know.’
‘Well, that stands to reason,’ Bernadette said logically, ‘people aren’t going to discuss our father’s little peccadillos in company where we are sitting there listening.’
‘Now, should we say anything?’
‘What could we say? Do you mean ask Dad is it true?’
Anna thought. ‘Yes, we could do that I suppose, and sort of say that we think it’s dreadful and that it must come to an end.’
Bernadette pealed with laughter.
‘Anna, you are marvellous, you’re just like adowager duchess. “I think, Father, this is quite dreadful. It must come to an end. Back to Mother. Quick quick. As you were.”’ She rocked with amusement at the thought of it. Anna did not rock at all.
‘Why is that funny? What do you suggest?’
‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. What do I suggest? I don’t know. I suppose we could ask him does he intend to go off with Ruth and leave Mother, because that’s the only thing we have a right to know really. I mean, if he does, she’ll crack up …’
‘Yes,’ Anna agreed. ‘That’s the point. He must be made to see that he can’t do that to her.’
‘He may want to do it, but he must realise that’s what’s going to happen, and I suppose he should be given the facts about how much he can rely on you and on me … to pick up the bits.’
‘Well, he can’t expect us to look after …’
‘No, he probably doesn’t expect anything … I think he should be put in the picture, that’s all …’
Anna was surprised to see her younger sister being so firm. She always thought of Bernadette as a bit eejity, but she was being very crisp today.
‘Well, Frank and I are thinking of going to Australia in the New Year …’
‘To Australia, like Uncle Charlie? He didn’t make a fortune.’
‘That’s not the point. There’s a crafts co-operative we are interested in. It’s not definite yet, but I don’twant Mummy to be one of my reasons for going or staying … I mean I’ll write home every week and all … but I don’t want to go not knowing whether she’ll end up in a mental ward or whether she’ll be all right …’
‘Yes … yes.’ Anna felt left behind.
‘And you’re not really going to move in and look after her, are you, Anna, you’ve got your own life … Dad should be told this … just so that he knows the options.’
‘Yes. But isn’t it all a bit harsh … a bit final? Mightn’t we be sort of taking too much for granted …’
‘Yes, that’s the point … it was you who said we must meet and discuss what to do. I think that’s the only thing to do if we do anything, let him know just how far he can rely on us so that there’s no misunderstanding.’
‘Yes, well I don’t know, maybe we should say nothing … Mother’s probably better able to look after herself than we realise …’
‘And you were saying that she actually seems more lively these days.’
‘Yes, and she looks better, her skin looks less sort of muddy … and she’s lost a bit of weight I think …’
‘She always seems very cheerful when I call in or ring.’
‘Yes … when you think how awful it was that time her nerves did get bad.’
‘Oh years ago, when I was still at college?’
‘Yes, it was awful, she used to go and see this psychiatrist and cry all the time …’
‘What did they do with her, how did they cure her?’
‘Oh Bernadette, you know psychiatrists, they don’t do anything or cure anyone …they just listen and say yes, yes … or so I hear.’
‘Why do people go on going to them then?’
‘Who knows, I suppose the world’s a bit short on people who will listen and say yes, yes …’
‘But she did get better, she stopped crying and everything …’
‘I told you, it works, all this yes yessing.’
‘And we’ll say nothing for the moment …’
‘I think not, don’t you?’
* * *
Joe arrived a week before the party. He telephoned one morning and said he was in town.
‘Did I send you enough
‘Well, that stands to reason,’ Bernadette said logically, ‘people aren’t going to discuss our father’s little peccadillos in company where we are sitting there listening.’
‘Now, should we say anything?’
‘What could we say? Do you mean ask Dad is it true?’
Anna thought. ‘Yes, we could do that I suppose, and sort of say that we think it’s dreadful and that it must come to an end.’
Bernadette pealed with laughter.
‘Anna, you are marvellous, you’re just like adowager duchess. “I think, Father, this is quite dreadful. It must come to an end. Back to Mother. Quick quick. As you were.”’ She rocked with amusement at the thought of it. Anna did not rock at all.
‘Why is that funny? What do you suggest?’
‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. What do I suggest? I don’t know. I suppose we could ask him does he intend to go off with Ruth and leave Mother, because that’s the only thing we have a right to know really. I mean, if he does, she’ll crack up …’
‘Yes,’ Anna agreed. ‘That’s the point. He must be made to see that he can’t do that to her.’
‘He may want to do it, but he must realise that’s what’s going to happen, and I suppose he should be given the facts about how much he can rely on you and on me … to pick up the bits.’
‘Well, he can’t expect us to look after …’
‘No, he probably doesn’t expect anything … I think he should be put in the picture, that’s all …’
Anna was surprised to see her younger sister being so firm. She always thought of Bernadette as a bit eejity, but she was being very crisp today.
‘Well, Frank and I are thinking of going to Australia in the New Year …’
‘To Australia, like Uncle Charlie? He didn’t make a fortune.’
‘That’s not the point. There’s a crafts co-operative we are interested in. It’s not definite yet, but I don’twant Mummy to be one of my reasons for going or staying … I mean I’ll write home every week and all … but I don’t want to go not knowing whether she’ll end up in a mental ward or whether she’ll be all right …’
‘Yes … yes.’ Anna felt left behind.
‘And you’re not really going to move in and look after her, are you, Anna, you’ve got your own life … Dad should be told this … just so that he knows the options.’
‘Yes. But isn’t it all a bit harsh … a bit final? Mightn’t we be sort of taking too much for granted …’
‘Yes, that’s the point … it was you who said we must meet and discuss what to do. I think that’s the only thing to do if we do anything, let him know just how far he can rely on us so that there’s no misunderstanding.’
‘Yes, well I don’t know, maybe we should say nothing … Mother’s probably better able to look after herself than we realise …’
‘And you were saying that she actually seems more lively these days.’
‘Yes, and she looks better, her skin looks less sort of muddy … and she’s lost a bit of weight I think …’
‘She always seems very cheerful when I call in or ring.’
‘Yes … when you think how awful it was that time her nerves did get bad.’
‘Oh years ago, when I was still at college?’
‘Yes, it was awful, she used to go and see this psychiatrist and cry all the time …’
‘What did they do with her, how did they cure her?’
‘Oh Bernadette, you know psychiatrists, they don’t do anything or cure anyone …they just listen and say yes, yes … or so I hear.’
‘Why do people go on going to them then?’
‘Who knows, I suppose the world’s a bit short on people who will listen and say yes, yes …’
‘But she did get better, she stopped crying and everything …’
‘I told you, it works, all this yes yessing.’
‘And we’ll say nothing for the moment …’
‘I think not, don’t you?’
* * *
Joe arrived a week before the party. He telephoned one morning and said he was in town.
‘Did I send you enough
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