I Think I'll Just Curl Up and Die (11 page)

So great was the shock that she fell over a chair, dropped the pile of bowls and at the clatter Rob and Mandy sprang guiltily apart.

‘Oh, it's OK, it's only Chelsea,' said Mandy, draping her arm over Rob's shoulder. ‘I thought it was the Horrific Horage.'

‘Rob … what are you doing?' stammered Chelsea.

‘Oh, er, well, we were just rehearsing the kissing scene bit,' he said dropping his eyes and turning a bright shade of cerise.

‘Well it didn't look much like a rehearsal to me!' shouted Chelsea. ‘But then, if you want to consort with a slag, you go right ahead. Don't mind me!'

Mandy laughed, a high pitched brittle laugh. ‘We won't, don't worry!' she sneered. ‘Why should we?'

Chelsea ran out of the hall, straight into Laura.

‘I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!' she cried and burst into tears.

‘I think,' said Laura, ‘we should go to a coffee shop on the way home.'

After two hot chocolates and a large blueberry muffin, Chelsea felt marginally better.

‘If you really want Rob that much,' said Laura, ‘you'll have to make him see that you're much better than Mandy. Win him over with your charm.'

Which is just what my mother would say, thought Chelsea.

‘God, boys are so fickle!' she said. ‘How could he?'

‘Well, look,' said Laura, reasonably. ‘You can't really call him fickle. I mean, you're not exactly boyfriend and
girlfriend, are you? If you were going out properly, then you'd have every right to have a showdown.'

‘Which reminds me,' said Chelsea, and told Laura about seeing Bilu with an unknown girl.

‘So do I tell Sumitha or not?' she asked.

‘Better not – not yet, anyway,' Laura said. ‘She'd be so upset and besides, perhaps he was breaking up with this girl because he'd met Sumitha and it was just a farewell kiss.'

‘Some farewell,' said Chelsea.

Jon was getting seriously worried. The week before, while he was cycling to the library, he had seen his mother and that man going into Finch's Antique Gallery, laughing and giggling like a couple of kids. And yesterday, his mum had been late home from college again.

‘Where have you been?' his father asked grumpily. ‘Oh, it was Vernon's birthday, so a group of us went to Liam's Tavern for a quick one on the way home.'

‘Oh,' said Henry, meekly. ‘Meet anyone interesting, did you? Potential clients?' Jon wanted to shake him. Can't
you see what is happening, Dad? he said silently. Do something. Now. Before it's too late.

There was nothing for it – he would have to get his father on his own, to have a heart to heart with him before it was too late. And he thought he had an idea that Dad would not be able to resist.

‘Dad,' he said that morning, ‘I don't suppose you'd take me round a golf course one day. Just for a practice.'

Henry positively beamed. ‘Of course, of course, if you'd enjoy it – I didn't think you were interested.'

‘Well, I'd like to see just what it is that fires you up, Dad,' lied Jon.

‘Terrific, super – we'll go next week.' And for the first time in a long while, Henry looked exceedingly happy.

It had been weeks since the mums had met up for a chat and Claire Farrant missed it. There seemed so little to occupy her these days with the twins at nursery and Sam at school.

Still, it would be half-term in a couple of days, which
would mean all the little ones would be home. I'd better start baking cakes and making Jemma's favourite lasagne, bread and butter pudding and those sticky caramel flapjacks, she thought. She's been off her food lately and needs tempting with lots of nice goodies.

It was while she was in the supermarket stocking up with ingredients that she bumped into Ruth and Ginny. Ruth was in a mild state of shock, having just surveyed the cost of baby buggies, nappies and towelling sleepsuits, and was compensating by buying copious quantities of chocolate spread, bananas and red cabbage to assuage her latest cravings, and Ginny was looking for ‘Two for the Price of One' offers on blusher and nail polish in pursuit of her new economy drive.

‘Why don't you come back and have lunch with me?' suggested Claire, and neither of them missed the faint note of pleading in her voice. ‘It's been so long.'

‘I'd love to, but I said I'd call in on Chitrita,' said Ginny. ‘She sounded a bit down. And then I've got two features to research.'

‘We'll ring her and invite her round too. It won't take long. There's some white wine in the fridge,' she added.

‘You're on!' said Ginny.

Since only Ginny had seen Ruth since she discovered she was pregnant, the first ten minutes of lunch were taken up with congratulations, and a ‘Rather you than me' from Jon's mum, who had popped in to borrow some of the twins' tracing paper and decided to abandon making an
Art Deco lampshade and eat lunch instead, and a ‘Oh, I do envy you' from Jemma's mum.

‘And is Laura thrilled?' asked Claire, tossing Thousand Island dressing into the salad bowl.

‘Not so as you would notice,' said Ruth wryly. ‘Apparently I have brought shame and ignominy upon our house. Melvyn, on the other hand, is another story - you'd think he was the first male in the history of evolution to father a child. He goes around with a permanent grin on his face.' She grimaced.

‘Although I guess that will be wiped off his face when he realises how much we'll have to spend on a cot and buggy and nappies and …'

‘Oh, don't worry about all that,' said Claire airily. ‘I can lend you loads of stuff - we had to double up when I had the twins, you see. Oh, but they are so lovely when they are tiny, aren't they?' she added, going all dreamy.

‘Chelsea tells me Sumitha has a boyfriend,' said Ginny, turning to Chitrita. ‘I thought,' she added sweetly, ‘that Rajiv would not permit friendships with the opposite sex.'

Mrs Banerji sighed.

‘Rajiv seems to think that Bilu is the ideal boy. Oh, he is distantly related to some aunt or cousin of Rajiv's and that is supposed to be recommendation enough. Me, I am not so sure. I feel uneasy about the whole thing.'

The others waited expectantly.

‘The other day, they went out supposedly to the cinema to see that new sci-fi film they are all on about - but when
they returned, Sumitha was obviously suffering from the effects of drink,' sighed Chitrita.

‘No!' they chorused.

‘I am sure of it,' said Chitrita. ‘She said it was travel sickness but that child has never been car sick in her life. And besides, her breath smelled most strange.'

‘Did you ask her?' asked Ginny.

Chitrita shook her head. ‘No,' she admitted. ‘Bilu sounded so convincing and - well, he was a guest.'

‘And as such should not be putting your daughter at risk,' insisted Ginny sternly. ‘And Sumitha?'

‘Well, when I asked Sumitha about the film - you know, the plot, what happened and so forth - she was very vague and changed the subject as fast as she could. And she looked very guilty.'

‘Well, I think you should make your feelings known, Chitrita,' said Ginny. ‘Tell Bilu and Sumitha what you will and won't allow and make sure they stick to it. Before it's too late.'

It was a remark Mrs Banerji was going to wish she had heeded sooner.

‘Claire,' she said turning to Mrs Farrant, ‘I have a favour to ask you. Ellie has to go into hospital for an operation - it wasn't a bug, apparently, but gallstones or some such thing. Anyway, would you take over the running of the crèche? Just for a few months? Please.'

Everyone waited for the excuses about not being able to leave the house, or the little ones.

‘I'd love to,' she said. ‘To be honest, it'll be great to get out of the house and Andrew will be delighted. He believes in women having outside interests.'

‘I wish Henry did,' said Mrs Joseph, nibbling on a stick of celery. ‘Ever since I started my course, he's been like a bear with a sore head. Doesn't like his routine upset or his meals five minutes later than usual. And now that he's talking about taking up jogging …'

‘Henry - jogging?' said Ginny, trying not to laugh at the thought of the florid features and ample abdomen of Henry Joseph bouncing around the pavements of Billing Hill.

Anona nodded. ‘I was saying to Vernon only the other day …'

‘Who's Vernon?' they all asked, interest immediately awakened.

‘Oh, just a guy on my course,' said Anona dismissively.

Oh yes, thought the others.

‘Anyway, I was telling him about Henry's mood swings and new obsession with fitness and he reckons it's a midlife crisis. I mean. Henry's had high blood pressure for ages; he takes pills for it and everything. But he's never been one to worry about keeping fit and trim. But now, I find him reading Jon's rugby training manual and trying out some of the exercises. He was purple from the effort.'

‘Men do funny things at this age,' said Ginny dryly.

‘Talking of work, has Barry had any luck yet?' asked Mrs Farrant.

Ginny shrugged. ‘Haven't you heard? He has bought a
van which he drives round town selling soup in polystyrene cartons. And don't you dare laugh!'

‘Sounds like a good idea,' said Mrs Banerji. ‘Those industrial estates are miles from the shops and who wants to live on sandwiches all day?'

‘I suppose so,' said Ginny. She took another sip of wine. ‘Chelsea doesn't think much of it.'

‘When did kids ever think much of what their parents try to do?' said Mrs Banerji. ‘At least this
Oliver!
thing seems to be occupying them pretty well.'

Ruth nodded. ‘We haven't had a crisis or a tantrum for four whole days. This half-term could turn out to be the most peaceful yet.'

Which when you consider it, was a rather reckless thing to say.

It had been Sandeep's birthday on Saturday and the Banerjis had taken him out for a pizza with some of his schoolmates in the evening.

Driving home from the restaurant, Sandeep poked Sumitha in the ribs.

‘Look,' he said.

‘Oh, what is it, pain?' muttered Sumitha, who after three hours in the company of seven juveniles had had enough.

Sandeep pointed.

On the pavement, outside the Contrary Cockerel, was Bilu.With his arms round a girl. Sumitha gasped.

There had to be an explanation.
She
was Bilu's girlfriend. He'd said so.

Mrs Banerji had seen Bilu too. She was about to make a comment but thought better of it. She would just have to keep an even more careful eye on things than before. Bilu, it seemed, was not quite as pure as everyone seemed to believe.

On Monday, Jemma received the long awaited call from Rupert, who it seemed, had been ill after all - with glandular fever.

‘I've still got a few days before I'm allowed back to school,' he said, ‘and I thought, well, I mean, would you like to go and see the new Spielberg film?'

‘Yes, that would be great,' said Jemma, tucking the telephone under her chin and hugging her knees with excitement. ‘When?'

‘Tonight?' said Rupert. ‘Father's got to go to some Masonic do in Leehampton so he'll pick you up and drop us off at the cinema.'

‘Great,' said Jemma. It had happened. She'd been invited out by a boy.

Jemma spent three hours emptying the contents of her wardrobe on to the floor and bemoaning the fact that she had nothing to wear. In the end she settled for a pair of black trousers and a pink T-shirt. It was the first time she had dared to go out without a baggy sweater down to her knees but she had lost nearly a stone in weight and thought she might just risk it.

‘Only another stone to go,' she told herself, ‘and I'll be bearable.'

Her mother, meanwhile, was intent on giving Jemma a little pep talk.

‘Now Jemma, you haven't been out with a boy before,' she began. ‘Not that Rupert of course would ever put a foot wrong - such a nice family - but even so, you must remember that you are a girl and he is a boy.'

‘You don't say, Mum,' said Jemma. ‘You amaze me.'

‘Don't be rude, dear,' said her mother. ‘Just treat him like a friend - after all, you are too young for boyfriends. And with Sir William picking you up and bringing you back, I suppose everything will be all right.'

‘Mum, we are going to see a film, not take part in an orgy,' said Jemma. Her mother glared at her and went off to vacuum the entire house, repot the hanging basket in the front porch and mow the lawn.

‘Mum, Rupert's dad is only picking me up, not bringing a guided tour through the place,' said Jemma, as the doorbell rung later.

Mrs Farrant eyed Jemma up and down. ‘You're getting thin, darling - I must get you a bottle of tonic.'

People were noticing. She was in heaven. ‘I'm fine, Mum,' said Jemma. ‘Just losing all that puppy fat.'

Mrs Farrant nodded in acceptance, and opened the front door.

Rupert stood on the doorstep, grinning broadly.

‘Now isn't this nice?' gushed Jemma's mum. ‘I was just saying to Jemma, it's so nice to feel that she is going out with such a suitable sort of lad, although of course she's much too young to have a boyf-'

‘MUM!' hissed Jemma. When would she ever learn?

When they reached the Point Eight cinema, Rupert bought a huge bag of caramel popcorn which he insisted on sharing with Jemma. Of course, the diet was very firm about popcorn, but Jemma simply took handfuls and gradually let the kernels fall to the floor. Halfway through the film, Rupert took Jemma's hand. It was cold and clammy
but after all, thought Jemma, at least a boy was holding her hand and that had to be a step in the right direction.