Read Online Another part of the wood by Beryl Bainbridge - Free Book Online
Authors: Beryl Bainbridge
Ads: Link
wherever he went.
‘Is Balfour ill now?’ asked Dotty. But Willie was lighting his cigarette for the third time and pretended not to hear. He
was a little tired of being the focal point of attention and he didn’t much care for Balfour, hardly crediting why the MacFarleys
had taken up with him in the first place.
‘I think I ought to have a pill,’ said Kidney loudly. ‘I may get a bad headache otherwise.’
‘Nonsense.’ Brusquely Joseph placed a mug of coffee before him. ‘Tell me, Bill, don’t you find there’s a sight too much pill-taking?
Too many drugs and soporifics used today … in comparison with when you were a boy? … Don’t you agree? … Don’t expect you saw
the doctor much?’
‘No … no …’ Dismissing such pampering, Willie blew on his
drink to cool it, looking down at his cigarette with disgust. The bloody thing was out again.
Pushing back his chair, Joseph said briskly, ‘Right. Everybody out. Lionel will be arriving soon. I don’t care what you do
but leave me to tidy up.’ Energetically he piled plates and stacked mugs. Willie, unable to ask for his tip, went out feeling
cheated.
‘Aren’t you ever going to come and play with me and my boat?’ said Roland.
‘Later, boy, later. Go on, move.’ Joseph pushed both the child and Dotty towards the door. Kidney stood up.
‘Just a moment, Kidney,’ said Joseph. ‘Something I want to ask you.’
Kidney sat down again.
‘I did tell you last night not to disturb Roland,’ began Joseph. ‘I did say to be quiet.’
Kidney stared at him.
‘I did say that, didn’t I?’
‘Yes,’ said Kidney.
‘Well?’
‘I didn’t disturb him, Joseph.’
‘You got into his bed.’
‘Yes, Joseph.’
‘Well?’
‘I didn’t disturb him, Joseph.’
‘But why did you get into his bed?’ Joseph took away the plates and dumped them in the sink.
The boy looked at him as if to speak. Instead he turned his eyes towards the doorway and studied the field.
Trying to reach him another way Joseph seated himself at the table. ‘Why do you think you ought to have a pill?’
‘I usually have a pill after lunch. I always have one.’ Mouth trembling, Kidney repeated, ‘After lunch I have one.’
‘Well, I don’t know if it does much good really, but if you feel you ought to – ’ Capitulating, Joseph decided to let Kidney
have his pill.
‘They said I must.’
‘Who’re they?’
‘My mother’s doctor says I must have one after lunch.’
‘All right, all right.’ Joseph scratched his head not knowing what else to say.
‘They said in hospital I should take a pill after lunch,’ volunteered Kidney. ‘In hospital my mother tried to see me, but
she didn’t see me. The Government wouldn’t let her. Then she came later and I went home. They told me to take my pills three
times a day.’
‘Don’t worry. You’ll get your pill.’ Joseph went to the wicker basket beneath the settee and pulled it clear. He found the
glass bottle. He took out an oblong capsule and replaced the bottle in the wicker basket. ‘Here you are,’ he said, coming
back to the table with the pill.
Kidney swallowed the capsule without water. He seemed anxious to tell Joseph about the hospital. ‘It was a big hospital,’
he said. ‘There was a man there …’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Joseph.
‘He gave me my pills … He was there when I woke up.’
‘In the morning, you mean?’
‘He called me sonny.’
‘That was friendly.’
‘I said I wanted to go home.’ Kidney played with a fork left in the centre of the table. ‘It was night and the man told me
to be quiet.’
‘They have rules,’ said Joseph.
‘The man said: “Be quiet. Do you want a hot thing up you, sonny?” ’
Joseph sat still. He felt distressed. Clearing his throat, he had every intention of saying something meaningful, but he merely
said, ‘You go down to the stream and see Roland. I’ll be down when I’ve washed the dishes.’
It was the disgruntled Willie
‘Is Balfour ill now?’ asked Dotty. But Willie was lighting his cigarette for the third time and pretended not to hear. He
was a little tired of being the focal point of attention and he didn’t much care for Balfour, hardly crediting why the MacFarleys
had taken up with him in the first place.
‘I think I ought to have a pill,’ said Kidney loudly. ‘I may get a bad headache otherwise.’
‘Nonsense.’ Brusquely Joseph placed a mug of coffee before him. ‘Tell me, Bill, don’t you find there’s a sight too much pill-taking?
Too many drugs and soporifics used today … in comparison with when you were a boy? … Don’t you agree? … Don’t expect you saw
the doctor much?’
‘No … no …’ Dismissing such pampering, Willie blew on his
drink to cool it, looking down at his cigarette with disgust. The bloody thing was out again.
Pushing back his chair, Joseph said briskly, ‘Right. Everybody out. Lionel will be arriving soon. I don’t care what you do
but leave me to tidy up.’ Energetically he piled plates and stacked mugs. Willie, unable to ask for his tip, went out feeling
cheated.
‘Aren’t you ever going to come and play with me and my boat?’ said Roland.
‘Later, boy, later. Go on, move.’ Joseph pushed both the child and Dotty towards the door. Kidney stood up.
‘Just a moment, Kidney,’ said Joseph. ‘Something I want to ask you.’
Kidney sat down again.
‘I did tell you last night not to disturb Roland,’ began Joseph. ‘I did say to be quiet.’
Kidney stared at him.
‘I did say that, didn’t I?’
‘Yes,’ said Kidney.
‘Well?’
‘I didn’t disturb him, Joseph.’
‘You got into his bed.’
‘Yes, Joseph.’
‘Well?’
‘I didn’t disturb him, Joseph.’
‘But why did you get into his bed?’ Joseph took away the plates and dumped them in the sink.
The boy looked at him as if to speak. Instead he turned his eyes towards the doorway and studied the field.
Trying to reach him another way Joseph seated himself at the table. ‘Why do you think you ought to have a pill?’
‘I usually have a pill after lunch. I always have one.’ Mouth trembling, Kidney repeated, ‘After lunch I have one.’
‘Well, I don’t know if it does much good really, but if you feel you ought to – ’ Capitulating, Joseph decided to let Kidney
have his pill.
‘They said I must.’
‘Who’re they?’
‘My mother’s doctor says I must have one after lunch.’
‘All right, all right.’ Joseph scratched his head not knowing what else to say.
‘They said in hospital I should take a pill after lunch,’ volunteered Kidney. ‘In hospital my mother tried to see me, but
she didn’t see me. The Government wouldn’t let her. Then she came later and I went home. They told me to take my pills three
times a day.’
‘Don’t worry. You’ll get your pill.’ Joseph went to the wicker basket beneath the settee and pulled it clear. He found the
glass bottle. He took out an oblong capsule and replaced the bottle in the wicker basket. ‘Here you are,’ he said, coming
back to the table with the pill.
Kidney swallowed the capsule without water. He seemed anxious to tell Joseph about the hospital. ‘It was a big hospital,’
he said. ‘There was a man there …’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Joseph.
‘He gave me my pills … He was there when I woke up.’
‘In the morning, you mean?’
‘He called me sonny.’
‘That was friendly.’
‘I said I wanted to go home.’ Kidney played with a fork left in the centre of the table. ‘It was night and the man told me
to be quiet.’
‘They have rules,’ said Joseph.
‘The man said: “Be quiet. Do you want a hot thing up you, sonny?” ’
Joseph sat still. He felt distressed. Clearing his throat, he had every intention of saying something meaningful, but he merely
said, ‘You go down to the stream and see Roland. I’ll be down when I’ve washed the dishes.’
It was the disgruntled Willie
Similar Books
