Chapter 8

The rest of term went by quickly in a haze of wake up, make love, go to lectures, eat lunch, more lectures, go home, make love, study, make love, sleep and then repeat. Except on weekends when they substituted studying for going to lectures and having the odd day trip out.

Three weeks from the end of term they were sat watching something bland on TV.

“Jon,” Karen said, “what are we doing for Christmas?”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Jon replied, “I assume your parents are expecting you home, and I know mine are expecting me.”

“We’re going to have to think about it,” she said, “and fast. It’s nearly on us.”

“And what about Christmas presents?” Jon asked, “do we buy parents and family one present from both of us or do we buy them separate presents. And if we buy them separate ones, what’s appropriate for each of us to buy the other’s parents?”

“Perhaps we should ring them and ask what they’re expecting of us, and try and work out something that leaves everybody, if not happy, then not upset,” Karen said.

“Like do Christmas with one set and New Year with the other, then reverse it each year in future?” Jon asked.

“Are you that sure of yourself?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“Reverse it each year in future,” she said.

“No, but my Grandmother is, oh mother of her great-grandchildren,” Jon replied, “and believe me, in our family what she says goes.”

“I do like the idea of a matriarchal family,” Karen said, flatly.

“Why does that not surprise me,” Jon asked, to no-one in particular.

“Right then,” Karen said, “who first? Your family or mine?”

“Won’t yours be busy now?” Jon asked.

“Not particularly,” Karen replied, “the illuminations are finished, so the pub will be quiet, just a few regulars in. Dad usually has bar staff on in the evenings and watches telly upstairs.”

“Ok, ring yours first then,” Jon agreed.

“So what do we do, explain what we’re planning and give them first choice of Christmas or New Year?” she asked.

“That sounds fair.”

Karen picked up the phone and dialled her parents’ number.

“Cze?? Tato, co ty i Mama plany na Bo?e Narodzenie w tym roku?” I heard her say as what I assumed was her father answered << Hi daddy, what are you and Mum’s plans for Christmas this year?>> There was a silence, Karen looked over at Jon and mouthed, ‘He’s getting Mum.’

“Hi Mum,” she said after a few seconds, “Jon and I have been discussing Christmas and New Year. What we’ve come up with is we spend one half each of the Christmas holiday with you and his parents, and alternate each year, so we do Christmas with you one year and New Year the other.”

“That sounds like a plan dear,” Irene replied, “which one do we get this year?”

“That’s up to you, which one is best for you?”

“Christmas would be nice if you can do it,” Irene said.

“Yes, we’d already decided that you got first choice this year,” Karen said, “er, Mum, about sleeping arrangements.”

“Don’t worry about that darling,” Irene said, “we’ve already replaced your bed with a king sized.”

Karen smiled and did a little fist pump.

“Oh, that’s great thanks Mum, we’ll let you know what the specifics are in a week or so, when we’ve spoken to Jon’s parents.”

Karen hung up after saying goodbye and smiled at Jon.

“What are you looking so pleased at?” he asked.

“My parents have replaced the bed in my room,” she said.

“Really?” Jon asked.

“Yes,” she answered, “with a king sized.”

“I never expected that,” he said.

“You mean like nobody ever expects the Spanish Inquisition?” Karen asked, “all right Doctor Todd, time to ring your parents.”

Jon’s parents were happy for them to spend whatever time they wanted with them.

“Just let us know when you’re arriving, darling,” his mother said just before they said goodbye and hung up.

“Right, that’s Christmas sorted,” Jon said as he replaced the receiver, “a few days here, then Blackpool, Yorkshire and back here for a few days, before we get snowed under with work again.”

The last few weeks of term passed. Just a week before it was due to end, the phone rang.

“This is Karen,” Karen announced as she answered it.

“Hi Karen, Alison replied, “I have a favour to ask.”

“What’s that?” Karen asked, “you know we will if we can.”

“I’m coming up to see the architecture department at Herriott-Watt on Monday can I stay with you and Jon over the weekend and Monday night?”

“I’m sure you can,” Karen replied, “you know this place is just as much yours as Jon’s.”

“I know that,” she replied, “but I won’t be alone.”

“Oh,” Karen answered, “do we get to know who the lucky young man is?”

“What makes you so certain it’s a man?” Alison asked, coquettishly.

“Simple,” Karen replied, “I’m a girl who likes girls, you’re not, we have ways of telling.”

“All right, yes, it’s a boy.”

“Are you going to let us in on the secret?” Karen asked.

“Well, I’ll have to at the weekend won’t I?” Alison replied.

“True,” Karen agreed, “Next the 64000 dollar question.”

“Are we sleeping together?” Alison asked.

“That’s the one.”

“No, not yet,” she replied, “we haven’t taken that step.”

“But you’re planning it?” Karen asked.

“I want to, he wants to, but we’re scared,” Alison said.

“That’s natural,” Karen said, “Alison, are you a virgin?”

“Yes,” she replied, “we both are.”

“And what about contraception?”

“Provera injection, Mum put me on it at fourteen for my periods.”

“That’s very similar to my story,” Karen said, “so you’re thinking that the pair of you will share a bed here?”

“If you and Jon don’t mind,” Alison said.

“It’s fine by me,” Karen said, “don’t worry about your brother, I’ll think of a way to distract him.”

“Thanks Karen,” Alison said, “maybe nothing will actually happen, but thanks. I’m glad you’re my sister.”

They talked about nothing much for another ten minutes before they hung up, after Karen promised to pick them up from Waverley station on Friday night.

Jon arrived home from lectures about an hour later, looking weary.

“Tired?” she asked him as he flopped down on the sofa beside her.

“Knackered,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

“Bath,” she commanded, “soak yourself, for at least half an hour, then dinner, and we’ll go play hide the sausage.”

She jumped up, walked across to the bathroom and started running him a hot bath, with bubbles.

Karen’s plans for hide the sausage, however, came to a full stop when, after dinner, she told Jon to go to the bedroom and get ready for bed while she cleared up and loaded the dishwasher, only to walk into the bedroom to find him in bed and sound asleep. She returned to the living room, and curled up for an hour with Suzanne Noble’s Clinical Textbook of Dental Hygiene and Therapy. An hour later she joined him, snuggled up, spooned behind him and turned the light out. She was asleep almost immediately.

On Fridays they had close finishing times, so they were able to both be there to greet Alison and her friend. The train from York pulled in to Waverley Station three minutes early, and the pair of them stood on the station concourse, looking down the length of platform six, trying to spot Jon’s sister.

Eventually they saw her step down from the train followed by a second person. That was when Jon’s jaw dropped.

Once they were through the ticket barrier, Alison hugged them both then turned to Jon.

“Jon,” she said, seriously, “I think you know my boyfriend, John Noble, John, this is my brother, Jonathan, usually called Jon, or Sweeney.”

Jon stood open-mouthed, speechless. Karen enveloped John in a hug.

“Welcome to Edinburgh John,” she said, “forgive my boyfriend, I think he’s a little shell-shocked.”

“I can understand that,” John replied, before turning to Jon, “listen, mate, if you’d prefer, I can get the next train home.”

“No,” Jon replied, “I’m sorry John, I just didn’t expect to see you. Come on the car’s just outside.”

On the way back to the flat, Karen broke the silence.

“I thought you said you’d fixed John up with a date with a girl from your class?” she asked.

“I did,” Alison replied.

“And that didn’t work out, so you substituted yourself?”

“No,” Alison answered, “I WAS the girl from my class. And it worked out wonderfully.”

“Well, I for one am happy for you,” Karen said. A huge smile on her face, “both of you.”

“Me too,” Jon added, although perhaps a little less enthusiastically.

They arrived back in the flat, and Jon helped John carry their two bags up.

“Come on,” Alison announced as they walked through the door into the living room, “we’re in the second bedroom.”

She led her boyfriend through, and they re-appeared a few minutes later.

“You put a bigger bed in there,” Alison announced.

“Actually the landlord did it,” Jon replied, “it seems the new tenant he’s expecting next year thought the old one was too small.”

Once they were gathered in the living room, Karen smiled at Jon.

“Jon, why don’t you go in the kitchen and do what you’re best at?” she suggested.

“Karen,” Alison exclaimed in mock horror, “you mean to tell me, you’ve found something my brother’s good at?”

“More than one thing,” Karen replied, “but at this time of day, his best talent is coffee.”

“Do I really want to know what the other thing is?” Alison asked.

“Probably not,” Karen smiled.

The three of them chatted about school, university and Edinburgh until Jon came back in carrying a tray with coffee, cups, milk, sugar and a plate of shortbread biscuits.

“Can’t come to Edinburgh and not have shortbread John,” he said as he put the tray down on the coffee table.