Decisions, Decisions...

Marni moves around the kitchen slowly; rubbing her temples in the hope that it will ease her aching head. It’s been a hard week, what with the dinner party on Monday, and the charity lunch event yesterday but tonight with no evening meal to prepare she’s hoping to get away early. She’ll leave the ironing until tomorrow. She can catch up if she gets here early.  

Upstairs Jayne is trying on yet another dress, twisting this way and that to more clearly observe both her figure and the flow and fall of the garment. She’d really like to wear her new blue one that shows off her equally new expensive cleavage very nicely indeed but with no time to redo her nails today the grey is a better choice. She hasn’t worn it for a couple of years so will avoid any social faux pas at the gala this evening. Once remembered it had took a while to find and the bed is full of discarded clothing, a jumble of colour, crepe and silk. After quickly adding a string of pearls and matching earrings (her jade set is too heavy) and pushing her feet into her favourite Jimmy Choos she is happy with the look. Finding the right bag is the next problem and of course it’s at the bottom of the third drawer she rummages through.

Passing the kitchen Jayne calls out. ‘I’m off now Marni, thanks for all you’ve done today. If you could just tidy up the bedroom for me before you go I’d be so grateful. Goodnight, have a good one.’

Wearily climbing the stairs Marni sighs. She’d been sure she would be given this task, however much she pushed the thought away. Forty-five minutes later she is done. She turns of the lights, locks up the house and runs for the bus. She texts her sister to say she’s on her way, via Tesco’s. Quiche and potato salad in the basket she pauses in the cake aisle. She knows the kids will love the cupcake selection (and the chocolate bars) she has chosen but she’s not sure whether to get carrot or lemon drizzle for Carla and herself. In the end she opts for the latter and after selecting a cheap but tasty dry red she proceeds to the nearest checkout. Looking forward to spending time with her family she’s feeling better now; headache forgotten. 

‘What a lot of treats. You do spoil us so.’ Carla smiles at Marni then quickly turns her head away to hide the tears. Things have been hard since Matthew left and the children and her rely on her sister for the smallest of luxuries now. She always turns the boiler off once the kids are in bed donning an extra jumper and wrapping herself in a blanket for the rest of the evening. She’s noticed that Marni always comes wrapped up well when she visits, tactfully not mentioning her sister’s need to choose between heating and eating. After story time the adults eat, drink and chat; Carla sharing some detail on the two part-time jobs she’s just applied for. Her nine year break has reduced her options but with Marni’s encouragement she’s hoping to get back to the administrative work she loved before she gave it up for marriage and motherhood.

It's after eleven when Marni leaves. She could have stayed longer but she’s tired and her headache is threatening to return. The night is crisp and dry and she decides to walk rather than wait for the bus, it’ll only take about fifteen minutes anyhow. Walking briskly she thinks about her own job options and prospects. She knows she can do better than cooking for and picking up after slovenly Jayne and her equally messy and thoughtless husband. She hasn’t had a day off for ages, maybe she’ll pull a sicky tomorrow and start looking for something new. Five minutes away from home she sees the girl again. She’s often on this street at night, it’s quieter than some of the others nearby and Marni assumes she feels safer, even though there’s fewer passers by that might gift her a coin or two. The girl (Marni’s thought about asking her name but worries about scaring her if she does) can’t be more than 17 but pulls her hat down close to her eyes and wears a bulky coat to hide her appearance as much as she can. Marni wonders what has brought her here, what was so bad that she felt she needed to leave, or whether it was someone else’s decision that she become homeless. The girl is sipping a warm drink tonight and Marni is pleased that there are others looking out for her. It’s a hot chocolate, which is Marni’s favourite too. She smiles.  

‘Hiya, here you go’, she says stooping to give the girl  three pound coins, a 50p piece and some coppers. She wishes it could be more but what with helping her sister and her own rising food and energy bills she doesn’t have much spare until the end of the month. As it is tonight’s spending will mean beans or egg on toast for the next couple of evenings.

‘Thanks miss, thanks,’ the girl smiles and moves her hand in half a wave, already thinking on whether to buy a quarter pounder or a couple of warm sausage rolls.

‘I’ll tell her my name, next time I see her,’ Marni thinks. ‘Then it’s up to her whether she wants to share hers.’ Her mind made up as she nears home her thoughts turn to what to watch for half-an-hour before bed with her own milky bed-time drink.

Looking out of the car window Jayne thinks that it’s Marni she sees talking to someone who is clearly living on the streets. She wonders if they should stop but ‘no’, she’s tired and she’s done her bit for society tonight in buying the two over-priced auction pieces. A large glass of white and bed is all she wants now. But as Geoff leans into her and moves his hand slowly under her dress she changes her mind. It’s such a long time since they last had sex. She’s an early start tomorrow but just this once maybe she can forgo her usual pre-sleep beauty routine.

Leaving their glasses, a half-empty bottle of wine plus the debris from a hastily made and eaten ham and mustard sandwich (the tiny portions of celebrity chef cooked vegetarian choices on this evening’s menu had left Geoff less than satisfied) on the kitchen worktop the couple stumble up the stairs. Hastily kicking off their shoes and pulling off each other’s clothes they fall onto the bed where Marni is soon regretting her decision to not remove her makeup as Geoff gently pushes her face into the Egyptian cotton sheets that Jayne’s best friend from school had picked from their wedding present list.

Never mind Marni will sort it out tomorrow.