worked up, didn’t you? How did you do it? Maybe I’ll have a go myself, next time.”
6 Everything Changes
Matt spent most of the next morning in Mrs Eldridge’s conservatory, reading another second rate thriller. They went to Aunt Carol’s for lunch, as usual.
Gramps had been in bed all morning. “It’s okay,” said Carol sympathetically, when Matt had clearly looked concerned. “He’s just a bit low. A bit tired... You know how it is.”
He nodded. He remembered Gramps’ rantings from the previous evening. Gramps had wanted to tell him something. “Can I go up and see him?” he asked now.
Carol shook her head emphatically. “Like I said: he’s tired. Let him rest today. See how he is in the morning. All right, darling?”
He shrugged. It wasn’t all that important, he supposed.
~
That afternoon, his mother was called away to the telephone.
Matt was sitting outside, reading. The first he knew about it was when Tina found him.
She was smiling. He looked up at her, resenting her intrusion on his peace. He never liked it when the girl smiled, it nearly always meant something bad.
“What is it?” he grunted, when she refused to vanish in a puff of smoke as he had been hoping.
“Aunty Jill had a telephone call,” she said.
“So?”
“I think it was probably bad news. She put the phone down so hard I was sure she was going to break it. She really should know better.”
She stood there, still smiling, still refusing to vanish. Matt returned his gaze to the pages of his book, but he couldn’t concentrate while his ghoulish cousin stood over him like that.
“She was crying,” Tina said eventually. “Then she rushed out of the room. I didn’t know Aunty Jill was so unstable.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” asked Matt, although he had a pretty good idea.
Her smile grew even broader. “Because Mum brought me up to be helpful and considerate,” she said. “And because I hate you.”
He went into the house.
Carol was in the kitchen, rolling pastry. The pastry formed a near-perfect circle, as if it didn’t dare go against his aunt’s wishes.
“Where’s Mum?”
She looked up, then looked away again quickly. That wasn’t like her, at all.
“She had to go back to Bagshaw Terrace,” she said. “She’ll be back soon – perhaps you should wait.” She added this as Matt turned instantly and headed along the hall to the front door. He ignored her and went outside.
~
He found his mother in her room struggling to stuff their belongings into the bags they had brought on the train from Norwich. For a moment, his heart leapt as he thought Tina was going to get her wish and they were finally going home. Then he saw the look on his mother’s face and immediately he knew it was far worse than that.
“I’m sorry, Matt,” she said, as he stopped in the doorway. She forced the zipper closed on her bag and rubbed vigorously at her eyes. “We can’t live here with Mrs Eldridge any more. We’re going to have to stay with Aunt Carol for a few days, until we sort something else out.”
For an insane moment, Matt wondered what Tina had done now to get them kicked out of their lodgings. Then he dismissed the thought.
“What is it?” he demanded. “What’s going on?”
“It’s your father,” she said hesitantly, refusing to meet his demanding stare. “He hasn’t been paying. Mrs Eldridge won’t put us up without any money.”
“Call him, then. Ask him for the money.” He didn’t see the problem. He refused to see the problem.
She just looked at him. Then she reached up and swept the hair back out of her eyes. “No, Matt. It’s no good. He says he won’t pay anything until he’s made to.”
It started to sink in, at last: the meaning of her words. Confirming his darkest fears.
His parents had split up.
~
The only thing that broke through his initial sense of shock was the look of dismay on Tina’s face when Matt and his mother turned up at Aunt Carol’s
6 Everything Changes
Matt spent most of the next morning in Mrs Eldridge’s conservatory, reading another second rate thriller. They went to Aunt Carol’s for lunch, as usual.
Gramps had been in bed all morning. “It’s okay,” said Carol sympathetically, when Matt had clearly looked concerned. “He’s just a bit low. A bit tired... You know how it is.”
He nodded. He remembered Gramps’ rantings from the previous evening. Gramps had wanted to tell him something. “Can I go up and see him?” he asked now.
Carol shook her head emphatically. “Like I said: he’s tired. Let him rest today. See how he is in the morning. All right, darling?”
He shrugged. It wasn’t all that important, he supposed.
~
That afternoon, his mother was called away to the telephone.
Matt was sitting outside, reading. The first he knew about it was when Tina found him.
She was smiling. He looked up at her, resenting her intrusion on his peace. He never liked it when the girl smiled, it nearly always meant something bad.
“What is it?” he grunted, when she refused to vanish in a puff of smoke as he had been hoping.
“Aunty Jill had a telephone call,” she said.
“So?”
“I think it was probably bad news. She put the phone down so hard I was sure she was going to break it. She really should know better.”
She stood there, still smiling, still refusing to vanish. Matt returned his gaze to the pages of his book, but he couldn’t concentrate while his ghoulish cousin stood over him like that.
“She was crying,” Tina said eventually. “Then she rushed out of the room. I didn’t know Aunty Jill was so unstable.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” asked Matt, although he had a pretty good idea.
Her smile grew even broader. “Because Mum brought me up to be helpful and considerate,” she said. “And because I hate you.”
He went into the house.
Carol was in the kitchen, rolling pastry. The pastry formed a near-perfect circle, as if it didn’t dare go against his aunt’s wishes.
“Where’s Mum?”
She looked up, then looked away again quickly. That wasn’t like her, at all.
“She had to go back to Bagshaw Terrace,” she said. “She’ll be back soon – perhaps you should wait.” She added this as Matt turned instantly and headed along the hall to the front door. He ignored her and went outside.
~
He found his mother in her room struggling to stuff their belongings into the bags they had brought on the train from Norwich. For a moment, his heart leapt as he thought Tina was going to get her wish and they were finally going home. Then he saw the look on his mother’s face and immediately he knew it was far worse than that.
“I’m sorry, Matt,” she said, as he stopped in the doorway. She forced the zipper closed on her bag and rubbed vigorously at her eyes. “We can’t live here with Mrs Eldridge any more. We’re going to have to stay with Aunt Carol for a few days, until we sort something else out.”
For an insane moment, Matt wondered what Tina had done now to get them kicked out of their lodgings. Then he dismissed the thought.
“What is it?” he demanded. “What’s going on?”
“It’s your father,” she said hesitantly, refusing to meet his demanding stare. “He hasn’t been paying. Mrs Eldridge won’t put us up without any money.”
“Call him, then. Ask him for the money.” He didn’t see the problem. He refused to see the problem.
She just looked at him. Then she reached up and swept the hair back out of her eyes. “No, Matt. It’s no good. He says he won’t pay anything until he’s made to.”
It started to sink in, at last: the meaning of her words. Confirming his darkest fears.
His parents had split up.
~
The only thing that broke through his initial sense of shock was the look of dismay on Tina’s face when Matt and his mother turned up at Aunt Carol’s
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