it’s a bit hurtful that Cathy should so quickly get so – well – so ungrateful and almost accusing..’
‘Mum, come on, I’m sure she’s not. I’m sure she didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, she’s just a bit up tight, as always’ Jane laughed. ‘I must say I sometimes wonder how Jim puts up with her.’
‘Now don’t start having a go at her in order to defend me. But I can see I’ll have to think carefully about things.’
‘Don’t be too careful, Mum. So aren’t you going to tell me something about this young man who seems to like you? I think I could stand a bit more information, so long as there is definitely no S. E. X’ she chuckled. ‘I mean don’t forget I’m in one of my ‘resting’ phases as far as men are concerned. Ian and I didn’t really hit it off, so I don’t want to have to be jealous of my own mother having a gorgeous man.’
‘Oh, Jane, don’t remotely think it, please darling. Look he’s just a nice, ordinary guy,..’
‘Don’t worry, Mum. I’m only joking. I’ve got my eye on someone new at work anyway... another Scotsman as it happens but a more relaxed model. So tell me about this Kenneth.’
Which Effie did. Her daughter listened and made the occasional clucking noise, like a parent listening to a small child, thought Effie, but she was more relaxed by the end of the conversation and finished the evening feeling very good about one daughter, a little better about the other, and more than usually conscious of uncertainties ahead.