Page 123 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz
‘Is there any more news about Janine?’ I ask.
Bonnie sends a text to Maureen and reports herimmediate reply. ‘Nothing on the TV news but Maureen saw an online bulletin that said it was, in fact, Sharon Young, Janine’s mother, who had died. Janine has been charged with not reporting a death – is that really a criminal offence? – but she has been allowed home. Poor girl. What can have happened?’
‘Well, clearly her mother died.’ Cath rolls her eyes to heaven.
‘Oh, you know what I mean.’
‘I think it is very sad her mother pass away and no one else know,’ Ingrida adds.
It is one of the few times Ingrida says anything. She took a call on her phone earlier, taking it into the ladies, and has retreated into herself since.
‘Oh look, Bold as Brass are next.’ Cath points to the screen.
We all stop to watch as Sheila’s women execute the “Roxanne” dance perfectly.
‘Damn. They were good,’ I comment. ‘I always loved that routine. Wonder what the judges thought?’
‘I expect the audience will be disappointed there were no costume disasters this time,’ Cath adds. ‘They must be getting a lot of applause, they’re still bowing and waving. Sheila will be lapping this up.’
Asha’s phone rings and she answers before handing it over to me. ‘Ruby, your son.’
I thank her and take the phone into the corridor as everyone has stopped talking to watch Edith’s group perform the “Fix You” routine.
‘Hi, Will. How are you? I missed your calls.Everything OK?’
‘Yep. Wanted to see if you’d left me money but Grandpa gave me some.’
‘And there’s me worried you’d had an accident. Did you get my messages?’
‘Yep.’
‘Has everything been OK with Grandpa staying?’
‘Yep.’
‘We danced well in the finals. Opened the show.’
‘Sweet.’
‘You’re doing it again.’
‘What?’
‘Talking in monosyllables.’
‘What do you want me to say? The house burnt down? Aliens landed? My biological father turned up to claim his long-lost son…’
My mouth dries up and I start to say, ‘Very funny…’ but it’s a fraction of a second too late and he instantly picks up on the delay.
‘Wait. Hello? I was going to say only kidding, but now I’m guessing that’s, like, a real possibility? I mean, you said…’
‘Will, we can’t talk now. When I get back.’
‘What… Are you for real, Mum? I mean, are you having some kind of mid-life crisis?’
‘What?’
‘Well, first you start seeing Max seriously when you’ve never been serious about any bloke in your life. And then you and Monica fall out, and you rant on about hating your job. Then you chuck your mobile in a river.And now you’re going to have a heart-to-heart with me about this anonymous sperm you used…’
