A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon [109]
Jamie had heard most of the stories before, in one form or another. But he was listening properly this time.
“Sounds grim.”
“It wasn’t actually,” said Becky. “It’s just the way Tony tells it.”
“I thought your parents chucked him out. After that thing with him and…”
“Carl. Carl Waller. Yeh. But Tony wanted to get chucked out.”
“Really?”
“Being gay was a godsend.” Becky lit a cigarette. “Meant he could be an outlaw without having to mainline heroin or steal cars.”
Jamie digested this slowly. A thousand miles between them and he felt closer to Tony than he’d ever done. “But you and Tony. You were sort of estranged, too, weren’t you. And now you’re flat-sitting.”
“We met up when I moved down to London. A few weeks back. Suddenly realized we liked each other.”
Jamie found himself laughing. Out of relief, really. That Tony could make the same kind of mistakes he’d made himself.
“What’s so funny?” asked Becky.
“Nothing,” said Jamie. “It’s just…It’s good. It’s really good.”
Everyone’s luck really did seem to be turning. Maybe there was something in the air.
When he reached Katie’s place the following evening the door was opened by her and Ray together, which seemed symbolic, and he found himself saying, “Congratulations” with the sincerity he wasn’t able to muster the first time round.
He was ushered into the kitchen, getting the tiniest grunt of greeting from Jacob who was deeply involved in a Fireman Sam video in the living room.
Katie seemed a little giddy. Like those people you saw interviewed on the news who’d been winched out of something ghastly by a helicopter.
Ray seemed different, too, though it was hard to tell whether this was just because Jamie felt differently about him now. Certainly he and Katie were getting on better. They were touching each other, for starters, which Jamie hadn’t seen before. In fact when Fireman Sam finished and Jacob pottered through in search of a carton of apple juice, there was definite Oedipal tension (“Stop hugging Mummy,” “I want to hug Mummy”). And the thought occurred to Jamie that Katie and Ray had fallen in love only after going through all the crap that most people saved for the end of their relationship. Which was one way of doing things.
Jamie asked about an invitation for Tony, and Ray seemed unnaturally excited by the possibility that he might be coming.
“It’s a bit of a long shot,” said Jamie. “He’s incommunicado in Greece. I’m just hoping he gets back in time.”
“We could track him down,” said Ray with a can-do gleefulness that felt not quite appropriate.
“I think we have to leave it in the lap of the gods,” said Jamie.
“Your call,” said Ray.
At which point Katie yelled, “Jacob,” and they all turned round to see him deliberately emptying his apple juice carton onto the kitchen floor.
Ray made him apologize, then dragged him out to play in the garden, to show him that stepfathers had other uses besides monopolizing mothers.
Jamie and Katie had been chatting about the wedding for ten minutes when Katie got a phone call from home. She reappeared a few moments later looking slightly troubled.
“That was Dad.”
“How is he?”
“He seemed fine. But he wanted to talk to Ray. Wouldn’t tell me what it was about.”
“Maybe he wants to be manly and pay for everything.”
“You’re probably right. Well, we’ll find out when Ray rings him back.”
“Not that I rate Dad’s chances,” said Jamie.
“So, now,” said Katie, “what are you going to write to Tony?”
91
George’s mistake was to stand naked in front of the mirror.
He had paid his last visit to the surgery. The wound had granulated and no longer needed daily packing. Now he simply