Barrow just wished he could believe it was.
8 LIVING WITH THE PAST
Putting the telephone down, Maggie squealed with excitement and turned to Alex who was standing behind her listening in. ‘Did you hear that, Alex? That was the brewery.’ She beamed. ‘We’re actually making a profit, especially on the carvery. Oh my God, I am so pleased.’ Stamping her feet and clapping her hands together, Maggie did a jig.
Alex smiled. Maggie was beautiful and seeing her this way touched his heart. She was beaming with happiness; she loved the pub and the neighbours, and the kids were happy in school. This was normal family living, and they were all happy and that was what mattered – wasn’t it?
He laughed and reaching forward, he kissed her gently. ‘I knew you’d be a superstar, Maggie. This is your world. Your hard work. You have turned a sow’s ear into a silk purse. The pub has its regulars, and they love you, even Pauline and Phyllis. The chef makes amazing food, and I’m not surprised you’re making a profit.’
‘You’re amazing, too Alex. All the regulars love you and your playful banter, and I don’t think Mark has ever had a real friend before. By the looks of it, all the people that hang around him always have an ulterior motive. You know Alex, you’re the only person who hasn’t asked him for anything and I think that means a lot to him.’
‘He likes holding court, Maggie. But he’s a gentle giant really and Olivia rules him with a rod of iron.’
‘She’s just feeling insecure because she’s going through premature menopause apparently. That’s why she hardly lets him out of her sight. If some woman smiles at him, she’s jealous and he’s in the dog house until he convinces her that she is the only woman for him.’
‘And have you smiled at him to make her jealous?’ Alex smiled.
‘Good God, no! Well, not in that way. He’s not my cup of tea at all. You’re my cup of tea and my coffee and after last night’s little performance you’re my drinking well, too.’
Raising his eyebrows, Alex smiled. ‘Little performance?’
Playfully, she punched him in the arm. ‘Oh, you know what I mean. Go and wash your car.’
‘Car? It’s a clapped-out old banger. It’s what old ladies drive, but the police don’t want me driving something more noticeable.’ He swept his hands through his dark hair and rolled his eyes. ‘Sometimes I miss the old days, Maggie. The cars, the money and the lifestyle. Sometimes I feel I have totally fucked up and taken you with me. I’m surprised you’ve stuck it out this long.’
‘Don’t be silly.’ Putting a hand on either side of his face, she looked deeply into his dark eyes. ‘We’ve done the right thing. Living that kind of life only has one ending. I know it’s boring in comparison Alex, and not what you’re used to, but this is us now. Our new lives together. Sooner or later, this will all be over with and we can concentrate on just being ourselves, living in the suburbs like boring people. Not sleeping with a gun under your pillow or the police stood there with a warrant searching the house. This is how normal people live Alex. You’re amazing and brave. Our pub is amazing with its amazing staff and food. What more could we ask for?’
‘Well, you could have mentioned your amazing kids.’ Standing at the top of the stairs with her arms folded, Deana started stomping down each step before pushing them out of the way sulkily.
‘We love you too. You’re amazing Deana, especially if you help me wash that heap of junk they call a car!’ Alex shouted after her. Waiting for her usual response, he saw her turn and stick her finger in the air at him. ‘I take it that is a no then!’ He grinned.
‘Mark has a pressure washer, use that.’ Alex and Maggie looked up the stairs and saw Dante walking down them. ‘He’s always out there either with his head stuck under the bonnet or washing that camper van. Have you seen his camper van?’
‘Christ, you two are like cockroaches just coming out of the woodwork. Where are you going?’
‘Me and George are going to watch Pete cut that nurse’s grass. It’s really funny, because he hasn’t sussed out she already has a lawn mower yet. Although he must know she has because her grass is so short.’
‘And your life is so sad, that you’re going to watch him?’ Alex shook his head in disbelief.
‘Oh no Dad, you have to see this. He has just bought a wireless lawn mower that he has to keep charging up. So, he does a small patch and then the battery runs out, so he goes back to his own house and plugs in the charger. That nurse says hello and then goes back into her house and shuts the back door on him. Last week it took two days for him to cut her grass because the battery needed charging.’ Dante couldn’t contain himself and burst out with laughter. ‘If you want fun Dad, come and see Pete try and charm her. She knows what he’s up to and takes full advantage of it. Last week he knocked on her door with a bowl of ice cream and half a bottle of sherry. He asked if she needed company. She said no, she was busy but took the bowl of ice cream.’ Again Dante burst out laughing.
Frowning, Alex turned to Maggie and then back at Dante. ‘Is it just me but who takes a half bottle of sherry to a woman’s house hoping to get into her knickers?’
‘Well, Pete obviously does.’ Maggie laughed. ‘Poor bugger, he’s lonely since his wife died last Christmas Day. He must have been devastated.’
‘His wife died on Christmas Day?’ Alex’s jaw dropped. Although he had kept a close eye on the neighbourhood, he’d obviously missed some things.
Phyllis arrived and took off her coat. ‘That’s right, selfish bastard he is. Couldn’t believe it when I heard it.’
Alex rubbed his dark stubble. ‘Do you want to extend the conversation a little Phyllis? Why does his wife dying on Christmas Day make him a selfish bastard?’
‘Because he ate his dinner first before calling the ambulance – did you know that? She’d cooked the turkey and everything and then just collapsed and died on the kitchen floor. Pete was upstairs and when he came down and saw that she was already dead, he didn’t want to waste good food so ate his Christmas dinner first. I know this because he went to Olivia’s for some gravy. It was Olivia who called the ambulance while he sat at the kitchen table eating his turkey. He told her there was no point in rushing because she was already dead and the ambulance would be busy, especially on Christmas Day. Can you believe it!’ Phyllis almost shouted with disgust.
Shocked, Maggie stood there with her jaw open, while Alex wanted to burst out laughing. He saw the funny side of it, but now was not the time to point that out.
‘Oh my God, that’s awful Phyllis. Was he sure she was dead? What if she wasn’t and he could have saved her?’ asked Maggie, astonished and shocked at Pete’s dark side. He was such an amiable man; but this, this was too much.
‘Oh yes, we’d all expected it for some time. She was an alcoholic and on borrowed time anyway, but that’s not the point is it?’ Standing there with her arms folded, huge Phyllis almost towered over them all, apart from Alex. Her face was set in stone. ‘Since then, he’s been chasing anyone in a skirt.’
‘Well, how did you escape his seduction techniques Phyllis? You’re a hard woman to ignore.’ Alex grinned and winked at Dante.
‘I moved!’ she shouted as she walked into the kitchen and switched the kettle on.
Alex, Maggie and Dante burst into an uproar of laughter. The whole story was bizarre, and no one would ever believe it, but coming from Phyllis they knew it was the truth. She never made jokes.
Maggie winked at Phyllis who was now handing each of them a cup of coffee. ‘Right, I can smell the cooking, it’s time me and Pauline sorted out that bar and opened up. There are a lot of bookings for the restaurant today which means they’ll be spending time at the bar drinking.’ Taking her mug with her, she walked into the bar, leaving the three of them alone.
‘I’m going to call for George and watch Pete,’ shouted Dante as he ran out of the door.
‘And I’m going to wash my car Maggie, so that you can actually see the number plate. Somebody wrote “wash me” on the back of it, so I am taking the hint. Where has Deana run off to?’ Taking a sip of his coffee, he waited.
‘Where she usually goes… Wendy’s from college, although I do believe Wendy has an older brother and I feel that could be the attraction.’ Seeing Alex’s face drop, she laughed. ‘Oh my God, don’t scowl like that, no wonder she hasn’t mentioned it. She is still Daddy’s little girl.’
‘How much older is he? What does he want with a young girl? She’s only sixteen.’
‘Oh, I think he’s about eighteen and just for the record he has a girlfriend, but that doesn’t stop Deana window shopping, does it?’
A smile spread across Alex’s face. ‘I suppose not. I’ll take my coffee with me. See you later.’ Giving her a peck on the cheek, Alex walked out of the door, although it bothered him that his family was growing up fast and he hadn’t realised it. He knew they were all young adults now. Time was the one thing you couldn’t stop and he hadn’t spent enough of it with his family in the past. In some ways he felt envious of Mark. He seemed to have it all. He had spent every waking day with his son. He had all his friends nearby and didn’t venture far from the community. He seemed to have plenty of money, even though Alex had never seen that mobile mechanic van move more than ten inches from his drive. Maggie was right, he decided, these were normal people with normal lives, well, kind of.
