29th August 2012 – 18:00 Marignane, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
"Chas, it's Diane. If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny. Call me back please, we need to talk about this."
"Hi Love, it's me. Diane's just called to say you've gone? If there's something happened, or you need to stay here for some reason, you know you're more than welcome. Just phone and tell us you're safe please love, you've got everyone worried"
"Chas, it's Cain, what are you playing at? Call me back"
"Hiya Kid, do you fancy going into town tonight? Jai's looking after Noah so we could go for cocktails at that new place? Let me know. Ciao"
"Scrap the last message, I've just heard. What's going on? Cain's doing his nut in wondering why you've done a moonlight flit, and as much as I love anything winding him up, I'd quite like to know too. Call me back, we can meet up and talk about whatever it is, on the down low if you want?"
The messages went on and on, Chas felt dizzy at the sheer number of them, and not just voicemails, but at least 30 text messages. Gennie, Katie, Diane, Lisa and Belle, Cain, Charity, Debbie and Paddy had all contacted her in one form or another. And she felt guilty that they were worrying so much, their worry increasing as time went by. Then she heard a message from Cameron…
"Chas, it's me...I don't really know what to say…is this to do with us? Why have you just run off like that? Please come back…I miss you. Everyone is missing you…"
And she knew that she'd done the right thing getting away. Just hearing his voice still made her ache with a mixture of love, anger and regret.
She sent a text to Gennie saying 'Hi. Absolutely no need to worry about me, I'm fine. Please tell everyone I'm fine. Love you very much and I'm sorry. Look after yourself and Bump. Chas x x x' and then switched her phone off again.
Aaron came back from work and went straight to the bathroom for a shower. She went to the kitchen and plated dinner up, taking it out onto the balcony so they could enjoy the balmy evening as they ate. She went back and got them both drinks, beer for Aaron, lemonade for herself – she was missing wine already – and was just starting on her food when Aaron came out, hair still wet from his shower.
"Good day?" she asked him as he sat down and cracked his beer open.
"Yeah, pretty good ta" he replied after taking a large gulp.
"How's Carl?" Chas asked, trying to keep a straight face as she looked her son in the eye.
"He's fine. Like he was fine yesterday and the day before when you asked. And no, he won't be visiting the flat any time soon" Aaron told her. He'd stopped getting wound up or embarrassed after the fifth day of the same conversation. Now he just played along, knowing it was a game his mum enjoyed playing and one he secretly enjoyed too. "How was your day? Get up to owt?" he asked her.
"Yeah, dead busy. Got up, went for a jog, did some oil painting, met up with some friends for lunch, then back here for a quick change and spent the whole afternoon water-skiing. What larks!"
"And your serious answer is…?"
"Feels like I spent most of the day hugging the toilet"
"Again?"
"Yeah. Managed to get out for a walk though. Picked up some groceries and beer."
"Cheers"
"It's nice round here, the people are really friendly"
"Are they?"
"Yeah, once you get talking to them. Really helpful"
"I can't get anyone to speak English. How did you do it?"
"Didn't. Spoke French."
"What? How?"
"Well, you open your mouth and move your lips…"
"Have you been eating sarcastic pills or something? I mean, how do you know how to speak French?"
"School. Did A-Level French. Got an A. Then did a French Literature module at uni. I thought I'd have forgotten it all, but as soon as I started speaking, it all flooded back. Like riding a bike really."
Aaron was gobsmacked. "So when you've been watching the French channels on TV this week, it wasn't just to wind me up?"
Chas laughed and shook her head, "don't be daft. There's winding someone up, then there's just being weird".
"So, you knew I was going to France and you didn't think to maybe mention that you could speak the language? Maybe offer to teach me some?" Aaron asked, his temper flaring slightly.
"I didn't actually know you were going though, did I?" Chas shot back, on the defensive now, sensing Aaron's anger, "you told me you weren't going. The first I heard of it was when you turned up in your court suit to announce you were doing a runner".
Aaron could hear the grief beneath her words, and knew it still hurt that he had trusted Cain over her to help him run away. "Mum, I'm…"
Chas raised her hand to stop him, "ancient history. Doesn't matter anymore" she said. She pushed her plate away from her, no longer hungry.
"You've hardly eaten anything" Aaron pointed out.
"Feel a bit iffy"
"Have you kept anything down today?" he asked her, worried at how pale and tired she looked. She shook her head to say no. "I think you should go see a doctor" he told her, "see if they can prescribe you something for the sickness. It can't be good for either of you, can it?"
"I'm not registered here, I don't…"
"I get free private health care for myself and my family through Rally Cross France. I'll ring up and get you an appointment for tomorrow and I'll take you there myself" he insisted.
"Thanks love" she replied, grateful for his support. She didn't want him to know how worried she was that something was wrong. She was never this bad with Aaron, she'd barely kept anything down for days and it was starting to take its toll on her body.
"Mum?"
"What?"
"Will you teach me? French, I mean"
"Course I will darlin'. I'll try my best anyway. You got any books?" she asked.
Aaron nodded and went inside to find the books he'd bought when he'd first arrived with Ed. They sat on the balcony for the next three hours, Chas patiently talking Aaron through the basics of the French language, finding pleasure in teaching her son. And he enjoyed being taught, hearing his mother rolling her r's and them both laughing when he struggled to copy the sound.
The sun finally set and Aaron realised Chas was on the verge of nodding off. "Time for bed" he said, closing the books and carrying them inside. Chas followed, completely knackered, but thrilled about the closeness she and Aaron were beginning to share, hopeful that being a mother was something she was finally beginning to master.