39 Weeks (51 page)

Sh
elley was still job hunting. S
he’d been for an interview
as
marketing manager at Schuster’s
, and had been asked back for a second interview next Monday. Naturally she was really nervous, I mean not only was this a job, it was a brilliant job, a real step up for her if she got it. I said she’d walk it and that they’d be mad if they didn’t snap her up on the spot, course I didn’t really know
if
that
was true
but she needed all the confidence boosting she could get
, and as her best friend it was my job to give it to her
. 
  
   

I asked after the other girls
in our little gang
and we spent the afternoon catching up on all the latest gossip, and planning a night out
for all of us
somewhere after Ella was born. I didn’t know if I’d really be up for a night out but Shelley said I couldn’t give up on life just because I’d got a bab
y to look after, ‘t
here are
things called ba
by sitters and mothers who can stand in for you now and then while you have
an occasional night out
’
,
she said.

After they’d gone I got to thinking about the old days when I went out virtually every Friday or Saturday night. Those were the days I thought. But then I thought about Ella
and how many things I was looking forward to doing with her. I knew some of it would be hard, especially in the beginning, but I couldn’t wait for a time when I could teach her things, take her to places I’d been to when I was growing up, help her when she was struggling with riding a bike or doing her homework. Of course most of that was years away yet but I was still looking forward to it.

27
th
February – Week 39 + 1 Day

My Dad had come to see me. I hadn’t known he was coming he just turned up. He’d come to see if I was alright he said, but he knew I was alright I’d only spoken to him on Saturday, and like everyone else I’d promised to phone him the minute anything started.
I couldn’t figure it out until out of the blue he asked how mum was doing.
He never asked how she was doing, sometimes occasionally if I mentioned I’d see
n her he’d say something like ‘o
h so she’s sti
ll doing that then’, or maybe ‘s
o she’s still complaining about that then’, but he never asked after her.

‘She’s fine Dad.’

‘And everything’s alright is it?’
 
 

‘Yes I think so, she seems alright.’

‘Only I heard . . I was told that . . she was . . well as long as she’s okay.’

‘Dad what did you hear?’

‘I wasn’t going to mention it, it’s not really anything to do with me anymore, but now you’ve asked, I
heard she’s been seeing someone.
Colin I think they said his name was.’

‘You heard?’

‘Yes s
omeone told me and I just wondered if it was true. Course there’s nothing wrong with that, I mean if she is seeing anyone, I’m seeing Stella so why shouldn’t your mum go out with someone if she wants to. Course she can. I just wondered if it was true or not.’

When is it do you suppose that what you thought were normal level headed parents turn into the teenagers they once were
before you were born
, and you
end up parenting them?
Is it when you get to about thirty, is it when they get to about fifty
, is it if they get divorced, or maybe it’s when they’re on the verge of becoming grand
parents? Whatever the trigger
it’s amazing how many of my friends parents, one or both of them, seem to be going through a sort of second puberty and need parenting themselves. On the one hand Mum was acting all coy and getting embarrassed over going out with Colin, and now here was Dad
getting jealous about it, even though they were divorced and he was seeing Stella
Frankham
.

‘Are you okay Dad?’

‘Of course.’

‘And Stella?
You’re still seeing Stella?’

‘Yes. Just because I asked after your mum doesn’t mean . . well it doesn’t mean anything.’

‘Okay if you say so.’

Dad had bought Chinese take-away with him, egg fried rice, bean sprouts, crispy pork balls and sweet and sour sauce. This used to be our favourite Friday night treat back when I still lived at home. Mum hated it, but Friday was her night
to go and visit my Gran, and what
had
started as just saving Dad from having to cook turned into a Friday night tradition.

‘We haven’t done this for ages.’ I said relieved to get off the subject of Mum.

‘Yes
and your mum hated it I seem to remember.’

So we weren’t quite finished with the subject of mum yet, obviously she was on Dad’s mind
at the moment
and
was
going to invade every t
opic.

Dad and I
were
laughing about how we’d tried using chop sticks one week and were both totally useless at it, and
were
just about to tuck in
to today’s feast, with normal
forks, when James arrived. Dad greeted him like an old friend. As far as I knew they hadn’t seen each other since the day I’d moved in, but you’d have thought they were best buds or something, with Dad straight away inviting James to sit down and join us. As usual Dad had ordered far too much so having
a third person wasn’t a problem, well not in terms of having enough food, but in terms of how I felt about it, it was a bit. I mean I knew it would annoy Rob, James being here and getting on so well with my dad, and that worried me, but on the other hand in defiant mode I thought why shouldn’t he be here, he’s just a friend. 

James and my dad laughed and joked their way through the whole meal. James was in the middle of explaining about his latest job, painting the inside of the new flats by the station, when I felt a familiar twinge. I groaned a bit, fairly quietly,
but still it was definite groaning,
and was completely ignored
by them both
so dee
p in conversation were they
. 

I wondered if it was a real twinge as in contractions,
or more Braxton Hicks,
or if I’d just eaten too quickly
,
and decided
it was
probably best to ignore it. I
f I had another one then I’d know if it had been real or not.

D
ad told me to sit still while he and James cleared the table and made me a cup of tea, so I did. It was sort of amusing listening to them both making such a big production out of washing a few plates
, then dropping a few plates,
and making
the
tea,
but
being waited on like this was a bit of a novelty
so I was
making the most of it.

Then Rob decided after a week of staying out of my way this would be a good time to visit.
I opened the door thinking it was Marsha, I mean I’d have bet a
million pounds
it wasn’t going to be Rob, but I’d have lost because there he was.

‘Are you alright?’ He said looking concerned.

‘Yes.’

‘Only I heard banging or something and I thought maybe . .’

‘Oh that was probably my dad, he dropped a plate.’

‘Your dad? S
orry I didn’t realise there was anyone else here.’

‘H
e arrived about an hour ago.’

‘It’s just that Mac and Marsha and the kids have gone to Mac’s mums and I was . . . and then I heard this crash and thought you’d . . sorry.’

Dad had heard me talking about him so came out of kitchen to see who it was. I was reluctant to introduce him to Rob but he just stood there looking at Rob and waiting expectantly, so I had no choice really.

‘
Rob this is my dad. Dad this is Rob.’ I said politely.

‘Pleased to meet you Mr Parker.’ Rob said equally politely.

‘Ah so you’re the disappearing Rob are you?’ Dad said not so politely, almost belligerent
ly
in fact
.
A
s far as Dad was concerned this was the guy that had upset his daughter so much.

Rob flinched a little at Dad’s hostility but recovered quickly. ‘Yes I got stuck in the Orkneys.’
He said trying to make a joke of it.

‘Got stuck! He ran away and hid in the Orkneys.’ James said coming out of the kitchen carrying my tea.

‘So Chippy’s here as well is he?’ Rob said
,
imperceptibly growing another inch or two taller at seeing James in my flat.

James put my tea down and did some growing of his own. ‘Who?’ he said knowing the Chippy thing referred to him somehow but not really knowing how or why.

‘Don’t you have a home of your own, or a gig somewhere?’ Rob said.

‘A gig? I knew you were stupid, you’d have to be to run away like that, but I didn’t know you were mental. What gig?’ James said taking a step closer to Rob.

As I watched the testosterone levels rise
a notch or two
another of those twinges grabbed me, only it was a bit more than a twinge this time. But now in the middle of all this was hardly the time to pay it much heed.
So I clenched my teeth a bit and
said nothing.

‘Don’t you know when to give up?’ Rob was saying. ‘She’s already dumped you once.’

‘Really then how come I’m still here?’ James said getting ever nearer his adversary.

‘
I’m sure there’s no need for all this.’ Dad said trying to calm everyone down, but both Rob and James ignored him.

‘You’re here as second best, the stand in.’ Rob said. ‘But you can go now I’m back.’

‘At least I didn’t run away just because I thought she wanted to get married.’ James sneered.

‘I didn’t run away.’ Rob said through gritted teeth.

‘No? That’s not how it looks from here.’
James said now standing squarely in front of Rob.

Dad edged his way between the two of them saying ‘I think we all need to calm down a little.’

‘Yeah James, you need to calm down a bit.’ Rob said.

‘Don’t tell me what to do.’ James replied looking like the first punch was about to be thrown any minute.

‘Can you all just shut up?’ I said but no-one even looked at me.

‘Then maybe you should just leave.’ Rob said.

‘Maybe you should
, after all you’ve had the practise.’ James smirked sardonically.

‘Maybe you could both give
it a rest. I think I’m having the
baby.’ I said
to no
-one
.

Rob made a grab for James but Dad was too quick for him and held on to his arm. James started to swing a fist at Rob so Dad ended up
right
in the middle and trying to hold them both apart. While I stood paralysed as my water broke.

Rob and James
were glaring
at each other, and Dad daren’t move
in case a proper fight started
,
and n
o-one took any notice of me
at all
.

The water was gushing out of me like someone had turned on a tap, and showed no sign of letting up any time soon. ‘If you’ve all quite finished I think one of you needs to take me to the hospital.’ I said as calm as you like, as if this sort of situation occurred every day.

Rob noticed first that something was up, then Dad
realised I’d spoken and began to register that all was not well, and finally James turned his attention
away from Rob
to the
crisis
I was having
.

‘Judy are you okay? Rob and James said together, then momentarily glared at each other again.

When I didn’t answer straight away Dad said ‘Judy?’

‘I think my water just broke.’ I said to which all three of them just stared at
me stupidly. ‘Well shall I
drive myself to the hospital while you three just stand there
like a bunch of goldfish
?’

‘No I’ll have you there in no time.’ Rob said
jumping to attention
.

‘I’ll take her. Why don’t you go back downstairs and wait and we’ll give you a call when it’s all over.’ James said to Rob.

‘Like hell you will, I’m taking her.’ Rob said
coming over and
putting his arm round my shoulder.

‘Have you got a bag ready?’ My dad calmly asked me while Rob and James continued arguing.