Despite the Angels - By Madeline A Stringer Page 0,44
get away. She came back after a few minutes and was tolerably polite to James, who she had never really spoken to since the night David had run away to him when she broke the news of her pregnancy.
“Do you mind putting the girls to bed?” David asked after dinner, “James and I would like to go round for a pint.”
“Oh, all right. Out you go. I can’t stop you, anyway. Come on girls. Bed.”
“Night-night Daddy. Have nice pint.” Clare kissed David.
“Night-night, big ears!”
“I haven’t!”
“Not really, it’s a joke. Night-night Caro.”
“OK, so what’s new? Or did you just come round for a feed?”
“Met a girl,” James’ face was beaming. “Last week. Gone out with her three times.”
“Whoa there! Careful. You know what happened to me. Go on, tell all.”
“She’s gorgeous. Blonde, slim in the right places,” James’ hands moved down through the air in a familiar gesture, “and clever too. And when she smiles, the world stops.” There was a long silence. David watched James staring into another place, where there was only himself and his girl. He thought back to when he had met Kathleen, years ago. Had she smiled at him then?
“What are you shaking your head for?” James asked.
“Just thinking. How quickly it can all go wrong.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong. Julie is great.”
“Not with you. With me.”
“What’s wrong?”
David looked up, straight at James. James was looking puzzled and he blinked at David.
“Your girls are gorgeous. You’re so lucky.”
“Hmmm. Kathleen’s a handful, though.”
“Well, I know she’s not fond of me. But she’s pretty.”
“Pretty is skin deep,” David paused, wondering if he should say more, what to say.
“Go on. Nothing to lose. Maybe James can help.”
“Oh, Jim, I don’t know what to say. It’s too late for me, I’m stuck. Just don’t make the same mistake I made. Make sure Julie loves you, not your wallet, or your sperm-bank.” And David explained how difficult he found Kathleen, how lonely he was. “If it wasn’t for the girls, I’d have given up long ago. They keep me hopeful. But it’s still lonely, with no adult to share with.”
“Oh.” There was a long silence. “Can I get you another?” James turned towards the bar.
“Seems he can’t help you at the moment, Davy. His guide tells me he’s too excited by his Julie, who is right for him, that he just can’t imagine anyone being unhappy. Talk about something else.” Jotin sat close to David and stroked him gently. When James came back with the drinks, they discussed football, what news they had of Paddy and Ken and the benefits of camping holidays. Apparently Julie was happy with the idea of living under canvas and David damped down his regrets and tried to let James’ happiness rub off on him.
Chapter 17
May 1979
“Mr Hyland. Yes. Dr McCarthy will see you shortly. There’s a bit of an epidemic, he’s a little delayed.”
“No problem.” David went into the waiting room and sat down. His last week in this job and he was moving on. Out of drugs sales into medical equipment, a different firm. Into management. A miracle really, a much more interesting job. Not that he minded visiting all the doctors. They were tolerant, for the most part and didn’t rag him too much about the quality of the free pens he had to give out. But it would be nice to be in something more productive. He closed his eyes and rested his head back. More money, too. When he’d told Kathleen, on their wedding anniversary, she had been delighted.
“Can we go somewhere, to celebrate?” He had thought she meant out to dinner, but when he had said of course, let’s arrange a babysitter, she had snorted and pointed out she meant away, for another week off. He had sighed. If only, even just once, she would want something else, something solid, that would last. A piano. A good sofa. Or even new clothes.
“Must we? I am tired, with all these trips.”
“I hope it’s not the seven year itch.”
David wondered. Can you have a seven year itch for seven years? Just as well we had the girls, he thought, smiling. He had left them to school this morning and loved seeing them run in with their friends, so carefree, so cute in their little uniforms. I love them so much, he thought, so much. Caro, singing all the time, copying any new tune she hears and dancing as though there are springs in her shoes. And Clare, so different. So serious and