39 Weeks (19 page)

James had helped me unpack my boxes before he went home at about nine, but I knew I’d spend most of today
moving everything to different
cupboards
, that
and pushing my sofa around the living room to the most advantageous
and design orientated position
. My furniture looked a bit lost in this new bigger space, but that was all part of the excitement for me, actually having some space
. And anyway if I was going to decorate in the near future the less furniture in the way the better.

I made myself a large mug of tea and carried it to the living room window, where I sipped complacently and familiarised myself with my new view
which was
the houses on the opposite side of the road, there was no
real ‘
view
’
to speak of not like hills or countryside or something, but it was still
a new view
to me. I thought of Gill, by now firmly installed
in her
Gl
oucestershire house, and gave
thanks that she’d moved, I wasn’t envious at all, just relieved that she had moved and apart from making her old flat vacant for me to have, would no longer be at work every day. I didn’t hate her exactly, but I can’t deny it was a relief to know I wouldn’t have to listen to her endless
condescending
monologues
anymore
. Okay maybe I did hate her a little bit. 

After arranging my myriad of bottles, lotions and potions in the bathroom, my collection seemed to have grown considerably since finding out I was pregnant, I showered and washed my hair
. There was no time yesterday for such niceties and by the time there was I was too tired, so I lingered somewhat longer than usual, luxuriating in the separate shower instead of standing at one end of the bath as I’d had to do in the old flat.
It was h
eaven, absolute heaven.

Then when I was dressed I decided to wal
k down to the local corner shop and
check that out, and get a couple of dinners in and maybe a treat or two. I’d let the fridge run down a bit, not that it was ever exactly stocked t
o the gills, pre the move
so I was even shorter on supplies than usual.

On my way out what turned out to be my new neighbour from downstairs was just on her way in
,
looking like she’d been on a similar mission
as she was
carrying two heavy carrier bags
. Following her closely with a carrier bag each, somewhat lighter in weight, were two small children.

‘Hi.’ She said warmly. ‘You must be our new neighbour
. Have you settled in? . . No of course you haven’t, stupid question, well if there’s anything I can do just let me know, or if you fancy a chat over a coffee anytime? In fact why not come in for one now . . if you’re not too busy sorting out and unpacking. My names Marsha.’

‘I’m Judy, and thanks that’d be great.’

I liked her. R
ight from that first moment I
just
knew I was going to like her. She unlocked her front door
and ushered the two children in, then
stood aside to let me in
after them
. We negotiated our way through the organised chaos that was her living room, there were piles of books and magazines on every available surface including the floor, a clothes airer overloaded with small clothes leaning precariously
was
propped up by the radiator under the window,
there were
more pictures and ornaments than I’d ever seen all together in one room, and enough toys strewn everywhere to qualify as the local playgroup. The kitchen when we got there was slightly more organised, but only slightly.
I loved it
all
and felt at home straight away.

‘Excuse the mess,
’ Marsha said dumping her shopping on one of the cupboards.
‘
I’d like to say it’s because of this reason or that, but the truth is it pretty much always looks like this, but when you’ve got kids what else can you expect, and I see you’re expecting yourself. Is it your first?’

‘Yes, my first
. .
and
my
last.’

‘Yeah, I know what you mean, but somehow after it’s born you forget how uncomfortable it all was, and before you know it you’re thinking about having another one. Tea or coffee?’

‘Oh tea please, I used to be a coffee person but since . .’ and I looked down at my stomach
, ‘I’ve started drinking tea all the time.’

‘I was liquorish, couldn’t get enough of the stuff. Absolutely hated it before I got pregnant, and can’t abide it again now, but the whole time during I was totally addicted
, both times
. So is there a husband, partner . . ?’

‘No just me, no husband or anyone.’

‘Yeah I sort of figured.’ Marsha said putting a spoonful of coffee in one of the mugs she’d got out
,
and a tea bag in the other one.

‘How?’ I said. ‘What gave it away?’

‘I don’t know exactly, the lack of furniture
yesterday when you moved in
, the fact
there was a lot of pink stuff, t
hat chap who was helping you going home
early.’ Then catching herself and realising how that must have sounded, quickly added, ‘I’m not nosey, really I’m not, sorry. It’s just that the kids were watching through the window and had a running commentary on everything and
everyone going in or out. That
and
the fact
Gill might have mentioned it, you’re a friend of hers right?’

‘
Well w
e worked together.’

‘Do I detect that you’re not a member of her fan club?’

‘
No she’s very nice.’

Marsha studied my face in an expectant sort of way waiting for me to say more. Then
when I didn’t
she said ‘I wasn’t a fan myself’ and continued to watch for my reaction.

‘Oh God neither was I, she drove me bonkers.’ I gushed.

‘Me too. I’m so glad you said that.’

I knew I liked Marsha. From that moment on after confessing our mutual dislike of Gill we chatted away as if we’d known each other for years. By the time I left, an hour or so later, I knew loads about her. S
he was about four
years give or take older than me, she’d
been married for
five
years
and had
probably got pregnant on her
honeymoon
,
‘a
t lea
st that’s
how it felt
,
it was
straight away anyway
’
, she said. H
er husband
Mac
, their surname was McTeever and everyone called him Mac,
was a graphic designer who sometimes worked away, as he was n
ow. Her two children were Harry
, four, and Flora, three
,
and she moaned about how much work they were to look after, and how much mess they made, but you could tell she loved it, and them, and was in her el
ement living amid all this chaos.

I told her a bit about me and
about the baby being an accident after a one night stand
but I didn’t linger over any specific details about
the twonk or anything like that, or that I might be having twins. I was still feeling really anxious
about that and reasoned that as long as I didn’t talk about it, it still might not be happening.
I told her about
my job at Fishers
and my dread mother, a
nd how I planned to redecorate
the flat
as soon as possible to get rid of all that peachness, which sort of bought us back to where we
’d
started and how annoying Gill was.

‘Let me know when you want
to start painting, I’m sure Mac
will be only too glad to help
,
at least I’ll tell him
he will be
anyway. We’ve got ladders and things
,
and
you’re welcome to borrow
whatever you need
.’

‘Thanks that’d be great
, and when you get the chance why don’t you come upstairs for a look ro
und and a coffee at mine some
time.’

‘I might hold you to that. So you all ready for the big event?’ She said looking at my roundness.

‘No not ready at all, my mum said she’d help with some of the stuff I’d need
,
but as yet I have zero baby stuff.’

‘Well, as you might imagine I have tons of it
and
I’m not going to need
it
anymore, that’s it for me. I’ve got one of each
, the full set,
and
I’ve
no desire to do it all again
, not any time soon anyway, and definitely not while we’re still living here. So if any of its of any use to you . . there’s a cot and a baby bath and bags and bags full of baby clothes, you get given a lot when you’ve just had a baby, especially the first one.’

‘I couldn’t . . I mean don’t you have family or friends . .’

‘Not really, either their kids are older than mine, or they’re
not even thinking about kids yet, and besides you’re a friend aren’t you? And you’d be doing me a favour really, there’s hardly enough room for all of us, never mind a mountain of the kids stuff that they don’t need any more. You should see the state of my bedroom.’

‘I feel awkward, I mean we’ve only just met and . .’

‘Forget about that, I’ve a feeling we’re going to be good friends
Judy, don’t know why I just do
, and I wasn’t joking about the state of my bedroom come and see for yourself.’

I followed her out of the kitchen, across the minefield living room and into her bedroom. She hadn’t been joking. In the corner was a cot piled high with baby equipment and tied up bin bags that presumably were full of baby clothes
, and that wasn’t all, on either side of the cot were more bags and boxes of baby toys and a
baby’s
car seat
. T
he
‘
mountain of stuff
’
took up so much room that there was barely enough room to get to the bed on one side.

‘See what I mean. I don’t have the heart to just throw it away, especially when there’s nothing wrong with any of it, in fact some of the clothes have only been worn once, I told you, you get given a lot, and the baby grows out of it before you know it
,
especially in that first few months. When you do get around to buying baby clothes or if anyone asks you what you want, tell them you want three month and over stuff. Trust me you’ll be sw
amped with new born clothes,
then the baby hits that three month mark and suddenly you’ve got nothing that fits
anymore
.’

‘Well if you’re sure.’

‘I’m sure. It’ll be nice getting my bedroom back for a while, until the next lot starts piling up again anyway, and I’m glad it’s all going to someone who needs it and can make good use of it.’

‘Thanks Marsha, this will help a lot.’ I said giving her a hug.

‘I’ll give you a hand carrying some of it upstairs t
onight if you like after Harry
and Flora have gone to bed, no point trying now with them running around, that’d be suicide . . or
homicide. And I’ll volunteer Mac
to bring the bigger stuff up
on the weekend,
he’s supposed to be
back on Friday. You got time for another cuppa?’

‘No I really should get on, I was on my way to the shop when I ran into you.’

‘Okay, if you’re sure. But stop by anytime, don’t wait for a special invi
te or all that polite stuff
, I can’t be doing with all that, if you’re fed up or fancy a chat
just come
down
.’

‘Thanks, and same goes for you.’

‘Oh and by the way, don’t bother with the shop up the road, unless you’re really desperate, they’ve got hardly anything to choose from, and what they have got is quite often out of date, so watch out for that, and they charge almost double what Sainsbury’s charge. I never go in there
,
not
if I can help it.’

‘Okay.’

I left and instead of walking to the shop up the road, after what Marsha had said, got in the car to go to town.
How lucky am I, I thought to myself gloating over my good fortune, I loved my new flat, and I loved my new neighbours, and I’d just been given a load of baby stuff.
Things were definitely looking up.