The Second Life of Sally Mottram by David Nobbs

Author:David Nobbs [David Nobbs]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-04-18T04:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FOUR

The waiting

The Weavers’ Arms was fairly empty on a Monday, but even so, the new young waiter was so struck with nerves and stress that he spilt red wine all down Harry’s trousers.

‘It was the waiting that was the worst,’ Sally said afterwards. ‘Mind you, it was his first day at the pub.’ It’s an old joke, but under the circumstances it was irresistible.

Sally had found herself unable to face attending the diminutive public gallery in the council chamber to listen to the debate.

Marigold had decided to go.

‘You’re braver than me,’ Sally told her.

‘I’m not. You care more than me.’

‘You care too.’

‘I do. I care very much. But you, Sally. It’s something else with you. It’s life or death. To me it’s as if you had one life, it didn’t work, and you’ve sort of literally … I mean, I know it’s not literally literally but it so almost is, it’s like “I’ve reinvented myself and if this Sally Mottram doesn’t work I don’t see where the third one’s coming from.” Does that make sense?’

‘Sort of, I suppose. I don’t think it’s healthy to think of oneself too much.’

‘I’m frightened by how much you care, Sally.’

Sally had suggested to Harry, Jill, Olive and Arnold that they all go to the Weavers’ for the Early Bird Special. Olive had turned the suggestion down on the grounds that her decision not to participate in the great Transition scheme rendered her an unfit companion on the night of the vote. Arnold, feeling trapped by Olive’s decision, had with huge difficulty turned down a special offer for the first time in his life. So Sally, desperate to continue to cement the two marriages of her four pensioner friends, had found herself taking a pickaxe to the cement by escorting Jill and Harry to dinner.

And now she was almost too nervous to eat anything, and the clumsiness and lack of charm of the new waiter, poor boy, quite unsuited to the job, just piled the pressure on her nerves. Harry and Jill were nervous too. They were nervous for Sally, for Potherthwaite, and for themselves. Harry had after all been promised a very prominent role in the great adventure, and was, secretly, very thrilled indeed, and Jill, who gave the appearance of being at least half in love with him, was thrilled for him too. Neither of them could be said to be on what Harry called ‘Top Nosh Mode’.

So here were three nervous people eating together in the pub where not long ago they had received a further discount because they were all badly bruised. It occurred to Sally, who was well aware of Harry and Jill’s nervousness, that they might call this ‘The Great Nerves Special’ and ask for a further discount from the kindly Sue. Then they could ask for a further discount owing to the bad service from the desperate bespotted waiter, who would later cause Sue to change all the bread baskets because he had a rare allergy to wicker, and she didn’t dare sack him in our litigious culture.

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