Nick & Greg by John Roman Baker

Author:John Roman Baker [Baker, John Roman]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781899713516
Publisher: Wilkinson House Ltd
Published: 2016-09-26T05:00:00+00:00

He returned to the flat the following morning to find his mother sitting at the kitchen table with a jam sandwich and a cup of tea in front of her. She was dressed immaculately, as if she had herself just come back from a party, or was waiting for a taxi to take her away on holiday—bright dress, fresh make up, too much lipstick—and a look of fury in her eyes.

“I have been up since six,” she said, staring up at him. “It’s eight-thirty. Where have you been?”

“I told you where I was going.”

“To see an old school friend, yes, I know you said that. But where have you really been?”

Wearily (and he really was) he sat down at the table and faced her.

“I drank a little champagne,” he said. “I fell asleep on a sofa.”

She remained silent for a moment, as if assimilating this possible truth.

“I think you are hiding something,” she said.

“Well, I’m not.”

“Like a girl.”

He laughed and she raised her voice and told him not to laugh in her face.

“But mother, really—”

“Nothing,” she interrupted, “nothing you are saying is true. I can tell by the tone of your voice.”

“Then I can’t convince you,” he said, reaching out for a cup and then for the pot of lukewarm tea. He was halfway through pouring it when she screamed out, “Don’t act as if this is a normal day, because it isn’t.”

“I know, mother. It’s New Year’s Day. Happy New Year.” He hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic, but it came out like that. Normally he would have kissed her, but he decided against that move.

“I can’t say I return your wishes, if this is how the New Year is to begin. I am not running an hotel here, and you are still only fifteen. If you do have a secret girl, you had better be careful. I presume you know the facts of life.”

“I learned those in the playground at St Mary Magdalen’s,” he replied sharply, then tried to be calm, and sipped his tepid cup of tea.

“Then you know the possible consequences.”

This so-called conversation was becoming ludicrous, but he kept quiet. After a long silence he couldn’t help but burst out, “Yes, I could make her pregnant.”

His mother looked at him as if he had uttered a four-letter word.

“I am glad you can be so crude about it.”

Nick looked at her then, wondering if she had finally become mad.

“Crude? Pregnant? Crude?”

“You make it sound so knowingly casual,” she replied.

“I don’t know what you mean. I am using ordinary language. But it’s a stupid discussion because the last thing I would have done last night was to go anywhere near a girl.”

He desperately wanted to tell her that he’d had a mutual wank with a handsome young man and that he had also looked at what she would have called a dirty picture, but somehow he managed to keep his mouth shut.

“It’s obvious,” she said, “that I’m not going to get to the truth about last night. But, if you stay out all night again at your age, I will contact your father.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.