Chapter 4
A couple of hours later Matt walked me home. Outside the door to Edbrook we stopped to say goodbye.
"Thankyou for today Matt!"
"Anytime! You seem a little quiet....is there something worrying you?"
I sighed, I wanted to tell him of my suspicions but this was his brother I was thinking the worst of & he hardly even knew me! So I put on a smile & kissed him on the cheek. "Nothing's wrong! I gotta go! Thanks again!"
"Sure thing! See you around maybe?"
"I'm sure you will!" I smiled & took Daniel inside.
I went into the kitchen where Mary was cleaning. She looked up as I walked in.
"Hello there! Where have you been all morning?" Daniel toddled over & gave her a hug.
"Oh it's a very long story! I need a cup of tea! You want one?"
"I'd love one thankyou!"
"Duce pees!" Daniel smiled at me & handed me his cup.
"Ok little man! One Juice comming up!"
"After I handed Daniel his cup I made myself & Mary a cup of tea. We'd just sat down when Steve came in.
"Hey there little fella!" He ruffled Daniel's hair. "Hello ladies! How are we today?"
"What are you after mister?" Mary said sarcastically.
"Jeez! Can't a guy be nice without you gettin' all uperty!?"
"Not where you're concerned young man!"
Steve rolled his eyes. "Well actually now that you mention it......I did want to ask this young lady here if she'd like to go to the movies with me tonight?" he smirked.
"I knew it!" Mary muttered under her breath.
"Well thankyou for your very kind offer but it'll have to be some other time! The Jay's are in New York for 3 nights so I'm a 24/7 nanny until they get back!"
Steve looked deflated. "Ahh well maybe next weekend then?"
"Maybe!" I smiled. I could see this guy was never going to take no for an answer!!
"So little guy, how about you & me go outside & throw the football around for a while?"
"Don't you ever do any work!?" Mary smiled.
"Hey.....I'm the driver & the passenges aren't here....what's a guy supposed to do?!" he laughed.
"YAY!" Daniel shouted & ran to the back door hopping for foot to foot eager to get outside with Steve!
"You don't mind?" he asked me.
"Hell no! Go for your life - make him run around as much as you like then maybe he'll sleep tonight!"
When Mary & I were alone I got a good look at her & she looked warn out.
"So, what's Sarah been up to? You look exhausted!"
She sighed. "Well she didn't come home last night....AGAIN! I guess I'm just old fasioned....I worry!"
"Oh I see......well I'm sure she's ok Mary.....she can look after herself." I stretched across the table & took hold of her hand, "I'm sure she'll be home soon, you'll see!"
"It's that Matthew! I'm gonna lay money that she's with him somewhere! Ever since she started seeing that boy she's been wilder than ever!"
"Oh it can't be Matt! I've just come from his place & she wasn't th....." my voice trailed off when I saw the look on Mary's face! 'Way to go Bec!' I thought to myself.
"You were at Matthew's house??!!"
"Erm yeah...it's a long story, but yes I was there! He helped me out of a tight spot today that's all! Mary tell me to mind my own if you like, and I know I only just met the guy but he seems like a decent sort of a bloke to me!"
"Ha! They all do dear, believe me!"
"All...as in men in general or.........maybe you just mean wrestlers?!" She stood up & went to the sink with her cup. "Mary come on you can talk to me! What's the problem? I mean I'd like to know if Matt's done something bad before I start to considder him as a friend!"
She looked up at the celing. "Promise me this goes no further?!"
"I promise!"
"And you won't laugh?!"
"Why would I laugh? Look come on tell me!!"
"Well it was a long time ago, I was slightly younger than you & Sarah at the time...and well...." she paused.
"It can't be that bad Mary!"
"...alright then....I erm...I dated one of those so called professional wrestlers!"
"YOU DID?!" I tried to stop myself from giggling!
"There see, now you're laughing! Forget I mentioned it!" She started to get on with her cleaning.
"Oh Mary I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to laugh it's just...not what I expected you to say that's all! Come on then tell me what was so bad about dating a wrestler...no more laughing I promise!"
She sat down again & gave me a sly look to see if I was still smirking before telling me her story! "Well I guess I was young & stupid! He was in local shows & the folks round about treated him like Goddamn royalty! He never paid for a drink at the bar or a meal at the diner.....he was the local hero....the bees knees so to speak! Anyway just about every girl who saw him threw themselves at his feet, but it was me he chose!" She smiled as she looked at some long forgotten picture in her mind. "Well he didn't have to ask me twice! Walking into a place on his arm....well it was the best feeling a girl could have! We were the talk of the town & all the girls envied me - made myself a lot of enemies if you know what I mean....but to tell you the truth I loved every minute! But.....I guess it was all just pie in the sky! Let's just say all was not what it seemed to be where that guy was concerned! Only I was too stupid to realise it until after......." she looked off at the far wall as if a picture from an old projector was being beamed onto the white painted surface!
"After what? What did he do?"
"It was a long time ago and things were different for women in those days....we didn't have none of this 'girl power' malarky that you younguns are always going on about!" I smiled. "Well after he hit me - gave me a black eye & nigh on broke my cheek bone, he then...well y'know...he forced himself on me!"
"He raped you?!!"
"Girl! That word wasn't hardly ever heard of back then! It was seen as a husband's right - he went out & made the money while the wife stayed home, raised the kids, kept house & lay on her back countin' the cracks in the celing once a week!" My jaw dropped! "O'course it was different for me on account of we weren't husband and wife that was probably the worst part! If I'd told anyone at all I'd have been seen as some sort of jezabell! So I didn't!"
"But surely the police...."
Mary laughed " Don't get me wrong, I thought about it, but then the thought of everyone knowing what he'd done to me - having to explain it to my father......well common sense told me I'd be better off keeping my mouth & my legs shut from then on! I suppose that's why it took me until I was 42 years old to get married & have Sarah...."
"CHRIST!"
"Yep....Christ was about the only man I trusted for a lot of years!" She smiled.
After a minute of taking all this in I decided to try once more to get her to see sense! "But Mary....I'm sure Matt, well he seems like such a nice guy......y'know, maybe................."
"Maybe nothin'!" she snapped at me, "I just don't want my sarah to have to go through what I did!"
"But he helped me out today Mary! I will go so far as to say he might have saved me from that same thing happening to me!! If he hadn't turned up when he did I don't know what I'd have done...seriously!"
I proceeded to tell her the whole tale of what had happened by the river that morning, but I never told her about the mud I saw on Jeff's boots because I knew she'd jump to conclusions I hadn't even reached yet! The guy could've been anywhere around here to get muddy boots! when I'd finished telling her my story she squeezed my hand.
"Well if I was you I just wouldn't go back there on my own again! Just to be on the safe side...I mean it was probably just an animal like you say....but just be careful ok? And Christ where IS that girl of mine?!" She stood up & took my cup to the sink, "Maybe I should call some of her friends or something?"
"Yeah maybe you should, just to put your mind at rest!"
"And you are sure she wasn't with Matthew?"
"I'm pretty sure she wasn't in the house & I was there over an hour!"
"Right that settles it!" She headed to the door.
"You go & make some calls & I'll fix Daniel's lunch, I'm sure she'll be back soon!" I picked up a cup from the drainer & started to dry it.
"MARY!" Steve bounded in through the door & I screamed & dropped the cup, smashing it on the tiled floor!
"DAMMIT STEVE!"
"I'm sorry! Wow you're a little jumpy today!"
"Well what do you expect when you go charging around like you have a rocket up your arse!!"
"Well I don't have anything up my ass but I know someone that will have when I go & pick them up in town!"
Mary came in all flustered. "What are you going on about Steve!? I don't have time for fooling ar..."
"Sarah! She just called my cell!"
"OH GOD! Is she ok?!"
"She's in town, stayed with some friend of hers called Monica or something....anyway seems they didn't get home until 4am this morning! So I guess all that's wrong with her is a bad bad hangover! Anyway she wants me to go pick her up!" Steve grinned.
"You go get her! Bring her straight back here & tell her I'm gonna kick her scrawny butt into the middle of next week!" Mary stormed out of the kitchen! Steve & I smiled.
"Uh oh! I wouldn't like to be in Sarah's shoes when she gets home!" I laughed.
A couple of hours later Matt walked me home. Outside the door to Edbrook we stopped to say goodbye.
"Thankyou for today Matt!"
"Anytime! You seem a little quiet....is there something worrying you?"
I sighed, I wanted to tell him of my suspicions but this was his brother I was thinking the worst of & he hardly even knew me! So I put on a smile & kissed him on the cheek. "Nothing's wrong! I gotta go! Thanks again!"
"Sure thing! See you around maybe?"
"I'm sure you will!" I smiled & took Daniel inside.
I went into the kitchen where Mary was cleaning. She looked up as I walked in.
"Hello there! Where have you been all morning?" Daniel toddled over & gave her a hug.
"Oh it's a very long story! I need a cup of tea! You want one?"
"I'd love one thankyou!"
"Duce pees!" Daniel smiled at me & handed me his cup.
"Ok little man! One Juice comming up!"
"After I handed Daniel his cup I made myself & Mary a cup of tea. We'd just sat down when Steve came in.
"Hey there little fella!" He ruffled Daniel's hair. "Hello ladies! How are we today?"
"What are you after mister?" Mary said sarcastically.
"Jeez! Can't a guy be nice without you gettin' all uperty!?"
"Not where you're concerned young man!"
Steve rolled his eyes. "Well actually now that you mention it......I did want to ask this young lady here if she'd like to go to the movies with me tonight?" he smirked.
"I knew it!" Mary muttered under her breath.
"Well thankyou for your very kind offer but it'll have to be some other time! The Jay's are in New York for 3 nights so I'm a 24/7 nanny until they get back!"
Steve looked deflated. "Ahh well maybe next weekend then?"
"Maybe!" I smiled. I could see this guy was never going to take no for an answer!!
"So little guy, how about you & me go outside & throw the football around for a while?"
"Don't you ever do any work!?" Mary smiled.
"Hey.....I'm the driver & the passenges aren't here....what's a guy supposed to do?!" he laughed.
"YAY!" Daniel shouted & ran to the back door hopping for foot to foot eager to get outside with Steve!
"You don't mind?" he asked me.
"Hell no! Go for your life - make him run around as much as you like then maybe he'll sleep tonight!"
When Mary & I were alone I got a good look at her & she looked warn out.
"So, what's Sarah been up to? You look exhausted!"
She sighed. "Well she didn't come home last night....AGAIN! I guess I'm just old fasioned....I worry!"
"Oh I see......well I'm sure she's ok Mary.....she can look after herself." I stretched across the table & took hold of her hand, "I'm sure she'll be home soon, you'll see!"
"It's that Matthew! I'm gonna lay money that she's with him somewhere! Ever since she started seeing that boy she's been wilder than ever!"
"Oh it can't be Matt! I've just come from his place & she wasn't th....." my voice trailed off when I saw the look on Mary's face! 'Way to go Bec!' I thought to myself.
"You were at Matthew's house??!!"
"Erm yeah...it's a long story, but yes I was there! He helped me out of a tight spot today that's all! Mary tell me to mind my own if you like, and I know I only just met the guy but he seems like a decent sort of a bloke to me!"
"Ha! They all do dear, believe me!"
"All...as in men in general or.........maybe you just mean wrestlers?!" She stood up & went to the sink with her cup. "Mary come on you can talk to me! What's the problem? I mean I'd like to know if Matt's done something bad before I start to considder him as a friend!"
She looked up at the celing. "Promise me this goes no further?!"
"I promise!"
"And you won't laugh?!"
"Why would I laugh? Look come on tell me!!"
"Well it was a long time ago, I was slightly younger than you & Sarah at the time...and well...." she paused.
"It can't be that bad Mary!"
"...alright then....I erm...I dated one of those so called professional wrestlers!"
"YOU DID?!" I tried to stop myself from giggling!
"There see, now you're laughing! Forget I mentioned it!" She started to get on with her cleaning.
"Oh Mary I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to laugh it's just...not what I expected you to say that's all! Come on then tell me what was so bad about dating a wrestler...no more laughing I promise!"
She sat down again & gave me a sly look to see if I was still smirking before telling me her story! "Well I guess I was young & stupid! He was in local shows & the folks round about treated him like Goddamn royalty! He never paid for a drink at the bar or a meal at the diner.....he was the local hero....the bees knees so to speak! Anyway just about every girl who saw him threw themselves at his feet, but it was me he chose!" She smiled as she looked at some long forgotten picture in her mind. "Well he didn't have to ask me twice! Walking into a place on his arm....well it was the best feeling a girl could have! We were the talk of the town & all the girls envied me - made myself a lot of enemies if you know what I mean....but to tell you the truth I loved every minute! But.....I guess it was all just pie in the sky! Let's just say all was not what it seemed to be where that guy was concerned! Only I was too stupid to realise it until after......." she looked off at the far wall as if a picture from an old projector was being beamed onto the white painted surface!
"After what? What did he do?"
"It was a long time ago and things were different for women in those days....we didn't have none of this 'girl power' malarky that you younguns are always going on about!" I smiled. "Well after he hit me - gave me a black eye & nigh on broke my cheek bone, he then...well y'know...he forced himself on me!"
"He raped you?!!"
"Girl! That word wasn't hardly ever heard of back then! It was seen as a husband's right - he went out & made the money while the wife stayed home, raised the kids, kept house & lay on her back countin' the cracks in the celing once a week!" My jaw dropped! "O'course it was different for me on account of we weren't husband and wife that was probably the worst part! If I'd told anyone at all I'd have been seen as some sort of jezabell! So I didn't!"
"But surely the police...."
Mary laughed " Don't get me wrong, I thought about it, but then the thought of everyone knowing what he'd done to me - having to explain it to my father......well common sense told me I'd be better off keeping my mouth & my legs shut from then on! I suppose that's why it took me until I was 42 years old to get married & have Sarah...."
"CHRIST!"
"Yep....Christ was about the only man I trusted for a lot of years!" She smiled.
After a minute of taking all this in I decided to try once more to get her to see sense! "But Mary....I'm sure Matt, well he seems like such a nice guy......y'know, maybe................."
"Maybe nothin'!" she snapped at me, "I just don't want my sarah to have to go through what I did!"
"But he helped me out today Mary! I will go so far as to say he might have saved me from that same thing happening to me!! If he hadn't turned up when he did I don't know what I'd have done...seriously!"
I proceeded to tell her the whole tale of what had happened by the river that morning, but I never told her about the mud I saw on Jeff's boots because I knew she'd jump to conclusions I hadn't even reached yet! The guy could've been anywhere around here to get muddy boots! when I'd finished telling her my story she squeezed my hand.
"Well if I was you I just wouldn't go back there on my own again! Just to be on the safe side...I mean it was probably just an animal like you say....but just be careful ok? And Christ where IS that girl of mine?!" She stood up & took my cup to the sink, "Maybe I should call some of her friends or something?"
"Yeah maybe you should, just to put your mind at rest!"
"And you are sure she wasn't with Matthew?"
"I'm pretty sure she wasn't in the house & I was there over an hour!"
"Right that settles it!" She headed to the door.
"You go & make some calls & I'll fix Daniel's lunch, I'm sure she'll be back soon!" I picked up a cup from the drainer & started to dry it.
"MARY!" Steve bounded in through the door & I screamed & dropped the cup, smashing it on the tiled floor!
"DAMMIT STEVE!"
"I'm sorry! Wow you're a little jumpy today!"
"Well what do you expect when you go charging around like you have a rocket up your arse!!"
"Well I don't have anything up my ass but I know someone that will have when I go & pick them up in town!"
Mary came in all flustered. "What are you going on about Steve!? I don't have time for fooling ar..."
"Sarah! She just called my cell!"
"OH GOD! Is she ok?!"
"She's in town, stayed with some friend of hers called Monica or something....anyway seems they didn't get home until 4am this morning! So I guess all that's wrong with her is a bad bad hangover! Anyway she wants me to go pick her up!" Steve grinned.
"You go get her! Bring her straight back here & tell her I'm gonna kick her scrawny butt into the middle of next week!" Mary stormed out of the kitchen! Steve & I smiled.
"Uh oh! I wouldn't like to be in Sarah's shoes when she gets home!" I laughed.