Page 68 of Waiting for a Bright New Future

“In a minute.” The old man flapped a hand. “Let’s bottom this Florence thing out first.”

“There’s nothing more to say. I didn’t speak to her and she won’t respond to my messages. The business with Tibby is holding things up. Jayne wants me to move in with her and Lillian as soon as possible.” He helped William onto the commode and disappeared to make breakfast before William could dig any further.

Why are you worried about him digging?

Porridge, toast, tea. Porridge, toast, tea. Stuart cycled the words in his mind until they drowned out his sister.

William didn’t speak again until he’d been dressed and was sitting in the chair with his breakfast. “Is Jayne still adamant about not putting her mother in a home?”

“She thinks her mother will have a better quality of life surrounded by those she knows and loves. There’s a lot to be said for that. And for Jayne not having to live with the guilt that she palmed her mother off on someone else.”

“But the life of the person doing the caring suffers. Dementia only gets worse. Trust me, I was a doctor. Lillian will deteriorate physically as well as mentally. The only unknown is how quickly.”

“Jayne wants to do the right thing by her mother. The three of us will be comfortable together.” Stuart turned his back and busied himself with William’s notes on his phone.

After a while William coughed and Stuart had to face his client again.

William waved a piece of toast at him. “I still don’t understand why you were scared to talk to Florence. And by the way, you’re too young to be using words like ‘comfortable’. You should be looking to get outside your comfort zone, not nestle further into it.”

“Reading to those kids is outside my comfort zone. Speakers’ club is outside my comfort zone.”

“Exactly. They have added new dimensions to your life and made you feel better. You need more of that.”

William’s preachy attitude was annoying him. “You should be an agony uncle. Talking about my life has brightened you up. You’re almost back to normal. Do you feel better?”

“Go see Florence again. And don’t bottle it this time.”

“Let’s change the subject. Tell me about your crisis of conscience. I can be a good listener.”

William waved a hand. “Boring. Put sugar in this tea, will you? I need something to pep me up. And then go do something for yourself. Something challenging with no women involved.”

Stuart was angry when he left William’s. The old man had wound him up with his prying, preachy attitude. There was only one way to get rid of the aggression.

Aha! The hill. Good choice, bro. Conquer the hill and grab a confidence boost.

Stuart winced as he caught the skin under his chin with the helmet clasp. He wasn’t after a ‘comfortable’ life—he was still on course for a bright futureandhe was up for challenges along the way. Since his father died, he’d almost tripled his weekly mileage on the bike and now the time was right to show the hill that had floored him in the long-distance ride who was boss.

He took a circuitous route to the start of the hill, warming his muscles and letting the calming greenness of the countryside focus his mind. There was an end-of-autumn chill in the air but that only served to sharpen his muscles and his resolve. There was an old Henry Ford quote he’d seen on social media:Think you can, think you can’t; either way you’ll be right.

“I think I can!”

Attaboy!

His legs were fresher than after the long-distance Audax ride he’d done at Easter and for the first quarter of the climb he had the momentum from the approach on his side. It felt good. A flock of geese passed noisily overhead in a ‘V’ shape. Teamwork got those birds where they needed to be; Stuart had only himself to rely on. But he could do it! His thigh muscles hit the demand for power and he gradually took the bike down the gears as he rose further up the hill. It became a battle to keep his legs pumping at the same rhythm and he raised himself from the saddle. The crest of the hill was fifty yards away. He had this in his pocket. Not many men his age would attempt any sort of fitness challenge. And definitely not this hill. He grinned. This would show William he wasn’t after a comfortable life.

Thwack. His front wheel took a sudden dive. His arms jolted painfully. There was a struggle to balance and then a flash of blackness and bright lights. Sunshine and birdsong made him blink. Wetness was creeping on his neck and crawling down his back. He was shoulder first in a ditch.

Stuart eased himself to a seated position and twisted his arm behind to touch the skin below his hairline. Ditch water, with an odour of decay and death. A couple of cars went past. The thump-thump from their wheels made him look more closely at the tarmac. If potholes had personalities, this one would have worn a sly grin and a wink.

You took your eye off the road, bro.

Stuart thumped the ground in frustration. His front wheel was bent and he had to walk home, dropping the bike in for repair on his way. With no time to change, he made William’s lunchtime visit in his damp Lycra. The old man’s amusement made Stuart even more determined to show that he was in charge of his own bright future.

This time a definite line would be drawn under the custody of Tibby so that he could devote his attention to Jayne. She deserved it after all the patience she’d shown him. He went online again. There were tickets left for that evening’s concert at a small theatre. Jayne wasn’t pleased at another absence but things would be better once he’d closed the door on all this.

“This has to be the last time,” Jayne said. “It’s like you’re stalking her.”

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