AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
The chapter is now a lot longer and I've changed the next chapter to bring in the other brothers. This is the first 1500 words:
Brotherly love expressed by silent companionship over a beer and a TV quiz show is an invaluable way to recharge the batteries. In his pokey living room, Dr John Erasmus Black sat on the sofa and took his first mouthful of beer, a good quality local brew with a distinct gingerbread taste. His younger children were in bed and his older children were out with friends. Relaxed for the first time that day, he kicked off his slippers and put his feet up on the table. His hand rested on Floss, the Jack Russell who snored next to him.
“Cheers.” He chinked bottles with his brother Pete.
“Thanks for this. My mother-in-law was driving me round the bend. I love her to pieces and we couldn’t cope without with me being laid up...” With his bottle Pete indicated his legs in casts propped up on cushions on the coffee table. “But seriously she hoovered under my legs whilst I was sketching and told me to get a proper job when I told her I was working.” Even now he had a pad and pencil on his lap. Pete was never without the means to draw. Dad had made sure of that after getting fed up of Pete drawing on walls, tables or anything nearby.
John laughed a little and savoured his beer. “My mother-in-law and I are getting on a little better. We have to for Janey if she’s to get through this.” Thinking about Janey lying in the coma removed the brief moment of levity and John shrugged. “There’s no change.”
“I’m sorry, John. Shall we?” Pete picked up the remote. He glanced at the clock. “What do you think, Pointless?”
“That’ll do.” John’s mind wanted to sleep and he didn’t care what they watched. If he didn’t have to wait up for the boys to come in he’d go up to bed. His mind headed off into the past.
“Oh come on even I know Vanuatu and Tuvulu… at the very least you could try the Democratic Republic of what’s that place.”
John sipped his beer and wondered just how much TV Pete had been watching whilst he was laid up and he fought with his own mind. He wanted to keep it in the present.
“Mexico maybe… oh you idiot!” His head rolled until he faced John. “Pal, don’t take this the wrong way?”
“Uhuh…” Whatever Pete wanted to say John wasn’t sure he wanted to hear. Nothing good came out of a conversation that began with don’t take this the wrong way. “Yeah… Jamaica...” He decided joining in with the quiz show might help postpone the serious conversation.
“Even for John Black you’ve been quiet today. Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“OK then. Einsteinium,” Pete shouted at the TV and paused. He turned his attention back to John. “Was that a not really no or a not really yes?”
“Do you remember...” John drew it out. “That time Dad went to that two week long policing conference in Belgium.”
“Ohh yes. We were beasts to Wilf and then Dad came home. The consequences were unforgettable.” A little colour flushed his cheeks and he grinned. “We deserved everything we bloody well got we were awful.” Pete picked up the remote and paused Pointless.
Realising Pete was going to make him talk, John stopped trying to draw it out. “I was in more trouble than the rest of you.”
“That I also remember. Mikey and I feared for your safety. When Dad sent us out we nearly went back in but Wilf was waiting outside and said he would deal with it.”
“I didn’t know that.” John looked down at his bottle and swirled it. “He was there when I came out. Gave me a hug and...” In an approximation of Wilf’s deep voice he said, “...said… ‘You and me are OK, lad’ he has to be the most forgiving man, because I so didn’t deserve it...”
“Yeah?” Pete had that look that brothers get when they’re revelling in the other brother’s discomfort. “You refused to talk about it?”
“I think Wilf had been talking to Dad because he decided to take a tougher line. Only Wilf being Wilf couldn’t bring himself to get the belt out the cupboard and he threatened to spank me like a five year old. I refused. He sent me up to my room and I left the house.” The thought of it still deeply embarrassed John and he looked away from Pete.
“Ouch. No sympathy from me, pal. I don’t care how old, if one of mine did that to Al...” He swigged his beer. “They’d be toast and they know it.”
“I’m a father myself now. You don’t need to drive the point home. But anyway it’s not about that.” He leaned forward and put the beer bottle down. “The next day Dad came to school and took me out for the afternoon.” John scratched his head and turned to face Pete. “We went to that place out on the moors for lunch.”
“The place he took us for serious words?”
“That one. He talked about how much he loved Wilf. How much he and Wilf loved us and how much we’d hurt Wilf that week. Apparently, Wilf had been crying himself to sleep because he felt we didn’t love or respect him. Bloody hell I felt like a right git by the time Dad finished.” John let the tears flow freely. Pete was the only person who he felt comfortable crying in front of.
Pete touched his arm. “I get it. I miss Wilf too.” He picked up the remote. “Shall we watch the end of Pointless?”
That brief acknowledgement was what John had needed and it earned Pete a watery grin. “Yeah.” He picked his bottle back up and laid back with his feet up. “Redact...”
“Contract,” Pete yelled and he drained his beer. “Subtract...” Whilst he was shouting, Pete got to work with his sketch pad and John watched as he created a likeness of Wilf and Dad beneath a wedding arch. He held it up. “When I’m out of these casts I’m going to find Wilf and we’re going to make this a reality. Do you know Dad bought rings only the day before?”
“No I hadn’t.”
“He spent a lot of money on them. What he hasn’t said was whether or not he got the chance to ask Wilf.”
They continued in silence through the rest of Pointless and stayed on BBC One for the news. A key in the lock. John pulled a face. “Bit early for Michael or Fergus.”
Floss barked and ran to the door where she growled. She wouldn’t growl at the boys. His hand reached down and picked up the baseball bat he had down the side of the sofa.
“Get in there,” an angry man whispered.
Adrenaline made John’s heart beat and stood up. “You be OK, Pete?”
Pete nodded. “I’ve got two legs in casts, like to see them take me without a bruise or two.” His face was grim and John could see the fear in it. It was just over a month since he’d been released from the demon hell he’d been in.
John held the bat like he meant business and opened the living room door. Floss ran out barking and growling but she stopped and he relaxed a little. “Who’s there?”
“Matthew.”
At the sound of his brother’s voice John lowered the bat and let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding on to. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I am returning your brat of a child.” He pushed a wary looking Michael forward.
“What did you do?” As he said it John heard his own father.
“I did do anything. He’s accusing me of doing **** all.”
“Language.”
“Why have you not heard it before? ****, ****, ****, ****. He kidnapped me.” Michael lifted up the sleeve of his t-shirt to show a bruise forming at the top of the arm. “Look what he did.”
“You resisted and seriously Michael if you cannot escape a one armed man you need to do more work at the gym.” Matt lifted up his arm in its sling to emphasise his point. “You know you were not doing nothing. Are you going to tell your father or am I?”
“I wasn’t doing anything.” The defiance in his face was taking on a life of its own and John knew he wasn’t going to respond whilst Matt was present. His pride had been hurt.
“I was going to give you a chance to explain.” John looked over Michael to Matt. “I’m assuming you’re not manhandling him because of nothing.”
“His delightful friends were hassling an old lady near the centre of town.” With his good hand, he slapped the back of Michael’s head. “You bet I dragged your backside home and you had better pray your father deals with you before Granny Black gets her hands on you.”
Brotherly love expressed by silent companionship over a beer and a TV quiz show is an invaluable way to recharge the batteries. In his pokey living room, Dr John Erasmus Black sat on the sofa and took his first mouthful of beer, a good quality local brew with a distinct gingerbread taste. His younger children were in bed and his older children were out with friends. Relaxed for the first time that day, he kicked off his slippers and put his feet up on the table. His hand rested on Floss, the Jack Russell who snored next to him.
“Cheers.” He chinked bottles with his brother Pete.
“Thanks for this. My mother-in-law was driving me round the bend. I love her to pieces and we couldn’t cope without with me being laid up...” With his bottle Pete indicated his legs in casts propped up on cushions on the coffee table. “But seriously she hoovered under my legs whilst I was sketching and told me to get a proper job when I told her I was working.” Even now he had a pad and pencil on his lap. Pete was never without the means to draw. Dad had made sure of that after getting fed up of Pete drawing on walls, tables or anything nearby.
John laughed a little and savoured his beer. “My mother-in-law and I are getting on a little better. We have to for Janey if she’s to get through this.” Thinking about Janey lying in the coma removed the brief moment of levity and John shrugged. “There’s no change.”
“I’m sorry, John. Shall we?” Pete picked up the remote. He glanced at the clock. “What do you think, Pointless?”
“That’ll do.” John’s mind wanted to sleep and he didn’t care what they watched. If he didn’t have to wait up for the boys to come in he’d go up to bed. His mind headed off into the past.
“Oh come on even I know Vanuatu and Tuvulu… at the very least you could try the Democratic Republic of what’s that place.”
John sipped his beer and wondered just how much TV Pete had been watching whilst he was laid up and he fought with his own mind. He wanted to keep it in the present.
“Mexico maybe… oh you idiot!” His head rolled until he faced John. “Pal, don’t take this the wrong way?”
“Uhuh…” Whatever Pete wanted to say John wasn’t sure he wanted to hear. Nothing good came out of a conversation that began with don’t take this the wrong way. “Yeah… Jamaica...” He decided joining in with the quiz show might help postpone the serious conversation.
“Even for John Black you’ve been quiet today. Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“OK then. Einsteinium,” Pete shouted at the TV and paused. He turned his attention back to John. “Was that a not really no or a not really yes?”
“Do you remember...” John drew it out. “That time Dad went to that two week long policing conference in Belgium.”
“Ohh yes. We were beasts to Wilf and then Dad came home. The consequences were unforgettable.” A little colour flushed his cheeks and he grinned. “We deserved everything we bloody well got we were awful.” Pete picked up the remote and paused Pointless.
Realising Pete was going to make him talk, John stopped trying to draw it out. “I was in more trouble than the rest of you.”
“That I also remember. Mikey and I feared for your safety. When Dad sent us out we nearly went back in but Wilf was waiting outside and said he would deal with it.”
“I didn’t know that.” John looked down at his bottle and swirled it. “He was there when I came out. Gave me a hug and...” In an approximation of Wilf’s deep voice he said, “...said… ‘You and me are OK, lad’ he has to be the most forgiving man, because I so didn’t deserve it...”
“Yeah?” Pete had that look that brothers get when they’re revelling in the other brother’s discomfort. “You refused to talk about it?”
“I think Wilf had been talking to Dad because he decided to take a tougher line. Only Wilf being Wilf couldn’t bring himself to get the belt out the cupboard and he threatened to spank me like a five year old. I refused. He sent me up to my room and I left the house.” The thought of it still deeply embarrassed John and he looked away from Pete.
“Ouch. No sympathy from me, pal. I don’t care how old, if one of mine did that to Al...” He swigged his beer. “They’d be toast and they know it.”
“I’m a father myself now. You don’t need to drive the point home. But anyway it’s not about that.” He leaned forward and put the beer bottle down. “The next day Dad came to school and took me out for the afternoon.” John scratched his head and turned to face Pete. “We went to that place out on the moors for lunch.”
“The place he took us for serious words?”
“That one. He talked about how much he loved Wilf. How much he and Wilf loved us and how much we’d hurt Wilf that week. Apparently, Wilf had been crying himself to sleep because he felt we didn’t love or respect him. Bloody hell I felt like a right git by the time Dad finished.” John let the tears flow freely. Pete was the only person who he felt comfortable crying in front of.
Pete touched his arm. “I get it. I miss Wilf too.” He picked up the remote. “Shall we watch the end of Pointless?”
That brief acknowledgement was what John had needed and it earned Pete a watery grin. “Yeah.” He picked his bottle back up and laid back with his feet up. “Redact...”
“Contract,” Pete yelled and he drained his beer. “Subtract...” Whilst he was shouting, Pete got to work with his sketch pad and John watched as he created a likeness of Wilf and Dad beneath a wedding arch. He held it up. “When I’m out of these casts I’m going to find Wilf and we’re going to make this a reality. Do you know Dad bought rings only the day before?”
“No I hadn’t.”
“He spent a lot of money on them. What he hasn’t said was whether or not he got the chance to ask Wilf.”
They continued in silence through the rest of Pointless and stayed on BBC One for the news. A key in the lock. John pulled a face. “Bit early for Michael or Fergus.”
Floss barked and ran to the door where she growled. She wouldn’t growl at the boys. His hand reached down and picked up the baseball bat he had down the side of the sofa.
“Get in there,” an angry man whispered.
Adrenaline made John’s heart beat and stood up. “You be OK, Pete?”
Pete nodded. “I’ve got two legs in casts, like to see them take me without a bruise or two.” His face was grim and John could see the fear in it. It was just over a month since he’d been released from the demon hell he’d been in.
John held the bat like he meant business and opened the living room door. Floss ran out barking and growling but she stopped and he relaxed a little. “Who’s there?”
“Matthew.”
At the sound of his brother’s voice John lowered the bat and let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding on to. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“I am returning your brat of a child.” He pushed a wary looking Michael forward.
“What did you do?” As he said it John heard his own father.
“I did do anything. He’s accusing me of doing **** all.”
“Language.”
“Why have you not heard it before? ****, ****, ****, ****. He kidnapped me.” Michael lifted up the sleeve of his t-shirt to show a bruise forming at the top of the arm. “Look what he did.”
“You resisted and seriously Michael if you cannot escape a one armed man you need to do more work at the gym.” Matt lifted up his arm in its sling to emphasise his point. “You know you were not doing nothing. Are you going to tell your father or am I?”
“I wasn’t doing anything.” The defiance in his face was taking on a life of its own and John knew he wasn’t going to respond whilst Matt was present. His pride had been hurt.
“I was going to give you a chance to explain.” John looked over Michael to Matt. “I’m assuming you’re not manhandling him because of nothing.”
“His delightful friends were hassling an old lady near the centre of town.” With his good hand, he slapped the back of Michael’s head. “You bet I dragged your backside home and you had better pray your father deals with you before Granny Black gets her hands on you.”
