A Life Singular - Part One

Chapter 5 - And Then There Were Three

And Then There Were Three

Some four hours later, the squawking of cockatoos at sunrise woke Jeff with a start.  His back was aching from sleeping in a crooked position on the Blakes’ couch.  It took him a few seconds to remember exactly why he was not sleeping next to Lynn in a comfortable bed, and his eyes opened to the sight of Kierney curled up in the foetal position on the couch opposite.

The father let out a bloodcurdling moan and swung himself swiftly to a sitting position.  The loud noise woke the seventeen-year-old straightaway, and she went through a similar emotional nosedive as soon as she realised where she was.

‘Papá,’ she cried, walking over to sit next to him, hugging him as his head hung down, staring at the floor.

‘Hi, gorgeous,’ Jeff replied.  ‘Sorry to wake you.’

The father and daughter sat sobbing in each other’s arms again.  It was five-twenty in the morning, and the rest of the household was still asleep.

‘Let’s make some tea,’ Kierney suggested, standing up and grabbing her dad’s hand.

Reluctantly, he rose to his feet, and they walked arm in arm to the kitchen.

‘Did you sleep OK?’ he asked his daughter.

‘Yes, thanks.  Did you?’

‘Must have,’ the forty-three-year-old nodded.  ‘I forced myself to think happy thoughts when you fell asleep, and it must’ve worked.  It took me a while to figure out where I was just now though.’

‘Yeah.  Me too,’ Kierney agreed sadly.  ‘What a bloody horrible feeling.  I just felt really sick as soon as I remembered yesterday.’

Jeff hugged his daughter tightly.  ‘So did I.  I’m so glad you’re here.’

The sun was already heating up the morning, and the two Diamonds took their tea out to the pool so they could smoke.  The father’s mobile telephone rang in his trouser pocket, causing their nerves to spring to attention.  It was Jet.

‘Hey, mate,’ Jeff answered as positively as he could.  ‘How are you?’

‘Dad!  Thank God you’re awake,’ came his son’s voice, sounding stressed and upset.  ‘I’ve just landed in Singapore and I need to talk to you.  I’m going crazy.  It’s taking so long to get to you.’

‘Talk away,’ he invited, hearing the normally energetic student trying to stifle his sobs.  ‘Where are you?’

‘In a random corridor,’ Jet replied, recovering slowly.  ‘It’s OK.  No-one can hear me.  My battery’s low, so I can’t talk for long.’

‘Well, nothing’s changed here since we last spoke, more’s the pity,’ the widower lamented, shivering upon hearing the suffering in his son’s voice.  ‘What time do you take off?’

‘Not ‘til seven-thirty.  I’ve got nearly five hours to spend in the airport.  What the fuck am I going to do?’

‘Go into town and see a movie,’ his father suggested.  ‘You’ll remember your way around, won’t you?  Just go to Orchard Road, to that huge cinema by the Scotts Road intersection.  They’re twenty-four hour there, I’m sure.  Just don’t lose your passport.’

Jet sighed.  ‘Thanks, Dad.  That’s an awesome suggestion.  I will.  Is Kiz there?’

‘Yeah.  Hold on.’

Kierney took the telephone from her dad.  ‘Hey, bro.  Are you OK?’

‘Shit, actually,’ her brother replied, laughing in relief.  ‘What about you?’