Foolish Mortals by Jennifer Johnston

Author:Jennifer Johnston
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497646445
Publisher: Open Road Media

Fading away, away, away. The sun was shining outside, reflected in the snow, windows glittered. I must get up, unaided, I thought, and go and see Stephanie.

I manoeuvred my way out of bed. I sang a little song as I made for the bathroom.

‘Au clair de la …’

I laughed.

Soon, I thought, if I keep this up I will be climbing every mountain, running over the Featherbed, playing Federer at tennis.

There was a knock on the door.

‘Henry.’

‘Good morning. I’ll be out soon. Ready for coffee.’

‘It’s Stephanie on the telephone.’

‘I’ll ring her back in ten minutes.’

‘She’s coming round.’

‘I’ll call her back. I’m washing my teeth, dammit.’

‘She’s on her way. Now. This moment.’

Dammit.

I spat. Pink toothpaste and that disgusting slime that coats the inside of your mouth while you sleep swirled in the tap water.

‘Can I help you dress?’

‘No. I can manage.’

‘I’ll make some more coffee. Hot.’

I didn’t answer.

I heard his shoes shuffle away across the carpet. He stopped. He coughed.

‘Henry.’

I stood by the basin and stared at my face in the glass.

God, I thought, I look old and grumpy.

‘What?’

‘Do you want me to go out for half an hour or so? Leave you in peace with her. Would that be the best thing?’

I opened the door and looked at him. He looked as if he hadn’t slept well.

‘I want you to stay here, be with us and speak. Whatever happens you are an integral part of it, so stop being so bloody feeble-minded about the whole thing.’

I held out my arms towards him and he ran into them and we stood there, two unkempt middle-aged men, quite still for a few minutes, our hearts thudding together. After a while I pushed him gently away.

‘Hot coffee would be great, and necessary.’

They sat, the three of them, in the sitting room; Jeremy staring out of the window at the snow still falling from the green-grey sky. The other two were side by side on the sofa, facing him, and their coffee steamed gently on the table in front of them. Stephanie had swept in half an hour earlier, thrown off her coat, kissed Henry, waved at Jeremy and settled herself on the sofa.

‘Well,’ was the first word she had said. She looked from one man to the other.

‘Have some coffee?’ suggested Jeremy.

A little milk and two spoons of sugar. There are times you need sugar and there are times you don’t.’ She looked like she had stepped straight out of the bath into her clothes and had left the house without attending to her hair or face. ‘Now I need it.’

‘Calm down,’ said Henry, sitting beside her. ‘Old pet.’

She looked outraged.

‘Don’t you old pet me.’

‘Hey, hey. Don’t attack me. The child sprang it on me too. I had nothing to do with it. Absolutely nothing. I promise you that. Had I, Jeremy?’

Jeremy shook his head morosely. He fiddled with the coffee pot, but didn’t take his eyes from the window.

‘Does she hate me? What have I done to her? Oh God! I always tried to be a good mother.

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