not intruding,’ he said, certain of his welcome . ‘I’m Judd Morphy from Washington. I met your husband when he was in the States. He told me to be sure and call when I was over here. I just got in.’
‘He told me about you,’ Sara said, facing him through the twelve inches she had opened the door.
‘Is your husband home, Mrs Parker?’
She looked at him. ‘Roly’s dead,’ she said, and it was the first time she had spoken the words aloud. She watched the large, bland, all-embracing American smile fade from his face. She was glad he didn’t say he was sorry.
‘May I come in?’ Sara had heard Americans had no sense of occasion. She shrugged and opened the door wider. In the sitting room he tried not to put his large feet on the paper pattern. She made no attempt to clear up or apologise. Shenever bothered to make up for her evenings with the children and knew her hair needed washing. She didn’t care, she hadn’t asked him to come in.
He said, ‘This has come as a shock. All the way over on the plane I’ve been thinking of Roly and the good times we had.’
‘How long are you here for?’ she asked politely.
‘Six months. What happened to Roly?’
‘It was a car accident,’ she said, ‘last October.’
‘Daddy’s died and gone to Heaven,’ Harriet said calmly.
‘Oh, shut up, Harry!’ Simon said fiercely, kicking her with his bare foot.
Judd stayed only half an hour. When he got up to go she realised that she had offered him nothing, not even a cup of coffee. She was far too weary and she hadn’t even washed her supper dishes.
At the door he said, ‘I’m sorry for pushing in, but I know what it’s like. I lost my wife to cancer soon after our marriage. Of course, it’s a very long while ago now, but I remember how it feels. It doesn’t do to be too much alone. I’ll call you some time, Mrs Parker.’
‘Sara,’ she said. He had been a good friend to Roly. He didn’t telephone her, probably anticipating what she would say. He just came back frequently and rang the bell and stood patiently on the doorstep waiting for her to let him in. She made no effort to entertain him. He had supper with her in the kitchen, listened, relaxed, to the radio, helped her get the children into bed. She scarcely noticed whether he was there or not until after two months, during which time he hadvisited them at least three or four times every week, he quite suddenly stopped coming.
The sitting room, cluttered as it was with furniture and toys, seemed empty. The children missed him. For the first time in a long while Sara looked into her long mirror and was horrified at what she saw. She hadn’t bothered about her hair, her skin, her face, her clothes, the things she had cared for so proudly for Roly. She looked like an old woman and not a very tidy one. She wasn’t even standing up straight. She braced her shoulders. The effort was painful but it took a few years off her age.
They heard nothing from Judd for three weeks. When he did come he said he had been in Europe on business. He made no excuse for not letting them know. Why should he? If he noticed that Sara had a new dress and had had her hair done, he did not say anything.
One day he noticed the golf clubs that were kept in the cupboard under the stairs.
‘They’re Roly’s,’ Sara said. ‘I don’t play.’
‘Well, I do,’ Judd said. ‘How about walking round with me?’ He didn’t say it would do her good to get out into the fresh air, but she knew that that was what he meant. He was quite right. She had hardly been outside the house for months.
And on the golf course she would not have to face people.
It was not long before she bought a waterproofed jacket, trousers and shoes, and borrowed a bag of lightweight clubs from a girlfriend. In the weeks preceding Christmas she trudged miles over sodden grass, pulling a trolley uphill anddown dale behind her. She learned to relax her knees, keep her head down and take the club head
‘He told me about you,’ Sara said, facing him through the twelve inches she had opened the door.
‘Is your husband home, Mrs Parker?’
She looked at him. ‘Roly’s dead,’ she said, and it was the first time she had spoken the words aloud. She watched the large, bland, all-embracing American smile fade from his face. She was glad he didn’t say he was sorry.
‘May I come in?’ Sara had heard Americans had no sense of occasion. She shrugged and opened the door wider. In the sitting room he tried not to put his large feet on the paper pattern. She made no attempt to clear up or apologise. Shenever bothered to make up for her evenings with the children and knew her hair needed washing. She didn’t care, she hadn’t asked him to come in.
He said, ‘This has come as a shock. All the way over on the plane I’ve been thinking of Roly and the good times we had.’
‘How long are you here for?’ she asked politely.
‘Six months. What happened to Roly?’
‘It was a car accident,’ she said, ‘last October.’
‘Daddy’s died and gone to Heaven,’ Harriet said calmly.
‘Oh, shut up, Harry!’ Simon said fiercely, kicking her with his bare foot.
Judd stayed only half an hour. When he got up to go she realised that she had offered him nothing, not even a cup of coffee. She was far too weary and she hadn’t even washed her supper dishes.
At the door he said, ‘I’m sorry for pushing in, but I know what it’s like. I lost my wife to cancer soon after our marriage. Of course, it’s a very long while ago now, but I remember how it feels. It doesn’t do to be too much alone. I’ll call you some time, Mrs Parker.’
‘Sara,’ she said. He had been a good friend to Roly. He didn’t telephone her, probably anticipating what she would say. He just came back frequently and rang the bell and stood patiently on the doorstep waiting for her to let him in. She made no effort to entertain him. He had supper with her in the kitchen, listened, relaxed, to the radio, helped her get the children into bed. She scarcely noticed whether he was there or not until after two months, during which time he hadvisited them at least three or four times every week, he quite suddenly stopped coming.
The sitting room, cluttered as it was with furniture and toys, seemed empty. The children missed him. For the first time in a long while Sara looked into her long mirror and was horrified at what she saw. She hadn’t bothered about her hair, her skin, her face, her clothes, the things she had cared for so proudly for Roly. She looked like an old woman and not a very tidy one. She wasn’t even standing up straight. She braced her shoulders. The effort was painful but it took a few years off her age.
They heard nothing from Judd for three weeks. When he did come he said he had been in Europe on business. He made no excuse for not letting them know. Why should he? If he noticed that Sara had a new dress and had had her hair done, he did not say anything.
One day he noticed the golf clubs that were kept in the cupboard under the stairs.
‘They’re Roly’s,’ Sara said. ‘I don’t play.’
‘Well, I do,’ Judd said. ‘How about walking round with me?’ He didn’t say it would do her good to get out into the fresh air, but she knew that that was what he meant. He was quite right. She had hardly been outside the house for months.
And on the golf course she would not have to face people.
It was not long before she bought a waterproofed jacket, trousers and shoes, and borrowed a bag of lightweight clubs from a girlfriend. In the weeks preceding Christmas she trudged miles over sodden grass, pulling a trolley uphill anddown dale behind her. She learned to relax her knees, keep her head down and take the club head
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