He taps on the door and after a few moments, hears a weak, “Come.”
“Mr Kalkowski, do you have a few minutes?”
“For you, Chad, of course I do. Please come in. Have a seat.” The old man waves him to an armchair, but the movement is slow and fragile, his hand blue-veined and trembling. Chad moves to take a seat, not liking what he sees. His old teacher’s eyes are dark and alert, but his skin has a grey cast.
“Please excuse me, Chad. I am feeling rather tired these days. Would you mind making tea for us both. And you will find a tin of your mother’s excellent biscuits in the larder.”
“Of course, sir. Lemon or milk?”
“Lemon I think. It is so much more refreshing in these warmer days don’t you think?”
Chad makes the tea, weakish to complement the lemon, adding a plate of cookies to the tray. The reminder of his mother sets his anger rising again and firmly, he pushes it down.
“So, Chad, what can I do for you?” Mr Kalkowski’s voice wavers, but his eyes remain clear and sharp. “I assume this is not just a social visit? Yes, no?”
Chad sips the tea, not knowing quite where to begin.
“I think I’m coming to say goodbye. I’m going to visit the City for a few days. I’m not sure if I’m coming back.”
“Ah.” The old man nods, meets his eye then looks down into his tea.
“You’re not surprised.” It is a statement, not a question.
“No, Chad. I am not.”
The young man sits with the old man. One with his life ahead, the other with his life behind, bonded, in their different ways, by the same girl.
“Mr Kalkowski, do you know why Jenny left? Why she is divorcing me? Did she tell you?”
“No Chad, she didn’t. Not in so many words. I think she felt it would be disloyal….” Mr Kalkowski lifts his gaze to Chad’s. There is no censure there. “…. But I have seen enough and guessed the rest.”
Chad stares into his tea. When he tries to speak again, his words are slow and slurred. “I’m not proud of it.”
“Of what you are? Or of what you did?”
Chad looks up. His old teacher….
…. his Master….
…. is staring him straight in the eye, challenging for the truth.
“I’m not ashamed of what I am. It’s simply that. What I am.” He closes his eyes, rubbing a finger up his forehead. “But I am ashamed of what I did. I should never have asked Jenny to marry me and I’ve put her through a lot of pain she didn’t deserve. And that’s on top of…. Of whatever else it is….”
“Indeed, yes. Whatever it is.” Mr Kalkowski stirs in his seat. “You have seen the newspapers I imagine? The business with the Blessingmoors institution?”
“Yes, I have. I’ve not talked about it with anyone. My parents are so set on poisoning everyone to her it didn’t seem a good idea to….”
gullible will often blame the victim for the crime
before Mr Kalkowski speaks again. “What
I suppose. Wider horizons. The City maybe?” He hesitates. “What
like walking on gravel, then swallows before taking another from the plate. “The people here, and I include your mother and father in that, are good people….” He punctuates his words, waving the biscuit in his hand like a baton. “….
“What will you
he was a policeman. I don’t know if that was true, but Jenny was always afraid of the police. And this one had said that she was
Kalkowski huffs. “An
my parents believed him. They gave the address of the lawyers who are handling the divorce
ceilingward. “I see.” He sips his tea. “Chad, could you pour
pours, the old man says, “When you have done that, if you look in
takes the letter from the drawer, written in handwriting he knows well. “I’m glad she’s
gives an address. I have written to her at that address. When I saw the news about Blessingmoors, many things….” He looks away, muttering to himself, as close to cursing as Chad has ever seen him. “I would visit her myself, but alas, I do
course I will. Mr
“Yes, Chad?”
farm when she left. I don’t want to leave them in my parents’ house. Could I
We’ll return Jenny’s things to her when
*****
Richard
us?” I ask the nurse, “Before we go
still waiting for
and airy with a TV, air-con and fresh flowers. I made sure the Threesome were assigned one
nurse is adjusting a drip. Cables run from under the blankets to various monitors and equipment and the steady bleep-bleep of the
Charlotte and Michael are sitting together on a small settee. As he sees us,
remains sitting by James, holding his hand. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and her
I have never seen such unhappiness. As her eyes
If you lose him….
her arms around the sobbing girl. I hold her hand trying to find something to say,
there are no
but devastated by this, by her
I lose
….
….
bereft, she will
watch my Elizabeth, rocking Charlotte in her arms,
my love, if
much
something happens
James planned for this….
he gave her Michael? He loves her enough to give her both his own life and another
Because he’s older?
what he did? Created
?