Friends and Secrets

by Grace Thompson

  ‘Is that you, John, darling?’ the woman asked. ‘Where are you? There’s a report of a landslip near Joanne and the boys. You ought to go there and make sure they are all right.’

  ‘Samantha?’ Joanne whispered. Her mind whirled with questions. Why did John have her sister’s phone number? Why was she calling him ‘darling’?

  ‘Who is this?’

  ‘Joanne,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s Joanne, Darling John’s wife!‘ She replaced the receiver and stumbled from the box, reeling with the shock of what she had just learned. She got into her car and sat staring at nothing, trying to make sense of what she’d heard. It had to be her John Samantha was expecting. She had referred to herself and the boys. It explained a lot, but not enough. How could she find out where the woman lived?

  A sudden gust of wind hit the car and it swayed back and forth in the aftermath. First of all she had to find the boys.

  The road into town was full of debris as the storm had shattered windows and sent slates winging from roofs. The street-lights were on and visibility was normal as she parked outside the cinema and waited for the boys to emerge. Another car stopped behind hers and she thought it might be the parents of the friends calling to collect them so she got out to explain. The passenger door opened and Christian got out thanking the driver for the lift.

  ‘Joanne, can you take me home?’ he asked when he saw her. ‘I don’t know what’s happening but I’m afraid for Cynthia and the boys.’

  ‘It seems the stories about subsidence weren’t exaggerations after all,’ she said. ‘I don’t know the full story, but before all the electricity went off, and the telephones, there was a report of a landslip.’

  ‘God help me, I haven’t an idea how it could have happened.’ In the poor lights from street-lamps and the garish display outside the cinema he looked wretched. Joanne decided she would say nothing more until she had the facts. She didn’t want to say something she might regret, besides, she had other things on her mind. John’s absences and his meanness, were they down to his affair with her sister? How long had he been Samantha’s lover? She had no evidence, other than the phone call, but the certainty of his guilt was growing.

  She opened the car door and Christian sat with his face in his hands and said nothing. She could only imagine the turmoil of his thoughts.

  * * *

  Rupert and Oliver were with Helen. When she couldn’t get through by phone to tell Cynthia they were safe, Reggie phoned the police and they promised to let their parents know immediately.

  Away from the severity of the storm, Helen watched her daughter with the twins, trying to guess from the way they were with each other, whether one of them was the father of Henri’s unborn child. She saw nothing more than friendship.

  * * *

  The insane fury of the storm subsided as the tide passed its peak and began to recede. As Joanne drove home, having collected Jeremy and Justin, the wind calmed down and only the occasional gusts were left of its violence. The house appeared little damaged but when they went inside, the boys shone their torches and they saw to their alarm that the walls had suffered severe cracks and one of the windows which had unfortunately been left ajar, had been thrown right out of its opening, complete with its frame.

  ‘I think we’ll sleep downstairs tonight,’ Joanne said, going up to collect sleeping-bags and extra covers.

  There was a knock at the door and two policemen stood there. They explained that because of the possibility of more damage, they couldn’t stay in the house and offered to escort them to an hotel for the night. Joanne argued, insisting she needed to stay in case her husband returned.

  ‘We’ll let him know where you are and that you’re safe,’ the constable assured her.

  ‘If you have an address for him we could send someone—’

  ‘That won’t be necessary!’ Joanne snapped. How could she explain his absence to a stranger? And in front of the boys?

  * * *

  Cath couldn’t get near Meriel’s house. Police and firemen were everywhere, keeping people away from the cliff area. Barricades had been placed on the path and no one was allowed near the houses, even though Meriel’s, far to the west of the landslide appeared to have escaped damage.

  ‘I have to make sure Mrs Meriel Parry is safe, and besides,’ she added pleadingly, ‘I don’t have anywhere to sleep tonight.’

  ‘Sorry I am, Madam, but you aren’t the only one. Just go and see the man over by the van there and he’ll arrange for you to go to an hotel.‘

  Appearing to obey, she slipped past him in the dappling shadows of the activity and went across the field. The wind was subsiding but there were still occasional blasts and she staggered once or twice as she crossed the open ground.

  She stepped carefully, having overheard shouts from the rescue workers that the field had sunk in several places and the edge of the cliffs had fallen into the still roaring sea.

  The sound, when it came, was nothing more than any other of the thousand unexplained sounds of the terrible night, but it was so small, little more than a squeak, that she stopped and listened. ‘Is anyone there?’ she called, and was answered by a repeat of the small sound. The wind was distorting the sound and she made a few false moves before she found the source. Then she almost fell over the scared little boy.

  ‘Toby? What are you doing here?’ She gathered him up and held him close.

  ‘I was frightened,’ he told her. ‘All those funny men.’ She hugged him tighter as she explained about the strange uniforms worn by the rescue workers, as she made her way to tell the police he was safe.

  * * *

  The police eventually allowed Cath to take Toby to Meriel’s house after reports that the storm was abating and there was no damage reported in the area around her house. Viv was there, and Tom, and soon afterwards, Mike arrived, having heard of the emergency. He and Cath silently hugged each other and allowed the tears to fall unheeded.

  Once drinks had been dispensed now the power was back on and Toby settled into a bed with some of the toys Meriel had bought for his visits, they sat down to discuss what had happened.

  Cath said nothing to Vivienne about her neglect of her child. Instead, she told them about the loss of her children. ‘Now it’s time I stopped running and faced life without them,’ she said to a sympathetic audience. ‘I ran away without a thought for how Bryan was feeling, or how he needed me. I think we often believe we are the only ones feeling the pain of loss when a tragedy happens. Instead of comforting each other, we build a shell around ourselves, convincing ourselves that no one else is suffering, and no one understands.’

  Vivienne and Tom went upstairs to check on Toby later and they were gone a long time.

  ‘I think it would be a good idea for everyone to stay here for what’s left of the night,’ Meriel said.

  ‘If you can cope with us all, I agree it would be best,’ Mike said. ‘The roads are still very dangerous.’

  ‘I’ll bring down the spare bedding and we can use the couches and chairs.’ Meriel looked at Mike who went with her to help.

  On the landing the door of Toby’s room opened and Tom and Vivienne came out and softly closed the door.

  ‘We have something to tell you,’ Vivienne whispered. Meriel followed them back into the room and Mike hesitated before announcing he would go downstairs and wait.

  ‘Toby is my child,’ Tom began.

  Surprise must have been clear on Meriel’s face but she gave a half smile and waited for what came next.

  ‘We were married you see,’ Vivienne explained, ‘But, well, things went on that I couldn’t accept. And we parted. Now we’ve decided to give it a second try.’

  ‘Aware of the — problem, you stand a better chance of success,’ Meriel said, unable to comment further, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

  ‘Ray and I were together for years,’ Tom whispered, ‘But we separated for six months as a trial. It didn’t change the way we felt about each other. I married Vivi
enne because I loved her, I still do, very much, but it was partly to hide my homosexuality from my parents, who wouldn’t understand,’ he said.

  ‘And, you can live with this?’ Meriel asked Vivienne.

  ‘I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I do love Tom and I’m prepared to accept his occasional lapses.’ She touched Tom’s cheek affectionately. ‘And, he will accept mine.’

  Meriel wished them luck and left them to sit beside their son and discuss their future. She thought Vivienne was brave and perhaps foolish, but her good wishes were genuine and she hoped she would remain friends with them both.

  * * *

  The calm after the storm was like a rebirth as Joanne stepped outside into the glittering, clean scenery. She and the boys had left the hotel early, and she stood now, looking around and marvelling at how calm and ordinary the day was, when her life had fallen apart. It was barely light and the flashing lights and shouting voices were harsh in the quiet of the morning. She called the boys and took them out to find some breakfast. She drove through the town and stopped outside the Gingham Cafe where Dai was just opening up.

  ‘Can you do breakfast for three?’ she asked. There was no need to explain about the lack of electricity. Everyone knew about the landslide and reports of the damage had reached every house via radio and television.

  ‘I came last night, trying to find you, make sure you were safe,’ Dai said as he took their order. ‘But the police refused to let me through. I was told that your house was slightly damaged but you and the boys were unharmed.’

  ‘We haven’t seen the television news,’ Justin complained, so Dai brought a small set in and set it up near their table. They watched with interest as the cameras panned the devastation.

  ‘The semis, close to where the land slipped into the sea suffered most, and the theory is that this was because they had been built partly on solid rock and partly on infilled ground,’ the reporter explained. ‘There was movement on the impacted soil which dropped when the cliffs gave way. This has not been confirmed, and the real cause is not yet known.’

  The boys were excited at the realization that they had lived through such a disaster unscathed, but Joanne showed little interest.

  Guessing that something else was on her mind, Dai asked, ‘What has happened, Joanne? Something about John?’

  She stared at him hard then said, ‘You knew, didn’t you?’

  ‘About John and…?’ He hesitated, afraid of saying more than she knew.

  ‘About John and my sister. How long, Dai? Tell me how long?’

  ‘I think you should talk to John and Samantha.’

  His use of her sister’s name was all the confirmation she needed.

  ‘I won’t talk to John again except through a solicitor,’ she said, pushing away the food he had cooked.

  She drove home with her mind in turmoil. How could she explain this to Jeremy and Justin? They were so young. How could she make them understand?

  Back at the house she wandered around checking half-heartedly for damage. Broken windows, a number of cracks in the walls and shelves askew. She idly ran her fingers through the dust. What did it matter? The house on which she had lavished such care was already part of a previous life.

  She had whispered the few comments to Dai, while the boys were engrossed in the television report so she was surprised when Jeremy asked, ‘When will we meet our auntie and our stepsister, Mam?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Auntie Samantha, when will we meet her?’ Jeremy asked.

  ‘Will we get extra birthday presents now?’ Justin asked hopefully.

  ‘What d’you know about Samantha?’ she demanded.

  ‘We heard Helen and Reggie talking about her one evening when we were playing monopoly with Henri,’ Justin said.

  ‘So everyone knew,’ she said, half to herself.

  ‘I expect so. Why didn’t you tell us we had an auntie?’

  ‘It’s a bit complicated to explain,’ she said, hurrying from the room, unable to cope with their questions. She had been wrong when she told Dai she wouldn’t speak to John again. He would have to help her explain all this to their sons.

  She knew he would be here soon. He would have to come. She braced herself to face him and tell him to leave. Perhaps her sister would come with him. Perhaps that would make it easier.

  Opening John’s notebook at the page showing Samantha’s number, she sat to wait.

  * * *

  Cynthia and Christian, with Marcus, went early on the morning after the storm to collect their sons from Helen and Reggie. They had stayed at an hotel overnight and neither of them had slept.

  ‘Let’s not stay,’ Christian said as he knocked on the door of the flat. ‘Let’s thank her and leave as soon as we can. There’s so much to do today.’

  Helen was red-faced and an argument had obviously taken place. Henri was crying, the boys looked upset. Reggie was hiding behind a newspaper.

  Oliver blurted out, ‘Mummy, Helen still says Henri’s baby is our fault!’

  ‘What are you talking about, Helen? How can my boys be responsible for Henri’s pregnancy?’

  ‘We were trying to persuade them to tell us who Henri’s been with,’ Helen said, unrepentant. ‘They’re all friends and they must know who she’s been with.’

  ‘You had no right to question them without us being here,’ Christian said.

  ‘If the boys tell me they haven’t done anything, then I believe them,’ Cynthia echoed. She glared at Helen and asked Rupert, ‘Do you know anything about this?’

  ‘I didn’t do anything except kiss her,’ he said outraged and tearful. ‘And I know you can’t get pregnant from a kiss.‘

  ‘Pity,’ Marcus said jauntily, ‘I’d like to be an uncle.’

  ‘Shut up,’ the twins chorused.

  ‘Just tell us, Henri,’ Helen pleaded.

  Christian stood in front of Henri and said quietly, ‘Well, young lady, I think it’s time you answered your mother’s question, don’t you?’

  * * *

  The house was a mess but Joanne was unaware. When she heard the car, she didn’t move. When John opened the door and walked in she didn’t look up.

  ‘Joanne, I’m sorry,’ he said.

  ‘I’m not. I’ve been unhappy for years, now I can tell you to go.’

  ‘We have to talk about this.’

  Justin poked his head around the door and said, ‘If this is about us driving the car we only did it once, didn’t we, Jeremy?’ Too late, Jeremy slapped a hand over his brother’s mouth.

  John went in to talk to the boys and Joanne didn’t try to comprehend the low murmuring. She had no idea how long they talked but eventually he came back to her and said, ‘I’m taking the boys to meet Samantha and our daughters.’

  The plural made her turn and face him. ‘Daughters?’

  ‘Three. One aged eleven, one seven and one only three.’

  She didn’t reply, turning her head away from him again, she stared at the wall. Now she knew everything. Her life was in tatters but she knew it all, nothing else could happen.

  Then Helen phoned and haltingly explained that they now knew the father of Henri’s child. It was Jeremy.

  Slamming down the phone she turned to John and said, ‘Samantha will have to wait!’

  Calling for the boys to go with her, she hurried to the car, explaining as she ran, and demanding that John went with her to discuss this latest in a line of disasters.

  Henri answered the door. ‘They know,’ she said succinctly to a white-faced Jeremy.

  * * *

  In Meriel’s house the occupants woke slowly. Breakfast was cereal and sliced bread and they had just finished when there was a knock at the damaged back door. It was Evan.

  ‘Are you all right, Meriel?’ he asked.

  ‘We all are,’ she said. ‘Go back to Sophie.’

  ‘I don’t think I can bear to talk to her after what she did last night, running away and leaving Toby like that.’r />
  Toby waved a milky spoon on hearing his name. Evan went to step past Meriel to see him, but Meriel said pointedly, ‘Goodbye, Evan. Thank you for your concern.’

  Mike stepped forward and placed a proprietory arm across Meriel’s shoulder and she took his hand in hers. ‘Cathy is going to phone Bryan,’ he said. ‘I offered to walk down to the telephone box with her,’ he said. ‘Want to come?’

  ‘I want to go to see if Cynthia and the others are all right.’

  ‘Telephone box first, then to see Joanne and Cynthia. All right?’ He kissed her lightly on the cheek.

  ‘I can go with you to see Cynthia,’ Evan said. ‘Their houses, Cynthia’s and Joanne’s, aren’t the worst hit. The semis were more or less demolished.’

  ‘Thank you, Evan, but we’ll manage.’ Firmly, she ushered him out of the house and reached for her coat.

  Vivienne and Tom gathered their things and took Toby home. Cath looked shaky at the prospect of talking to her husband, but was reassured by having Mike and Meriel with her.

  ‘I’ll come back here after talking to Bryan and search in the fridge for something for lunch. It isn’t working but it is full,’ she said.

  ‘So, salad it is,’ Mike teased.

  Mike and Meriel stayed outside the phone box while a tearful Cath made her call. Instead of the anger and recriminations she had expected, Bryan spoke of his sadness that they had both had to grieve alone. Then the crying that should have been allowed to escape long before was released.

  They arranged to meet at the chalet, to talk and find out whether their marriage that had been so cruelly destroyed, could be mended.

  Meriel and Mike found Cynthia and Christian at home, their house having suffered only superficial damage. The boys were in the lounge, complaining about the lack of television, Cynthia was suggesting books, and various games, to a chorus of groans. Christian was checking every room, while outside, men and women were still busy sifting evidence, making notes and taking photographs as they tried to piece together the sequence of the events of the violent night.