Brothers & Sisters - Charlotte Wood [91]
‘No, we wouldn’t be separated. Never again. We’d go. If Gwen didn’t come back for us, then we’d go too.’
She squinted into the sharp light of the sun above the low cloud.
‘But where to? Where would we go? Tell me that story too, Jesse. Tell me that one.’
THE DISCO AT
THE END OF
COMMUNISM
Christos Tsiolkas
It was Saverio’s week to do the shopping. Trying to fit the key into the front door lock, with two full grocery bags under each arm, he noticed his wife’s shadow looming towards him in the cloudy beer-bottle glass; she was rushing to open the door for him. He was about to kiss her, to ask her to help him unload the other bags from the car, but froze when he saw her expression. He didn’t drop the bags, or cry out, but he could not speak.
‘It’s not the kids—they’re fine.’ Rachel grabbed two of the bags from him and ushered him into the house, leading him by the hand. When they got to the kitchen, she put down her bags, and took his hands. ‘Julian rang while you were at the market. I’m so sorry, it’s about Leo. He had a stroke this morning. He’s dead. There’s nothing anyone could have done, Sav. It must have been quick, he wouldn’t have suffered.’
His first thought was to protect her, to banish the fear and confusion from her eyes. He did so by gripping her hand tighter. She started to cry. Almost immediately, he envied her ability to exhibit all the appropriate signs of grief. It had been well over a decade since she had last seen Leo.
‘Julian’s left a mobile number. He wants you to call him back straight away.’
‘I’ll unpack the groceries.’
She was shaking her head. ‘I’ll do that, baby. You call Julian.’
Julian answered on the first ring, his voice surprisingly youthful and clear. Saverio had always liked Julian, had considered him good for Leo and had been distressed when he’d heard that they had split up. But Julian had remained loyal to the friendship and Saverio was not surprised that he’d been the one there at Leo’s end. Julian would be assuming all the responsibilities that, in the normal course of events, should now be Saverio’s. But Leo had never been one for the normal course of events.
‘Thank you.’
‘What for?’ Julian sounded astonished.
‘For being there.’
There was silence, then a rapidly muttered, ‘That’s okay.’
‘Rachel said that it was immediate, thank God.’
‘Yes.’ He could hear a match being struck, the long inhalation of smoke. ‘He’s been pretty crook, his liver has been giving him trouble for some time now.’ Julian hesitated, then said quickly: ‘I might as well be straight with you, Sav. He was pretty drunk when it happened—he was shooting up amphetamines.’
Saverio watched as Rachel methodically stacked the groceries on the kitchen table: toiletries for the bathroom, food and drinks for the kitchen and pantry, cat food and detergents for the laundry. Every now and then she would throw a quick glance over at him. Her eyes were still swollen and red.
He died shooting up speed, Rachel, he wanted to mouth at her. The dickhead was shooting up speed at fifty-two. The stupid, stupid fool.
‘When did it happen?’
‘Sometime last night.’
‘Who found him?’
‘There’s a woman close by who keeps an eye on him. She’s a good soul. She rang the police and then she rang me.’
‘Are you there already?’
‘Nah, nah, mate, I’m still in Sydney. I’m flying up tomorrow morning.’
‘Does the coroner have to deal with it?’
‘No. I’ve talked to the local cops and they say it’s all straightforward.’
That was it. Saverio was out of questions.
Julian cleared his throat. ‘I’ll arrange the funeral from Demons Creek. I’ve already got a copy of Leo’s will and he wants to be buried up there. Sav, I want you to come up for it.’
Rachel wasn’t concentrating. The dishwashing liquid was in the pile with the laundry stuff.
‘Of course I’ll come.’
Saverio caught the relief in her eyes, and felt it as well in Julian’s affectionate farewell. He hung up, wanting to slam the phone against the wall, wanting to explode in anger like a child.
At that moment, shirtless, with his pyjama bottoms hanging half off