Blood and Water
Chapter One: Old Ties
An elderly looking man in a flat cap was seen pacing up and down the cobbles. With a walking stick in one hand and a flask in the other. He must have been seventy-eight or seventy-nine. He was hanging outside near the 'Rovers Return' with a newspaper scrunched up in his pocket. He took a swig from his flask before pushing open the door. Looking around as if he half-expected the people he was looking for to be there. He took another a swig from his flask under the watchful eye of Daisy Midgeley...
"You buy your own drinks in here" Daisy told the man with a forced polite smile.
He put the flask back in his pocket and muttered "Sorry" to her. Ordering a pint as he gave her a bunch of one pound coins. Daisy poured him said pint, she did a double-take at the man. He looked slightly similar to somebody she knows but was older and had even thinner hair. He thanked her and took the pint over one of the empty chairs near the window. He got out the newspaper (which had seen better days). An advert for the 'Trim Up North' was circled along with the name 'Audrey Roberts'. Was this the Audrey he thought? His old flame, maybe so. He's been looking for decades.
"Is there a Potter family around here?" the elderly man suddenly asked.
"Potter family?" Daisy asked with small laugh.
"Yes or at least a Roberts family? A child" the elderly man paused before correcting himself..."An adult I should say, is there a Potter or a Roberts adult?"
"Oh. Erm...I don't think so. Ask Audrey...I see you got her name circled" Daisy responded as she was now stood by him.
"Yes...I think I will. Does this Audrey have a child?"
"She has two. A son and a daughter" Daisy informed him.
Though she cringed at her self for telling him this information. Not everyone was as public as her. She knew better than anyone right now that telling strangers about people's lives wasn't a smart move. Though this man seemed harmless and very frail. Jenny Connor suddenly came out as she noticed nobody was serving at the bar as Daisy was too busy gossiping!
"Oh right. Well I'll try anyway. Thanks love" the old man responded.
Daisy giving a nod and a smile before returning to the bar. Jenny asking her what he wanted. The younger woman quietly explained..."He wants to know about Audrey and her children"
"What?"
"Yeah. I don't know why either, Jenny" Daisy said with a small wink.
Jenny looked towards the old man with confusion. She was a good friend of Stephen's and wondered if this might be connected. Why else would he ask? Everybody knows Gail's father is dead. Surely this cannot be Stephen's father. Though the truth was staring her in the face as this man looked like him but a little bit older. Sixteen years older perhaps? Jenny was going to go over but found she lost her bottle and before she could make her mind up. He left with his pint all gone and his newspaper back in his pocket.
...
"Wait a minute...Gail, go and talk to him" David spoke without much thought as he heard the door open to 'Trim up North'.
Gail giving a slight roll of her eyes as she got up. Putting her cup of tea down on the table. She made eye contact with this man and she saw that he looked like an older version of her brother. Geoff Masters was his name. Though still, she asked a simple question anyway...
"Do you want a haircut?"
"No. No...I haven't got much left as it is. I'm looking for a Potter family or perhaps a Roberts family. Do you know anybody?" Geoff asked while gripping onto his walking stick.
"Well yes. My maiden name is Potter...Who are you?"
"You're...You're Audrey's daughter?" Geoff asked.
This question finally made David walk over as he overheard this. He stood by his mother with his arms crossed as he said..."Who wants to know?"
Geoff directed his eyes to David as if he was looking for something. A glint in the eye perhaps. Though he couldn't see anything and he finally introduced himself properly as he said...
"Geoff Chambers. My name is Geoff"
Though Audrey didn't ever reveal his name to Gail so this meant nothing. She put her hand against her mouth. Thinking. She tried to place him but couldn't. Chambers she thought, who did she know that was a Chambers? David wasn't exactly in the know either. As both of them looked at Geoff in confusion and tried to work out his connection.
"Sorry. Was that suppose to be a big revelation? Because we still don't know ya" David admitted bluntly.
"How old are you?" Geoff asked Gail as he tried to work through the maths.
He doesn't know whether Audrey had a son or a daughter by him. He wasn't there long enough to find out.
"Okay he's definitely a weirdo" David muttered to Gail. He got a small kick on the chin as she tutted.
"I'm not sure I want to tell you any of this before I know who you are and what you want" Gail told him firmly.
"I'm Geoff. I courted Audrey Potter back in '57. She's got a child, two I heard and you're one of them. I'm your father...I think I'm your father" Geoff admitted.
"Now we know you're lying. Her father is dead and his name was Ted. So get out-" David however was cut off...
"David! Geoff...I think you're Stephen's father. Not mine"
...
A car pulled up outside the barbers half an hour later or so. Gail had rang Audrey and told her everything Geoff told her. Audrey walked in to find Gail and David having a cup of tea with Geoff as if he was always there. She didn't look happy as she came face to face with her childhood sweetheart. Geoff could see it was her but she's aged and so has he. Audrey slowly walked over and looked right at him with an uneasy feeling. Why was he bothered now? Was he dying? He clearly wanted to clean up some things in his life. Audrey sat on the furthest away chair from them as she remained silent.
"Is Stephen mine?" Geoff asked her directly.
"No. He's mine...Nowt to do with you and never has been" Audrey answered with a glare.
"Mam. Hear him out" Gail softly spoke.
Audrey just putting her hand out to urge him to go on. She thinks it can't hurt hearing him out but that doesn't mean she's telling Stephen. Not her golden boy. No. Truth was that coming face to face with Geoff has made her feel guilty all over again for how things worked out but she was sixteen when she had him. Barely out of school uniform. She didn't know what she wanted but she knew she wanted Geoff out of her life.
"You dumped me without a word. Next thing I know you had a baby and sent that baby to Canada. I've been trying to trace you for years but you got married and changed your surname. Stephen's mine, isn't he?" Geoff asked again.
"Don't say his name like you know him"
"Audrey. Please just say it"
"Fine...Yes he's yours but me and you were both kids. I knew you couldn't handle being a father and I couldn't handle being a mother. So I sent him to the couple next door and they moved to Canada. Stephen did much better without us"
"I'm old now Audrey...Very old. I want to...I want to mean something in my final years" Geoff spoke with much unsaid sadness.
"Well Stephen's old enough to decide himself if he wants to see ya. I personally wouldn't bother. The man who brought him up is his father, not you" Audrey replied.
"She's got a point" David interjected; feeling another kick in the shin from Gail.
Geoff remained silent as he just shook his head. He felt he was being unfairly judged for not being there when he didn't have a choice. Audrey didn't tell him and when he discovered she had a baby, it was too late. He gripped tighter onto his walking stick as if he was trying to repress the anger he felt at being called out for something not in his control.
"Well...Tell him I want to see him. I need his address or his telephone number" Geoff spoke after the few moments of awkward silence.
"Let me ring him for you. I'm not just having you spring yourself on him...Not when his actual father has died" Audrey replied quickly.
"I'm his actual father" Geoff hissed quietly.
...
"Stephen's coming...Everyone quiet. I told him to come urgently" Audrey announced after putting the phone down.
"You told him to come urgently without telling him his dad's here? Cause people famously love that" David spoke up again.
"Oh shut up, David. This has nothing to do with you...In fact, may you leave? I think you're only going to cause problems" Audrey insisted.
David suddenly felt like a teenager again as he shook his head. Oh no, he wasn't going to miss this as he said..."No. I ain't missing this bit of entertainment. I promise I won't say a word"
Audrey tutting as she sat back down. Nervously waiting for Stephen to come as he was only down the road in the factory. He was within walking distance. No doubt he would be here in a jiffy as she made sure he knew this was important. Geoff looking more nervous than she did somehow. As the four of them waited and waited, barely saying two words to one another. Gail offered to make some more tea but was politely rejected.
"I hope he's as calm as you, Gail" Geoff admitted; removing his cap.
"Well...He can be sometimes. He use to be a lot calmer...Didn't he, mam?" Gail questioned with a nervous smile.
"He is still calm! Work and money just stresses him out sometimes" Audrey replied as if she was insulted on his behalf.
"And cars. Cars stress him out" David interjected once again.
Audrey wasn't impressed as she crossed her arms again. The door soon opened as a slightly out of breath Stephen walked in. He debated even whether to come as he thought the worst. Geoff just looked at him as he watched him walk over towards Audrey. Placing his mobile into his pocket, he barely glimpsed over at the man sitting down.
"What's happened? Should I be worried?" Stephen asked in his thick Canadian accent.
"No sweetheart. Look, I was just as shocked as you're going to be. You remember I told you about your...biological father? Geoff Chambers. He's here...I didn't plan it. He just showed up" Audrey began to explain.
This made Geoff force himself up as he walked over towards him. He didn't know what to say now he has come face to face with him. Though the resemble was uncanny and he knew Stephen was indeed his. The seventy-eight year old man just looked at him and kept on looking. The slightly younger man just sat down besides Audrey.
"Stephen? Sorry to come out of the blue...How are you keeping? I mean...I don't know what to say besides sorry. Sorry for taking so long but I been trying to find you for a while. I didn't even know your name. Just Audrey's" Geoff stated.
"My father's dead" Stephen answered bluntly.
"I accept that. I do accept you will never see me as a father...Not now. But I would still like to be in your life. I'm old...I have no other children. Barely been living since your mum left me. I can't believe you exist...Everything but the voice is me sixteen years ago"
"Are you dying?"
"In some ways. Listen, Stephen. I feel like this was the last thing I needed to do. Will you at least come out with me sometime? Let me explain better...Without anybody else. Just me and you"
"I'm a busy man. I'm sorry but I can't do this. I had thought of what you really look like. Every adopted child does. Though I came to peace with it a long time ago. I don't feel anything anymore" Stephen spoke with little emotion.
"Right. Can you give me your number? I live alone...Can you not even do that?"
"It's just blood. My real father was Malcolm Reid and that's all I'm saying to you. Now if you all excuse me. I got to return to work" Stephen said without pausing for a break.
He got up and was truly ready to leave but he still had a bit of that curious adopted child left. So he got out a piece of paper and pen, writing down his number as requested. Giving it to a surprised but grateful Geoff. Before making his way out with a small glance to them all. Geoff looking at the number like it was best thing since sliced bread.
...
TBC