Chapter 18

“David, can we talk?” Cal asked as she walked into the room, surprising me, I was expecting my sister.

“Well,” I replied, “we’re both human beings, we have mouths, tongues and a larynx, so I suppose that, yes, scientifically, we can talk. But I take it you mean can we talk to each other?”

She looked down at the floor.

“Yes,” she said, almost a whisper, “can we, please?”

“Yes,” I said.

Hear face broke out in a beaming smile.

“But there’s a condition,” I added.

The smile vanished.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I assume that you’ve told our mothers what happened in Manchester, from, erm, your point of view?” I queried.

She didn’t answer, just nodded her head.

“Well, what you need to do, before we can even talk about talking, is tell them again,” I said, “but this time, the plain unvarnished truth.”

She looked like I’d just threatened to shoot her.

“Sorry Cal, that’s the price of admission to my club,” I added, “you’re familiar with the concept I believe.”

She turned and ran down the stairs and out of the house.

I followed her down, at a more sedate pace and found my Mum and Cal’s sat in the kitchen.

“Where’s Cal, her mother asked.

“She left,” I said.

“What did you do to her?” Mum asked.

“I didn’t do anything to her, Mum,” I said, “she asked if we could talk, and I said yes, but laid a condition on it. Obviously, she finds that condition unacceptable.”

“What was the condition?” Mary asked.

“That before we talk, she tells you two, fully and truthfully what happened in Manchester,” I replied, “not the sanitised, I’m a poor little misunderstood girl, version, but the simple, entire and unadulterated truth.”

“Why don’t you tell us?” Mum asked.

“Because I don’t know some of it. I suspect some things, but I don’t know them to be true,” I said, “that’s why I want her to tell you.”

“Then what?” Mary asked.

“Then she’ll need to tell me everything,” I said, “I’ll relate to you what she’s told me, and you can then decide whether she’s told all of us the full, true story.”

“Then what?” Mum asked.

“Then, I’ll listen to her,” I said.

“And if the two stories don’t match?” Mary asked.

“Then, she’s had her chance and blown it,” I said, “it is forever over. Not even just friends. And right now, just friends is probably the best she can hope for.”

“I don’t know how she can be so selfish,” Mary said, “if what you imply is true, then quite frankly she doesn’t deserve you.”

“I don’t think she’s selfish,” I replied, “she’s far too generous to be called selfish. What she is, I think, is self-centred. She can’t see beyond what she wants, what’s good for her.”

Mary nodded silently.

“Well,” she said, “I’d better get off home. Thank you, David.”

“For what?” I asked.

“For at least leaving the door open,” she replied, “for not just closing her out.”

“I’d find that very difficult to do, Aunt Mary,” I said.

“Why?” she asked.

“I think a lot of it has to do with, I love her.” I said.

Mary came round the table and kissed me on the cheek.

“Even after all she’s put you through?” she said, “why couldn’t I have found someone like you?”

“Maybe you were just lucky,” I said on my way back out.

Back upstairs, I got myself ready for bed, and settled on the top of my blankets to watch TV.

There was nothing on worth the effort, not an unusual situation, so instead, I looked through my book on my shelf to find something to read. My eyes settled on my GCSE edition of Merchant of Venice, the play that had started this crazy merry-go-round that I seemed to be on. Not that I was complaining, the money was nice.

As I read through the words written four hundred years ago by Bill Shakespeare, I began to remember what seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it was only two years.

I only got as far as the third scene of act one, the one with my favourite speech in it. Shylock’s great ‘Signor Antonio, many a time and oft on the Rialto you have rated me about my moneys and my usances,’ speech, before I was asleep.

I awoke the following morning in the same position that I’d gone to sleep in, on top of the blankets wearing just my sleep shorts. I was stiff, and my neck ached, because my head had slipped sideways while I was asleep and stayed in an unnatural position all night.

I got off the bed, took my dressing gown from the back of the door, pulled it round me and set off downstairs, rubbing my neck.

Mum and Alison were in the kitchen and they both noticed me rubbing my neck.

“What’s wrong?” Mum asked, “stiff neck?”

“Yes,” I replied, “I think I must have slept funny, it’s really stiff and achy this morning.”

“I bet it wasn’t alone,” my sister murmured.

“Alison,” Mum warned.

“It’s perfectly natural Mum,” she replied, “all boys get that way. I’ll bet even Dad does sometimes, and he’s old.”

“That’s neither here nor there, young lady,” Mum replied, “it’s not nice to talk about such things.”

“Why not Mum?” Alison asked, “it really is just a natural thing, nothing to be ashamed of.”

“She’s right Mum,” I said, “nothing to be ashamed of. I’ll tell you what Pip, next time it happens to me, you can come in and take a look. After all, you’ll see plenty when you’re a doctor.”

“Ugh, gross,” Alison said, “no. Just no. Never going to happen.”

I looked at Mum and we both laughed.

Alison blushed a deep pink.

“It’s no good, Mum,” I said, “she’s just too easy to wind up.”

“What is it your American friends say?” Mum asked, “Like shooting fish in a barrel?”

“I think I’ve heard that one.

“I hate you two,” Alison spat, before she flounced out of the room.

“I think we upset her,” I said.

“She’ll get over it,” she replied, “but if she’s not back soon, perhaps you could go up and do your peacemaker thing.”

“I will,” I agreed.

“What are your plans for today?” she asked.

“See the gang in the Blue Cup later, I’ll probably have dinner out, then back here. Ring Sandy, then do some schoolwork and bed. Oh, the jet set life of a film star eh?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of that when you’re older,” she said, “always assuming that your career as a film star lasts.”

“Well there is always that,” I said, “thanks for reminding me, Mum, and just when I was starting to enjoy it, too.”

“So, what do you want for breakfast?” she asked, “full English?”

“Oh, yes,” I replied, enthusiastically, “please, Mum.”

She set about making it, will I walked upstairs to make peace with my sister, or at least try to.

My sister really is easy to wind up, but, she’s just as easy to talk out of her sulk and, five minutes after I went upstairs to her, she was back downstairs, her usual bright self.

“What are you doing this morning?” she asked me, as we sat down to eat.

“What I usually do on Saturday,” I replied, “going down into town to see the gang, have a coffee, wander round the shops, then come back here this afternoon. Why?”

“Can I come with you?” she asked.

“Yes, of course,” I agreed, “if its’s all right with Mum.”

“Mum,” she asked, “can I?”

“If you want, yes,” Mum answered, “although I can’t see the attraction of hanging out with a group of sweaty boys.”

“They’re not sweaty, Mum,” she replied, “and there’ll be some girls there too.”

“Yes, Mum, I resent that implication,” I said, “some of us have a shower once a month, even in those months when we don’t actually need it.”

“Go on you two, get off, before I give you something to do in the house,” she replied.

We finished our breakfast quickly, cleared the table and ran upstairs to get ready.

On the way into town, she took my hand.

“David, what’s going on with you and, what’s her name? Cindy?” she asked.

“Sandy,” I corrected her, “and why the sudden interest?”

“It’s not sudden,” she said, “I just didn’t want to ask you at home.”

“Ah, it’s a prurient interest,” I replied, “like you want to know if we’re ‘doing it’”

“Well, are you?” she asked.

“Alison,” I replied, sternly, “you know I do not talk about that, either way.”

“You could just give me a hint,” she said.

“No,” I replied, “I couldn’t. Alison, how would you feel if Geoff were to go around telling everybody about what you two do?”

She blushed bright pink. It seems I’d guessed right.

“Pip,” I said, seriously, “I have no right to know what you and Geoff get up to, that’s strictly between you and him, well, and Dad if he catches you, but I do hope that whatever it is, you’re doing it in safety.”

“Always, big brother,” she replied, “have I told you lately that I love you?”

“You don’t need to,” I said, “all girls love me, it’s my right.”

“Pig,” she spat.

“You’re probably right,” I agreed, “but never forget that I’m your pig.”

We walked in silence the rest of the way.

We were the first to arrive at the Blue Cup, so I got myself a coffee, and my sister a chocolate milk shake. While she would, and did, drink coffee, she tended to limit the amount of it that she drank. Either she was being good, or she realised that the milk shake would cost me more.

The others started drifting in a short while later.

Mike, Kathy, Jenny and Dave were the first to arrive.

“Hey David,” Jenny, said as she sat down, “what’s this a new girlfriend?”

“No, an old sister,” I replied.

“Hey,” Alison snapped, “I’m two years younger than you.”

“Those of you who don’t already know her, this is my little brat of a sister,” I introduced her, “Alison.”

“Don’t believe him, I’m not a brat,” she said, “I’m a suave and sophisticated young lady.”

“You can’t be his sister then,” Mike said, “he can’t even spell suave and sophisticated. Maybe you got given to the wrong family at birth.”

Alison thought that was amazingly humorous and laughed out loud.

We’d been there for half an hour, just talking about mainly nothing when the girl walked in.

She walked straight up to our table and said, “Hello David, I’m Sophie.”

I was confused, since as far as I knew I didn’t know anyone called Sophie, then, after a few seconds the little light bulb went on above my head.

“Paddy’s daughter,” I said, “hello. Please, sit down, can we get you a drink?”

“Thanks,” she said, “could I have a latte?”

“I’m on it,” Mark said from behind the counter.

“So, to what do we owe this visit?” I asked.

“I just wanted to come and say thank you for the video you did for me. It was great,” she replied.

“It was nothing,” I said, “it only took a minute.”

“I know that,” she answered, “but I’ve shown it to all my friends and they’re jealous.”

Then she smiled.

It was a very sweet smile, which lit up the whole room.

“Where do you go to school Sophie?” Alison asked.

“Wakefield Girls,” she replied.

“Nice,” my sister answered, “being a taxi driver must pay well.”

“Not really,” she said, “I got a bursary. I’m good at Hockey.”

“Good at Hockey,” Keith murmured, “that explains it.”

She stayed with us for an hour and joined in our bantering, until her father’s car pulled up outside and he honked his horn.

“I have to go,” she said, “thanks for letting me stay everybody. And thank you again for the video David.”

“You’re welcome,” I replied.

As she walked out of the door, Dave muttered, “Another adoring female fan for the almighty David J. Barker.”

The girls, Jenny, Kathy and Ruth decided that they were going on a shopping spree and invited Alison to go with them. She refused, citing no money.

“David,” Ruth said, “are you going to let your sister go shopping without any money?”

“I’ve only got a tenner myself,” I complained.

“So, give her your debit card so she can get herself some from the ATM,” she suggested.

“No, it’s all right, really,” Alison objected.

“Nonsense, you’re one of us now Ali,” she replied, “you need to come with us on these group excursions. David, your card.”

I handed it over and beckoned my sister to come closer. When she did, I whispered my PIN, and then told her not to take more than fifty out.

She was surprised when she realised that my PIN was her birthday.

As the girls all stood up to leave, Alison leaned over and kissed my cheek.

“Thanks, Big Bro,” she said, “I’ll try not to leave you penniless.”

“That would be appreciated, sister dear,” I replied as Keith started miming throwing up.

“Hey, it’s not my fault if my sister loves me, and your sisters hate you,” I said.

“My sisters do not hate me,” Keith protested.

“No,” Geoff replied, “they just dislike you.”

“A lot,” Mike added.

We all took a stroll up onto the main street and started a parade up one side, then down the other. Before we all ended up with girlfriends, except for Keith who never seemed to last very long, this was our favourite Saturday pastime, eyeing up the girls. We looked in one or two shops, at the latest fashions for teenagers, but basically, we were just cruising, we just weren’t old enough to drive yet. Not that would have helped since, last year the local council made the street pedestrianised. Eventually. we met up with the girls again, and Alison and I headed off back home. She handed me my card back, and fifty pounds in cash, it seems she didn’t find anything she wanted. But she had fun with the other girls, trying things on without ever intending to buy any of them.