EIGHT
No, that wasn’t to be. Angie ignored me throughout the entire weekend, I must have walked to her house at least six times that weekend but each time her brother solemnly sent me away. It wasn’t until nearly a week later, Thursday that she permitted me to talk. That was only because she was posting something and I was on my break outside. “Angie!” I yelled. She didn’t look. “Angie!” I ran across the road and giving a face like she’d just been chewing lemons she crossed her arms and faced me.
“And what the fuck do you want?”
“Hey,” I hesitated, “don’t talk to me like that. I’m still your friend.”
“Oh really?” Now she’d gone sarcastic and this nasty version of her was seriously not very becoming. “I must have the definition of ‘friend’ all messed up.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, “you must’ve because you’re not acting like a very good one.” Angie began to splutter so I continued. “I didn’t tell Jack to right a song about me, didn’t tell him to take an interest in me, actually the opposite, I told him not to. Stop lashing out at me, you’re nearly eighteen not eight.”
Angie narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth, I waited, but she refused and then sighed. “You’re right. I’ve been awful. And you know what? Even if you did end up with him then it wouldn’t matter, what matters is that we’re best friends.” She flung her arms around me and we both hugged tightly.
“Obviously I’m not going to end up with him,” I added although I did have a severe case of butterflies and knots in my stomach.
“It doesn’t matter if you do.” She replied into my shoulder before pulling out of the hug. “You have work to be doing though. You always do Miss Workaholic.”
“No, I have bills to pay.” I replied laboured.
“Hard life.” Kissing my cheek Angie strolled in the direction of the bus stop where she’d disappear into her fantasy realm for a few hours. Who knew where she went or what she did? For all I knew she went off into Neverland to snuggle up with Captain Hook. It sounded like an Angie thing to do.
When I got home there was an envelope from mum so sitting at the table with a cup of tea I opened it and read the letter. “Ruby, I’ve had absolutely enough of this. Enclosed in the envelope is a train ticket for you to catch the train on Friday to come to Kent where you will be picked up at the train station by Charlie. He’s very much looking forward to meeting you although I couldn’t possibly tell you why after the way you have been treating me. If you do not catch the train I will write a letter to your father and I will force him to pay for the ticket and then make him drive you down to Kent himself. Do you really want to put your father out like that? I will see you Friday. Mum.” In astonishment I emptied the envelope and held up the small ticket. Sure enough tomorrow I was due to head out to Kent. I’d already finished work, how was I supposed to let Mr Clarkson know?
I got up and went to the lounge, dropping the letter on my dad’s lap where frowning he scanned through it. “Looks like you’re going to have to pretend to be ill.” He said afterwards.
I grinned at him, “good idea! I’ll write mum a letter-”
“No,” he cleared his throat, “I meant with work. You know, you act like it’s a matter of life or death, no pun intended there. I’ll drop by tomorrow morning and tell Mr Clarkson you’re very ill alright? You’ll go to Kent and you’ll please your mother and then maybe when you get back she won’t be on your case so much.” I hated that he was right, hated that my pride was going to have to be crushed just for my mum’s sake but I supposed sometimes needs must.
I nodded and went to go and make tea. Afterwards I packed a duffel bag and watched the telly with dad until it cut out and then we both went to bed. I tossed and turned that night, fretting about how awful my weekend was going to be.
My train left for nine o’clock so I was up and gone by seven thirty while dad was in the middle of his breakfast. I sat on the bus and gazed out of the window, watching all of the trees, hedgerows and fields pass me by. I was really nervous about catching the train on my own, it wasn’t as if I was bursting with self confidence and plus I was anxious about making sure I caught the right one.
I think I managed to and treated myself to a cigarette once I was sat safely on the train and had asked the man sitting opposite me that it was definitely headed for the Kent station. “Most certainly is, Miss.” He’d said and I sighed, taking a long drag on my fag.
I was on the train for a while and it was made even longer by the fact that I simply had no one to talk to. Angie had a way of making time fly by, she was just a rainbow of fun –usually- and it was boring as hell without her cheering me up. What would Charlie even look like? I had no idea. Was my mother a cougar? Was he in his eighties? She’d never really described him to me or offered a photograph.
The train pulled up at the station and I conformed with everyone else, squishing into a bundle so we could all funnel out like we’d just been mashed against the doors for the entire journey. Everything always gets less civilised when a train stops. I stood on the platform and glanced up and down but not even noticing a man on his own.
I guess no Charlie. Oh well I’d have to pay for a ticket home again. I was tapped on the shoulder and jumped, making this embarrassing squeaking noise. “Oh sorry.” It was a man around my dad’s age, stupid shoulder length hair that was too young for him and a red turtle neck jumper on despite the warm weather. “Are you Ruby?”
“Are you Richard?” I squinted my eyes, trying to trick him.
“Charlie.” He frowned.
“Ok good, yeah, I am Ruby. Thanks for the ticket, I wouldn’t have been able to afford a trip down otherwise.” I jabbered on as he led me out of the platform. “I’ve been meaning to for a while but you know how it is.”
He grunted every so often and I chucked my duffel bag in the backseat of his car. Don’t ask the make I had no idea. I got in the front and drummed my fingers on my thighs anxiously. “Your mother is really looking forward to having you stay for the weekend.”
“Yeah,” I snorted staring out of the window, “she would be, she hasn’t bothered to see me in the last four years.” She used to come down but soon that got too much of an effort for the poor woman.
“Well, maybe now’s a good time to make a fresh start.”
“A fresh start? That’s all my mother ever seems to do.” He turned the radio on and we proceeded to drive along in silence. I had to give it to them, the countryside in Kent was spectacular when the sun beamed down on it. It was massive as well, fields and fields of whatever just stretched out on either side of us. We drove past some pretty large manors and soon came to a small village. It wasn’t like the village I came from, it was one of higher status, people that lived here didn’t have mortgages, they already owned their houses.
“We have a popular market place in the town square every Saturday. It’s sort of renowned around Kent.” Charlie tried to make conversation.
“Cool.”
“I’m sure your mother would like to take you down there tomorrow.” He pulled up outside what must have been at least a four bedroom house. I wasn’t that keen on architecture but this one was sure pretty. The front garden was big and well tamed with different coloured flowers springing out in an organised way. The inside was modern, swirled wallpaper, patterned carpets, brightly coloured lamps and such. “Maye!” Charlie yelled out, kicking the door closed behind him. “Maye we’re back now.”
“Oh!” Mum called from upstairs. She clip-clopped down in expensive red heels and stood before me. My mother looked like a film star, it was annoying to admit but it was true. She bleached her hair and had it twirled and curled on top of her head, she wore proper makeup and not the corner shop stuff like Angie and I wear. “Ruby. Finally I can talk to you, it’s been such a bother writing you letters especially when you refuse to cooperate.”
“Didn’t fit into my schedule.” I retorted secretly taking in the beauty of her house. You could tell that no children lived here.
“Are you going to give me a hug then?” She wrapped me awkwardly into her arms and all I could feel beneath the fabric were bones. She was so breakable feeling, that kind of thin. “There.” She patted my shoulder. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? I’m a bit of a mess at the moment, planning the wedding and Charlie’s useless.”
“Am not!” He chuckled before leaving the room.
“How’s life then?” Mum pressured as I followed her to the kitchen. She had this American styled island thing in the middle with stools so I plonked myself down on one. “Got a boyfriend yet? Still working at the funeral parlour?”
“I’m still working there.” I picked up an apple and took a bite. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“About time you got one.”
“Really?” My eyes fell on her. I had this urge to rub it into her face that a rock star had written a song about me. I wanted too so badly but as I opened my mouth I thought I’d save it. There had to be a better time to wave that winning flag out.
“Yes,” she nodded, “a man in your life is exactly what you need. Less time around that friend of yours wouldn’t do you any harm either. Wild as a wolf and probably as feral as one too.”
“Angie!” I was exasperated. “People need to stop calling her ‘my friend’ and start saying her name!” Mum became alarmed but didn’t speak anymore about my friend. In fact, she stopped being motherly about then and started treating me like her Agony Aunt. Asking me what to do, telling me about her problems, arguments, woes, hopes and it was so draining I felt like I’d run a marathon by the time it was tea and we were sat down in her dining room.
“Heard you two ladies talking,” Charlie said as we began eating. “Sounds like you’re getting along just fine.”
“Oh we are,” mum beamed pink lipstick at him. “We’re having a fantastic mother and daughter time aren’t we Rubes?”
“Like a house on fire.” I replied. “Is there anywhere that sells postcards here?”
“Postcards?” Mum frowned. “Well, there’s a gift shop up in the town square but that’ll be closed now. You should go tomorrow, it’ll be busy though, practically everyone from Kent floods down to our markets on the Saturdays.” I nodded, it was just I wanted to send Angie a card about my great Kent Adventure.
After tea, I didn’t have to wash up which was nice, my mother got Charlie to get his acoustic out and they had a very embarrassing sing along together. I sat with my eyebrows practically flying off of my forehead as mum sang and Charlie strummed away. When they were done I clapped my hands unsure of what else I was supposed to do. Mum had officially gone crazy but in Charlie’s defence I hoped they stayed together, I hope this was the final husband for her, they made a good couple.
******
The next day I wore a ruby red dress and my ankle boots, did my hair in the beehive and the ponytail over the shoulder thing and then I told mum I was going to go and check out this spectacular market. “Oh, I’ll come with you.” She jumped to her feet. “Just let me go and get ready.”
“I’ll meet you there.” I compromised assuming she’d be a while. She smiled and went upstairs so I went out. Charlie and mum were right, it was as if the whole of Kent had ascended into the town square. It was hard to move through the mass of bodies. I stood to the side and lit myself up a cigarette before continuing to battle my way through the tide.
The gift shop was small and niche. I bought a postcard of a meadow and slid it into my small bag before heading out. And would you believe it? Would you? There he was. He had his back to me but was peering over a table of what looked like scarves. I knew I wanted to go over, I wouldn’t admit it but I did. Wanted to saunter on up and tap him on the shoulder but another part told me that it would be less hassle and less nerves involved in just walking away. I began forcing my way through the crowd.
“Hey.” I’d been spotted. “Ruby. Hey, wait!” Jack spun me by the shoulder and because of the bustling market we were forced to stand basically chest to chest. He could probably hear my hammering heart. “You were going to walk away without saying hello.”
“Hello.”
Jack sniggered, shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I meant. Did you-did you happen to watch a certain program the other night?”
“If you mean the news then I think I missed it.”
He laughed, “no, no I meant-”
“No I know what you meant.” A small smile flashed across my face. “I watched it. You wrote a song for me.”
“No I didn’t.” I blushed in humiliation. “I wrote a song about you. Anyone can have a song for them, a boyfriend plays a song to his girlfriend and says it’s for her but he can’t say that it’s about her. Not like you can with that song. I couldn’t get you out of my head. I still can’t. You drive me wild.”
“Are you implying that we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?” I asked trying to sound snappy but liking the idea of that too much to fulfil my strict exterior.
“No! Well, I’d like to.” We both stared at each other. “I’d like you to be me girlfriend, Ruby.” He elaborated when I left the pause too long.
I stepped back, bumping into someone. “I-I don’t even know you.”
“My name’s Jack Philips, I sing and play the rhythm guitar –when I feel like it- for the rock band Rough Justice. We’ve been going since 1963 and I was born and raised in Kent.” That explained why he was here then. “I like swimming and beaches but I dislike reading and tomatoes.” He stared at me expectantly. “Your turn.”
“Oh…” I paused feeling flustered. “I’m only in Kent because my mum forced me to. This is the first time I’ve seen her in four years because she was too busy running off with her string of husbands. I’m an only child and my friend is called Angie.”
Jack laughed at that, he had a real loud laugh where he opened his mouth so wide and threw his head back. “That dreaded friend. Alright, I have a younger brother. We’re close. What’s your favourite meal?”
“Well, that’s not fair because you’re going to think it’s daft."
Jack barked with laughter, “Why would I think it’s daft?”
“Because you’ve been all over the world and tasted all kinds of food and the most adventurous I’ve ever been able to be is try a German sausage one time.” We both stared. Then cracked up laughing. “Not like that!” He waited. “Alright, fine, my favourite food is steak and kidney pie.”
“Mine is spaghetti.” He puffed his chest out proudly at that fact. “And I’m going to take you to Italy, Ruby and you’re going to try everything and fall in love with the food there.” He paused and then reached out to touch my cheek. I watched him, slightly alarmed. “You have this innocence about you.”
“I’m not innocent!”
“Ha!” He laughed all over again, “really? You look as untainted as a wild rose.” I stared into his blue eyes because that was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. Not knowing how to reply to that I just held his eye contact, feeling my insides melt, my walls break and shatter, a feeling that was so foreign and new flooded my veins like the first shot of a drug. “Will you be me girlfriend now? We aren’t complete strangers no more are we?”
I chewed on my bottom lip nervously, “you’re going to break me like you’ve done with everyone else.”
“You’re not like everyone else.” He replied earnestly. This would have been such a romantic exchange if it wasn’t taking place in the middle of a busy market and out of the corner of my eye I could see an old man picking stuff out of his fuzzy white beard.
“What’s wrong with everyone else?”
“Nothing,” he shrugged refusing to break eye contact. The moment that happened my defences would fly up and this exchange would be over. “Nothing’s wrong with the others it’s just they’re not you and they don’t make me feel like you do.” I stared, just openly gazed at him. He was so beautiful. Not just in his looks but his soul, he was lost, girls threw themselves at him so what was he supposed to do? No one told him no, everyone told him yes. Life was a green light and it could take its toll but he wanted me because-because I had no idea. “Don’t leave me in suspense woman!” He laughed anxiously and ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh. If you-if you break me I’ll never forgive you.”
“You’re gunna have to trust me.”
Sucking in a deep breath I let myself be free, I took a chance, a jump and nodded once. “O-Ok.”
He tried to bite down a smile but it didn’t work, those big plush lips burst into a bouquet full of smiles and he threw his arms around me and ignoring everyone he knocked us into twirled me around in a circle. “I’m going to love you so bad Ruby.” I giggled as he set me on my feet and laced his manly fingers through my slender ones. He played guitar with those hands, he made music sent from the Gods, Gods whispered those chords and he played them, they whispered through his throat and he sung them and now I was his girlfriend? Mind comprehension overload. “Hey,” he nuzzled into my neck and I snorted, “you want to know how I know you’re the one?”
I pulled a face, “go on then.”
“Before you I was a writer can’t write another book. I was all dried up dying to get wet.” My eyebrows shot up and he planted plush, heavenly kisses on my neck that sent chills through my body before he straightened up. “Don’t worry, I’ll prove to you everyday why it was a good choice for you picking me.”
“Ruby!” My mum called, waving her hands up and down. I thought she’d be too sophisticated and classy to be an embarrassing parent but evidently not. I went to unlace our fingers but Jack held my hand tight and shot me a look which was like “I’m going to prove to you”. We wangled our way through the crowd and met mum on the more breathable outskirts. “Hello?” She looked Jack up and down. He wasn’t that much taller than me, about five foot ten or so.
“This is-”
“I’m her boyfriend.” Jack interrupted. “Jack Philips, Miss.”
Mum cautiously shook his hand and then winked at me. “Well, pleased to meet you Jack. Only yesterday you didn’t have a boyfriend Ruby. Are you just dating the first young man you see?”
I spluttered but Jack answered. “I’m in a band you see, Rough Justice. So we thought keeping it on the lowdown for a while would be for the best. Turns out we don’t care.”
“Rough…Just-oh my sweet Lord!” She finished by screaming. “You’re-you’re in that band!” Jack was nodding. I was going a disgusting beetroot colour. “You’re huge!”
“I don’t like to talk about that to my girlfriend’s moth-oh haha, right, the band.” My mouth dropped open and I nudged him. “Yeah, the band’s working out quite nicely.”
“You’re nearly as huge as the bloody Beatles!” Mum was practically hyperventilating, bringing a lot of attention our way. This included people pointing as they realised who it was. “Oh my God! I’m going to be your mother-in-law!”
“Mum!” I gasped. “No one said that. We’re not getting married! Oh my God you’re speaking too loud.”
“There is no way in hell you’re missing my wedding now!” She lent in towards me, her eyes roaming almost hungrily over Jack. “You’re both going to attend and it’ll be public news!” Trust her to twist it for her benefit.
“When’s the wedding?” Jack asked, appearing bemused.
“Ju-July. Just over a month.” She fanned herself with her hand. It was mortifying.
“I might be on tour then.” He raised a shoulder. “Send a wedding gift though.”
I stared at him like he was insane, “no you won’t, you only just met her!”
“Shh,” he grinned at me, “it’s not like money’s a problem for me to buy some plates.” He clicked his finger. “Shit, ruined the surprise. Sorry Mrs.”
“Are you free now, Mr Philips?” My mum simpered over him, swaying from side to side as if she was trying to get into his pants, damn cougar.
“Yeah,” he stretched his free hand above his head. “Free for an hour or so then I’m back home to tell me own parents.”
“Come meet my Charlie,” my mother said, “he plays guitar, maybe he can teach-”
“Mum, don’t be so condescending.” I cut in tartly. Jack agreed to come and meet Charlie though although even he seemed a bit unsure of my mum inviting her fiancé to give him guitar lessons. As if an established musician needed lessons, obviously what they’re doing is working just fine for them. So we traipsed after mum as she nattered away, talking about drink or something stupid like that. I often shared a funny look with Jack.