Chapter Three: Rita
The recent visit had emboldened Geoff to get the bus back to the street. He briefly looked towards the factory he believed belonged to his son. Though he didn't wish to go in and intrude. So he went back to the little Victorian style pub instead and was once again greeted by Daisy. This was much nicer than his local he has to admits and it had a certain charm. He ordered the same pint from last time and sat himself down at one of the snugs. Rita came in not long afterwards as she ordered her own drink.
"Do you know who he is by any chance? He was asking after Audrey the other day...Jenny's too proper to ask. So lucky I'm not" Daisy began with a glint in her eye as she passed the pint over.
Jenny giving a slight huff as she put her head firmly down. Rita looked towards the man but shook her head.
"I've no idea. Another ex-boyfriend no doubt. She has a lot of them" Rita suggested however she took another look at him and she too thought he looked like a slightly older version of Stephen..."I'll go and ask him" Rita then told Daisy.
Daisy giving a small smile before turning towards an unamused Jenny. Jenny giving her a tut in response. Now she looks nosy, doesn't she? Rita saying a small hello to Geoff as she asked if she could sit down. He was fine with doing that as he told her she can if she wants to.
"Did you manage to find Audrey?" Rita asked him as she took a sip from her own glass.
"I did. Finally...Are you a friend?"
"Well. We known each other for a long time. So what do you intend on doing? You're a bit of a mystery around here now"
"I'm Stephen's father"
"Oh! I should have known. You look very similar...We did wonder where and who you were. Audrey kept very quiet throughout the years"
"Oh did she? That's nice" Geoff replied in a bitter tone of voice.
"Well try and not take it to heart. She was only sixteen, wasn't she?"
"She wasn't sixteen when he was taken to Canada. She wasn't sixteen when he came back for visits. So don't give me that!" Geoff snapped.
Showing he did have a bit of a temper himself. He quickly took a swig of his drink as if to try and calm himself down but he carried on..."I never changed my name unlike her, she could have come and told me"
Rita quickly regretting her decision to enquire. He had a lot of anger pent up inside over this for the last couple of decades. The pub taking a small glance over which made him down the last of his pint. He put his flat cap back on and forced himself up with his walking stick. His flask coming out once again despite Daisy and Jenny's glares. Maybe this was the reason Audrey was scared to tell him all those decades ago. He likely always had a temper, even as a teenager.
"Sorry girls. Sorry" Geoff grunted as he put his flask back in his pocket.
"I understand you have a lot of of gripes but don't take it out on Rita" Jenny spoke as if she was warning him.
"Alright lovey"
"My heart can't take it" Rita said in a half-joking and half-serious manner.
"I really am sorry but Audrey took away my only chance of being a father. I wasted years looking. Only to find him when I'm at death's doors" Geoff spoke with a sigh.
"You still can make some things up. Ted wasn't exactly a spring chicken when he found Gail again" Rita assured him.
Though the name 'Ted' suddenly reminded Jenny of something. As she excused herself for she wanted to try the other Ted's number again. Not knowing it was down deep in the Manchester canals somewhere. She really misses Teddy and Leo and hated the way things were left. She needed closure rather than second-hand information from Stephen.
...
"Please just let me come to you instead. I don't want you getting into bother with mom and her friends. Look, what did they say to you anyway?" Stephen was asking Geoff on the phone.
"Not much. Look, my temper isn't that bad usually"
"Right. Well do you need any help with your will or anything like that? I think you ought to focus on that maybe. Rather than upsetting yourself and everybody else. Right?"
Silence came from the other end. Geoff knew his number alright, the will. Not questions of what his life was like or if he thought about him. It was just about the money. Which made little sense to the old man as his son has his own factory (or at least he thought so).
"The twenty grand? I knew that as soon as I mentioned it. You would clamber onto that. It's the old story. I'm never going to be seen as your father, so; that's all there is, is that right?" Geoff asked with a sigh.
"No. That's not right. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I just thought you would need something else to focus on"
"And never being allowed to visit you or your family is part of the deal?"
"No. Look I didn't mean never. I just thought it would be too much for you but if isn't it, you're welcome to" Stephen quickly replied, saving face.
Carla came into the office and cleared her throat. He quickly looked up and began to say his goodbyes. Saying that he will pick him up on Friday and let him meet the rest of the Platts. Though he was annoyed as he was saying it, he just wanted that will to be sorted. Now he could hardly talk about it without sounding as if he was money-mad.
...
"I don't see why we have to all meet him formally" Audrey spoke with a scoff.
The Platt family have set up dinner in the kitchen. Stephen was bringing Geoff round whether people liked it or not. Gail, David, Sarah and Harry being the only ones currently in as everybody else had other plans (or so they said). David however was only half-there. He kept looking at his phone and was wondering if he should call his own father Martin.
"Well it's the nice thing to do, gran" Sarah responded.
"Is it? Well let's invite your fir...One of your ex-boyfriends" Audrey answered with a slight quiver. She almost said 'first boyfriend' but she recalled that Bethany's father is dead at the last moment.
"It was years ago, gran. And he's Stephen's father. So it's a bit different" Sarah insisted with her hands on her hips.
The sound of the door opening suddenly make David click Martin's number. He heard a chorus of "David" from his gran, mum and sister as he insisted he had to ring Martin this minute. Thus avoiding seeing Geoff Chambers straight away, he really deemed himself having better things to do. Sarah however being very fond of her uncle was actually making an effort as was Gail. Geoff walked in with his flat cap and walking stick.
"Hiya. Welcome to the family home...It's usually a bit more crowded" Sarah began with a smile plastered on her face.
"And the banner announcing your welcome kept falling off" Audrey interjected like a spoilt child.
Which was met with a frosty glare from Geoff. Stephen giving Sarah a polite smile as he told Geoff this was his niece. Giving his mother a quick greeting kiss while Sarah spoke to Geoff a bit more and led him towards the dining room table. Gail giving him another hello as she met him not long ago.
"David should be down in a minute. He's just talking to his dad on the phone" Gail said.
"Yeah and I'm sorry not many people are here. It's just that a lot of things have been going on recently. Our family isn't as together as we should be" Sarah admitted with a sigh.
"Oh. Well I won't pry. I'm not really family anyway, am I? Just Stephen's father and even that's just by blood. I won't ever live up to Malcolm Reid" Geoff spoke quietly enough so Audrey and Stephen didn't overhear.
"Ignore gran. Stephen wants to meet you and that's the main thing" Sarah insisted.
Geoff briefly looked towards the couch. Audrey talking quietly to Stephen about something or other. She gasped slightly before pulling a poker face when she noticed they were getting stares. Stephen just told her that he lied to him about owning the factory. She wasn't happy but she supposed she would have to go along with it. Stephen then walked over towards the table and they all began to sit down and have a proper chat.
...
"This is lovely. Thank you" Geoff said as they were all half-way through their dinner. Beef stew.
"Thank you. So what's your life been like since 1957?" Gail asked.
"Not much to tell you the truth. I've done a bit of work on the docks. I never married or had any other children. I don't know...Things just never seemed to go my way. I had girlfriends since Audrey but nothing serious" Geoff admitted.
Audrey muttering under her breath about something. David felt something was wrong as he asked..."Why did you break up with gran?"
"Excuse me?"
"I said...Why did you break up with gran?"
"I don't recall. We were only sixteen. It was a long time ago, some teenage drama or else I suspect. Her parents didn't approve of me" Geoff tried to explain.
"Anything more to add, gran? Or do I have to consult granny Ivy's diary again?" David asked.
He felt Sarah kick him under the table like old times. Making him give out a quiet yelp. David was loving this, wasn't he? Anything to get away from his own problems suited him just fine. Audrey and Gail both shivered at the thought of granny Ivy's diary. Stephen too had an idea about what Ivy would have said about him, the bastard son from another father.
"I did the breaking up. I didn't want him knowing I was pregnant. And I regretted it ever since. So there's no big secret. It was just a stupid teenage girl running away from her problems. I told Stephen this years ago" Audrey answered firmly.
"She did. And I would appreciate it if you didn't pester my parents" Stephen spoke up while looking at David.
"Yeah well I would have appreciated it if you didn't pester my gran about Max's lawyer money but we can't all get what we want" David replied in bitter sarcasm before adding..."So be careful Geoff, money is all this one cares about"
"David! That's so not on!" Sarah shouted at him.
"You're only saying that because he's investing in your business. Don't want to upset Uncle Stephen or 'owt" David replied with a smug grin.
Sarah just scoffed as she didn't have an answer or a good retort. She just gave Harry a simple pat as he seemed unsettled by this sudden shouting. Stephen breathing in and out to calm himself down. David had always been trouble he thought and he wishes he wasn't his nephew sometimes.
"Why don't you go, David? We don't want you here if you're just going to cause a scene" Stephen said.
"No I'm staying right here. Because unlike you, I'm loyal to my family with or without money. You're only staying around because of good investment...Martin thinks so too for the record" David responded; sounding like his old self.
"Martin doesn't know me"
"Nobody knows you! Not even me...I don't know anything about you beyond your bank account really. What do we really know about him? Let's all write three things we know about him without talking about his business. Geoff might like it too as he might get to know him too. It's a good learning tool"
"David. Don't do this" Gail pleaded as she knew he was on self-destruct (however he was saying the truth).
"Look I'm taking Harry away. Because he doesn't deserve to listen to your ranting!" Sarah hissed at him before calming herself down, she said "Sorry" as she looked at Stephen and Geoff.
Taking Harry by the hand as she began to make tracks. She was heard opening the door and shutting it. Leaving the room very awkward indeed. David still had a smile on his face however it was an emotionless one as he began...
"I'll start. He gets mad over cars. Which means he's probably has some anger issues. Maybe stemming from the fact he didn't know anything about his real parents for a long time" David began.
"Enough!" Gail shouted at him.
"No wait a moment, I still got two more. Wait your turn, Gail. And remember. We can't repeat what the other said. Anyway, the second thing about your son, Geoff. Is that he's really miserly. You have a pound on the table, he will take it and keep it for as long as he needs it. Maybe that's because he's spent everything already and now works under the factory. Rather than on top of it" David carried on without missing a beat.
"He's got problems" Stephen tried to say to Geoff (but he was listening intensely).
"And the third thing is he's a pathological liar" David finished.
The room felt silent yet again. Gail with her head firmly down as she just couldn't bear to look up. It's been such a long time since she saw David so bitter and so downtrodden.
"No. That's not true. He's a loyal decent man. David is just having problems which we are never going to discuss" Audrey hissed.
"I expected better from you, gran. With your track records of spotting wrong uns. She knew Richard Hillman was bad before any of us...Now that's talent that is" David replied with his fork grasped in his hand.
The mention of Richard made Stephen get up from the table. As he stormed out without so much of a goodbye. Geoff confused as anything yet he knew this David meant every word. It all added up as he wasn't a stupid man and knew the will was the only thing that Stephen mentioned or talked about in the short time they got to know one another.
"You really are something, David! Spoiling a family dinner because you're having problems with your son!" Audrey shouted.
"Doesn't make what I said any less true. I've been warning you about him for weeks, right? And I get it, he's your son and you don't want to see any bad. But come on gran, he's a user" David tried to tell her.
This made Audrey just huff as she too stood up. Placing her coat over her self before getting away as quickly as she could before she could slap him. She loved her son and didn't want to hear anything of the sort. Even though his words stung like a wasp as now she's heard them. She can't unhear them and she can see that they may be true.
"Are you happy now? Everybody is almost gone" Gail said to David.
"I'm not happy, no. Just was sick of pretending that Uncle Stephen is perfect. You deserve the truth, Geoff. If I were you, I would take your money and blow it all on a good time for you. He doesn't deserve a penny" David suggested.
"You really think he's just using me for my money?" Geoff questioned him.
"Yes. Ask Elaine, ask anybody...Money is how he ticks. Now don't get me wrong, I tolerate him for gran but I know what he's after. Big lifestyle...all ruined. Now you come along with twenty grand and bam! He's suddenly there, wanting to get to know you"
"But he's my son"
"Only in blood. Not emotionally...Look Geoff, I'm sorry but that's what I see. Sarah's only in his corner because he's helping her with his business. I have no reason to lick his boots so that's why I'm telling ya"
Geoff looked sad for the first time. Gail giving a sigh but she too knew David was right. He even tried to lie about his wife being an emotional abuser and he lied about being a delivery man. He wasn't exactly a honest man and even though she loved him as he was her brother. She couldn't defend him against anything David was saying.
"He's not as bad as what David is saying. I'm bias as he's my brother and I do admit Stephen loves his money. It's up to you, maybe hear him out but I don't know if you should let him have all the money. Maybe half of it? David is right, you should spend it on something you like" Gail interjected.
"I need to speak to him first" Geoff maintained.
"Look. I'll give you a lift back home...It's the least I can do but I don't regret telling ya" David chimed in again.
Geoff just nodding as he thanked him quietly. He needed somebody to give it him straight and David was willing to do it.
...
TBC