The Three Halves of Martyn Manning-Chapter Nineteen - Burn Baby Burn

She
didn’t have to make dinner that night. She’d checked with Martyn
and he was fine with them all having the hog roast and said there’d
doubtless be mushy peas and toffee apples and ginger cake as well.
They left the house in heavy coats and scarves and joined the
straggling procession of villagers heading along the road in the
chill damp dark. Leading the party was Felix, pushing the Guy in
Katie’s old pushchair. Katie skipped excitedly beside him, while
Elena and Martyn walked close behind, side by side. Elena carried a
small tote bag with torches and masks for the kids, Martyn carried
his wallet and a pocket full of change. They got to the playing
fields early as they wanted to be sure not to miss the lighting of
the fire, but when they arrived it looked like most of the village
were already there. They were gathered in a circle round the unlit
bonfire, a twelve foot high cone of densely packed planks and
floorboards on a base of wooden pallets stuffed with kindling. A
small group of put-up pergolas and open-front tents were bunched in
the corner by the scout hut which Martyn knew would house the usual
bar, hog roast and coffee shop. Someone had pulled up their car and
the faint sound of bland eighties pop hits could be heard through its
open window. Nothing much seemed to be happening until he saw a small
commotion and a slight, elderly man emerged from the crowd carrying a
megaphone. Martyn recognised him as Tom Layton, a local farmer and
chairman of the parish council. Mr Layton raised the megaphone to his
lips:

“Ladies
and gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Welcome welcome welcome once again to
our annual village bonfire night! And please can I tell you how happy
I am to see so many of you out once again on this lovely crisp
winter’s evening!” There was a smattering of polite ironic
laughter. “But you don’t have to worry about the cold because
we’re all going to have a wonderful time! We’re almost ready to
light the fire but just before we do can I remind everybody, like I
do every year that the most important thing tonight is that we all
stay safe. We don’t want anybody getting hurt. Mums and dads,
please keep a close eye on your kids and everybody, parents included,
please keep well away from the fire, and by that I mean at least two
metres. My wardens will be on patrol and anyone getting too close
will be sent to sit on the naughty step in the Village Hall! Once the
fire gets going then me and my fellow judges will be going across to
judge the children’s guy competition, so kids, line up your guys
over by the entrance to the changing rooms, same as we do every year
and we’ll be along shortly. Anyway, that’s enough from me. Are
you all ready to have a good time?”

The
crowd mustered a weak cheer.

“OK
then, let’s light the fire! Billy! Where’s Billy? Ah there he is!
I would now like to call on Billy, everybody’s favourite garage
mechanic to light this year’s village bonfire! Billy, would you
like to say a few words?”

Billy
stepped forward and took the megaphone. He addressed the crowd.

“No,
I bloody wouldn’t like to say a few words. I’ll just light the
fire.”

Tom
Layton opened his mouth to object and apologise for the bad language
but it was too late, Billy was already lighting the end of the
screwed-up newspaper flare he carried then when it was alight he
walked up and flung the burning flare onto the part of the bonfire
which he knew had been previously doused in petrol. There was a loud
whoosh as the petrol vapour ignited and Martyn heard a small child
start crying, but the initial flash of flames soon subsided and the
kindling began its work. The fire took hold quickly and soon people
began to step back from the heat. Felix and Katie watched entranced
until eventually Katie turned away from the fire and spoke to Elena:

“Can
we go find our friends now?”

Elena
looked at Martyn who smiled and nodded.

“OK
but stay together and DON’T go near the bonfire and DON’T go near
any fireworks and I won’t be able to see you in the dark so come
back and find me every ten minutes. I’ll be round here somewhere, I
won’t be far away. They’ll be judging the guys in a minute so why
don’t you go and watch that?”

“Here
kids!” Martyn put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a note,
then sorted some loose change. He held the money out to Felix. “Get
you and Katie a hog roast and a drink and whatever else you want. If
that’s not enough come back and find me and I’ll give you some
more.”

The
kids scampered off into the dark. Elena looked at Martyn.

“Do
you think they’ll be alright?”

”Yeah.
I don’t think there’ll be a lot of baddies out tonight and
there’s loads of kids around and everyone will be looking out for
them. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine. So what shall we do now? Do
you want to go get a drink?”

“Well
yes I do but I suppose I’d better go see if I can find Veronika
first.”

“Veronika?
Who’s Veronika?”

“Sorry,
didn’t I mention her? She’s one of the other nannies at the
school drop off. She’s Swiss. I told her about tonight and it’s
her night off so she said she might pop along. I’d better have a
look round and see if I can find her, I don’t want her to be by
herself.”

“OK,
well I’m going to head over to the bar. You’re both welcome to
come and join me whenever. If you find her.”

They
walked off in different directions. Martyn headed to the beer tent
while Elena began to circumnavigate the perimeter crowd. It was
starting to break up now but it was still hard to spot anyone when
all she really had to go on was the dark profiles of the backs of
heads against the flames of the fire. She went round once before she
realised it was actually unlikely that Veronika would be stood by
herself watching the fire and it was more likely she’d be at one of
the hospitality tents, maybe even the bar. Martyn might even be
talking to her right now! She found her in the hog roast tent, with a
plastic cup of white wine in one hand and a paper plate piled with
meat, bread and apple sauce in the other.

“Guten
abend Veronika! I thought you were a veggie?”

“Guten
abend Elena. Wie gehts? The apple sauce is veggie. Und das brot. And
it doesn’t look like I’m gonna be eating any of the meat any time
soon unless I can find somewhere to put this fricking glass down.”

“It
looks good. I want one of those. I’ll be back in a minute.” She
went off to join the queue. She hoped they had stuffing, she didn’t
like apple sauce.

They
did have stuffing. She caught up with Veronika outside the tent. She
must have gulped the wine and discarded the cup as she had the paper
plate in one hand and the half-eaten sandwich in the other. She
swallowed as Elena approached:

“So
what do you think of Bonfire Night? Enjoying it?”

“Yes,
it’s fun I suppose. Get’s us out of the house on a winter’s
night. But I’ll never understand the English, they are all
completely insane. I mean, what’s it all about? Why are they even
doing this?”

“Something
to do with burning Catholics I think, but God knows what. Are you
Catholic?”

“No,
I’m Orthodox. Well, I was brought up Orthodox but I don’t really
bother. How about you?”

“Oh
yes, I’m Catholic. I’d better watch my step or they’ll be
chucking me on the fire like them!”

The
Children’s Guy Competition had finished. They watched in silence as
the guys were thrown onto the dwindling fire to the delighted squeals
of the watching children.

“I
wonder how Katie and Felix got on in the competition. I don’t think
I’m very good at making guys!”

Veronika
ignored her comment. Instead she leaned towards Elena and lowered her
voice.

“Don’t
look now but I think you’ve pulled.”

“What
the hell are you talking about?”

“No!
Don’t look! There’s a guy over there keeps looking over here, at
you.”

“How
do you know it’s me he’s looking at? It might be you.”

“Get
serious Elena, why would he be looking at short, dumpy me when he
could be looking at you? It’s you he’s looking at alright. I can
tell. Why don’t you go over and speak to him?”

“You’re
not dumpy! And you’ve got a really pretty face! Anyway, no effing
way am I going to speak to him, not tonight, I can’t be bothered.
What’s he look like anyway? Any good?”

“Not
bad at all, quite good looking actually. I think it might be the
bloke who lit the bonfire. I wish he was looking at me.”

 

Martyn
bought a pint and looked around for someone to talk to. He spotted
Charlie and his wife standing alone with their drinks outside the
tent and went to join them, but the conversation was stilted. The
truth was that away from The Feathers and without the props of
football, politics and women he didn’t really know what to talk
about, either to Charlie, or his wife. They struggled on with kids,
schools and village gossip but he wasn’t really paying attention
and as the conversation sputtered and started he found his eye
scanning the crowd, partly just out of interest to see who was there,
and partly to see if there were any attractive women around. As usual
he drew a loss. Well perhaps not a complete loss. There was one over
by the hog roast who might have potential but it was too dark to make
much out. He vaguely became aware of someone addressing him.

“What
do you think Martyn?” It was Charlie’s wife, Cathy.

“Sorry
Cathy, I was miles away. What was that? What do I think about what?”

“About
them closing the village surgery?”

“I’m
annoyed. Though to be fair, it was only open two afternoons a week so
it’s not such a great loss, and it’s not really any great
hardship to drive up to Longdon, but I don’t like the way they just
did it without any consultation. I mailed the Practice Manager and
told her she should remember whose taxes pay their wages. Haven’t
had a reply yet.”

His
engaged reply bought him a lull in which he could return his gaze to
the hog roast. The girl with potential and her companion had moved
now to where there was a little more light. His instinct had been
right, she did have potential and she was attractive. She was also
Elena. He shrugged his mind and tried to show interest in his
friends’ conversation.

 

The
fire had largely died down now and the kids and those adults who were
interested had gone to stand behind a line of temporary barriers to
watch the fireworks. Elena and Veronika were standing quietly and
enjoying the display when suddenly Veronika nudged Elena hard:

“Oh
My God! He’s coming across!”

“Who
is?”

Before
Veronika had chance to reply Billy stood before them. He had a full
pint of cider in each hand. Elena thought she could smell petrol.

“Good
evening ladies! How are you enjoying Bonfire Night? Having fun?”

He
took a swig from one of his pints. It clearly wasn’t his first swig
of the night. Both of them smiled politely and gave short
non-committal replies.

“Yeah
it’s good innit? But it gets a lot better later down the pub when
we’ve got rid of all the kids.” He looked directly at Veronika,
then at Elena. “So who’s your friend? Aren’t you going to
introduce us?”

“Of
course. Billy, this is my friend. She’s called Veronika. She’s a
nanny like me. She’s Swiss. Veronika, this is…” She stopped as
Billy talked over her.

“Veronika
eh? Pleased to meet you Veronika! A pretty name for a pretty girl!
Are they all as pretty as you in Switzerland? I might have to move
there. Where is Switzerland anyway? Do they speak English? Do they
need mechanics?”

He
held Veronika’s eye as he spoke. She wasn’t used to flirting and
was relieved her blush wouldn’t be noticed in the dark.

“Mechanics?
Why mechanics? Are you a mechanic?”

“Billy
runs the village garage,” said Elena. “People tell me he’s very
good!”

“Ah!
So you are a mechanic. Now I understand. So you must like cars? I
like cars. I used to practise my English by watching “Top Gear”.
My favourite was the little guy. The Hamster? Hammond?”

“Richard
Hammond.” Billy replied. “Yeah, cars are OK but you can go off
them a bit when you work on them eight hours a day. I don’t like
cars as much as I like Charlton Athletic.”

Veronika
had no idea what Billy was talking about.

“I
like Jaguars best. All that polished wood and chrome and leather.
They’re my favourite. Typically English. So sexy.”

“Sexy?
Ha! They get you going do they? I’ll take you for a drive next time
we get one in.”

He
turned back to Elena.

“So
are you coming down the pub later on?”

Elena
was genuinely undecided.

“Oh
I don’t know. I’m not sure. I have to get the kids to bed. I’ll
see what I feel like after that.”

As
if summoned Katie appeared out of the dark and grabbed Elena’s
hand. She was closely followed by Felix.

“Elena
the fireworks have finished. Can we go home now?”

“OK
Monsters! Let’s go find your Dad and get you home. Have you got
everything? Are you sure? Come on then, let’s go find him.”

They
moved off towards the beer tent. Billy shouted after them.

“Don’t
forget to come back. We’ll probably hang around here for a bit
until the beer runs out then we’ll be down the pub.”

“I’ll
think about it.”

“What’s
there to think about? Just come back. I’ll see you later.”

“Maybe.”

When
she looked back over her shoulder she saw Billy
had returned his attentions to Veronika. Billy and Veronika? Why not?
She
really did have a pretty face.

 

The
walk back to the Old Vicarage was more subdued than the earlier walk
to the playing fields. Once again the kids walked in front with
Martyn and Elena close behind, but the kids were now tired and cold
and no longer skipping and excited. They walked in silence for a
while until Martyn suddenly spoke in a low voice:

“I
saw you were talking to Billy?” It was framed as a question not a
statement and it took Elena by surprise.

“Billy?
Oh yes. We had a chat.”

“You
looked like you were having a good time.”

“It
was OK. He seemed quite interested in Veronika.”

“Veronika?
Good. I hope he stays interested in Veronika.”

“What
do you mean?”

“I
mean what I said. I hope he stays interested in Veronika and no-one
else.”

“What
are you getting at Martyn? What do you mean “no-one else”? Do you
mean me? Surely not. Why do you think he might be interested in me?”

“I
have no reason to think he might be interested in you, or that you
might be interested in Billy for that matter. But just in case, just
so you know, for your own good, Billy’s got a bit of a reputation
with the women. Well actually it’s more than a reputation.”

“Go
on. What do you mean?”

“Look,
Billy’s a good bloke. I like him. He’s runs a good garage, he’s
honest and reliable and I trust him with my car, everybody does, and
he’s a good laugh down the pub on a Friday night, but when it comes
to women he’s very much of the ‘find ‘em, fuck ‘em, forget
‘em’ school. He’s a player. Basically he’ll shag anything
with a pulse then move on and not give a shit about any devastation
he leaves in his wake.”

Elena
considered what he’d said before replying.

“Maybe
the women just want to find them, fuck them and forget them as well?”

 

Martyn
hadn’t thought of that one and it took him a moment to frame his
reply.

“Well
maybe some do, but not all. He’s been shacked up with half the
single women in the village at one time or another, and there’s a
few husbands with strong suspicions. Just watch out and be careful,
that’s all.”

 

Back
at The Old Vicarage. Martyn hugged the kids goodnight then
disappeared into his study with a tumbler of whisky. The kids
themselves were exhausted and Elena got them to bed easily without
any drama which was fortunate as she wasn’t in the mood for drama.
She went to her room and sat on the edge of her bed to think. She
felt uneasy, unsettled, there was something bothering her and she
needed to get to the bottom of it. It was the walk home from the
bonfire and the conversation with Martyn about Billy, and the longer
she thought about it the more her uneasiness turned to irritation and
then to furious anger. He’d been warning her off Billy! What the
fuck? Warning her off! How dare he? What gave him the right to tell
him who she should talk to? Didn’t he think she was old enough to
take her own decisions? She didn’t even fancy Billy. But what the
fuck did it have to do with him anyway? There was nothing in the
contract to say she couldn’t take a lover if she wanted, he didn’t
have a monopoly. And who the hell was he to take any moral high
ground? He was practically a pimp for fuck’s sake! Well fuck him,
fuck the dirty old cunt, she would go back to the bonfire just to
piss him off. She grabbed her coat and went downstairs. Stepping
outside she slammed the front door loudly behind her. Go fuck
yourself Martyn Manning! Enjoy your whisky.

END
OF CHAPTER