Lies Behind The Ruin by Helen Matthews

Author:Helen Matthews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hashtag Press
Published: 2019-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 35

OWEN

August 2016

While we’re waiting for Mum outside the aquarium in La Rochelle, Aunt Carlene holds my hand too tight, as if I was a small kid about to run away. I don’t run away because there’s nowhere to go. This is France and it’s still boring.

Her American friend, Brad can’t stand still. He’s pacing around, looking like he’s counting the number of people in the queue for the aquarium. What does it matter to us? We’re not going into the frigging aquarium. Aunt Carlene and I went yesterday when we arrived.

I can tell Brad wasn’t pleased to see me. I think he’s got a thing for Aunt Carlene and wants me gone so he can have sex with her or something.

“Here she is,” says Aunt Carlene, pointing along the road, and that makes me mad because I wanted to see Mum first.

“Owen!”

Mum runs towards us and bends to hug and kiss me. I let her, but I don’t kiss her back. Mollie wants to fist bump, like I do with Dad. I don’t mind that.

Brad stops pacing and says, “Hi” to Mum and Mollie.

I notice his eyes watching Mum while they talk about boring stuff, like when to meet up for Aunt Carlene to take me home. It’s like Brad’s admiring her, and I’m not surprised, because Aunt Carlene is five years older than my dad so she’s well middle-aged and Mum is pretty.

“Shall we go into the aquarium?” Mum suggests, after the others have gone.

“I went yesterday,” I say. “I want to see Milou. Can we just go?”

I can see Mollie is disappointed, she wanted to see the tropical fish, but I don’t care.

“Okay,” says Mum. “We’ll have lunch here, then drive home to Sainte Violette.”

I grind my teeth. Why must she call it home? It’s not my home. I don’t know where that is.

*

Paul is minding the bar when we get back to Sainte Violette and we stop there first.

“I thought you were in London?” I say.

Paul’s been messaging me to arrange to meet up but I’ve been too busy.

“Kent,” he says. “I’m working in Kent but I’ve taken this week off to look after the bar so Mum can spend all her time with you.”

“Right. Are we going to that Oradour place again?” I want to go back and check if I counted the right number of sewing machines.

“Not this time,” says Mum. “We’ll find some other places to go.”

I remember we were here last summer in a house with a scummy swimming pool we couldn’t even use. It’s only been a year and my whole life has been trashed.

*

The holiday’s not too bad. I teach Milou to stand on his hind legs and walk a couple of steps towards me. When he topples over, Mollie stretches out her arms to catch him. We do the same things as last year, except, this year, we sit around in the bar more and I get to play on the pinball machine. Mum’s put it out the back in a small annexe room.

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