Silent Treatment by Jackie Williams Page B

stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the closed door of Carrie’s bedroom. He dropped his briefcase outside the under-stair cupboard and slipped out of his jacket, then he took a deep breath and walked through to the kitchen.
    Helen looked up at him in surprise.
    “Whatever are you doing home so early?” She smiled as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, then gave him a brief kiss on the lips.
    He didn’t kiss her back.
    “Is that great oaf still here?” He looked down at his wife, his expression hard.
    Helen let go of him quickly and stood back.
    “Is that why you’ve come home early? Just to check up on them?” She turned back to the cooker and lifted the lid of the saucepan. “And I thought you had made the effort to see me! I wish I hadn’t rung you to tell you he was here. You’re being far too suspicious.” She poked a knife into the contents of the saucepan.
    Jim stepped up behind her and gave her a belated kiss on the cheek.
    “I don’t see why I shouldn’t be suspicious. I’ll swear that kid’s on steroids. It can’t be normal to be that huge. His parents aren’t that tall, well his mother isn’t at any rate...It’ll be a disaster if she gets pregnant by him when she’s only sixteen. Her life will be over. Nobody likes a teenage mum. Makes them cheap.” His words were hard.
    Helen put the knife down firmly on the worktop.
    “Well, thanks for that Jim. Maybe you have forgotten but I was pregnant at sixteen. It’s nice to know that even while you were making love to me, you thought I was cheap.” She moved along the kitchen units, grabbed the knife again and began peeling the carrots vigorously.
    Jim sighed wearily and moved up close behind his wife. He ignored the knife being wielded expertly along the carrots.
    “I didn’t mean you. I love you now and I loved you then. I knew you were the one for me right from the moment I lay eyes on you…It’s just all so different now-a-days. Everyone has to have a career and Carrie has been given the chance of a fabulous one. I just don’t want it all ruined for her by that great lumbering kid. Do you even know what they’re doing up there?”
    Helen gave a resigned sigh. He obviously wasn’t going to let this go.
    “They were listening to some music when I took them a drink and some biscuits an hour ago. Daniel was sitting on the floor by the end of her bed, fully dressed, including his trainers, and no-where near Carrie.” Helen added the carrots to the saucepan. “I’ve asked him if he wants to stop for dinner, so you’d better put on a pleasanter manner before they come down or he’s going to think you’re a right grumpy old git.”
    Jim groaned and rolled his eyes.
    “What the hell were you doing encouraging him?” He sighed, his shoulder drooping in resignation. “I’m going to get changed. Why don’t we eat outside? The weather’s nice enough and he won’t be quite so overpowering out in the garden.”
    Helen nodded and turned back to the cooking.
    Jim trudged to the stairs and then, making sure that the kitchen door was shut, he crept quickly up them and stood listening outside Carrie’s door. He heard voices inside. Daniel’s was low and rumbling.
     
    “Perfect Carrie. Spread them wide, wider, go on, I know you can do it. Now lift this one higher, yes, see…I can push you further, and another deep breath. That’s right, I want you to really feel it. Relax your whole body now.” There was a short pause, then. “Perfect, you’re loosening up nicely. I told you it wouldn’t hurt if we went slowly.”
    Jim ’s eyes grew wide and he bent his head closer to the door, listening hard. He heard Carrie’s higher pitched voice. She sounded breathy, almost lazy.
    “That feels so good Dan iel, it’s really hard, but when you push gently I can get it nearly all the way up, much higher than I thought would be possible. I’ve never done anything like this before. The deeper I breathe, the