The Good Neighbour (12 page)

‘Lips are
so
sealed.’

‘OK. One night, when there was only me and one other nurse on, I drew the curtains round Andy’s bed and, shall we say, gave him some oral relief from his pain.’

‘No! In your nurse’s uniform? No wonder he married you.’

‘Well, you know the old saying. A cook in the kitchen, a nurse in the bedroom …’

‘I don’t remember it going quite like that.’

‘Here we are.’ They’d arrived at Busy Tigers Preschool. ‘Handy for you, soon, for Tilly.’

‘That’s a great idea! I’ll ask about their waiting list.’

Cath introduced Minette to Sharon, the manager. While they were talking, Cath went over to Lola, who was sitting on the carpet listening to one of the gormless young nursery assistants read
Little Red Riding Hood
. She wasn’t even really reading it, she was playing a tape of someone else reading, while she held up the book on the relevant page. She couldn’t have looked more bored. But Lola was nonetheless enthralled, and pouted when she saw Cath.

‘I want to hear the end.’

‘I’ll listen with you,’ Cath said, sitting on the floor next to her. She became aware that the tingling in her arms had started up again. A couple more pages were lazily turned – the assistant was actually chewing gum – and Cath started to feel a rising panic. Her breathing was all wrong, her arms felt wiry. The story was up to ‘What big eyes you have!’ when Cath gave a yell that made every head turn in her direction.

‘What the hell’s this?’ Cath screamed, holding up a sweet packet. She jumped to her feet. ‘Oh my god, who gave this to Lola?’

Sharon ran over and turned the story-tape off. ‘What’s wrong, Mrs Brooke? What has someone given Lola?’

‘Look at this, what Lola was holding.’ She held up the packet. ‘Peanut M&Ms!’

‘Oh no,’ Sharon said. ‘Lola, did you eat any of these?’

Lola started crying.

‘Lola, we need to know,’ Cath said. ‘Why was the packet in your hand?’

‘I don’t know!’ Lola wailed. ‘I didn’t know it was.’

‘Mrs Brooke,’ Sharon said, ‘we take Lola’s allergies very seriously. We don’t allow peanuts on the premises, we …’

‘Yes, I can see that,’ Cath snapped. ‘I’m going to have to take her to casualty straight away.’

‘No!’ Lola sobbed.

‘I’m sorry, lovie, if you’ve eaten peanuts …’ Cath got the epi-pen out of her bag. ‘Does your tongue feel swollen? Is your mouth itching?’

‘I don’t know! Maybe a bit itchy.’

‘Oh god,’ Minette said. ‘Can I do anything, Cath?’

‘Phone for a taxi, Minette, would you? I don’t have time to get the car, and I know how long an ambulance will take.’

Minette moved away to make the call. Cath looked up and saw that a little circle of gaping toddlers and nursery staff was gathered round her. She knelt next to Lola. ‘I’m sorry, lovie, better safe than sorry.’ The wires were just below the surface of the skin, threatening to burst through.

Lola was shivering, her tears still pouring, but she was quiet now, waiting. Minette reported that the taxi was on its way, and she held Lola’s hand while Cath banged the epi-pen into Lola’s thigh. Lola yelled, as usual.

‘All over now, Lolly.’

Sharon handed over Lola’s bag and coat, looking worried. ‘Shall one of us come with you, Mrs Brooke?’

‘I’ll go,’ Minette said.

Cath went outside with Lola to wait for the taxi. She could hear Sharon giving Minette a load of explanations and justifications. Worried that Minette wouldn’t apply there now, probably. She ought to be worrying about getting sued instead.

Minette came out as the taxi arrived. ‘Oh,’ Minette said, ‘I hadn’t thought about a car seat for Tills.’

‘You can hold her on your lap,’ the driver said.

‘That’s not very safe, though, is it?’ Minette said, hesitating.

Cath rolled her eyes. ‘Minette, we’ve got to go.’

This is not all about you.

‘Oh god, sorry, yes.’ Minette got in, and put the seatbelt right round her and Tilly, holding her tight, like that would really help if they crashed.

At A&E, a nurse gave Lola some chlorphenamine and hooked her up to an oxygen-saturation probe. Lola sat quietly as the staff whirled about her.

‘We’re all right now, Lola,’ Cath soothed. ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’ The wiry feeling had gone, and she relaxed for the first time in days. Hospitals were so homely and comforting. When she was little, and had to go to hospital to have her tonsils out, or her appendix, she’d never felt sad or scared to be away from home. Her mum was always so kind to her when she was ill. And she loved being looked after by the nurses. She smiled now at the pretty Chinese nurse looking at Lola’s readings. And then, of course, working as a nurse had been a joy. Happiest days of her life, mostly.

‘Isn’t Lola good?’ Minette marvelled.

‘Sadly she’s quite experienced at this,’ Cath said. ‘Oh, that stupid nursery. I thought everything was going too well.’

‘The manager was saying she couldn’t understand how the sweets got in there.’

‘Well, clearly they don’t check thoroughly enough.’

The nurse told Cath that Lola had no signs of any breathing problems. ‘Her mouth looks fine. We think she might not have actually eaten any.’

‘What a relief,’ Cath said, ‘thank you
so
much.’

‘We’ll just keep her here for twenty minutes to make sure.’ The nurse gave Lola some comics to look at.

‘I seem to be making a habit of coming to hospitals with you,’ Minette said.

‘I appreciate it.’ Cath wiped her eyes, and Minette put her arm round her. ‘Times like this, it’s lousy being a single parent.’

‘You poor thing. I really want to help you more. I’ve decided I’ll definitely do the triathlon with you.’

‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ Cath gave Minette a hug. ‘I’ll get you signed up right away.’

When Lola was free to go, they got another taxi back to Sisley Street.

‘Jeez Louise,’ Cath said, ‘look at the time. I’ll have to get Davey in a minute.’

‘Your life’s so busy,’ Minette said.

‘Yours will be too, now you’re going to do the triathlon. So,’ she moved closer and whispered, ‘we didn’t finish the conversation about Liam. What you going to do?’

‘Not see him again, I suppose,’ Minette said, making a sad face.

‘You don’t want to beat yourself up, lovie.’ Cath glanced at Tilly, cuddled in Minette’s arms. ‘You was just a bit bored, weren’t you? When we’re bored we do crazy things.’

‘I hate being bored. I never was, before. It’s not Tilly’s fault.’

‘Course it’s not. Listen, after today I owe you a whole bunch of favours. So you can always use my house to meet a certain person, if you’re worried about being walked in on.’

‘Oh, Cath, you are very bad for me,’ Minette laughed. ‘Get thee behind me.’

‘Offer’s there. We’ll all be dead in a hundred years.’

‘Thanks, but I’m going to try and keep out of trouble from now on.’

Back in her house, Cath put the telly on for Lola, then went into Davey’s new room, and admired the neatly-ordered bookshelves. It would be a real shame if Minette finished things with Liam so soon. They made such an attractive couple. She took the photo of Andy upstairs, and locked it back in her bureau. She didn’t want Davey seeing it and getting all upset.

DAVEY DIDN’T LIKE
his downstairs bedroom. His curtains were up and his America map was on the wall but it didn’t feel like his room. It had the same flat green carpet as upstairs. He really wanted to ask about the computer but he didn’t want his mum to get that look. Then Adam Purcell reminded him about a good way to ask things. Davey went into the kitchen and said in his smallest voice, ‘Mummy, I don’t feel well.’

‘Again, lovie? You poor thing. Another headache, is it?’

‘Tummy ache.’

His mum stopped making packed lunches and gently touched his tummy. ‘Here? Here?’

‘Yes. Could I have a quick bath?’

His mum looked at the clock. ‘Oh dear, we’re going to have to go in twenty minutes. Do you think a bath would soothe it?’

He nodded. She always sat with him while he had a bath and he could talk to her there. She would be nice to him because of his tummy ache. She carried him slowly upstairs, making a face because of her back, and let him look out of the round window while she ran the bath. Davey heard voices below and craned to see. The lady next door with the swishy black hair and kind face, Minette, was standing in her front garden talking to her boyfriend. They sounded cross. The man had a louder voice than Minette. Davey heard him say, ‘I’ve got to get to work.’

Minette was wearing stretchy clothes like his mum wore for running. She said something Davey couldn’t hear, then said more loudly, ‘Not going to be long, am I?’ The man went inside with the baby, slamming the door. Minette stuck out her tongue at the closed door which made Davey smile. He had never seen a grown-up do that before. She started running slowly up the street. Davey wanted to watch until she was out of sight but his mum came and carried him into the bathroom. She let him take off his pyjamas himself but she still picked him up in the nude to put him in the bath. It was embarrassing. ‘I can get in myself,’ he said, but she took no notice. She told him to lie down and let the warm water work its magic. Even though they were in a hurry to go to school, she looked like she was in a good mood.

‘Is that feeling better, little one?’

‘A bit.’

‘I knew it.’

‘Mum, when can we set up the computer?’

‘Oh lovie,’ she said, but she didn’t sound cross, just tired. ‘Do you know how many times you’ve asked me that?’

He knew he had asked a lot, but she hadn’t answered him properly on any of those times. He didn’t say anything, and after a minute she said, ‘All right Davey, listen up. That stupid computer doesn’t work anymore. It musta got broke in the move.’

‘I could fix it.’

‘I don’t think so. You feeling well enough to come out?’ She picked him up and wrapped him in a warm blue towel. ‘A computer guy came and said it was really very broken. But I’m going to get you one of your own soon.’

‘Really?’

‘Promise. One of your very own. Well, to share with Lola. I can’t afford one each.’

‘That’s brilliant, Mum, thank you.’

‘You’re welcome, my little one.’ She sat him on her lap. ‘You look peaky. I think you should stay home today. I’ll have to take Lola to nursery, you’ll be all right till I get back, won’t you?’

‘Yes.’ He began drying himself, and he was ready to say the next thing. ‘I need new trainers.’ This wasn’t as important as the computer but it was becoming a problem.

‘You want the moon on a stick, don’t you?’ His mum called downstairs, ‘Lola! We are going to be LATE. Finish your breakfast NOW. What’s wrong with the old ones?’

‘They’re from Asda.’

‘Christ, peer pressure is it now? That’s all I need. I suppose the kids here are a bit more into style than in Harrogate. All right lovie, I’ll think about it.’ She put him down on the floor. ‘I don’t have time to get you down, Lola will be super-late. You stay here, put your PJs back on, and when I get home you can snuggle in bed, all right, little one?’

She ran downstairs, and he heard her talking fast to Lola. ‘I didn’t finish the sandwiches, I’ll just put the slices of bread and cheese in and you can make your own. Do-it-yourself. OK?’

That made Davey think of his dad’s bad joke:

Q: What cheese should you use to hide a horse?

A: Mascarpone.

His mum and Lola called goodbye, and the front door slammed. Davey put on his pyjamas and sat on the landing. He pushed the door of his mum’s room. He wanted to see if he could fix the computer. But the door wouldn’t budge. He pushed and pushed. Then he saw that there was a silver padlock on a chain, attached to the door handle. It was stopping the door from opening.

While he waited for his mum to come back, he told Adam his five favourite trainers:

1. Air Max
   
2. Adidas
   
3. Converse
   
4. Gola
   
5. Asda
   

The new floorboards all had slightly different grains. Davey traced the pattern of one which looked like ripples in a pond. He only stopped when he heard a noise in the street, and made his way over to the round window. He was just in time to see Minette next door coming back. Her face was red. He waved to her, but she didn’t look up.

MINETTE USUALLY ENJOYED
having Abe’s parents over. She always made an extra-special effort with her cooking for them, revelling in their compliments, their genuine affection for her. They were appreciative of her role in Abe’s life, she knew. And she in turn was grateful for their role in
her
life, for the whole-hearted welcome they had given her, their unstinting love for Tilly and, of course, their kindness in financially supporting them.

Minette remembered the incredulous expression on Mr Milton’s face the day she and Abe moved in next door. He clearly couldn’t understand how ‘people like them’ – young, scruffy, not even married – could afford to buy a house in their street. He didn’t know that behind Abe stood a pair of well-off, middle-class parents, who loved him dearly. Parents who’d given Abe a cheque for a deposit on a house the minute they heard Minette was pregnant.

There was something so solid and cosy about her in-laws, particularly compared to her own parents, who’d acrimoniously separated long ago. Her father, Richard, had remarried many years before, and her mother, Élise, had moved back to France when Minette went to university. Though they were both perfectly fine as parents, they’d never been as warm as Abe’s. And since she’d had Tilly they’d been, in truth, a bit disappointing. Richard’s second wife had four children, all with kids of their own. Minette thought he probably considered that he had enough grandchildren. He sent a huge teddy bear – too huge for a baby, and with a label that said it was unsuitable for children under eighteen months. And he hadn’t managed to visit them until Tilly was already six weeks old.

Élise offered to come over and stay when Tilly was a newborn, and Minette had been delighted. She expected the first few weeks with a baby would be challenging, but imagined it would be homely and loving as well, with her mother’s support. In fact, it had been the most horrible time. They were all rattled by the hostility from the Miltons, and Élise had become obsessed with Minette giving up breastfeeding. ‘Formula was good enough for you,’ she said, on several occasions, insisting that Tilly would cry less if she was properly fed.