Page 57 of The Flowers of Bay C
Kat can’t be doing with it, it turns out. ‘Who do you think you are?’ she says to Kane. ‘Your girlfriend is ill. She’s in hospital, you absolute loser. Get off the bed and let her lie down.’
Kane is speechless for seconds, then his face contorts into an ugly leer. ‘Who the hell do you think you are, Mrs Vicar, telling me what to do? Oh so holier-than-thou, you are, just like all your types, think they are better than the rest of us, think they can tell us what to do. Well, you sour-faced bitch, I will do what I like, and at the moment I like sitting here.’
Jodie shakes her head at Kat, eyes big and wild and pleading. Kat flushes deep purple and grips her crochet hook so tightly thebones of her knuckles strain through her skin as she raises it slightly as if to position it to stab hard into Kane’s leg.
Jodie takes hold of Kane’s hand. ‘Listen, babe, we was just sorting out the trip tomorrow. There’s a bit of a set-back but I’m sure it’ll be sorted.’
‘It better bloody had, I’m taking time off work to ferry you lot round the countryside.’
Jodie nods furiously. ‘It will, don’t worry. We’re just sorting it out, aren’t we ladies?’ She gazes round at each of us in turn, imploring us with her pale, beseeching eyes, posing a question that doesn’t need to be asked.
Kat recovers herself first. ‘It’s fine. We’ll be ready.’
I nod, too, smiling away as if Kane is my best friend and I can’t wait to make him happy.
Amina flattens her lips, but doesn’t say anything.
Brian shuffles in grasping a bulging Waitrose bag and sits down by Violet’s bed. He is wearing brown cord trousers that barely graze his ankles and a dirty checked shirt missing some of its buttons. ‘Look at the state of you,’ she says, sitting up and brushing him down. ‘Look like the cat dragged you in. Honestly, you men, you fall apart without a woman to sort you out.’ She clicks her tongue loudly, sneaking a glance at me.
‘What’s eating you?’ Brian says, unexpectedly.
Violet scowls at him and her scowl is so loaded with scorn I wonder if he will melt in the heat of it. ‘Doctor says I have to wait another few days to go home.’
‘Oh dear,’ says Brian, but he doesn’t sound too disappointed.
‘Take that smirk off your face. Just because you can watch what you like on the telly and go and get fish and chips every night. Don’t you miss me?’
Brian nods hastily. ‘Yes, of course, dear.’
Violet huffs. ‘Yes dear this, yes dear that.’ She looks at his bag. ‘That my coat?’
He nods.
Her face sags. ‘You needn’t’ve bothered. I’ll not be needing it.’
Brian shrugs. ‘Might as well leave it here for when you come home.’
She shrugs.
‘You’re grumpier than usual tonight,’ he mutters.
Jodie speaks up, ignoring Kane who is immersed in his phone, spreading himself out until he takes up every last inch of her bed, like Henry VIII on his throne. ‘It’s ’cause she says she’s not coming with us tomorrow, but she wants to really.’
‘I don’t want to go, not with them lot. They laugh at me.’
Brian looks bemused.
‘Oh get a grip, Violet,’ Jodie says. ‘We’re all just joshing, got to get through the day somehow. Stop sulking like a stroppy toddler just ’cause you can’t go home today and watchEastenders.’
Kane looks up with a sly little smile, and then looks down at his phone again. It seems he’s fine with Jodie dishing out home truths to other people, then.
Violet puckers up her mouth. ‘Well, I never.’
Brian exhales slowly. ‘She’s right, though, dear. I mean, I mean…’ he stops, stumbling over his words, as Violet stares daggers at him.
‘What,dear?’
‘I just mean, it’s just, you cut off your nose to spite your face, sometimes. I just want you to be happy.’
