Page 16 of A Spell of Midlife Mayhem

Chapter 6

ON SUNDAY EVENING, Rachel and I went out for drinks. I’d suggested someplace close. I would walk there and back.

Rachel was an extrovert and had a great deal more life experience than I had, which she didn’t mind sharing with anyone who would listen. The same applied with her opinions. We’d known each other for so long that we were comfortable talking to each other about anything and everything. And she was a lawyer. My lawyer.

But I wasn’t ready to talk about the ghost of my dead mother. Not even after a couple of drinks.

The evening was chilly, and the wind gusted and swirled around me like the thoughts in my head, making it colder.

We met at the Atomic bar at eight o’clock, where we ordered cocktails and sat in a shadowed booth. It was an upmarket contemporary sports bar, but the TVs were never turned up too loud and there was plenty of space. Most patrons sat in groups watching rugby. We paid it no attention. I’d never seen the point in those ball sports other than keeping an eye on the guys bending over during the game and exchanging their shirts afterwards.

Rachel’s outfit was smart that evening, as always: a black blazer with silver buttons worn over a white top with the sleeves of both rolled up. She had excellent fashion sense. I wore one of my casual outfits, a black long-sleeved tee above a pair of faded jeans, similar to what I often wore to school. We appeared to be from two separate worlds.

After the usual pleasantries, I told Rachel all the gritty details about how I’d found Terry naked with his work colleague in our bedroom and then thrown him out of the house.

She grimaced. ‘Good work, girlfriend. I hope you gave him a good kick up the ass as he went out the door.’

‘I was too fraught to think of that,’ I said.

‘Remember for next time, then.’

‘Oh, I’m not taking him back. No way. This is it for the marriage. Would you please write up a separation agreement for me? Will it be expensive?’

Rachel waved a long finger in the air. ‘Forget the cost. I’ll do it pro bono first thing on Monday. The sooner that’s completed, the sooner you can move on. And, if you haven’t already, take half the money from your joint account and any joint savings and investments and put it all into an account in your own name in case Terry tries to swipe it. You may as well have it now rather than wait until later. You’ll need money.’

‘Good idea. Thanks.’

‘Do you have any idea what you’re going to do with the house?’

I grimaced. ‘That’s the issue. You know we’re not well off. Neither of us can afford to buy the other out. We’ll have to sell it and split the proceeds. I don’t know where I’ll go after that.’

‘Maybe you could share with a friend until you get back on your feet.’

‘Perhaps.’ Was she offering to share her place with me? Or only making a suggestion in general? There wasn’t anyone else I could move in with.

Rachel continued, trying to ease my worry. ‘Getting separated and divorced isn’t a big deal nowadays. After my third divorce, I couldn’t be bothered with marriage any more. At our stage of life’—she lowered her voice—‘why should we give a fuck? Your daughter has moved away and your husband is out of the picture. Why not have some fun? Take time out to enjoy yourself.’ She slugged back her drink, then gestured to a waiter for another.

My friend was affluent from her successful career and didn’t see that things were different for me. I sighed. ‘There’s something else. My aunt in England is injured, and I’ve got to see if I can do anything to help her. It might be expensive if the NHS there doesn’t cover it all. I’m probably going to have to get a second job so I can pay my own bills and pay for her care too.’

Rachel shook her head. ‘That’s not your responsibility, you know. Maybe the government there will pay for everything.’

‘I’ve no idea if it will, but the hospital called me and said Aunt Ruth will need help, and I’m her only relative.’

‘Did she ask you herself?’

‘No... but I don’t think she would. She’s proud and independent. But the nurse I spoke to strongly suggested she’ll need family support at first.’

‘Well, then, what about this: you could go and live with your aunt in England.’ She sat back in her seat with a self-satisfied smile.

‘I’ve been thinking of going over for a couple of weeks, but I hadn’t considered living there for good. I’ve never been to England before. What if I hate it? And what about my job? How would I survive financially?’

Rachel leaned forward. She spoke with deliberation and the effect of alcohol. ‘Things have a way of working out for the best if you have a positive attitude and a little bit of luck.’

I sipped my cocktail. It would be a big step for me. And luck was never guaranteed. If anything, I wasn’t a lucky sort of person, unless you were talking about bad luck.

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