Choke Chain by Jason Donald

Author:Jason Donald [Jason Donald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2009-02-19T00:00:00+00:00

Toothpaste

I DRIED THE last plate while Kevin pulled out the plug and drained the dirty soapy water from the sink. Our chores for the evening were done. For the last couple of nights we had all played either Monopoly or Cluedo. Tonight I felt like playing something else.

‘Hey, Kev, do you want to play chess?’ I said.

‘Chess is boring,’ he said, throwing the sodden sponge into the sink. ‘I know, let’s turn all the lights off and play Commandos with torches.’

I was too grown up for Commandos. ‘I don’t know, Kev. Brandy won’t like us running around her house in the dark.’

‘We could just play in our room,’ he said. But we both knew that would be pointless.

The phone rang.

Mom put down her glass of wine and swapped tense looks with Brandy.

‘Hello,’ said Brandy into the receiver. There was a pause. ‘Hang on just a moment, I’ll get her for you.’

Brandy put her hand over the mouthpiece and whispered over to Mom, ‘Grace. It’s Bruce on the phone for you.’

Mom stood up and smoothed her blouse across her stomach. She breathed in and marched across the living room.

Brandy said, ‘There’s another phone in my room. It’ll be more private in there.’

Glancing over her shoulder at us, Mom went into the bedroom. Brandy listened for a moment till she heard Mom pick up the other phone, then gently put down the receiver.

‘Right, boys,’ she said in a sparky voice, ‘who wants to play Scrabble?’

I put the last cup into the cupboard and hung up the dishcloth.

‘Is that Dad on the phone?’ said Kevin.

‘Yes, it is. He and your mother have a lot to talk about, so maybe we should give them some space.’

‘Can I speak to Dad?’ said Kevin.

Brandy came over and hugged Kevin. He rested his ear against her belly for a second and gazed up at her, waiting for an answer. She smoothed his hair down and said, ‘He’ll call back. You can speak to him then.’ The moment Kevin turned his face away, she nodded to me, trying to get me on her side. ‘Let’s get the Scrabble out, so long.’

That phrase always annoyed me. So long . . . as what? But I knew the answer. We’ll pretend like Mom isn’t arguing with Dad, so long as I act like an adult and help Brandy distract Kevin for the next twenty minutes. Well, I wasn’t interested. And I was fed up of being a grown-up only when it suited other people.

‘Me and Kev are going to bed early tonight,’ I said.

‘Really?’ said Brandy, trying to look at Kevin to see if what I said was true.

‘Yes, we’ve got stuff to do upstairs. Don’t we, Kev?’

Kevin blinked blankly as something powerful passed between us and he stepped away from Brandy. ‘Ja, we’re playing chess,’ he said, ‘. . . under the blankets.’

‘Under the blankets?’ said Brandy.

I looked her straight in the eye. ‘Of course, that’s how we always play.’

In the bathroom, I squeezed toothpaste along the bristles of my toothbrush.

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