Chapter Twenty-seven

DAVE’S WORDS AT the end of their phone call had made Jenny cry. He had said he was sorry in the most loving and graceful way possible. Overnight, she examined her own behaviour. Had she been unkind or unfair? He had said he was leaving Camp Bastion and she could tell from his tone that he was going somewhere dangerous. Had she told him she loved him? Probably. But not in a truly loving way. She did not fall into a deep sleep until morning, shortly before it was time to get up.

She prepared the children and went over to Adi’s. She had arranged to leave the girls there when Adi got back from church. The Kasanita family had gone to the first service. Somehow Adi had managed to dress herself and all the children nicely and pile them into the car at a ridiculously early hour while Jenny still slept. But now Jenny had seen her scooting home and she braced herself to take the children over and ask another favour of Adi – an enormous one.

‘I’m a bit early. I thought maybe we could have a chat for a few minutes,’ she said when Adi answered the door.

‘Come in, darling, we’ll have a cup of tea. But watch out, because I’ve started cooking and I’ve already burnt something and the whole place smells horrible!’ laughed Adi, leading her to the kitchen, where children were scraping leftover cake mixture from bowls with wooden spoons. Jaime was asleep so Jenny left her in her buggy in the hallway. Vicky sat down in front of the TV with some of the other children as though this was her second home. Which, thought Jenny guiltily, in a way it was.

‘I think our boys are leaving Bastion,’ she said.

Adi, who was making a pot of tea, swung round to her.

‘You’ve spoken to Dave!’ she said, her face breaking into a wide smile. So Adi knew how little communication there had been between them. Because Adi always knew everything.

Jenny nodded. But she doubted that the phone call from Dave yesterday was like any phone call between Sol and Adi.

‘How is he?’

‘Fine. They were getting ready to leave Bastion to go somewhere.’

‘Another FOB, I believe. Did Dave tell you when they might be coming home?’

Coming home. Not a subject they had broached.

‘I don’t think he knows.’

‘Well, I’m glad you two have spoken.’

The water boiled and Adi poured it into the big teapot, stirring it with the same energy she applied to everything. Jenny couldn’t smell anything burnt in the kitchen. It felt like a warm, welcoming, sweetly scented Adi sort of place.

‘Can I help you with anything here?’ asked Jenny.

‘Don’t you have to rush off to get ready for work?’

‘I’ve got a few minutes. I’m just wearing jeans, since it’s Sunday.’

‘Hmm, well a bit of peeling maybe?’

Adi plonked a tray of vegetables and a peeler in front of her.

‘Now then, Jenny, what time do you think you’re going to finish tonight?’

‘Well, you know that Eugene’s on a committee?’ Jenny began.

‘Ummmm,’ said Adi.

‘They’re writing a report.’

‘Oh yes? Is that what you type? I thought it was his memoirs.’

‘That too. But the report’s really urgent. It’s for the Government.’

‘Ooooh.’

‘And I think I told you that the deadline’s moved forward and it has to be finished tonight? Well, that might mean working very late.’

Adi was pouring the tea but now she paused and looked at her.

‘So, what are you trying to tell me, Jenny?’

Jenny could not look up. She picked a large, bell-shaped squash from the tray and tried to peel its thick skin but the peeler kept sliding over the hard, smooth surface.

Adi delivered a cup of tea to Jenny and then scooped up a small child and placed him on her hip. She stood swaying gently with the child in front of Jenny.

It was difficult to say this. It was difficult to peel the squash. ‘I’m not sure what time we’ll actually finish.’

‘Well, we agreed I’d have the children this afternoon … I can keep them until their bedtime this evening …’

‘The thing is, we might not finish until, well, midnight or even later.’

Adi stared at her.

‘Oh. I see. So what you really want is for me to take the girls all night.’

Jenny was making headway with the squash now. She had found it was possible to peel it using sheer brute force, pushing the blade into the skin. She pressed as hard as she could and at that moment the blade slipped down the squash to her other hand, which was holding the vegetable, and along the back of one finger. Jenny could see the white line of peeled skin.

First there was pain and then there was blood.

‘Oh Adi, I’m sorry, I’m making a mess of this!’ Jenny did not want to admit how much her finger hurt. She tried wrapping a tissue around it but by the time Adi had reached for her first-aid kit, the tissue was soaked in blood.

Adi put the child down and rummaged in the box until she found a bandage and without a word started to wrap it around Jenny’s finger. Jenny took her silence for anger. Usually Adi was all noise and sympathy at the slightest mishap. This cold, quiet Adi was like a reprimand.

She stood up.

‘It’s OK, Adi, don’t worry about my finger.’

Adi looked up at her. Jenny took the bandage out of her hand.

‘I’m causing nothing but trouble. I’ll see to this at home and replace your bandage. And don’t worry about this evening either. I’ll be back at five for the girls.’

‘Now, Jenny, don’t be like that.’ Adi’s voice had lost its customary warmth.

‘I’ve put you in a very difficult position. I’ve asked too much. I’m sorry.’ Jenny was moving towards the door now.

‘You’ve put me in a difficult position because you’ve asked me to take your kids for the night. So that you can work late with this man, Eugene. Jenny, do you have any idea what people are saying about you? And what they’ll say if they find out I’ve looked after your girls so you can be alone with him at night in his house?’

Jenny looked through to the living room. The children had all left the kitchen now and were sitting in a tight circle in front of the TV. She leaned towards Adi. They were both standing and Jenny had to bend to speak quietly to the small, solid Fijian.

‘I don’t care what people say, because I know none of it’s true. I do care when my friends, or people I thought were my friends, are ready to believe lies about me.’

Adi stared back at her.

‘Is it all lies, Jenny? I didn’t want to believe it but so many people have seen you in public with this man. You spend such a lot of time alone with him in his house, he visits you here, he picks up your kids. And you hardly speak to your husband.’

Jenny continued to search Adi’s face. Of all the women at the camp, she loved Adi the most but now none of the familiar features she cared for were visible: the ready smile; the warm, shining eyes; the comfortable curved cheeks. Adi’s face had become all cold, jutting angles.

‘We’re alone in his house working, Adi. I don’t stop from the minute I arrive to the minute I leave and that’s why he picked up the girls once, because I was working. He’s been to my house once, because I left my handbag. We’ve been out twice together and both times there’s been a good reason. He’s never held my hand or kissed me or spoken to me in any way he shouldn’t. That’s the truth.’

While she was speaking she saw Adi’s face change again. The angles began to soften, the warmth returned to her eyes.

‘I believe you,’ she said. ‘But Jenny, Jenny, why couldn’t you be more careful?’

Jenny was ready to bolt for the front door but Adi stopped her, suddenly throwing her arms around her. ‘Oh darling, you know how people like to talk and say bad things. Why do you give them so much opportunity to gossip?’

Jenny shrugged inside Adi’s hug. ‘I didn’t know they were going to start talking about me. I thought people liked me.’

‘The best thing, and you won’t be happy but I’m saying it anyway, the best thing would be for you to stop working for Eugene.’

‘I don’t want to. I love the job.’

‘It’s not fair on Dave. All this gossip. He hears it out in theatre and it’s not right.’

‘I can’t give up work.’

‘Is it true he’s loaned you money?’

‘What?’

‘Eugene. Is it true he loaned you the deposit for Vicky’s nursery?’

Jenny drew back.

‘It’s in my pay package. He deducts the money each month.’

In the next room, the children’s programme was ending with the usual music. Adi and Jenny knew the tune well; it was part of the soundtrack of their lives. Its conclusion usually signalled the onset of hunger, restlessness or some other demand from their children, which meant adult conversation had to end.

‘Jenny, listen.’ Adi spoke rapidly and softly. ‘If you’re staying there because of the loan, don’t. That money I’m saving for our trip back to Fiji, I’ll never have enough before Sol comes home. I’ll loan it to you, I know you’ll pay it back when you can. If it helps you to give up the job, then take it.’

Jenny was touched.

‘Oh, Adi.’

‘Don’t decide now, Jenny. Think about it. OK?’

Jaime was moving in her buggy the way she did just before she woke. Around the TV, the tight circle sprung a leak as children broke away.

‘Thanks, Adi. I will.’

‘Listen, come back at bedtime this evening to say goodnight to the girls and then leave them here and pick them up in the morning. I’ll deal with the gossip as best I can.’

‘Adi, thanks, I—’

‘Jaime’s waking up. Don’t let her see you or she’ll cry when you go. Hug Vicky and leave now, Jenny. And take care of yourself.’

Vicky ran for a cuddle as Adi followed Jenny through the hallway. At the door, Jenny kissed the half-asleep Jaime and then remembered something. She reached down into the buggy’s carrier and pulled out a bottle of wine.

‘Jenny, you know I don’t touch that stuff!’ exclaimed Adi.

‘It’s for Leanne and Steve. You see Leanne much more than I do these days. Would you pass it on?’

‘Well, of course.’

‘I told Eugene about Steve coming home and he sent this bottle to wish him well.’

Adi immediately held the bottle differently, as though it was something dangerous.

‘You want me to tell them this is a present from Eugene?’

‘Well, yes. It’s supposed to be really nice wine.’

‘Darling, I’ll think of something else to say.’

‘Why?’ Jenny was putting Vicky down now and the little girl was clinging to her leg.

‘That’s what makes me sure you’re not having an affair, Jenny Henley. You just don’t know how to lie. Or when to lie.’

‘I thought Steve and Leanne would be pleased to have a nice bottle of wine!’

‘If they think you’re having an affair with this man, they won’t want presents from him, will they?’

Jenny stroked Vicky’s hair and gently lifted her back into the house. ‘Is that really what they think?’

Adi looked her straight in the eye and nodded.

‘But how do you know?’

‘I saw Steve for a few minutes yesterday. And he expressed an opinion. So did Leanne.’

That was why Steve hadn’t answered the door. Jenny felt hot and defensive. ‘I don’t know about Steve but I thought Leanne was my friend. We’ve always helped with each other’s children, we’ve got keys to each other’s houses and we do a lot together …’

‘The last thing you two did together was go shopping for party dresses,’ Adi reminded her. ‘Months ago.’

Jenny realized she was right.

Adi rolled her eyes. ‘See you at bedtime.’

Vicky burst into tears and Jenny kissed her again, and then Adi tugged the little girl inside. They turned and waved as Jenny walked back down the street clutching the remaining ball of bandage with the half-bandaged finger. She looked back once to see the pair of them waving, Vicky’s face tear-stained, calling her name. She heard Jaime’s wail as she woke too. She swallowed, waved and turned towards home.

As she swung up the path she felt that Steve might be standing at his window watching her once more, disapproving of her, perhaps even hating her. She did not turn around towards the Buckles’ house; she did not even glance in that direction.