Read Online Lavender Hill by P. J. Garland - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: P. J. Garland
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did the things I tried.”
Sarah went quiet as if holding something back.
“What’s wrong, Sarah? Tell me?”
“I saw one of the mums from Dylan’s playgroup earlier. She said she saw you with some girl in town.”
Jack laughed awkwardly. “She’s someone I met at the Pointers meeting I went to. We went over to Totnes to research something to do with the Rapture. Her name is Amy. You can meet her if you want.”
Sarah laughed. “I don’t want to meet anyone who believes in all this nonsense.” She paused. “I believe you that there’s nothing in it, but we’ve got to be honest with each other. We’ve got problems and the idea of one of us meeting someone else isn’t completely ridiculous, is it?”
Jack looked at Sarah, but kept quiet.
“We need to have a break for a while,” Sarah continued. “You need to decide what you want out of life and whether you’re going to continue obsessing over this Rapture thing. We can decide what to do after that’s happened.” She looked at Jack for a few moments before continuing, “I need to pack the car. Don’t make a scene or the kids will get upset.” Sarah walked out of the kitchen.
Jack sat down at the kitchen table, placed his elbow on it, and then rested his head in his hand. He could hear Sarah moving around the house and out to the car. After a while, the kitchen door was slowly opened and Dylan walked in. He walked over to Jack and placed his hands on his knees.
“We’re going to see Granddad,” said Dylan matter-of-factly.
Jack put his hand on Dylan’s head. “You’re gonna have a great time, Dylan. You’ll have to tell me all about it when you come back.”
“Mummy said we might stay with Granddad for a while.”
“Yep, just for a while though.”
“Will you look after my fish?”
Jack laughed. “Yes, course I will.”
“You can put loads of food in the tank, so you can come and see us for a few days...”
Jack laughed again and then turned to look at the kitchen door as he heard Sarah walk towards the kitchen.
“Ah, here you are,” said Sarah as she opened the door. “Come on, Dylan. It’s time to go.”
Dylan took her hand and they all walked out to the car where Ella was waiting. Jack could see Ella had a better sense that something was wrong and he knelt down to speak to her.
“You’ll call me later?”
Ella nodded her head but didn’t speak. She then put her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Sarah opened the back door of the car. “Come on, everyone get in. We’ve got a long journey ahead.”
Jack helped the kids into Sarah’s car and then watched as she drove it away and up the road. He walked into the house and sat back down in the kitchen. He didn’t move as the daylight gradually faded and left him sitting in the dark.
*
Jack sat alone in the kitchen. He stood up to turn the light on and jumped as he heard a beep telling him he had received a text message. He grabbed his phone from his pocket hoping it was a message from Sarah or the kids but saw it was from Amy. He opened the message:
Call me, I’ve found out something about Gabriel Ash!
Jack was about to reply, but he suddenly felt conflicted as if he was choosing between the kids and Sarah, or the Rapture. He put the phone down onto the table.
Jack stood up and paced around the room before sitting back down and staring at the phone. For a brief moment, he felt the sense of understanding, hope and purpose that had gripped him on the day of the Rapture, and without consciously deciding to his hand automatically reached out for the phone. He held it for a while before dialling a number: Amy’s number.
“Jack, is that you?”
“Yes, hi – it is. How are you?”
“I’m great. You won’t believe what I’ve found out.”
“Tell me.”
“Are you OK, Jack? You don’t sound OK.”
“I’m fine. What have you found out?”
“This Gabriel Ash guy used to be a physicist at the university here in Bristol. I’m going to go the
Sarah went quiet as if holding something back.
“What’s wrong, Sarah? Tell me?”
“I saw one of the mums from Dylan’s playgroup earlier. She said she saw you with some girl in town.”
Jack laughed awkwardly. “She’s someone I met at the Pointers meeting I went to. We went over to Totnes to research something to do with the Rapture. Her name is Amy. You can meet her if you want.”
Sarah laughed. “I don’t want to meet anyone who believes in all this nonsense.” She paused. “I believe you that there’s nothing in it, but we’ve got to be honest with each other. We’ve got problems and the idea of one of us meeting someone else isn’t completely ridiculous, is it?”
Jack looked at Sarah, but kept quiet.
“We need to have a break for a while,” Sarah continued. “You need to decide what you want out of life and whether you’re going to continue obsessing over this Rapture thing. We can decide what to do after that’s happened.” She looked at Jack for a few moments before continuing, “I need to pack the car. Don’t make a scene or the kids will get upset.” Sarah walked out of the kitchen.
Jack sat down at the kitchen table, placed his elbow on it, and then rested his head in his hand. He could hear Sarah moving around the house and out to the car. After a while, the kitchen door was slowly opened and Dylan walked in. He walked over to Jack and placed his hands on his knees.
“We’re going to see Granddad,” said Dylan matter-of-factly.
Jack put his hand on Dylan’s head. “You’re gonna have a great time, Dylan. You’ll have to tell me all about it when you come back.”
“Mummy said we might stay with Granddad for a while.”
“Yep, just for a while though.”
“Will you look after my fish?”
Jack laughed. “Yes, course I will.”
“You can put loads of food in the tank, so you can come and see us for a few days...”
Jack laughed again and then turned to look at the kitchen door as he heard Sarah walk towards the kitchen.
“Ah, here you are,” said Sarah as she opened the door. “Come on, Dylan. It’s time to go.”
Dylan took her hand and they all walked out to the car where Ella was waiting. Jack could see Ella had a better sense that something was wrong and he knelt down to speak to her.
“You’ll call me later?”
Ella nodded her head but didn’t speak. She then put her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Sarah opened the back door of the car. “Come on, everyone get in. We’ve got a long journey ahead.”
Jack helped the kids into Sarah’s car and then watched as she drove it away and up the road. He walked into the house and sat back down in the kitchen. He didn’t move as the daylight gradually faded and left him sitting in the dark.
*
Jack sat alone in the kitchen. He stood up to turn the light on and jumped as he heard a beep telling him he had received a text message. He grabbed his phone from his pocket hoping it was a message from Sarah or the kids but saw it was from Amy. He opened the message:
Call me, I’ve found out something about Gabriel Ash!
Jack was about to reply, but he suddenly felt conflicted as if he was choosing between the kids and Sarah, or the Rapture. He put the phone down onto the table.
Jack stood up and paced around the room before sitting back down and staring at the phone. For a brief moment, he felt the sense of understanding, hope and purpose that had gripped him on the day of the Rapture, and without consciously deciding to his hand automatically reached out for the phone. He held it for a while before dialling a number: Amy’s number.
“Jack, is that you?”
“Yes, hi – it is. How are you?”
“I’m great. You won’t believe what I’ve found out.”
“Tell me.”
“Are you OK, Jack? You don’t sound OK.”
“I’m fine. What have you found out?”
“This Gabriel Ash guy used to be a physicist at the university here in Bristol. I’m going to go the
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