Page 22 of This is Where I Leave You

The sight of her mother-in-law looking dirty and guilty behind Tracy was the biggest shock of all. “What..why?”

Priscilla stepped forward, taking Cady’s arm and leading her to the lounge like one would a confused old lady. “I went to see your mother today, I thought that you might need some family around you at a time like this, and she…well she is here now. Is something burning?”

Cady dashed to the stove, taking the food off the heat. Banging the oven door open, she shoved some cheese and garlic topped bruschetta slices under the grill and glared at the pair.

“I am fine, Priscilla. I don’t need any help. I am cooking, I cleaned today. I am fine, see?” She gestured to the very homely looking sitting room. Priscilla nodded feebly and sank into the nearest armchair.

For the whole exchange Cady could see Tracy walking around the room, eyeing her knick knacks. Picking up the CD, she snorted loudly.

“Nina Simon? Who’s that like, bit old in’it?”

Cady took the CD case back from her mother and placed it back on the rack.

“It’s Nina Simone, mother, and I like it. Now what are you doing here? Kids ok?”

Tracy narrowed her eyes. “Always, and another on the way too. Some of us women find it easy that way.” She said this with a great degree of smugness, rubbing her stomach with her nicotine stained fingers.

Cady’s mouth dropped with shock, and she suddenly looked quite sick.

“Another? Who to this time, or don’t you know?”

Tracy’s grin froze on her lips. “It’s Wayne’s again, actually, and we are chuffed to bits.”

Cady walked back to the kitchen area and checking on her food, her eyes flicked to the kitchen clock. Marcus would be here any minute.

“Well ladies, not to be rude, but I am rather busy this evening, so is that all?”

She locked eyes with her mother as she said this, crossing her arms in obvious anger.

Priscilla watched the two pregnant women, so different, but with so much in common, circle each other like lionesses, complete with claws and raised hairs. She swore she heard Tracy growl at one point.

“Way I see it, dear daughter, is that you will have a pretty nice set-up here now, and with a little brother or sister on the way…I want more money.”

Priscilla’s eyes widened. More money?

Cady sighed loudly, and putting her shaking hands down by her sides, making fists so clenched they become almost completely white, she began walking across the carpet to her mother, her bare feet padding against the pile.

“What you are growing is NOT a brother or sister to me, or a child to be loved for you. It’s a meal ticket, like we all were. Now I have done my bit with the monthly cheque, but I am not returning to work for a while, so money will be tight. You have had more than your pound of flesh, and I think it’s time for me to cut my losses.”

Tracy exploded. “Cut your losses! You ungrateful bitch! You think you’re so fucking hoity toity don’t you!? You really think this life is yours? Cos it’s not love, you are alone now, and pretty soon you will be at the housing office pleading your belly like the rest of us. You think she,” pointing a yellow finger at Priscilla,” will look after ya? You are kidding yourself love. You are not stopping giving me my due either, girl.”

At this the lights flickered on and off. The CD burst into life, playing Nina’s ‘Ain’t Got No.’ Tracy jumped and the three women all looked wide eyed at each other. Priscilla seemed calmer somehow, she stayed in her seat, pulling a cushion to her chest tightly as though she were about to visit a movie. The words played out, ‘ain’t got no home, ain’t got no shoes, ain’t got no money, ain’t got no class’ as the cushions from the sofa started to pelt at Tracy, knocking her back towards the door.

Cady was terrified. What the hell was happening? The CD kept singing the same lines over and over, while the cushions were attacking Tracy like stuffed ninjas. Tracy was stumbling backwards to the door, screaming obscenities all the way at Cady. The lights were flickering on and off frantically, and the whole room jiggled and clanged around as though they were on board a train. Cady turned to Priscilla and stopped dead. Priscilla was staring at the ceiling, smiling the warmest smile that Cady had ever seen. Then she realised she had seen it before. When she had looked at her son. A look of complete admiration and adoration. This was Richard? No, that was crazy!

Tracy continued to scream and the front door suddenly flung itself open. Cady ran towards her mother as the wind whipped around the door step. Tracy’s greasy hair was flapping in tendrils about her face, and she was screaming now as the wind whipped her about. Expecting a worried Marcus at the door having heard the commotion, she realised that there was no-one there. She jumped back from the door as realisation set in. Richard was helping her. It had to be him. Either that or she was having a stroke. Either way, it gave her the push she needed.

Shouting against the now howling wind and grabbing at her own hair as it consumed the features of her face, she yelled, “Mum, I never want to see you again, and you will never get another penny. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN!”

It all stopped. The cushions dropped to the floor, the wind died, the CD stopped and the lights came back on. Looking behind her, Cady could see her lounge was intact, if a little windswept, and Priscilla was still sitting in the chair. Giving her two thumbs up, she turned to the ceiling and blew a kiss.

Cady looked at her mum, snarling and sweating on her doorstep and smiled.

“Goodbye mother.”

And with that she slammed the door tight.

CHAPTER 20

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