Read Online Field Study by Rachel Seiffert - Free Book Online Page A

to this evening and Kenny can’t think straight. He can hear her sipping her tea, tapping her rings on the mug, and his money is running out. He invites her round, giving her directions over the pips. Kenny hangs up and can’t remember if she said she was coming or not.
    The bulb in the bathroom has gone, so he has his bath in the dark. He can hear the people downstairs arguing,even when he puts his head underwater. They keep going until his bath gets cold. He puts the fire on when he gets into bed, and wakes up in the night with a dry mouth and gummy eyes. The people downstairs are shouting again, but Kenny drops off before they finish their row.
    The day is endless. Kenny has the TV on for company. He buys some food to cook for tea and a bottle of wine, but then he remembers that Maria might not want to drink, so he goes out again and buys some orange, just in case, and some candles, which he fixes into a clean ashtray. He sits on the bed for a long time and then goes out to buy a newspaper, but he can’t concentrate. He smokes too much and opens all the windows to get rid of the smell. He tries to have an afternoon nap, but watches TV instead. He doesn’t want to cook until she comes, but he’s starving. He runs out to the shops to get some crisps. The light is going out of the day and when he is back in the flat again, Kenny worries that Maria has come and gone while he was out.
    When the buzzer goes he doesn’t get up immediately. He stands next to the entry phone and counts to ten, and then he answers.
    – It’s me.
    – Okay.
    Maria takes a while to get up the stairs. When she gets to the second floor, Kenny can watch her over the banister.
    He hasn’t seen her for over a month and she’s showing now. Skinny woman with a big belly. She is walking like his sister did when she was pregnant, only her back is still straight and her legs look good. She pauses on the landing and looks up.
    – Do you want a hand?
    – I’m okay.
    When she gets to the top floor, she stands in front of him for a couple of seconds to get her breath and he doesn’t know what to do.
    – Can I come in, then?
    Kenny is proud of the flat, clean and bright with its improvised furniture. He shows her everything, lingering in the kitchen with its washing machine, hurrying through the bedroom with its double bed. Maria is quiet, nodding, non-committal. Kenny wants her to smile at him and say nice things like it’s good to have a gas cooker.
    – I’m starving.
    He gets her a cup of tea and a biscuit to tide her over, and she sits in the kitchen while he cooks. He asks after her family and she smiles while she answers, but she’s not being friendly. There are long silences between them, and Kenny tries to look busy with the food. He sets the table and she sits with her hands folded on her belly. Then he opens the wine but says she canhave orange if she wants, and she says a glass of water will do.
    – I didn’t ask you to do any of this, you know?
    – No, I know.
    This throws him a bit, but Maria is more relaxed now and they eat. Kenny has some wine and feels a bit better.
    – I wanted to do it.
    Maria nods but she looks out of the window. He thinks she might be laughing at him, but the moment passes. He spoons the peaches out of the can into bowls and they both help themselves to ice cream. She has a sip or two of his wine without asking, and then she picks up the peach tin from the side and spoons more ice cream into the leftover syrup and eats it from the can, leaning back in her chair. She tells him about work and friends, and he tells her about family, and neither of them mention the flat or the baby.
    Maria says she wants to watch TV, but when she sees that there is only the double bed to sit on, she changes her mind. They stand in the narrow hallway, both embarrassed and then Maria says she wants to go home.
    Kenny helps her into the cab. Maria looks like a kid on the back seat. A kid with a pillow stuffed up her jumper. She