Chapter 10: Madness

My actions concerning Jazzer Cartwright had got me plenty of 'brownie points'. Even Iron Rod had called into the platoon office to say, 'Well done Sergeant Desmond', which was almost as good as receiving the Military Medal. If only my personal life could be as successful as my army life. I was musing on that fact when I next rang home and spoke to my mother, a few days after the sergeants mess dance.

"You know what them bastards 'ave been an gorn and done?" My mother shouted as soon as I started to speak. She answered her own question, which was just as well as I hadn't a clue what she was going on about. (gorn = East London pronunciation of 'gone')

"They've only been an gorn and kicked the poor cow out'er 'ouse, 'aven't they?"

It is a peculiarity of East London speech to convert a statement into a question, which can take some getting used to, as can the dropped aspirant.

She calmed down and I got the full story. The local council had given Miriam four weeks to vacate her parents' former home, as it was still council owned. With the former tenants deceased the council now wanted the property for other homeless families in the area. In most cases the sons/daughters of the deceased parents would have been be able to take over the tenancy, but as Miriam was married it was her husband's responsibility to house her, and Martin Hodge wasn't even registered as living at the house. In any case he had only just been released from Wormwood Scrubs prison, a week before his parents died, and was currently living in a hostel until such times as the Probation Office found him a place.

"I didn't know Hodge had been banged up" I said, "what did he go down for?"

"'e done 12 months of a two year stretch, for possession of a Class B drug. The bastard should 'ave got 10 years. 'e's been dealing crack, white lady, an 'orse for years. With the money 'e's made 'e could afford the best brief to get 'im such a light sentence."

My mother practically spat the words down the telephone line.

Well, that made it my duty to house Miriam. She was my responsibility, and had no choice now but to join me in Celle -- but I had underestimated her.

"Miriam's going to move in with me full time, she saw that I was a bit lonely on me own, and it 'as been lovely 'aving 'er 'ere," my mother announced.

"What do you mean 'lonely'? What about... ," I cast my mind about trying to think of the current 'uncle'," ... George, what does he think of the arrangements?"

"Stuff 'im; 'e's long gorn. I've given up on men. They're a waste of space and only good for one thing, and George wasn't even much good at that!"

She didn't elucidate on which task it was that men were only good for, but I don't think she meant for reaching down things from off the top shelf in supermarkets, or for getting spiders out of baths

I asked to talk to Miriam and she came on the line. She apologised for her behaviour after the funeral. I was magnanimous and forgave her. Then I blew it.

"Why did you blame me for your parents' deaths? Was it the Valium you were taking addling your brain?"

There was a long silence, and at first I thought that she had put the phone down.

She eventually started speaking.

"You kept on for so long for me to join you that I just got worn down by it all, and agreed to anything you said. Mum and Dad were really concerned about me going out to Germany. It must have been preying on Dad's mind when he drove off to Birmingham. They hadn't wanted me to go but you kept on so much I finally gave in."