Nobody's Perfect

by Steve Kirby

  Sunday was not such a good day Colin was as sick as a dog.

  “It must have been that seafood dish I ate I knew it didn’t taste right.”

  “Well don’t worry you just stay in bed there is a bucket there bang on the floor if you want anything let me know if the kids are too noisy and I’ll take them out, now do you want anything?”

  “No I’ll just try and sleep it off thanks Angie; you could just take the children out for a couple of hours so I can get some sleep please.”

  “OK no problems see you when I get back”

  Angie took the children to Sarah’s she told her about the previous night how everybody loved the dress and being invited to the monthly get together’s with the Directors and their wife’s and of course more gossip about Simon Baxter.

  Angie woke up at 6 o’clock the following morning she thought she had wet the bed she was soaking, then she realised it was Colin he was sweating like a pig.

  “Colin! Colin!” Angie whispered loudly.

  ” Colin are you alright you’re burning up.”

  “No I’m not good Angie I feel really bad I don’t think I can make it in today will you ring in and tell them.”

  “I will yes and I’ll ring the Doctor to come and see you this is not right, ok?”

  Angie rang in for Colin seems he wasn’t the only one to feel a bit rough Peter Jackson also had the seafood dish he was also badly.

  Angie then rang for Doctor Parker to make a house call first thing.

  She went to answer the door it was Doctor Parker.

  “Good morning Mrs Wilson and how are we to day?”

  “I’m fine doctor it’s my husband, we went for a meal on Saturday he had seafood along with a few others in our party now they are all very poorly.”

  “Seafood eh? That’ll do you every time nasty stuff that never touch the stuff myself unless Mrs Parker does it then I know it won’t do for me.” He laughed.

  “Right where’s the patient?” Angie took him upstairs.

  “Colin it’s Doctor Parker.” Colin pulled himself up which was a bad idea the physical exertion was too much for his weak stomach and he just managed to lean over the side of the bed before he was sick again just managing to hit the bucket.

  “Oh sorry Doctor”

  “No problem laddie better out than in eh?” he said picking up Colin’s wrist to check his pulse , he then put the back of his hand to his forehead to check his temperature but he was so hot you could feel it from the other side of the room.

  “Right Mrs Wilson I’ve seen enough I’ll give you a prescription for him just make sure he has plenty of fluids and rest he should be fine in a couple of day’s if not give me a ring OK?”

  Angie went to show the Doctor out she then checked on the children to make sure they weren’t killing each other then she went back to see Colin.

  “Is there anything you want before I go down to the village to pick up your prescription?”

  “You could bring my laptop up I might as well be doing a bit of work while I’m stuck in bed”

  “Certainly not, No Colin you’re not well Doctor said you need rest so no I won’t bring it up and if the phone rings let the machine answer it. Right I’ll be back as soon as I can you get some sleep OK?”

  ***

  Angie got the children ready and set off. Colin lay in bed listening for the door to go. When he was sure she had gone he slid over the side of the bed making sure he didn’t put his foot in the sick bucket and slowly made his way downstairs.

  As he got to the bottom of the stairs the phone rang, Colin picked it up.

  “Hello Angie, its Simon look I won’t be able to meet you for lunch on Wednesday something urgent has come up hope you don’t mind, I’ll ring you later to make another date is that alright? Angie? Angie? Are you there?” then the phone went dead.

  Angie came home and put Vicky and Ben in their playpen while she took the medicine up to Colin. She had just walked in the bedroom when was hit by a massive blow to her head just above her left eye, the force of it spun her round and she hit the side of her face and nose on the door frame she could taste blood, she fell to the floor as the door was kicked against her legs she let out a terrible scream.

  “What the fuck are you doing you crazy bastard!” She screamed at him.

  “Your boyfriend rang you you fucking bitch how long as this been going on then eh?”

  “What nothing’s going on I don’t know what you are talking about!”

  “Well who’s this fucking Simon you’re supposed to be meeting Wednesday then you lying cow!”

  “I don’t know any Simon honest I don’t know who it was but it was nobody for me I swear.”

  “Well he asked for Angie and you’re the only Angie that lives here you lying cow” With that he kicked her in the stomach and stamped on her chest.

  “If I find out you are lying to me or you are cheating on me EVER! I will fucking kill you” He bent down and grabbed her by the hair pulling her up to her knees.

  “Do you hear me you bitch” he put his hands round her throat and began to squeeze Angie could hear the blood rushing through her veins her heart was beating like a sledgehammer she couldn’t breathe the pressure was building up behind her eyes like they were going to shoot out of her sockets this was it she was about to die he was going to kill her.

  “NO! NO! NO!” she said to herself.

  “I am not going to die here and not by your hand you bastard!” She grabbed his wrists and dug her nails in as hard as she could, then he loosened his grip she opened her eyes and started coughing and rubbing her neck when her vision started to clear, she saw Colin he was staggering backwards his legs giving way as he sat down on the bed sweating and looking very pale,

  “Ha you Bastard hope your fucking dying” she said to herself, He just looked at her with hatred in his eyes and snarled.

  “Now give me the medicine and fuck off out of my face you snivelling little whore I don’t want to see you again today and you can sleep downstairs I don’t want you anywhere near me and you know if you are lying I will find out and you will be dead! Do you fucking hear me slag!”

  She went down to the kitchen and swilled her face in the sink then turned to look in the mirror what she saw made her weep her left eye was swollen and starting to bruise her top lip was cut, she pulled down her bottom lip there was a large split inside her mouth her throat was red and sore, she was just rinsing her mouth out when the door opened and Sarah walked in.

  “What the hell’s happened to you? Angie? What’s happened?”

  Angie just turned grabbed Sarah held her and cried.

  “Who’s done this to you, Angie? Was it Colin? Has he done this?”

  “Simon rang up to say he couldn’t make it on Wednesday, I was at the chemist and Colin answered the phone.”

  “So he did this to you? Well you can’t stay here well have to find you somewhere for you and the children to stay away from that evil bastard.”

  “It’s ok Sarah I’m fine look I’ve nowhere to go anyway where would I go with two kids, How would I survive, No Sarah it’s alright I’ll be ok now. Look it was partly my fault I should never have encouraged Simon in the first place I knew it was asking for trouble”

  “Bullshit Angie! Nobody has the right to do this to their wife. Jesus Christ he could have killed you and your saying it’s your fault, I think you need to see a Doctor your heads not right. Well get the kids you can come round to ours for the rest of the day in fact I’d feel better if you all stopped tonight I don’t like the idea of you being in the house with that animal tonight.”

  “Look It’ll be alright I was going to sleep on the floor in the kids bedroom tonight anyway so don’t fret but we will come to yours now so they can play and there is no danger of waking him up and setting him off again.”

  “Oh Angie I’m so worried about you now, Why do you stay with him?”

  Angie just shrugged her shoulders and gave a weak smile.

  Si
mon rang again the following day Colin had gone to work.

  “Hello is that Angie?”

  “Yes?” She croaked her throat still very sore.

  “Who’s this?”

  “Simon, Simon Baxter. Look I’m really really sorry about yesterday hope it didn’t cause any problem for you Angie I’m really sorry, I thought it was you but it wasn’t was it?”

  “No Simon it was Colin, he was none too pleased to say the least but he’s over it now I explained who you were and that you were just a friend but he doesn’t want me seeing you, sorry Simon but you do understand don’t you? Please don’t ring me again Simon please” She put the phone down and sat looking at the phone maybe she had just said goodbye to her one chance of happiness.

  She got the kids ready and set off down to the village for a walk around to clear her head, as she passed the shop Doctor Parker almost knocked her over as he came out of the shop.

  ”Oops sorry Mrs Wilson almost didn’t see you there” He looked at her and his eyes widened.

  “Are you alright Mrs Wilson you’re looking very pale and drawn?”

  “Yes Doctor I’m just a bit down in the dumps that’s all think it’s the weather.”

  “Well I think you should come and see me, see if we can give you a bit of a pick me up eh?”

  “Alright Doctor I’ll call in tomorrow.” He saw the bruising on her eye and the red marks around her neck “Well are you busy now?” He asked

  “Well no not really I was just going for a walk”

  “Well you can walk with me and we can get you sorted today It’s pretty quiet at the surgery today.”

  “Ok then Doctor but I have to get back for the kid’s and Colin’s tea” They walked back to the surgery in silence.

  Jane Doyle was behind the counter when they walked in.

  “Ah Doctor there are a couple of patients here waiting to see you.”

  “That’s fine but I am seeing Mrs Wilson first Jane, Would you look after the children while I see her alone please thank you. Right Mrs Wilson, this way please.” Angie followed him into his office and he closed the door behind her.

  “Right the truth now Mrs Wilson. How are you feeling?”

  “Well Doctor I’m not coping too well at the moment “ She said then started to cry.

  “Sorry Doctor I’m just so down I’m constantly on the go I’m fed up and so so tired all the time.” “

  And the marks on your face and neck?”

  “Oh they are nothing Doctor me and Colin were messing around play fighting the other night, I bruise very easily.”

  “Right...” He said, Angie knew he wasn’t convinced.

  “Seems to me you have a bit of depression, look, I’ll prescribe some tablets for your depression, now I want you to take them and come back and see me in a week see how you’re getting on alright? Also they do karate classes at the church hall on Wednesday and Friday evenings they will teach you how to avoid bruising so easily in future, Yes?” She stayed silent Doctor Parker passed her the prescription and gently squeezed her hand; she avoided eye contact got up and quickly left his office.

  When she had gone the Doctor sat back in his chair.

  “Play fighting my arse” He said out loud, He pressed the button to let Jane know he was ready for his next patient.

  Chapter 7

  The next two years were a bit of a blur she was addicted to the Valium she couldn’t function until she had started the day with a cup of strong coffee and two “Happy pills” as she called them she would take them regularly throughout the day and the coffee machine was constantly on the go then at night she would take two sleeping pills to knock her out but then she woke up feeling like crap and the whole cycle would start again.

  she would get the children up get them fed and ready for school then drop them off then it was back home another couple of pills another coffee then she would do the housework if she could be bothered.

  Then at 3-30 she would go and pick the children up she had withdrawn into herself, she didn’t see much of Sarah or Betty now she felt too ashamed, she knew she had to get off these pills but she needed them they were her life but she knew deep down inside what she needed was something in her life something or someone to use as a crutch to help her get free of the drugs.

  Colin was getting worse every time something didn’t meet with his approval he would bring up the phone call from Simon and freak out, he would grab her by the arm twist it round then drag her out of bed, bounce her down the stairs throw her into the kitchen and make her sleep there, if she wasn’t there in the morning she would get another beating before he went to work.

  Her life was crap she needed the pills just to get through each day this was her life she though nothing’s going to change.

  The next day started just like all the rest but this time she decided she wasn’t going to mope around today she would call in to see Betty have a heart to heart see if she could think of anything to help.

  She dropped Vicky and Ben off as usual then called into the pub to see Anne.

  Tony was in the bar vacuuming the carpet, Angie called out to him but he was oblivious to her, she bent down and pulled the plug from the wall Tony spun round.

  “What the! Angie you almost frightened me to death, well long time no see what are you doing here?”

  “I just called in to have a natter with Anne, Is she upstairs?”

  “Afraid not, she’s at her mothers in Norwich, been there about five weeks now.”

  “Oh why’s that then?” Angie asked a bit puzzled.

  “Ha she hasn’t left me at least I think not, no you know her mother has dementia, well she has got a lot worse, she is a danger to herself, a few weeks ago she went out left the door wide open and left the chip pan on the stove if it hadn’t been for her neighbour seeing the smoke going in and extinguishing the flames who knows what might have happened, she’s also walking the streets in her nightie at all hours of the day and night, Anne had to go and collect her from Norwich police station she had been arrested for trying to take a baby in a pram from outside a shop; she said it was Anne, poor cow, Anyway that’s where she is and I don’t know for how long, she is trying to sell her house and get her into a home nearer here if she can.”

  Angie nodded her head.

  “Right so she left you in soul command then Tony, How’s that going?”

  “Bad, I’m not a cleaner, I try my best but you know how it is us men are rubbish. I thought I could manage until Anne got back but I think I’m going to have to get someone in, I’ve just had a thought, What about you Angie?”

  “Me what? Cleaning? Here?”

  “Yes, that would be great” Tony said excitedly.

  “Let’s face it you know the pub, you know me, I would be eternally grateful and I know Anne would approve, Yes that’s perfect, When can you start.”

  “Whoa hold on a second Tony I have a few questions first, how long will you need me.”

  “Don’t know, Next question”

  “What happens when the kids are off school?”

  “Bring them with you, next?”

  “Well that’s it for now just don’t tell Colin please, Ok?”

  “No problem, my lips are sealed, so it’s a yes then?”

  “Yes ok then.” She said resigning herself to the fact she had lost.

  “Yes! You are a life saver Angie I love you.” He cupped her face and gave her a kiss.

  “Thank you” Angie was a bit taken aback by the kiss a feeling washed over her, a beautiful feeling she hadn’t felt for an age, she looked at Tony for a second then leaned forward put her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips.

  Angie never knew how it happened one minute they were talking about her cleaning duties the next minute they were in bed together making love.

  Angie’s head was spinning she hadn’t felt like this in years she was young again someone wanted her and she wanted this.

  Tony got up and went to open the pub, Angie jus
t laid there a warm feeling spreading throughout her body she hadn’t felt like this since, well forever it seemed to her, she didn’t feel any guilt about just having had sex with one of her best friends husbands she was hungry, hungry for more and she was going to get it, this is what she needed it felt good, she felt good this was what she needed to break free from this deep hole she was in no more would her life revolve round pills and coffee this was her escape route her lifeline and she was going to grab it and haul herself out she was tired of just existing she wanted her life back and she was determined to get it.