Page 21 of The Lie
15
It had been a tearful reunion with Rex on Thursday, the three of them hugging each other in mute bewilderment when he arrived, dazed from his twenty-four hours of travel. But being there to welcome her son in the place the boys still thought of as home felt strange without Michael, especially as now she considered the Sussex cottage her home. As a family they seemed disoriented, not sure what to do with themselves.
Later that day Rex and Leo took over from her at Michael’s bedside. She needed to go to the flat to collect clean pyjamas and his shaving soap. ‘Meet me at five thirty across the road?’ she asked her sons. She needed to talk urgently to them – in the wake of the staff nurse’s bombshell – and do it away from their father’s hearing. At least they could get a decent cup of tea and a piece of cake in the café opposite the hospital.
Now her sons gazed at her expectantly from the other side of the rough wooden table. She had a sudden flashback to their youth, their faces barely changed, in her eyes, since they were small boys, and felt an overwhelming love for them both.
‘OK, so Staff Nurse Weeks collared me earlier. She’s already talking about the plan for when your dad gets out,’ she said.
Rex glanced sideways at his brother. His hazel eyes – always with a slightly dreamy, faraway look – were underscored with dark circles from the jetlag. It was so lovely to see him again, although he seemed different, even in the six months he’d been gone, almost foreign with his surfer-style clothes, his tan and longer, salt-bleached waves. All of which were so out of place in the grey city light. She wondered how long he would stay: her heart was already steeling itself at the thought he would soon be gone again.
‘Anezka has said she can’t be involved,’ Leo stated flatly.
Frowning, Romy asked, ‘Already?’
Leo shrugged. ‘We left her with Dad earlier because Rex needed a smoke. Then we grabbed a coffee so she could have some time alone with him. But on our way back in, she came flying out of the revolving doors, almost in tears. Apparently one of the nurses had tried to talk to her about Dad’s rehab and she freaked, told them she had nothing to do with it. Said she was just a friend.’ Leo raised his eyebrows.
‘So …’ Romy let out a long sigh. ‘So she’s saying it’s really over with your dad?’
Rex spoke up. ‘Certainly from her point of view, I reckon. Although she waves her arms about and shrieks so much, I can’t make out what she’s on about half the time. She kept saying, “ I love him, I love him ”, but then she says something about Dad not wanting her any more.’
‘And when I asked her if she was going to stop visiting,’ Leo took up the story, ‘I thought she was going to lynchme. She grabbed me by the arms and shook me. “Of course I come, Leo. Who do you think I am? I will not leave your father when he is like this. I told you, Ilove him.”’ Leo did a terrible imitation of Anezka’s accent, which might have made Romy laugh at any other time.
The three were silent. Then Leo said, ‘Mum, what are we going to do? Anezka is obviously a lost cause.’ He shook his head slowly. ‘I mean, I guess I can take a bit of time off work, if they’ll let me. But I’m not exactly sure … I hope I’m up to it. And Rex won’t be any help. He has to get back to start his new job next week.’
Romy gave her youngest a sharp look.Next week?Her heart lurched. ‘What new job? You didn’t tell me.’
Rex sheepishly lowered his eyes and picked at the crumbs on the paper case that had held his chocolate muffin. ‘I only just heard. It’s not barista work this time. This is a proper global outfit. It’s my dream job, Mum. If it works out, it means I’m set for life. I can travel all over the world.’ There was a lengthy pause. ‘But obviously I don’t have to take the job. I wouldn’t want to land Leo in it.’ He gave a resigned sigh. ‘I’ll stay if you need me, of course … It’s just …’
‘Coding?’ she asked. She’d hoped he would get bored with Australia and come home after a few months. But now he’d probably settle somewhere thousands of miles away from her, meet some girl and live a life she would only know about on Facebook.
‘Yeah. Uncle Blake had a contact. They seem to think I’m pretty good.’ He gave a shy grin.
‘That’s great.’ Romy managed a smile in return. ‘I’m pleased you’ll be –’
‘It’s great for Rex, obviously,’ Leo interrupted. ‘But where does it leave Dad? I’ve got a job too, which I certainly don’t want to lose.’
In the silence that followed, Romy felt that menacing finger pointing at her again. She winced, her mind whirring. Why didn’t Michael have a convenient relative with nothing else to do? Some doting Cousin Mary who could ride in and take control. But Michael wasn’t really in touch with his extended family. He spoke to his three brothers only when they called him – which wasn’t often – and rarely travelled north to visit. He’d felt he had nothing in common with them since leaving home as a teenager.
When she didn’t reply at once, she saw the boys give each other a look.This is something they’ve already discussed, she thought.
‘Dad can afford nurses, can’t he?’ Leo asked tentatively.
Romy nodded. ‘He’s got insurance.’
Another glance between her sons, but neither spoke.
‘Mum …’ Leo looked her straight in the eye and took a long breath. ‘If I see to Dad when he gets out, will you help me …? Just for a week or two, while I settle him, find good people to come in,’ he added quickly, his look beseeching.
Rex took hold of her hand. ‘I know you and Dad aren’t together, Mum, but I can’t easily stay and it’s a lot for Leo to manage on his own.’
They both fell silent.
‘Once we’ve got carers settled in and he’s used to them, he’ll be fine, won’t he?’ Leo asked, when Romy stillcouldn’t find words to reply. ‘I can drop in all the time to make sure things are going OK. And, anyway, it shouldn’t be too long, the nurse said yesterday, before he can get round on his frame by himself.’
The image of Michael, staggering around the flat on a frame, dishevelled, dragging his leg, one arm completely useless, made Romy want to cry.
‘I don’t know which nurse you spoke to,’ she finally said, ‘but he’s going to need a lot of help for quite a while, Leo. He won’t be able to get to the loo, even wipe his bottom, take his medication, lift a plate – not for weeks.’
