To Love Thy Neighbour

by S M Mala

  ‘I left a message telling him to get home as soon as he could.’ Ralph looked at a loss on what to do. ‘I’ll leave you to it. You know, you can’t get arrested for slapping a child.’

  ‘It’s not her child and I’d call it abuse!’

  ‘She horrid and hurt me!’ cried Mali. Esme grabbed some tissues and tried to wipe her wet face which was impossible, as she pushed her head down. ‘I not go home, ever!’

  Watching Ralph walk out and gently close the door, Esme kept watch to see if Melanie was going to come back with a shovel to finish them both off. Then she looked out to see the vile young woman stomp off down the road.

  ‘You’re safe now and I’m not going to let that horrid woman ever touch you again,’ she whispered, taking her up the stairs. ‘In times like this, you need a bubble bath to cheer you up.’

  ‘You did what to Mali?’

  Leon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘You hit my child?’

  ‘I gave her a little tap and before I know it, you’re geriatric neighbour came rushing round, shouting the odds.’ Melanie sounded outraged. ‘And she was threatening. Pushing me over and using obscene language. I’ve got a good mind to report her to the police!’

  ‘Where’s Mali now?’ he asked calmly, seeing there was a missed call from Ralph.

  ‘That woman took her away.’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘I’m not sticking around to be insulted. Don’t ever ask me to look after your daughter again. She’s a spoilt little brat and-.’

  He hung up, unable to listen.

  All he could think about was Mali, the anxiousness building up.

  Getting into his van, he drove quickly back home, parking it badly before rushing to Esme’s front door. He knocked hard. Then his phone rang.

  It was Esme.

  ‘Hello,’ she said and he could tell she was upset. ‘Come round the back. Mali’s in the bath, and I don’t want to leave her.’

  Letting himself into the house, he ran through gardens and towards Esme’s home.

  ‘I’m coming!’ he shouted out, kicking off his trainers and rushing up the stairs.

  Then he stopped at the bathroom.

  Mali was sitting in a bubble bath with Esme. He realised she was in her underwear, and his daughter had her vest and knickers on.

  Soon as she saw her dad, the little girl started to cry.

  Esme looked sadly at her then at him.

  ‘Daddy, she hit me,’ Mali sobbed, putting her fists in front of her eyes.

  ‘I’m here now. You’re safe.’ He went forward and grabbed his daughter, holding her very tightly and seeing Esme look away. ‘Let’s not talk about it and enjoy your bath.’

  ‘We’re swimming in a sea made of bubbles,’ Mali said, smiling through her sobs. ‘We not seen any bad things here, just nice things. Esme said she would make me curry and rice as I’m sad.’

  ‘I think we should go home and-.’

  ‘Never going home!’ Mali cried, sobbing louder. ‘I want to live with Esme. She stopped the horrid girl hitting me! I scared.’

  His heart crumbled on hearing Mali say that.

  He always tried to make her feel safe.

  Leon held his child, but this time he started to cry silently.

  ‘Leon,’ Esme said quietly, looking at him. ‘It’s fine. She’s safe.’

  ‘But she’s not. I shouldn’t have left her with someone I hardly know. My baby, my little girl.’

  Closing his eyes, he let Mali go and turned around, so she couldn’t see his tears. Leon stood up and walked out of the bathroom, wiping his face. Pulling himself together, he watched as Esme got out of the bath, covered in bubbles and so did Mali.

  Gently she wiped the child’s skin and then he saw it.

  There was a massive red mark on her thigh. He had to brace himself against the door frame just to steady his body. He looked at his child, and there was another red mark around her wrist.

  Esme was looking at him, shaking her head discreetly for him not to say anything.

  ‘Let your daddy help you take off your underwear and then I can give you a lovely t-shirt to wear,’ Esme said and got up walking past him, into her bedroom.

  Pulling Mali closer, he took off the underwear, putting it in the sink then dried his daughter, seeing her sad face.

  ‘I not like that girl, daddy. I not want her to come and see me again,’ Mali whispered. ‘I hurt.’

  He swallowed hard, nodding then glanced over towards Esme’s bedroom. He picked her up, wrapped in a towel and took her in. Esme was putting on a top, and he caught a glance of her bare breast.

  ‘I saw your boobie,’ laughed Mali, putting her hands over her face. ‘Daddy did you see her boobie?’

  Leon couldn’t speak.

  He was unable to because all he could think about was his baby.

  Some woman he hardly knew had slapped her; while another woman who he hardly knew, ran to protect her.

  Two women and poles apart.

  ‘Leon, you need to put on a happy face to make Mali happy,’ Esme said, shaking her hair loose from her clip while lifting up Mail to slip on a little t-shirt. ‘I have curry and I will make rice. You’re both staying here tonight, and we’ll sort out the sleeping arrangements later. All agreed?’

  Mali nodded happily, jumping on the bed.

  ‘Can we sleep here?’ Mali said, looking at Esme’s bed. ‘Me, daddy and you?’

  ‘We’ll see. Go downstairs and put on the television. I have to get rid of the bubbles.’

  Esme picked her up and watched her leave the bedroom.

  ‘Thank you and-.’ Before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around him, and he started to cry on her shoulder.

  Suddenly he felt like the worse father in the world.

  ‘That’s better.’

  Rubbing bruise cream carefully into Mali’s skin, she noticed Leon was watching everything she did. Esme understood his wariness. Looking up at him, she half smiled. ‘Am I doing it okay?’

  Leon nodded, and all the colour had drained from his face.

  ‘Mali, are you sure you don’t want to sleep in your own bed?’ he quietly asked, and the little girl shook her head from side to side.

  She was in good spirits now but had exhausted herself by crying most of the afternoon.

  They were in Esme’s bedroom.

  ‘I sleep in the middle and daddy sleep on one side and Esme on the other,’ Mali said.

  ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Leon said, helping his daughter get into bed. ‘Esme might not want to sleep in the same bed with us.’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ she said, wanting to stay close to the child and the father. ‘I snore like a piglet but that’s okay, isn’t it?’ Mali started to giggle. Esme kissed her cheek. ‘Goodnight little one. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

  She left the room, shutting the door halfway and walked back downstairs.

  Then she rang Alfie.

  ‘I need to tell you something,’ she whispered. ‘Mali was hit by a childminder this afternoon and I heard it. She was upset, but I’m not sure if there’s going to be bruising. I know what you said about school looking at things like this with suspicion. I can vouch it wasn’t her dad.’

  ‘Is she okay?’ he asked, sounding concerned. ‘Who was it?’

  ‘Look, do you think it’ll be okay to keep her off school tomorrow? I’ll get Leon to call. I think it’s more cosmetic than anything else, but there’s a mark around her wrist.’

  ‘Tell me.’

  ‘It was the woman who got hit by my Pavlova.’

  ‘Why am I not surprised? Don’t worry. I’ll sort it out. How’s Mali?’

  ‘Very upset but not as much as her dad.’ She heard footsteps above. ‘I better go. I thought I’d let you know.’

  ‘So you heard?’ he questioned lightly. ‘What did you do?’

  ‘What do you think?’ There was a gasp on the other side of the phone. ‘I told her what’s what.’
/>   ‘Oh mum!’ Alfie said, starting to laugh. ‘Did you threaten her?’

  ‘Of course I did and Ralph heard. So, no doubt, he’ll try and stitch me up because he wants me to apologise for flinging cake at his head. I love you.’

  ‘Love you too.’

  She turned to see Leon standing behind her.

  ‘I think you need a drink,’ she said, looking at her his red-rimmed eyes. ‘Shall we sit outside?’

  He nodded and walked out as she grabbed a bottle of wine, opened it and took two glasses. Leon looked at a loss on what to do.

  ‘I thought you were supposed to be out,’ he asked, his eyes focussed towards the end of her garden.

  ‘I was, but something cropped up and…’ Esme didn’t want to tell him that she had been out of sorts since their quick shag the day before. Right now, she thought it was best not to mention it. ‘It got cancelled, so I stayed at home. I heard what happened, and so did Ralph.’ Leon turned to look at her, now squinting. ‘He came round to say I owed him an apology for throwing dessert. Then we were distracted.’

  She watched him sip his wine, nodding and deep in thought.

  ‘I was a bit forceful with Melanie. That’s because I was furious. I’m sorry if she got upset. Ralph witnessed it. He can vouch for my story.’ Esme then shook her head. ‘Once I got Mali in here, I marched back and gave your girlfriend a piece of my mind.’

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘I told her not to lay a finger on her again, or I’ll smash her face in,’ she mumbled and was met with a blank expression. ‘I might have used stronger language than that.’

  She felt her face go red, seeing he was staring right at her.

  ‘I said ‘fucking’,’ Esme whispered and noticed he frowned. ‘I was a bit upset.’

  He put down his glass and placed his face in his hands before sitting back up again.

  ‘I don’t know her any more than I know you, yet I’m trusting my daughter in your hands. What does that say about me?’ He let out a loud groan. ‘I’ve never smacked my child. I’ve felt like it from time to time, when she's difficult, but I don’t expect a stranger to touch her or to intervene to protect Mali. That’s my job.’

  Esme noticed he looked angry, and it was directed at her.

  She recalled feeling the same way, all those years ago, when Alfie had his incident.

  And she could tell Leon would probably use her as a verbal punch bag.

  ‘I can’t leave the most precious thing in my life in the care of people I don’t know. I don’t even know you that well. How can I be sure you’ve not got some underhand plan with my kid?’ he said quite loudly. ‘What do I know about you?’

  ‘Only what I’ve said,’ she meekly replied. ‘I would never hurt your child.’

  ‘But you’re manipulating her to like you, aren’t you? You’re coming out like the nice person, and Melanie is the bad one. What chance do I have of ever meeting someone when Mali will compare them to you?’

  It confirmed that Esme had been a quick shag from the day before, and she covered up how upset the comment made her feel.

  Leon was still planning to either meet someone else or stick with Melanie.

  ‘I’ll back away,’ she quietly said, swallowing her pain. ‘I went to see what was going on because Mali was screaming and crying. I heard the slap and -.’

  ‘Do you mind? I think I’ll go to bed,’ he said abruptly, getting up and putting down his glass.

  She watched him walk into the house and go upstairs.

  He had turned the tables on her and made her feel bad for interfering.

  Deep down, she would have expected him to be pleased that she was on hand.

  Obviously not.

  Right now, she realised Leon didn’t want her around.

  ‘Where’s Esme?’

  Mali asked when she opened her eyes. Slowly Leon looked at his smiling child. ‘She not in the bed.’

  He couldn’t sleep for ages, knowing he was angry. Unfortunately he said a few too many things to Esme last night, which he realised were wrong.

  ‘She might have gone out early,’ he said and hoped she was downstairs. ‘How are you feeling? Can I see your leg?’

  Kicking off the covers, Mali stuck her leg in the air. There was a feint mark. Then he gently took her arm and the marks were evident, but luckily no bruising.

  ‘I’m keeping you home today with me.’

  Right now, he didn’t want to let her out of his sight, and he still wanted to see what Melanie had to say for herself.

  While in bed waiting for Esme to join them, he texted his dad, explaining what had happened but not to tell his mum until the following morning. His father’s response was total alarm and concern for his granddaughter and son.

  Then he realised he needed a break from everything and yearned to go away.

  That’s when he texted his dad again asking if the apartment his parents owned in Nerja, Spain, was free. He realised he needed to spend time with his daughter, and not worry about the opposite sex.

  It was the last thing on his mind, but he did feel the need to apologise to Esme.

  None of this was her fault, and she was trying to help his child.

  ‘Let’s find Esme!’ Mali said, jumping out of bed and walking out of the bedroom.

  Leon slowly followed, putting on his clothes and feeling guilty.

  ‘Here!’ Mali said when he got to the bottom of the stairs. ‘A note.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Dear Mali and Leon,

  I had to go out early but hope you slept well. There’s cereal and bread if you’d like breakfast. Please ring school if Mali’s not going in. I told Alfie last night, so it’s up to you. I’ll see you later. Love Esme xxx. P.S. Mali, I hope you’re feeling okay now.’

  His mobile started to ring.

  It was his mother.

  ‘What happened?’ she shrieked down the phone. ‘Where are you? No one’s answering the door.’

  ‘We’re at Esme’s.’

  ‘I’m outside your house. How is she? How’s my baby?’

  ‘Who’s that?’ Mali asked, running around Esme’s living room. ‘Where’s Esme? Can I stay home and play with her?’

  ‘Nana’s next door,’ he said, recalling what he told Esme the night before about her influence over Mali. Now the remorse was kicking in. ‘We’ll come and see Esme later.’

  Picking up his daughter, he put on his shoes and walked out of Esme’s home, using the front door.

  ‘Mali!’ Barbara said, rushing towards them and grabbing the child. ‘Where are her clothes?’

  ‘Nana, that girl who hurt my hair and made me sick with beans, beat me!’ Mali said, all wide-eyed. ‘I not like her. Horrid! Esme pushed her over and told her off and saved me.’

  ‘Oh my!’ Barbara said, holding the child tightly. ‘Are you sure she hit you?’

  ‘Posh man saw it all and he knows.’

  ‘Are you all right?’

  ‘Yes Nana,’ she said and hugged her around the neck, before resting her head against her shoulder. ‘I am hungry.’

  ‘Come on and let’s get some breakfast,’ sighed Leon, seeing the coffee van wasn’t there. ‘I’m not going into work today.’

  He opened the front door and let them in, and then turned to see his father walking slowly towards him.

  ‘Okay son?’ he gently asked and that’s when Leon burst into tears, making sure Mali or his mother couldn’t see or hear. His dad put his arms around him. ‘Let it all out. It’s okay. Mali looks fine.’

  ‘I feel awful.’

  ‘Listen to me,’ Stan said, looking into his eyes. ‘Esme was there to stop it from getting out of hand. You should be thankful your neighbour stepped in.’ He escorted Leon into the house before whispering. ‘And you need to pack a bag. I’ve bought you both tickets to Spain. The flight leaves this afternoon.’

  ‘But-.’

  ‘Spend some time with your child. It’s what you need now.’

  H
is dad was right.

  ‘It’s quite sweet.’

  Esme was holding the note she received when she got home. It was from Mali. Alicia looked at it then squinted.

  ‘What does it say?’ her friend asked, pulling a face. ‘I could never read the kids’ writing when they were younger. I used to nod a lot and say ‘that’s wonderful!’’

  Having not told her friend what happened on Tuesday, she smiled then felt pretty devastated.

  ‘Dear Esme

  Gone holiday to span with daddy. Feel better now. Love Mali xxxxx.’

  ‘They’ve gone to Spain,’ Esme smiled, wondering how he managed to sort it out so quickly.

  ‘The poor child must have been shocked about being slapped by some teenager,’ Alicia said, walking straight towards the kitchen and opening the fridge. ‘You should have called the police.’

  ‘I’m expecting a knock on my door any moment now citing physical and verbal abuse.’ Pinning the note to the wall, Esme smiled. ‘You don’t go pulling and hitting kids.’

  ‘So what’s your news?’

  Esme turned when her friend popped the cork on a bottle of cava.

  ‘I shagged Leon in one of the houses we’re working on a few days ago,’ she said very quickly, noticing her friend spill the drink she was pouring. ‘That’s a waste.’

  ‘You did what?’ asked Alicia, very loudly. ‘Your next door neighbour who said you were too old?’

  ‘He might have liked old moggy than young pussy, who knows?’ sighed Esme and took the glass out of her friend’s hand. ‘He said a few choice comments directly afterwards that upset me. And he apologised later on. Yesterday, when I thought I should speak about it, his girlfriend thumps his child. The next thing I know, they’ve fled the country. If ever someone was giving signals they’re not interested, it’s him.’

  ‘Explain?’

  So she did.

  Quite quickly, including the loaded accusation he made about influencing Mali.

  ‘If I’m confused, then your head must be spinning,’ said Alicia as they sat at the dining table. ‘And he doesn’t sound like he’s thinking straight.’