mother.
‘Yes,
please!’ I had never been to the theatre before, apart from amateur pantomimes
at Dymchurch town hall, and since I’d embarked on my afternoon trips to wander
around theatreland, I’d been desperate to see a proper professional show.
‘Jolly
good. I’ll have a look in the evening paper and see what is suitable.’
She
picked up the small copper bell she kept beside her wine glass and flicked it
twice. When the butler had delivered the paper she perused the offerings in the
West End. ‘Hair is on, but I fear the nakedness on display may remind us
of your poor mother’s appearance in Hythe, so that would be an unfortunate
choice … Hamlet? No — Ophelia. She’s one Liverpudlian short of an
armed robbery. Cinderella? No, there’s a clock in it.’
In the
end we went to see the Chinese State Circus performing in a tent on the South
Bank.
‘As far
as I know your mother has steered clear of Chinese men, so there shouldn’t be
any upset. We don’t want any reminders of our mutual embarrassment,’ Grandma
Rita said, as we travelled up to Waterloo on the train. ‘I’ve always thought
that the best thing to do about Alice is not to think of her at all. Her father
said that, too, you know, and she was only five at the time.’ She gazed out of
the rain-splashed window and said nothing more until we arrived.
‘I hope
there aren’t too many children there,’ said Grandma Rita, springing to life as
we got off the train and pushed our way through the crowded station.
‘Don’t
you like children?’ I asked. She had never seemed to like me much before I came
to live with her.
She
considered the question seriously, then smiled almost apologetically. ‘Well,
if I’m being honest, not little ones, no. I don’t consider you a child any
more, by the way. Children expect you to be perfect and the pressure to fulfil
this fantasy is too much. After thirteen years with your mother you should have
realized the truth.’
The
show was an energetic display of gymnastic tumbling and choreographed
acrobatics. I was enthralled. From the moment the music started my heart was
racing. I couldn’t take my eyes off one particularly handsome young acrobat. I
was rather surprised to find that whenever he came on stage I felt an exciting
tingle in my loins. He was wonderful, I thought. Not only was he a splendid
gymnast but he was very attractive. My eye was never drawn to the girl
performers, I noted, no matter how dainty their ankles or bendy their spines.
We
clapped and cheered our way through the show. As we watched a female
contortionist dangling from a rope, pulling her legs up behind her and flipping
a calf over each shoulder, Grandma Rita leant over to me and said, ‘Goodness. I
can’t even get my tights on in the morning.’
Afterwards
we travelled back to Blackheath and sat in the kitchen drinking tea and eating
muffins with Parmesan.
‘Mother
always says that cheese before we go to bed will make us dream,’ I said.
‘And
what will you dream about?’ she asked me.
‘Chinese
men bouncing off trampolines,’ I said, without hesitation.
‘Then
take off your St Christopher before you go to sleep. You never know where such
dreams might lead at your age.’
‘Thank
you for a lovely day, Grandma.’
‘You’re
very good company, Johnny. I shall be sorry when you go. The doctors say your
mother’s almost better. You’ll be able to go home soon, it seems.’
She
looked so sad it didn’t seem right to be too thrilled at the news, but I was
glad to hear I’d soon be seeing my mother again. I’d missed her desperately,
despite the security, comfort and stability of life in Blackheath. ‘Really? I
can go home?’ I thought of the cottage and my little bedroom, and longed to see
them again.
‘In
about a week.’ She reached across the kitchen counter and took my hand. ‘I
shall miss you. For all her faults, you’re a credit to her.’
I saw
my opportunity. This was the moment to ask the
‘Yes,
please!’ I had never been to the theatre before, apart from amateur pantomimes
at Dymchurch town hall, and since I’d embarked on my afternoon trips to wander
around theatreland, I’d been desperate to see a proper professional show.
‘Jolly
good. I’ll have a look in the evening paper and see what is suitable.’
She
picked up the small copper bell she kept beside her wine glass and flicked it
twice. When the butler had delivered the paper she perused the offerings in the
West End. ‘Hair is on, but I fear the nakedness on display may remind us
of your poor mother’s appearance in Hythe, so that would be an unfortunate
choice … Hamlet? No — Ophelia. She’s one Liverpudlian short of an
armed robbery. Cinderella? No, there’s a clock in it.’
In the
end we went to see the Chinese State Circus performing in a tent on the South
Bank.
‘As far
as I know your mother has steered clear of Chinese men, so there shouldn’t be
any upset. We don’t want any reminders of our mutual embarrassment,’ Grandma
Rita said, as we travelled up to Waterloo on the train. ‘I’ve always thought
that the best thing to do about Alice is not to think of her at all. Her father
said that, too, you know, and she was only five at the time.’ She gazed out of
the rain-splashed window and said nothing more until we arrived.
‘I hope
there aren’t too many children there,’ said Grandma Rita, springing to life as
we got off the train and pushed our way through the crowded station.
‘Don’t
you like children?’ I asked. She had never seemed to like me much before I came
to live with her.
She
considered the question seriously, then smiled almost apologetically. ‘Well,
if I’m being honest, not little ones, no. I don’t consider you a child any
more, by the way. Children expect you to be perfect and the pressure to fulfil
this fantasy is too much. After thirteen years with your mother you should have
realized the truth.’
The
show was an energetic display of gymnastic tumbling and choreographed
acrobatics. I was enthralled. From the moment the music started my heart was
racing. I couldn’t take my eyes off one particularly handsome young acrobat. I
was rather surprised to find that whenever he came on stage I felt an exciting
tingle in my loins. He was wonderful, I thought. Not only was he a splendid
gymnast but he was very attractive. My eye was never drawn to the girl
performers, I noted, no matter how dainty their ankles or bendy their spines.
We
clapped and cheered our way through the show. As we watched a female
contortionist dangling from a rope, pulling her legs up behind her and flipping
a calf over each shoulder, Grandma Rita leant over to me and said, ‘Goodness. I
can’t even get my tights on in the morning.’
Afterwards
we travelled back to Blackheath and sat in the kitchen drinking tea and eating
muffins with Parmesan.
‘Mother
always says that cheese before we go to bed will make us dream,’ I said.
‘And
what will you dream about?’ she asked me.
‘Chinese
men bouncing off trampolines,’ I said, without hesitation.
‘Then
take off your St Christopher before you go to sleep. You never know where such
dreams might lead at your age.’
‘Thank
you for a lovely day, Grandma.’
‘You’re
very good company, Johnny. I shall be sorry when you go. The doctors say your
mother’s almost better. You’ll be able to go home soon, it seems.’
She
looked so sad it didn’t seem right to be too thrilled at the news, but I was
glad to hear I’d soon be seeing my mother again. I’d missed her desperately,
despite the security, comfort and stability of life in Blackheath. ‘Really? I
can go home?’ I thought of the cottage and my little bedroom, and longed to see
them again.
‘In
about a week.’ She reached across the kitchen counter and took my hand. ‘I
shall miss you. For all her faults, you’re a credit to her.’
I saw
my opportunity. This was the moment to ask the
Similar Books
