Page 74 of The Side Road
‘We met yesterday.’ Ben held out his hand. Oliver took it. ‘You’ve met my son, Jack.’
Oliver looked at Jack. ‘Ben is your dad?’
‘Stepdad,’ Jack clarified.
Oliver introduced his daughter.
‘We’ve already met,’ Ben said. ‘The two of them were in detention together.’
Oliver raised an eyebrow. ‘Detention.’
Tash slinked behind the bike.
‘A minor incident.’ Ben dismissed the issue with a wave of his hand. ‘And congratulations. I hear you got the lead.’
‘Thanks,’ Tash said. ‘But I’m not doing it.’
‘Oh, but you must,’ Ben said. ‘There’s only a small window in life when a girl can play Juliet. It’s a role some girls would die for. On stage, of course.’
‘You got the lead?’ Oliver said. ‘In the play?’
Tash nodded.
‘You know how every day you come home from school, and I ask you what happened. You didn’t think to tell me you’re playing Juliet?’
‘We’ll talk about that later.’ Tash signalled to Jack. ‘Let’s get some snacks.’ Together they walked to the house.
‘She used to tell me everything,’ Oliver mused.
‘Jack’s sister was the same.’ Ben leaned against the frame of the garage door. ‘It’s like we’ve been dumped. For years, you were their best friend, their go-to person. The number one human in their life. You loved spending time together, and you thought it was going to be like that forever.’
‘But it’s not.’
‘No. They hit puberty, and you’re dumped with noexplanation. There’s no closure. No conversation. You’re left picking up the pieces of your broken heart. And the worst thing is, you’re living in the same house. Day in, day out.’
‘It’s not easy.’
‘It gets worse because at some point you realise what’s happening – you’re losing the love of your life – so you try even harder to keep things together. You overcompensate, but this pisses them off even more. That’s when the nagging starts. Clean your room, wash up after dinner, take the trash out. You hear yourself saying these things every day, over and over. Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing.’
‘But you can’t let them do whatever they want!’
‘Of course not, but at the end of the day, you have nothing to show for it. You can nag all you like, but it doesn’t work. They also lie – all the time.’
‘What’s the answer?’
‘I’m not opposed to bribery – for their own good. If Tash does the play, get her something she wants as a reward.’ Ben looked around the garage. ‘This is a good set-up. You could put a shingle out. Get a bit of work on the side. Big bike community around here. We’re always looking for a talented mechanic. If you need any second-hand furniture, let me know.’
‘You flip furniture?’
‘I do. The mid-century stuff makes me a good profit, but the late colonial pieces or federation are where the big money is. Stripping back timber is a miserable job, but people love to watch me do it. I have a healthy social media account. Now, let’s have a look at this bike.’
For dinner,Oliver made another serving suggestion meal. Classic baked beans included chickpeas, canned beans, andtomatoes. The recipe had over two hundred five-star reviews. He was serving the beans with leftover pork and broccoli on the side, as per the suggestion.
As he spooned the hot beans onto the plates, he turned to Tash and said, ‘Detention? Would you like to explain?’
‘About that,’ Tash said. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’ At the sink, she filled two water glasses and put them on the table.
‘Before you begin, know that I will be seeing your teacher very soon.’ Oliver placed the plates on the table. They sat down to eat.
