Prodigal Son (Jensen Family Series)

by Michelle Day

  “I don’t think so,” came the reply, he didn’t stop what he was doing, he didn’t look up but he felt his stomach begin to squirm, knowing the conversation would soon turn to his affair with his teacher.

  “Paul...” Monica started, she stopped when she saw him rest his hands on his legs and look over at her.

  “I know, you know Mum.” He cut her off and turned back to fixing the lawn mower.

  “What were you thinking?” Monica, now kneeling the other side of the broken machine, reached out and stopped his hands from working.

  “She’s hot,” he shrugged “She treats me like an adult, listens to my ideas and she believes in me.”

  “I believe in you.”

  “Yeah, it’s different Mum, I fell for her the moment she walked into the class room, I couldn’t help it.”

  “She should have known better.”

  “So should I, I knew what I was doing was wrong on so many levels and she repeatedly pushed me away but that just made me want her more. I was the one who pursued her; I made it impossible for her to refuse me. I backed her so far into a corner that the only place she had to go was into my arms.” He explained.

  “Does she teach Matthew?”

  “She did until Friday. She’s moved back to Gloucester, I won’t be seeing her for a while.”

  “How much older than you is she?”

  “Trust me, you don’t want to know. I love her Mum, I want to be with her, I’m considering getting a place closer to where she is and starting a branch of the business there.”

  “Give it some thought before you do anything.” Monica advised.

  “I will. I thought you would tear me a new one.”

  “I want to but that’s a sure fire way to lose you and you have always been able to talk to me, I don’t want that to end. Promise me you’ll keep me in the loop, I will try to support you in whatever you do, you surely know that?”

  “I do, thanks Mum. I’d better get this fixed before Dad gets home.” He changed the subject and went back to work.

  Paul spent the evening watching films with his mother and sister, trying everything he could to avoid his bedroom what with it currently being occupied by his brother with his girlfriend being most intricately wrapped around each other the last time he had checked. His mobile phone rung as midnight approached, making him jump out of his chair and bolt for the kitchen.

  Monica said goodnight to her daughter then turned down the volume on the television so that she could listen to her son, now she knew why he had been jumpy all evening. He sounded far more animated in those few moments than he had been throughout the entire evening.

  Returning to the living room, he gave her a sideways glance, flopping into the armchair he said “That was Carmen.”

  “I gathered.” Monica replied “It’s a little late to be calling” she sniffed disapprovingly.

  “I asked her to let me know she had arrived safely.” He countered “Mum, is this going to cause problems between us?”

  “I don’t know, I’m trying to understand what a young boy would see in an older woman but I’m failing to grasp it at the moment.”

  “Then let me spell it out for you,” Paul sat forward, irked by Monica’s attitude “She’s physically very attractive with curves in all the right places, she’s caring and funny and her age gives her the experience that girls my own age lack, even if I didn’t have feelings for her, the sex alone would keep me with her.”

  Monica gasped “I cannot believe you would be so shallow or that you would speak to me in that manner.”

  “You wanted to know,” Paul shrugged “Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so blunt, but you did want to know.”

  Over the following weeks, his contact with Carmen became hap hazard at best and when they did speak, she seemed closed off to him and their conversations were brief. It became increasingly clear to Paul that she was being ever more influenced by Helen about their relationship and he wasn’t in the least surprised when Carmen once again called a halt to it in their most recent conversation and while he regretted some of the things that came out of his mouth, he still wasn’t ready to give her up.

  His behaviour deteriorated along with his attitude and while he was fine working on his own, when he had someone with him, he was quick to snap and often found himself apologising. At home, things were tense, Monica avoided the subject of Carmen altogether not wishing to hear any more of her sons’ admissions of his physical draw to the woman in question, things hit a further downward spiral when Paul snapped at Michael over dinner and then proceeded to dodge every blow the older man aimed at him, infuriating him further and causing him to storm from the house. Monica realised around this time that her youngest child was out to irritate his father by any possible means and promptly moved him to his grandparents to avoid further confrontations.

  Although Jackson and Paula didn’t understand their Grandson’s attraction to a much older woman, they did listen when he explained the situation of her living with her best friend who was slowly but surely poisoning her against him and that he needed to borrow some money short term to invest in a property for her, he carefully omitted the fact that she was carrying his baby.

  Using Paul’s absence from the house, Monica systematically went through all of his belongings, gleaning as much information on the woman as possible, finding photographs and notes that had been passed between them, then she approached the school armed with her full name, even more furious that she had sat across a desk from this woman discussing not only Matthew but Paul, she mentally kicked herself when she recalled that it was her who had allowed Paul to remain behind on the supposition of helping the woman straighten the classroom.

  Horrified and shocked at her allegations, the school launched an immediate investigation and took full responsibility for Carmen’s actions as well as contacting the school she was due to start at the following week.

  Leaving the school, Monica went straight to her parents’ house and confronted her son with the facts about the relationship that she had found in his room. Infuriated beyond belief that his mother had violated his privacy, Paul, for the first time in his life, raised his voice and directed all the frustration and hurt he was feeling about his situation at her.

  “What gives you the right to go through my things?” he shouted.

  “You live in my house.” She responded.

  “I pay rent to live there.” He barked back absolutely seething. It was at this point that Monica’s brother John stepped in. Placing a hand on Paul’s shoulder, he guided the shaking, angry teenager from the room.

  “Ok, I understand why you are angry but do you really want to be talking to your mother like that?” He asked, his voice calm.

  Paul closed his eyes and hung his head at his Uncle’s words, hating himself for shouting at Monica, taking a deep breath and making a huge effort to compose himself he replied “No, I shouldn’t be speaking to her that way.”

  “Good. Let’s go back into the fray then, you keep calm, I want to talk to my sister before you open your mouth again ok?”

  “OK, thanks John.”

  “Hey, I’m on your side kid, don’t ever forget that,” he answered and led the way back into the living room “Monica, what on earth made you decide it was a good idea to search Paul’s things?” he asked his sister.

  “I wanted to know more than he was telling me.” She defended herself “He still lives under my roof and at sixteen he isn’t considered an adult yet, I’m only trying to protect him”

  “But he doesn’t need protecting Mon, take a good hard look at the boy, he mature beyond his years, responsible and sensible. We all have our vices and I believe Paul has just found his.”

  “Older women?” Monica questioned, tutting when John nodded “I think I would prefer it if he smoked.” she folded her arms across her chest.

  “I do smoke.” Paul this time “I drink too” in for a penny in for a pound. “Mum, I’m sorry I shouted at you it won’t happen again but
you were wrong to go through my stuff.”

  “Thank you for the apology.” She paused “You smoke?”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you think you can stop?”

  “I can try,” he shrugged “We’re getting off point here. Mum, you need to accept that I’m dating someone older than me, your disapproval isn’t going to change that.”

  “Perhaps it isn’t but have you given any thought as to why she keeps pushing you away and ending the relationship?”

  “I don’t have too; it’s her vindictive friend who’s making up her mind for her.”

  “Or perhaps she has finally realised that entering into a physical relationship with a fifteen year old boy, one who was her student no less, is completely immoral as well as illegal?”

  “I’m sixteen, no longer at school, there’s nothing illegal about it.”

  “You seem to be forgetting that I have seen evidence that suggests your relationship started while you were fifteen and still her student. I have spoken to the school and made them aware of this fact, they are taking the appropriate steps to ensure she never works with children again.” Monica raised her chin in defiance.

  “Oh Monica.” John shook his head.

  “No, you have to tell them you were wrong, you’ll ruin her career, she loves teaching and this will destroy her.” Paul ran his fingers through his hair “Mum please, don’t push this, call the school.”

  “I can’t, wheels have already been set in motion, I am expecting that she will be arrested any time now and the police will want to talk to you.”

  “I have to talk to her.” he made to leave the room.

  “You will do no such thing.” Monica’s voice took on the tone that brooked no arguments causing Paul to look up from his mobile phone.

  “She needs to know it wasn’t me who did this.” He protested.

  “I hope she thinks it was you,” she replied “Oh, I have cancelled the contract on your phone and instructed your Grandparents to forbid your use of theirs; you will have no further contact with that woman.”

  “You can’t stop me from seeing her.” It was his turn to fold his arms over his chest.

  “I don’t have to, once she’s arrested, she won’t want to see you again.”

  “I beg to differ,” Paul replied “You have seriously underestimated me.” He told her before he bolted not only from the room but out of the house.

  “Paul.” Monica called after him, using her best stern voice.

  “Let him go Monica,” John said, stopping her from following her son “Whether you approve of his actions or not, you won’t be able to stop him, he was right when he said that you underestimate him.”

  “You don’t understand John, you aren’t a parent.” Exasperated, she knew her brother was right.

  “No, I’m not and I don’t understand your point of view but I totally get where he’s coming from. Do you think you could let me deal with this?”

  “What are you going to say to him that’s any different to the things I’ve said?”

  “For starters, I’m not going to forbid him to see her and I’m going to allow him to talk to her. If this is just a crush which is what I suspect you think it is, he’ll get over it and move on. If in fact, he’s in love which I think he is, these next few months are going to be hell for him and for us. He needs support Mon not conflict.”

  “He knows I’ll support him.”

  “You have a very funny way of showing it.”

  Paul only had to go as far as the corner of the street to reach the nearest phone box. Filling the instrument with all his spare change, he dialled Helen’s number and waited an eternity for an answer. Helen went berserk when she heard his voice, screaming at him and confirming his worst fears that Carmen had been arrested and was currently being held at the police station. He tried several times to cut into her tirade but finally gave up and let her rant only getting to speak and profess his innocence once she had exhausted herself. He calmly explained what had happened between his mother and himself and relayed his Grandparents phone number to her before hanging up and returning to the sanctuary of their house.

  Letting himself in though the back door, he closed it silently and lent against it, breathing in the heavenly smell of his Grandmothers kitchen before steeling himself to face his mother again. Prising his body from the door, he raided the biscuit tin and then the fridge for Apple juice and once fully stocked, made his way through to the living room, stopping in the doorway, mouth full of biscuits, he briefly considered doing a runner when he set eyes upon the two uniformed officers talking to his Mother before Jackson saw him and beckoned him into the room, telling him in Spanish that the officers would like to talk to him and that he should be as honest as possible shortly before John cut in with the helpful fact that if he refused to say anything, they couldn’t press charges on Carmen from anything he passed on, all they had to go on were the notes and photos he had kept.

  Sitting opposite the officers, he listened as they spoke while munching on his biscuits, growing more resentful with each word that came out of the officers’ mouths.

  “You don’t have to talk to me like I’m a child you know,” he finally replied “Sugar coating things isn’t going to change them.”

  “Very well, would you like to tell us what happened?”

  “No. I have nothing to say on the matter.” He sat back in his chair, took a large gulp of Apple juice and regarded the officers and his mother. “You can ask as many questions as you like, you won’t get any information out of me.”

  “So you will neither confirm or deny that you were molested?” The second officer asked

  “Do I look like I’ve been molested?” He sat forward, the officer was young and pretty, her tunic hanging open in the warm house. “You’d look fantastic with your hair down,” he told her.

  “Paul!” Monica breathed, shocked at her sons’ words.

  “I feel you are being inappropriate.” The female officer commented.

  “I’m just stating a fact and I’ll bet it’s nothing your male colleagues haven’t been thinking, I’ll bet you would rock a short skirt too, you appear to have endless legs.”

  “Young man, stop this now, you are bordering on harassment.” The male officer spoke.

  Paul smiled as he got to his feet “There’s the basis of your case,” he said as he leant close to the male officer, “You have nothing on Carmen, you have nothing on me and you won’t get anything from me except that I wasn’t in any way forced to do anything I didn’t want to do, I dictated the way things were, none of this is an act, it’s just me and the way I am, I’m so good at this that no judge or jury would rule any different so you have no case and you may as well get in touch with the Gloucester Constabulary and tell them to let her go.” He left the room in astonished silence and climbed the stairs to his room.

  As her parents showed the officers to the door, Monica slipped by them, dodged John’s attempt to stop her and shot up the stairs to her sons’ room, throwing open the door and making him sit up from his prone position on the bed.

  “Pack your things, you are coming home.” She told him, furious that he had embarrassed her in front of the Police officers.

  “I’d rather stay here.” Paul stood “Even you have to admit that things are easier at home when I’m not there.”

  “I can’t keep such a close eye on you here, you need to come home.” She replied as she pulled his bag from the wardrobe and began throwing clothes into it.

  “Monica, he’s better off here for the time being.” John said as he watched from the door “Nice work with the officers by the way”. He addressed Paul now.

  “Encouraging him is not helping,” she rounded on her brother “He is my son; he will do as I say.”

  “Sorry Mum, not this time.” Paul spoke up “I’m staying here, there are some things I need to sort out and I’m working on a job just around the corner so it’s more convenient for me to stay here right now.”

 
“What exactly, do you need to sort out?” she asked, hands on hips.

  “I have to get some money together to get Carmen out of Helen’s house, she can’t move until her house sells, Grandpa is lending me some money to buy her house so that she can move.” He explained.

  “You are buying her house?”

  “Well, technically, John is, I’m too young. We’re going to do a little more work on it then sell it on.”

  “Unbelievable. Am I the only one who can see how wrong this whole situation is? Is there anything else I should know?”

  “I can’t tell you everything” Paul replied, he couldn’t look at her now, knowing the last piece of the puzzle would hurt her beyond belief, “I want too but now’s not the right time.”

  “You can tell me anything.” Monica spoke gently.

  “Judging from your reaction to my relationship, I honestly don’t think I can. You need to get the police to back off and drop the case then maybe I will tell you everything.”

  “How dare you give me an ultimatum.” She flared.

  “You aren’t exactly giving me a lot of choice.”

  “You are behaving like a child.”

  “Give it a rest Mum. I’m doing what I think is right. Whether you like it or not is a mute point right now. I love her, I would move heaven and earth for her if I could, you attempting to make things difficult isn’t going to change anything, it’s just going to make me move away sooner than I had planned.”

  “You aren’t going anywhere,” she fumed “Until you are eighteen you are still my responsibility, you’ve had a free rein up until now Paul but I expect you to start towing the line. You can start by apologising to those Police officers on their next visit.”

  “Huh,” Paul smiled ruefully “Not going to happen. I only did what I did to prove a point, without my help they have nothing, that officer was a very nice piece of ass though.” He chuckled.

  Thwack – Monica’s hand connected with his face with surprising force, making his head snap back as he took a step away from her, “I expected more from you. I raised you to respect women.”