Chapter 11

With more than twenty-four hours to go I was already trembling with anticipation at seeing June again. The incongruous difference in our heights was swiftly dismissed as mere inconvenience.

Unsurprisingly I was ready early, and still feeling excited I decided to head out straight away and have a quick pint to calm me down a bit. As soon as I was through the door I was glad I wasn't driving. There was a heavy fog clinging to the ground. As usual, it made me remember the dense fogs of my youth when you couldn't see beyond your outstretched hand. The demise of the city's famous bottle kilns and the move away from coal fires ensured that today's fog was water based only, without the muck that clung to it in the past. Still, it was not raining, nor was it too cold

I was not too surprised to find that June had not yet arrived, although I had a slight hope that she would be eagerly early too. I ordered a pint of Bass and chose the same seat as before to wait. Three pints and an hour later I realised that I had been stood up. With a heavy despondency I set out for a lonesome evening home. Given my recent luck with women I shouldn't have been too amazed, it was just that I thought that June had felt the spark just as I had.

By the time I had arrived home I had convinced myself that it was all for the good, that our height difference would have prevented any real relationship. At least I had convinced part of my brain, refusing to acknowledge that deep down I wanted the chance to make it work.

Not long after I got back, my phone rang. I rushed to it hoping it was June, conveniently forgetting that she didn't have my number. It was my mother ringing to check up on me, something she had been doing since I'd tried to become an alcoholic recluse.

"Hi Son. How are you?"

"Fine." I lied.

"Have you seen Paul today?"

"Nope he was off to the airport first thing, although I can manage without seeing him until next year." I joked lamely with Mum just managing the expected laugh. "How's France?"

"Great! Weather is a lot nicer and the locals are really friendly. Should have done this years ago. Just talking to your Aunt Francis, she was moaning about being caught up in a big traffic jam late this afternoon, seems that there was another nasty accident on the M6."

"Not heard anything. Was it the Keele bend again?"

"I expect so. You would have thought people knew it by now." My mother commented.

"Not necessarily so." I said. "Christmas time you're always going to get non regulars on the roads and given the fog it isn't that much of a surprise. Anyone hurt?"

"Francis said that at least seven were killed and even more injured." She said sadly. "More than twenty cars involved according to the radio she reckoned. Makes you feel for those involved and their families, especially at Christmas. It'll ruin many Christmases for years to come."

"True." I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Anyway, you take care and I'll see you soon."

"Okay Mum! You too and give my love to Dad, Brian and Michelle too."

Hearing about the accident and its fatalities made me realise how petty my 'troubled' evening had been. Events like that had a tendency to put perspective on your own life. I pushed June to the back of my mind, into the compartment labelled rejections. In my teens I'd had many, virtually all of which were now forgotten, so one more was going to make little difference. Looking back, those rejections helped mould my opinion of the opposite sex.

During the rest of the year, I rarely thought about June for more than a few seconds. On the second of January Paul rang, wanting to meet up for a pint and regale me with his Spanish break exploits. His local was our usual meeting point, but as it was also June's local, I persuaded him to meet me at a different pub. For once he didn't argue too much, nor did he question my motives.

Over a few pints in the 'Dog' I heard of his holiday conquests and drinking exploits. Although Paul was in his mid twenties he still behaved like a wild teenager treating women and alcohol as if they were there purely for his pleasure. Not too dissimilar to my own attitude at the same age. He briefly mentioned June and the public kiss and when I told him truthfully what had happened, he expressed his sympathy briefly before adding that I should just look for the next one. He found it difficult to come to terms with my new, celibate lifestyle. He asked if I wanted him to query June about the no-show when he saw her next. I shook my head as there was no excuse that would work for me. With that he was on to his next tale about his earnest, but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to join the mile-high club on the flight back.

The following day was the first full day back at work since before Christmas. Because of my own situation I had volunteered to call in occasionally over the break to keep an eye on things. I had done a bit of work but not much so there was still plenty to catch up on. There was the usual gossip flying around about who had done what to embarrass themselves, although fortunately my moment had missed the grapevine. It was actually a pleasure to be back at work and mixing with colleagues.

It seemed odd that when I got home after work that I was feeling more relaxed than during the holidays. I'd just started preparation for tea when the phone rang. 'Which one of my family is checking up on me this time?' I wondered.

"Hello!" I said as I picked up the handset.

A very tentative and distinctly female voice replied. "David?"

"Yes." I answered carefully, recognising my sister-in-law and her 'can you' voice...

"It's Michelle..." The hesitancy clearly still there.

"I know who it is." I laughed, "What is it you want this time?"

|"It isn't me. Brian wants to know whether you will make up his five a side team."

"When?"

"This evening, now in fact."

No further explanations were required as I had occasionally turned out for his team when they were short. I much preferred the proper eleven a side game on a full size pitch to the indoor version, so only tended to play the latter spasmodically. It was short notice, even for my brother, but I had nothing else planned.

"Yea! Okay! Tell him I'll see him there." I agreed.

I quickly grabbed my kit and headed off to the local university's sports ground where Brian and his friends always played. Once there, I changed and headed into the games room. The rest were already there having a friendly kick-about. My arrival was what they had been waiting for and the game was swiftly under way. It didn't take long to work up a good sweat and begin to enjoy myself. Tackles flew in thick and fast with no quarter given or asked. It was good testosterone driven sport. At least it was until I tried to turn just as someone stood on my foot. I felt the pain shoot up from my ankle. Unlike a real game there was no trainer rushing on with his magic sponge, so the best I could do was to hobble to the side and sit it out for a few minutes until the pain wore off. It didn't of course, in fact my ankle swelled up that much I couldn't get my shoe back on. Twenty minutes later it was agreed that I'd best go up to the A&E to get it checked out. I grabbed my stuff and hopped to my car. As it was my clutch foot that I'd injured it made starting off very painful. My youthful experience when I'd driven crash-gearbox wagons came to the fore, when apart from one set of traffic lights, for the rest of the trip I managed to change gear without using the clutch, albeit shortening the life of my gearbox by a few thousand miles in the process.

I hobbled painfully into casualty and gave them my details before being told to sit down until I was called. About twenty minutes later Michelle turned up and after a brief search headed my way.

"How you doing? What have they said?" She asked immediately.

"I'll live. Its quite painful. They haven't said anything yet as I haven't been seen."

"Typical, no doubt the nurses are too busy gossiping and the doctors equally engrossed in chatting the nurses up." She said with a little edge in her voice.

We then just talked about mundane matters until, almost an hour after I had arrived, I heard my name called by a familiar voice. June and I recognised each other at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" Asked June.

Still feeling rather angry at her no show, I didn't trust myself to speak so I just lifted up my bare and still heavily swollen foot. I didn't need to ask June the same question, although stupidly I nearly did, her nurse's uniform made it obvious.

"Sorry! Idiotic question. Come on let's get it looked at."

She headed over to the door, where a number of wheelchairs were located, grabbed one and returned. I wanted to make some nasty, or at least heavily sarcastic comment, but didn't think that the heavily populated waiting area was appropriate, nor did I want the embarrassment of being stood up known to Michelle. I'd bite my tongue until we were alone.

"About time too!" Grumbled Michelle. "You lot have no idea how to treat people. They're just numbers towards your pay packet."

I was quite surprised at Michelle's reaction. She was never one to hide her feelings but I thought this reaction was over the top. Somewhere in her past she must have been let down by a hospital. I would ask Brian later. Normally I would have apologised to the nurse and tried to quieten my sister-in-law down but I felt an unfair satisfaction in June's embarrassment.