Being Bindy by Alyssa Brugman

Author:Alyssa Brugman [Brugman, Alyssa]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Relationships, Social Issues, Teenage girls, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Family life, General, Parents, Female friendship, People & Places, Australia & Oceania, Friendship, Marriage & Divorce
ISBN: 9781741142181
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2004-07-01T07:00:00+00:00

‘I don’t know,’ she replied gruffly.

‘Did Phillip go to Grandma’s funeral?’ I asked, pulling one of the pillows onto my lap.

‘Yes, he did. He was there to support me, and besides, he met her several times.’

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‘You never took us to see her, but you took Phillip?’

I asked.

‘Your grandmother was very happy to see me with Phillip. He’s an educated, elegant man and your grandmother approved of him very much.’

‘Meaning?’

‘Meaning what?’ she asked.

I flicked my eyes towards the door. ‘Meaning that Dad is not educated or elegant,’ I whispered.

‘Your father and grandma never got along – not from the very beginning. I dreaded going to see her with John.’

I was about to say, He told me he liked her, but then I thought about it. Dad never said he liked her. He just said she had funky chickens and that she liked us.

‘Does Phillip know about me and Kyle?’

‘Yes.’

‘Does he want to meet us?’

She paused for a second. ‘I’m sure he would love to meet you.’

‘But has he said he would like to meet us?’

‘He’s very busy. He plays sport on the weekend – golf, squash, triathlons.’

‘He doesn’t want to meet us, does he, Mum?’

She took a deep breath. ‘Parenting is not one of Phillip’s key priorities at the moment.’

‘And is parenting one of your key priorities, Mum?’

I knew, even as the words were coming out, that I had stepped over the line.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she hissed. ‘You listen here. I Page 100

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rang to share with you because you asked me to. I didn’t have to. You’re going to have to get used to the idea that just because you ask a question doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to get the answer that you want to hear.’

Silence.

‘I think we’ ve talked enough for now, don’t you?’

she said.

‘Yes,’ I whispered.

‘I’ll see you at the weekend,’ she said, and hung up.

I lay back on my bed and hugged my pillow. So, the man who had stolen my mother had a name. He was Phillip. He played sport and had ‘key priorities’. I didn’t like him already, but I still wanted to meet him so that I could find even more reasons to dislike him. More, I wanted him to want to meet me, and when he did I would be indifferent and . . . adolescent. Then one of his ‘key priorities’ might be leaving.

But what was all that stuff about Grandma?

I went in search of Dad. He was on the lounge, reading.

‘You never said that you hated Grandma,’ I said.

‘I didn’t hate her,’ he replied, looking up. ‘We didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Anyway, she’s dead. I didn’t see any point in holding a grudge. Besides, I’m sure that wherever she is, she’s less engrossed with earthly concerns than she once was.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

He put the book down and patted the seat next to him.

I sat down.

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