That Elusive Cure 21
By lisa h
- 1965 reads
The taxi dropped me off at the Moby Dick pub in West Kirby just after six o’clock. Not so long ago the pub had been converted into a steakhouse, and was probably my current favourite restaurant. My resolve to have a wild mad night had been dampened by my mother’s tears earlier. I’d almost cancelled with Janie, thinking that if I really had that much energy I should drive to where Dad was in Wales and catch him in the act or confront him or something. I wanted to think he was innocent, but Mum had been very convincing.
I let out a long sigh as I climbed the steps into the pub. Shake it off, I thought. Tonight is about you and how damn brilliant my insides feel.
Janie was sat at the bar with another woman beside her. That kind of threw me, and for half a second I almost bolted. I saw tonight as a Janie and me only affair. I wasn’t sure if I could cope with any additions. Somehow I made my legs work and walked up to the bar.
“Kath, hello!” Janie was in fine form. She had some brightly coloured cocktail in front of her, as did the other woman. She gave me a great big hug and sat back down.
“Hi…” I replied, glancing nervously at the addition.
“This is Gill, my other half.”
Gill waved and nodded towards her drink. “Would you like one?”
For half a second I didn’t say anything. I looked from Janie with her short, brown, cancer-cut hair, her athletic figure and tomboyish clothes to Gill, a younger woman who I’d describe as slight with long light brown hair with a gentle wave. She was dressed in an almost romantic style, her shirt decorated with frilled edges and matched with a long flowing skirt. I remembered Janie saying her other half was called Gill, but I’d not actually made the connection of what that meant.
“I would,” I finally said and sat down.
My cocktail came quickly and I made a face at the sweetness, I wasn’t used to so much sugar. But the alcohol soon warmed me up to the evening.
“How are the sessions going?” Janie didn’t waste any time asking.
I glanced at Gill. “Is it okay to talk about it with her here?”
Janie laughed. “Oh course it is. Gill knows all about what happened to me, don’t you.”
Gill reached over and placed her hand over Janie’s. “She didn’t tell me at first. I guessed, there were too many changes happening too quickly. I cornered her and made her confess.”
“That’s actually a relief to know that. My other half, Jimmy, knows. He didn’t notice a difference so much. You know what men are like. I’m not sure he’d notice if I came home with one of my arms missing.” I chuckled. “He found out when he found my car in the church car park.”
“Oh shit, really?” Janie laughed.
“Yup. Caught me red handed as I’d forgotten to lock the church door.”
“So what did he do?” That was Gill.
“Found out where the machinery is, of course. Just can’t help himself. Once he got over the weirdness of it all he wanted to know how it worked. He’s been researching all kinds of cutting edge technologies ever since.”
Gill and Janie laughed.
“We ordered a mixed starter platter. Is that okay for you?” Janie said as the barman came over with an enormous plate piled high with all kinds of meat.
I sipped at my cocktail, surprised to find it almost empty already. I smiled at them. “Just what the doctor ordered,” I said.
The evening went far too fast. We’d ended up at Corks Out a wine bar where you could get samples of different wines. You got a card which you topped up with money, then helped yourself to wine using the card to pay. Self-service – a quick road to complete drunkenness as I discovered. I got home earlier than I’d originally intended. Threw up most of my wine and then crawled into bed. Johnny was milling about, looking nervous. Probably because I was one day post chemo and really shouldn’t have been leaving the house, let alone getting falling-down drunk. I smiled at the memory of Janie and Gill pushing me into the taxi and sending me home. I think I’d been making a fool of myself and dancing around singing loudly and badly. Then I passed out.
***
I woke up feeling less hung over than by rights I should have. Maybe my body was that out of practice that it had forgotten how. There were texts of my phone.
One from Janie: Hope you’re not feeling too awful today. Had a great time last night. We should do it again some time. x
And one from Cass: Mum, need to talk to you. Can I come over today?
I replied to Janie’s: Not feeling as bad as I should, lol. Thanks for the brilliant evening. Just what I needed. Lovely meeting Gill as well. She’s as lovely as you. x
Then Cass: What’s up love, something wrong? x
I’ll tell you when I get there. I’ll come at two and bring cakes.
I glanced at the clock, it was nearly 11 o’clock. If I was going to get my session in with the machine I was going to have to hurry. With a spring in my step, I went to the bathroom for a shower. Jimmy was nowhere to be found, but no matter. He didn’t have to be there, and to be honest, I wasn’t going to wait around. There was a need growing in me, like an addiction. I needed to go to the machine, I had to be there. Didn’t matter what got rearranged or missed out on, I would go there as soon as I’d washed and dressed.
Whistling a merry tune, I dug into the box of tampons for the key to the church. It wasn’t there. Cold panic came over me. I dumped the box out on the floor in the bathroom. No key. I rifled through the drawer. No key. I ripped the drawer out and dumped that on the floor. No key. Shit, where was Jimmy? I climbed on the toilet seat and opened the bathroom window and peered down at the driveway. Jimmy’s car was gone. Shit, what the hell was he up to? Screw being clean. I ran back to my bedroom and dressed. What the hell did he think he was up to?
Staying just long enough to give my teeth a rough brush and drink a cup of orange juice, wincing at the combination of tart with the minty toothpaste. My tummy was giving me the first signs of upset from the night before, or maybe it was sickness thinking what the hell was he doing, sneaking off to the church? Shit, shit, shit. I grabbed my keys and left, almost taking out the edge of the garden wall as I sped away.
- Log in to post comments
Comments
Oh no. Please dont let it be
Oh no. Please dont let it be what Im thinking....
Brilliant once again Lisah, the girls night out, the hope, then jimmy....
More please....
- Log in to post comments
Now there's an exciting
Now there's an exciting cliffhanger! Now things are getting hot again. Nice how you had a period where everyhthing was all good - we were just waiting for the crash and you've started, I'm thinking. Good work.
- Log in to post comments
I can just imagine what the
I can just imagine what the idiot's up to. Nooo!
Linda
- Log in to post comments