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Authors: Yelena Kopylova
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could seat six. There was a nice little sideboard. She opened the middle drawer. In it was a cutlery
8z
section, and there were six pieces each of what was necessary for a dinner. These had come from the dining-room across the way. She was already thinking of her home as the house across the way.
She went back to the sitting-room and sat on the couch before the electric fire. She felt lonely. She had felt lonely since she had left school. She hadn't seen any of her friends until yesterday, when she met Jane Power and Betty Rowlands in the market place. They had obviously been undecided whether or not to stop and speak to her. When they did, it was Jane who said, "Hello, Peggy. How are you?" And she had answered, "Fine." But when Betty Rowlands asked, "How does it feel?" she had stiffened as she replied, "How does what feel?"
"Well, you know, to have a baby," said Betty.
Then that new self that had emerged in her're plied, "Why not ask your mother: she had you, didn't she?" and had immediately walked off, leaving them gaping after her. She knew they would be gaping for, as the headmistress had said to her on the day she left, "It is so uncharacteristic of you, Peggy. I'm really surprised."
Yes, a lot of people had been surprised, but no more than she was at what had happened to her;
and at what was going to happen to her in the future: she was going to live with a boy hardly older than herself. But he would grow into a man and she into a woman and the child would grow. And what then?
A knock on the far door startled her and she jumped to her feet and hurried towards it. When she had pulled it open she paused for a moment before she said, "Come on in. Oh, you're wet."
"Yes, it's started to rain."
"You haven't got a mac on."
"No, it was dry when I left."
Andrew paused and looked around the dining kitchen; then he smiled at her and said, "It looks lovely, doesn't it?"
"It's all right." Her voice sounded abrupt as she led the way into the sitting-room. Here he again paused:
"It's all finished then," he said.
"Yes, except we'll have to get food in when we come back." The last words were muttered; but then brightly she said, "Sit down," and pointed to the couch that was set opposite the fire.
He sat down, then slowly looked around him at the room and when he said with obvious admiration and a little awe, "You've made it lovely," she answered, "Oh, I had very little to do with it. You know, you saw them; they were all at it."
He was sitting on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped between his knees, and his head was lowered as he said, "They've all been very good, kind." She did not follow up this remark, but lowered herself down on to the far end of the couch, and he too, sat on the edge and looked towards the fire. After a moment she said, "I'm sorry I can't offer you a cup of tea or anything yet; there's nothing over here."
"Oh' he lifted his head " I've had me tea. " Then turning abruptly to face her, and almost on a demand, he said, " How d'you feel? I mean I mean about tomorrow? "
"How do you expect me to feel? It's all settled, I can't do anything about it."
"Do you still want to get married?"
"I can ask you the same thing: do you want to get married?"
He looked away from her for a moment before saying, "I didn't, not at first. That's the truth. But ... but lately ... well."
"Since you've seen this place and because it's better than your home?"
"No! No!" She was startled because he had yelled at her, and she cried at him, "Please don't yell at me like that."
He pushed his fingers through his hair now, saying, "Well, you're suggesting it's just because I want to come and live here and you're wrong. I ... I feel I've gone back to where it started ... I mean when I first met you and I wanted you. Yes;
yes, I did, I wanted you. " He was again looking towards the fire.
"But I can tell you this, I hate the idea of you being forced into marrying and, in a way, of me being so, too. It's your mother and
8z
section, and there were six pieces each of what was necessary for a dinner. These had come from the dining-room across the way. She was already thinking of her home as the house across the way.
She went back to the sitting-room and sat on the couch before the electric fire. She felt lonely. She had felt lonely since she had left school. She hadn't seen any of her friends until yesterday, when she met Jane Power and Betty Rowlands in the market place. They had obviously been undecided whether or not to stop and speak to her. When they did, it was Jane who said, "Hello, Peggy. How are you?" And she had answered, "Fine." But when Betty Rowlands asked, "How does it feel?" she had stiffened as she replied, "How does what feel?"
"Well, you know, to have a baby," said Betty.
Then that new self that had emerged in her're plied, "Why not ask your mother: she had you, didn't she?" and had immediately walked off, leaving them gaping after her. She knew they would be gaping for, as the headmistress had said to her on the day she left, "It is so uncharacteristic of you, Peggy. I'm really surprised."
Yes, a lot of people had been surprised, but no more than she was at what had happened to her;
and at what was going to happen to her in the future: she was going to live with a boy hardly older than herself. But he would grow into a man and she into a woman and the child would grow. And what then?
A knock on the far door startled her and she jumped to her feet and hurried towards it. When she had pulled it open she paused for a moment before she said, "Come on in. Oh, you're wet."
"Yes, it's started to rain."
"You haven't got a mac on."
"No, it was dry when I left."
Andrew paused and looked around the dining kitchen; then he smiled at her and said, "It looks lovely, doesn't it?"
"It's all right." Her voice sounded abrupt as she led the way into the sitting-room. Here he again paused:
"It's all finished then," he said.
"Yes, except we'll have to get food in when we come back." The last words were muttered; but then brightly she said, "Sit down," and pointed to the couch that was set opposite the fire.
He sat down, then slowly looked around him at the room and when he said with obvious admiration and a little awe, "You've made it lovely," she answered, "Oh, I had very little to do with it. You know, you saw them; they were all at it."
He was sitting on the edge of the couch, his hands clasped between his knees, and his head was lowered as he said, "They've all been very good, kind." She did not follow up this remark, but lowered herself down on to the far end of the couch, and he too, sat on the edge and looked towards the fire. After a moment she said, "I'm sorry I can't offer you a cup of tea or anything yet; there's nothing over here."
"Oh' he lifted his head " I've had me tea. " Then turning abruptly to face her, and almost on a demand, he said, " How d'you feel? I mean I mean about tomorrow? "
"How do you expect me to feel? It's all settled, I can't do anything about it."
"Do you still want to get married?"
"I can ask you the same thing: do you want to get married?"
He looked away from her for a moment before saying, "I didn't, not at first. That's the truth. But ... but lately ... well."
"Since you've seen this place and because it's better than your home?"
"No! No!" She was startled because he had yelled at her, and she cried at him, "Please don't yell at me like that."
He pushed his fingers through his hair now, saying, "Well, you're suggesting it's just because I want to come and live here and you're wrong. I ... I feel I've gone back to where it started ... I mean when I first met you and I wanted you. Yes;
yes, I did, I wanted you. " He was again looking towards the fire.
"But I can tell you this, I hate the idea of you being forced into marrying and, in a way, of me being so, too. It's your mother and
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