Coming Home to Roost

by Mary-anne Scott

  ‘When did you get it?’

  ‘When I was home and you guys killed Nana. Deeks helped me.’

  Dad shook his head as if this was the last straw. ‘Were you going to run away?’

  ‘I thought about it.’

  ‘Running away never solved anything.’ Dad gripped the steering wheel as if he was driving over bumpy terrain. ‘I’ve been thinking, leave your mother to me. I know how to deal with her, so I’ll tell her about the ahh, the baby.’

  ‘Dad, I have to do it,’ Elliot said. ‘I’ll get the facts from Lena tonight and talk to Mum first thing tomorrow. It’s Rick I’m worried about; he hates me.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Dad said. ‘He doesn’t hate you,’ but Dad’s voice petered out as if he wasn’t sure. ‘He knows, I suppose?’

  ‘Yeah. He hates me,’ Elliot said again.

  ‘He’s been angry lately,’ Dad said, nodding slowly. ‘It could explain—’ They sat in silence for a moment thinking about Rick and then Dad said, ‘I thought that went well, back there?’

  ‘Do you reckon I’ll get prosecuted?’

  ‘Don’t think so. It was hard to read that inspector though. Anyway, it depends on a decision made by a group.’

  ‘It’ll be her influence though.’

  Dad started the engine but let it idle as he stared out the window. Elliot thought he was thinking about Jennifer but he said, ‘You don’t have to love the mother to love the baby, you know.’

  Elliot didn’t answer but he felt a slight easing in his shoulders.

  Mum and Dorice were cleaning Arnie’s kitchen when Elliot and Dad arrived back from the meeting and the two women were getting on like new best friends. ‘How did that go, dear?’ Mum asked.

  Dorice said, ‘You chat and I’ll put the kettle on.’ But she stayed to listen.

  Elliot didn’t want to talk so he bent down to light the fire. Dad said he’d love a cup of tea.

  ‘Dorice has been filling me in on all your news,’ Mum said. ‘I hear you’ve been getting out and having a social life. She said you’re seeing a lovely girl called Zeya.’

  ‘What?’ Dad lurched towards Elliot. ‘You didn’t tell me about a bloody girlfriend.’ He leaned down and said, ‘Are you mad?’

  ‘Russell! It’s nice for Elliot to have a girlfriend. Dorice said she’s Burmese.’ She leaned on the word Dorice as if to remind Dad they weren’t alone.

  ‘Oh for god’s sake!’ Dad sank into a chair. Elliot didn’t look up but continued building his fire stack inside the firebox. His cellphone interrupted then, beating an Indian war dance and Dad said ‘Bloody hell’ as if the ring tone on the cellphone was another crime.

  ‘Hello?’ Elliot moved towards the door as he answered.

  ‘Is that Elliot Barnard?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘It’s Adrienne Wilding here, from ICU Wellington Hospital.’

  ‘Oh.’ Let him be alive. Elliot felt as if his future was teetering on a cliff edge.

  ‘I’m ringing to tell you that Mr Cashwell has woken up in the last half an hour. It’s too early to say much, but he’s doing well at the moment and he’s been asking for you.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Elliot breathed out. ‘Can I come up and see him now?’

  ‘Quite often the patient is only awake for a short period when they first come round. Could I pass him a message and perhaps you could come up this evening?’

  ‘Yeah, okay, I’ll give you a message and I’ll be in tonight.’

  ‘What would you like to say?’

  Elliot couldn’t think but he knew it needed to be something Arnie-ish. The cat flap banged on the ranchslider and for the first time since the accident Flotsam pushed up against his leg. ‘Tell him the boys are missing him but everything’s ship-shape.’

  ‘Oh, goodness. I’ll need a pen. Exactly like that?’

  ‘Yeah. Please.’

  Dad glowered as Elliot walked back to the fire. ‘What was that about?’

  ‘The hospital. Arnie’s come round and he’s doing okay.’

  Everyone spoke in excited tones and congratulated Elliot as if he’d personally nursed Arnie back to consciousness. For a brief moment Elliot knew what it would feel like to pass a big exam.

  Dorice shook with relief. ‘Oh, I’m all pimply,’ she said, holding up an arm, bare to the elbow. Elliot didn’t look.

  ‘This is the best bloody news.’ Dad thumped the arm of his chair. ‘Thank goodness eh, Elliot? Good bloody show!’

  ‘Russell!’ Mum nodded in the direction of Dorice.

  ‘No, no. It’s fine. I agree.’ She picked up the teapot. ‘Let’s have a cup of bloody tea!’

  Everyone laughed. ‘Well, I think we’re in for a happy night after all,’ Mum announced and Dorice agreed. They didn’t notice that Dad and Elliot remained silent.

  Elliot was ready to leave for the hospital an hour later. He fed the cats early, as he was desperate to leave the claustrophobic atmosphere. Mum and Dorice were finishing the kitchen and Dad was going to clear Arnie’s path of the mess made after the storm.

  ‘We’ll meet you for dinner in town,’ Mum said.

  ‘No thanks, I’ll get a takeaway and I’ll stay with Arnie.’

  ‘Oh, you need a decent meal after all you’ve been through.’

  ‘No he doesn’t,’ Dad snapped. ‘Leave him be and we’ll meet for breakfast.’

  ‘Really, Russell.’ Mum shook her head at Dorice as Dad stormed off. ‘I don’t know what’s got into that man.’

  ‘It was stressful at the Old Brewery,’ Elliot said. He wished Dorice would leave because he wanted to get ‘the talk’ done and dusted right then.

  ‘Here,’ Mum whispered, as Elliot threw his jacket on. ‘Buy yourself something nice for dinner.’ She slipped something into his hand.

  Elliot felt the crinkle of money and a quick glance surprised him when he saw the colour of a fifty dollar note. ‘This is too much, Mum,’ he said. ‘You can’t afford this.’

  ‘Take it, Elliot. It’s the smallest I have and I think you could use a bit of help.’

  ‘Thanks Mum,’ he said. ‘I’ll meet you tomorrow morning.’ He gave her a hug before he took off. He didn’t think there’d be much hugging or love the next day. Once inside Arnie’s van, he dialled Lena’s number.

  ‘I’ll meet you at the hospital; the main seats in the foyer in two hours.’

  ‘Is everything okay?’

  ‘See you there.’ They would share the parenting but he was buggered if he had to share other details of his life.

  ‘Fine. See you then,’ she said.

  The nurse smiled. ‘Are you Elliot?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘He’s been waiting for you. I’ll see if he’s awake.’

  Arnie was awake and he beamed at Elliot. ‘Aah. Here’s trouble! My decky.’ He waved the fingers on his left hand. His right hand was in a sling with dressings over his burn.

  ‘Captain,’ Elliot said. They didn’t do the navy thing very often but this was a special occasion. He stood by Arnie’s bed and grinned, a big foolish grin that wouldn’t go away. ‘I thought you were dead.’

  ‘I’d a peep in Davy Jones’ Locker, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Thought I’d killed you.’

  ‘Bet you did.’ Arnie shook his head. ‘I went up like Guy Fawkes.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘I’m pretty hard to dispose of.’ Arnie’s voice was raspy and Elliot pulled up a chair close to his bed so Arnie didn’t have to strain.

  ‘I’m being investigated.’

  ‘You’ll be fine. I’m speaking to the police tomorrow, too.’

  ‘I’m really sorry, Arnie.’ Elliot heard his voice get croaky and Arnie looked away.

  ‘’Course you are. It was a crazy bloody morning. I shouldn’t have let the situation develop.’

  ‘I’ve been visiting you and you just lay there, not moving.’

  ‘Well, I’m awake now.’ He gave a small shrug. ‘It’s okay. Honest.’
>
  The nurse came in and checked Arnie’s pulse. ‘How are you feeling, Mr Cashwell?’

  ‘All the better for seeing you.’

  Elliot grinned. He could see that Arnie would definitely live until the morning.

  ‘Remarkable,’ she said. ‘If you keep up these improvements, we’ll be moving you tomorrow.’ The nurse wrote something down on her clipboard, checked the machines and then left.

  ‘So.’ He stopped showing off as soon as she was gone. ‘Let’s get down to it. What’s going on?’

  ‘Business-wise?’

  ‘Start there.’

  Elliot told him how the electricians had rallied and offered assistance and how Zeya’s father had said not to worry about the orders. ‘No one will let me finish work on my own, though, ’cause I’m not qualified.’

  ‘That’ll have to change now; we’ll talk about that later. How are the boys?’

  ‘Cats are okay. A bit anxious, especially Flotsam.’ Elliot hesitated. ‘Dorice and Mum cleaned your kitchen.’

  ‘Well, that’s a waste of time; it was spotless.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Elliot thought about the overflowing rubbish bag and the pile of dirty dishes. ‘The cats don’t like it.’

  ‘No, they’re creatures of habit.’ Arnie shuffled up in his bed a bit. ‘My hip’s giving me jip; must be all this lying around.’ The nurse paused at the curtain and said two minutes more.

  Elliot stood up to leave. He decided to treat Arnie to the real news. ‘I told Dad Lena’s pregnant.’

  ‘Eh? What?’

  ‘I told him. You’ve been on at me to tell him.’

  Arnie looked blank — and frightened. ‘I can’t remember,’ he said.

  ‘Never mind. It wasn’t important.’ The nurse could see Elliot standing and she came back.

  ‘I’ll change that dressing now, Mr Cashwell.’

  ‘See you tomorrow, Arnie,’ Elliot said, but Arnie was already talking to the nurse. Perhaps the electricity has fried his brain after all.

  Lena was waiting in the chairs at the entranceway. She was sitting in a place where she could see people walking through the main automatic doors of the hospital but also keep an eye on the lifts. She didn’t see Elliot, though, and as he walked closer he saw that her eyes were closed and it looked as if she’d nodded off.

  He stopped and stared at her, taking in all the signs of her tough exterior. She had shaven one side of her head and there were loops and studs in her ear. A large handbag rested on her knees and he could see her fingers, cluttered with rings, clutching the bag as if her life depended on it. Despite her punk props, to Elliot she looked frail and vulnerable and he felt sorry for her, for them both. The baby bump was tucked behind her bag, not totally visible and not enormous, but definitely there.

  Elliot backed away a bit and called out, ‘Hey there.’ He knew she would hate to be caught napping and he pretended he hadn’t noticed. ‘You been waiting long?’

  She visibly leapt and gasped in fright. ‘Oh, Elliot. Yes. No, I haven’t. Been waiting long, I mean.’

  ‘Good.’ He took his time wandering over.

  ‘I’m sorry to hear about your boss; I know you weren’t going to tell me but I heard it through a friend of a friend. Maybe Deeks knows?’

  That’d be right — if Deeks knows something, the world knows something. Frying your boss would be right up there for him. ‘Yeah. Ta,’ Elliot said. ‘Arnie’s come round, so hopefully it’s gunna be okay.’ He sat in a moulded chair opposite Lena and said, ‘You okay?’

  Lena nodded. ‘It’s getting close.’

  ‘Are you scared?’

  ‘A bit.’

  We must have both grown up, Elliot thought. Lena would never have admitted to being even a tiny bit scared once, and he knew he wouldn’t have bothered to ask. ‘There’s so much going on, what with Arnie, my boss, and my parents are in town, so I don’t have long.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘What do we talk about? I get the money thing; it’s a percentage of my wage until the kid is nineteen, right?’ Elliot knew he sounded a bit too casual but it helped him to keep calm. He’d figured out that he would be thirty-seven when the kid was nineteen. Thirty-seven is so old, almost ancient. Elliot stifled a shiver.

  ‘Yes, that’s right,’ Lena said, unaware of Elliot’s moment of panic. ‘But I want something else from you and that’s your involvement. Can you put aside our past and help me with this baby?’

  ‘But I live here. Anyway, I don’t know how.’ Elliot thought about his mother and wished he’d talked to her earlier today. He didn’t know what Lena was asking. ‘What sort of help?’

  ‘Your personal input — as a father — but not just you,’ Lena looked away from Elliot’s direct gaze, ‘I want your family too.’

  ‘You mean like Granny and Uncle Rick and stuff? I can’t see that happening, ahh— at least not for a while.’ But since Elliot’s talk with his father, he could see that anything was possible.

  ‘This baby doesn’t have someone old. I mean Katie’s all good, but she’s got a new guy and she wants to move away. Everyone thinks old people are shit and boring until you don’t have an old person around and then you think differently.’ Elliot nodded his head and Lena carried on. ‘I’ll be the best mother,’ she said and put her hand on her bump as if to reassure the baby, ‘but I’m only one person. It needs more than just me.’

  ‘What exactly do you want?’

  ‘Your surname.’

  ‘I’m not getting married.’

  ‘I know that. And I don’t want to marry you, but I want our baby to have Barnard as its name. Official and on the birth certificate.’

  Elliot felt sideswiped. My name? It seemed incredible that Lena rated it as a desirable commodity. ‘What’s wrong with Hopgood? You just said you’re going to be the best mother, so why not use your name?’

  ‘The baby can have both.’ She sat forward again and opened her hand in an impassioned way. ‘Look here. If I get run over, then who’s going to care for our baby? I want someone else to have a public, vested interest. A name is a birthright. You’re the father, so this baby deserves your name as well as mine.’

  ‘Am I really the father?’

  Lena’s eyes opened wide. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Yes, Elliot Barnard, you are.’ Lena looked directly at Elliot’s face.

  Elliot nodded. It felt right and he decided to stop fighting the idea. ‘I need to think about the name thing; it’s all a bit quick.’

  Lena raised one eyebrow. ‘Is it? It’s been quite a while.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah.’ Elliot thought about Arnie and how much he’d wanted a name, all those years of searching for an identity.

  ‘Have you told your parents?’ Lena asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  ‘Just my father. I thought I’d talk to you now and tell Mum tomorrow morning.’ Suddenly he had a sick feeling in his stomach.

  ‘You don’t need their permission to use Barnard. It’s your name, your choice.’

  Lena made it sound as if the name Barnard was a gift and Elliot had a brief glimpse at how she must have seen his life. ‘I know that,’ he said.

  He thought about tomorrow and decided he would be kind to his mother, but firm. Lena could have Barnard on the birth certificate; Elliot knew it was time he stepped up. He also knew that if he started taking control of his life then maybe Rick would respect him again. ‘Is that it for now? I’m bloody knackered; it’s been full on,’ he said.

  ‘Do you want to be there when I go into labour?’

  ‘No. I’m needed here with Arnie and I don’t want to see the kid being born.’ He grinned. ‘No offence but I’m not ready for that.’

  But Lena didn’t see his grin. She was looking over his shoulder with a quizzical expression. Her face paled as she stared intently at something behind him. ‘Oh shit.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘You said your mother was here, this weekend?’

  Elliot spun around to follow Lena’s gaze and there halfwa
y across the foyer was his mother. She looked windswept and cold — and shocked. In her hand she clutched a plastic bag and she was screwing the handles around her fingers as she stared at them. Elliot stood up. ‘Mum,’ he said.

  Elliot watched a range of emotions run across her face as if it was a screen playing a silent movie. He could imagine the subtitles.

  There were several rows of seats between them and he started to move his way along to the end of the row to walk towards her. As he went, Lena muttered, ‘Holy hell, why is she here?’

  Elliot ignored the comment and called, ‘Mum, wait up. I can explain. I was going to tell you tomorrow.’

  Mum said, ‘It looks as if things should have been explained months ago. Here — Arnie’s medicine from the bathroom cupboard. The hospital rang for his drugs so I thought I’d drop them off.’ She thrust the plastic bag at Elliot. He quickly decided not to take it because he knew she’d do a bunk then.

  ‘Please wait and talk.’

  ‘Take the bag.’ She rustled it under Elliot’s face and he took it off her. Then she turned and walked towards the main doors.

  ‘Bloody hell,’ Lena said beside him. ‘You weren’t expecting that.’

  ‘Shut up, Lena. Just piss off.’ He felt, rather than saw, her shoulders slump at his words. He ran after his mother who was already at the door of Dad’s ute. He’d parked illegally outside the main entrance and he had the engine running. Elliot sprinted over and opened the back door, Arnie’s pills rattling in his hand.

  ‘Who’s that?’ Dad shouted. He swung around. ‘Elliot, you gave me the devil of a fright. I thought I was being car-napped!’ Mum sank into the front seat beside him and Dad and Elliot both saw her face at the same time. ‘Lou! What’s happened?’

  ‘That girl. That ghastly girl,’ was all Mum could manage before she put her face into her hands.

  ‘Elliot?’ Dad scowled into the mirror. ‘What exactly just happened?’

  ‘Lena was in there; I’d arranged to meet her.’

  ‘Oh. I see.’

  And then Mum saw as well. Her face came up and she looked at Dad as if he was despicable. ‘You knew.’ It was not a question.

  ‘Only just, I’ve not had a chance, well, Elliot wanted to tell you himself.’