office.
‘Yes, I’m sorry I’m late,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a bit of a problem.’
‘Like to tell Uncle Jack all about it?’
‘No, thanks,’ I replied. ‘It’s a bit personal.’
‘I’m always interested to know what’s happening,’ he said and gave a filthy grin.
‘Look,’ I said, ‘just piss off. Someone’s dying.’
‘Oooh, anyone I know?’
‘I shouldn’t think you do. She’s American. She’s a film star.’
‘Let’s not be silly,’ he said. ‘Film stars don’t die in Liverpool.’
The character I was playing had thirty-six stage entrances in the first act of the play, almost as many in the second, and it seemed as though I mistimed every one of them. I
was tired, my body was functioning on remote control and my concentration was elsewhere. At one point I spoke some of my lines before Geoffrey had finished speaking his, causing a tricky situation
on the stage and an outburst in the Green Room after the performance.
I couldn’t be bothered. I just left the theatre as hastily as I could.
‘Good,’ I thought, when I heard the stage door bang shut behind me. ‘I’ve got that over with until tomorrow and it’s not raining. Thank God it’s not raining.
I’ll walk some of the way home.’
Before I reached the corner of the street I heard the stage door bang shut again and someone came running after me.
‘Hold on, Pete. Wait for me.’
Gil was fastening up her coat and putting on a hat.
‘You’re in a rush,’ she said when she caught up with me. ‘You’re like a bloody locomotive. I tried to speak to you last night and tonight, but you disappeared
before I could open my mouth.’
‘Oh I’m sorry, everything’s been going wrong. I messed things up a bit.’
‘Everybody does sometime. It’s happened to us all. Don’t worry about it.’
‘Thanks,’ I said and we walked on in silence.
‘I heard that bust up between you and Geoffrey,’ she said after a while. ‘Don’t worry about it. He’s under a lot of strain. We all are.’
‘Has he got another job to go to after this?’
‘Maybe he hasn’t.’
‘I hope something turns up,’ I said.
Problems like that were something other people could identify with, something which was easily understood. Perhaps mine was too removed from reality to be taken seriously. ‘Film stars
don’t die in Liverpool,’ Old Jack had said. ‘That’s right,’ I thought. ‘It just doesn’t seem real.’
All the lights were on, all the doors were open; I arrived home in the middle of a panic. Candy, flapping and whimpering, was waiting for me in the hall and my father, dressed
in his pyjamas, was standing outside his bedroom door.
‘Quick! You’re wanted on the phone,’ he said. ‘Joe’s talking on it now. It’s just rung two minutes ago. Quick! It’s someone from America.’
‘Paulette tells me that her mother is not feeling so good. Is that right, Peter?’
‘Yes, Joy. Gloria is very sick.’
‘Is she eating properly, Peter?’
‘Now look, Joy. You must listen very carefully. Your sister can’t eat. She is desperately ill. She has cancer in her stomach. She’s dying. She’s about to go into a
coma.’
‘I had no idea, Peter. I’m absolutely stunned. I knew that she had been ill, that’s why she came out to the coast. I didn’t like the idea of her going to England to do
the play but she was determined. She said that she was better. You know how she is, Peter. You know Gloria.’
‘Joy, will you come to Liverpool? It’s important that someone comes over here immediately.’
‘Of course. I’ll try, Peter. Someone will definitely come. I’ll see what I can arrange and call you back in your morning. I’ll find out what can be done and I’ll
call you back. I’ll hang up now. I’m upset.’
‘Is she on her way then?’ my father enquired as I passed through the hall. He was standing as before with Candy by his side.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘She’s making the
‘Yes, I’m sorry I’m late,’ I said. ‘I’ve got a bit of a problem.’
‘Like to tell Uncle Jack all about it?’
‘No, thanks,’ I replied. ‘It’s a bit personal.’
‘I’m always interested to know what’s happening,’ he said and gave a filthy grin.
‘Look,’ I said, ‘just piss off. Someone’s dying.’
‘Oooh, anyone I know?’
‘I shouldn’t think you do. She’s American. She’s a film star.’
‘Let’s not be silly,’ he said. ‘Film stars don’t die in Liverpool.’
The character I was playing had thirty-six stage entrances in the first act of the play, almost as many in the second, and it seemed as though I mistimed every one of them. I
was tired, my body was functioning on remote control and my concentration was elsewhere. At one point I spoke some of my lines before Geoffrey had finished speaking his, causing a tricky situation
on the stage and an outburst in the Green Room after the performance.
I couldn’t be bothered. I just left the theatre as hastily as I could.
‘Good,’ I thought, when I heard the stage door bang shut behind me. ‘I’ve got that over with until tomorrow and it’s not raining. Thank God it’s not raining.
I’ll walk some of the way home.’
Before I reached the corner of the street I heard the stage door bang shut again and someone came running after me.
‘Hold on, Pete. Wait for me.’
Gil was fastening up her coat and putting on a hat.
‘You’re in a rush,’ she said when she caught up with me. ‘You’re like a bloody locomotive. I tried to speak to you last night and tonight, but you disappeared
before I could open my mouth.’
‘Oh I’m sorry, everything’s been going wrong. I messed things up a bit.’
‘Everybody does sometime. It’s happened to us all. Don’t worry about it.’
‘Thanks,’ I said and we walked on in silence.
‘I heard that bust up between you and Geoffrey,’ she said after a while. ‘Don’t worry about it. He’s under a lot of strain. We all are.’
‘Has he got another job to go to after this?’
‘Maybe he hasn’t.’
‘I hope something turns up,’ I said.
Problems like that were something other people could identify with, something which was easily understood. Perhaps mine was too removed from reality to be taken seriously. ‘Film stars
don’t die in Liverpool,’ Old Jack had said. ‘That’s right,’ I thought. ‘It just doesn’t seem real.’
All the lights were on, all the doors were open; I arrived home in the middle of a panic. Candy, flapping and whimpering, was waiting for me in the hall and my father, dressed
in his pyjamas, was standing outside his bedroom door.
‘Quick! You’re wanted on the phone,’ he said. ‘Joe’s talking on it now. It’s just rung two minutes ago. Quick! It’s someone from America.’
‘Paulette tells me that her mother is not feeling so good. Is that right, Peter?’
‘Yes, Joy. Gloria is very sick.’
‘Is she eating properly, Peter?’
‘Now look, Joy. You must listen very carefully. Your sister can’t eat. She is desperately ill. She has cancer in her stomach. She’s dying. She’s about to go into a
coma.’
‘I had no idea, Peter. I’m absolutely stunned. I knew that she had been ill, that’s why she came out to the coast. I didn’t like the idea of her going to England to do
the play but she was determined. She said that she was better. You know how she is, Peter. You know Gloria.’
‘Joy, will you come to Liverpool? It’s important that someone comes over here immediately.’
‘Of course. I’ll try, Peter. Someone will definitely come. I’ll see what I can arrange and call you back in your morning. I’ll find out what can be done and I’ll
call you back. I’ll hang up now. I’m upset.’
‘Is she on her way then?’ my father enquired as I passed through the hall. He was standing as before with Candy by his side.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘She’s making the
Similar Books
