times have changed since then. For the better, wouldn’t you say, for both of us?’
‘Yes. Yes, that’s right,’ James hadn’t moved from the window. He caught sight of his face reflected in the glass. Gobsmacked , he thought, and closed his mouth. Usually he and Robert talked about sport, or current affairs.
‘Vesna and I both think it’s wonderful, you know, that you and Silver are so happy together. I really mean that.’
‘Thanks, Robert. Thanks! And we… you know, we’re both looking forward to seeing you guys at the party. Yeah. It’s great!’
‘Yes indeed.’
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Each brother stood for a long moment, pleasantly startled by what had been said, and remembering the events of that long-ago evening.
D e C em B e R 1980
As the afternoon drew closer to evening, Robert’s indecision was making him more and more unsettled. Should he go to Justin’s party or not? He tried to read a book on classroom management – next year he’d actually be there standing in front of a class, a qualified teacher – but found it impossible to concentrate. He went out to the backyard and asked his father if he needed a hand.
‘Not really, lad,’ Alex said from where he was kneeling by a flower bed, transplanting seedlings. ‘I’ve just about finished this lot.’ He looked up at his oldest son standing there restlessly tapping one foot on the ground. ‘Well, but since you ask…The front lawn could use a mow, if you wouldn’t mind.’
‘No worries, Dad,’ said Robert gratefully. ‘Should I do the nature strip, too?’
‘That’d be beaut.’
As he pushed the roaring lawnmower up and down in meticulously straight lines, Robert tried to consider the party invitation rationally. Justin’s a genuinely nice bloke, even though his family’s so rich. But I don’t really know his friends. They might all be snobs. I don’t want to be standing there like a shag on a rock with all these private school types ignoring me. And Justin’s the host, he’ll be busy. But I’d… I’d actually love to see his house; that time I picked him up outside, it looked… incredible. I’ve never been inside a place like that.
If only he had someone he could go with, but his few friends from teachers’ college were all busy. Meredith would’ve been perfect; she was a real social butterfly, mixed with anyone, anywhere – but she was away for the weekend.
‘James!’ he said out loud. He finished the mowing quickly and put the machine back in the shed. His father was sitting on a canvas chair under the shade of a fruit tree, Toby the labrador flopped on the grass beside him.
‘Do you know what James is doing tonight, Dad?’
Alex shook his head. ‘I think he’s working at the pool till six.’
‘I’ll just nick down there. But if I miss him and he comes back here, can you tell him I want to ask him about going to a party tonight?’
‘I’ll do that. That’ll be nice for you, Robbie, a party. You deserve to relax. Don’t know whether young James does though!’
‘Oh, Dad, don’t be hard on him. Architecture just wasn’t right for him, you know.’
‘Well no, I don’t know actually,’ said Alex in a prickly tone. ‘He would’ve made a bloody good architect. But there you are, it’s not up to me what he does, is it?’
‘James’ll be okay, Dad.’
‘Oh, there’s no doubt about that ! Well, off you go. I’ll tell him to wait if he comes back here.’
Down at the local swimming pool, one of the other attendants confirmed that yes, James had finished his shift but he hadn’t left yet. ‘He’s doing laps,’ the guy said, pointing at the fifty-metre pool.
There he was, his long tanned arms and broad shoulders surging steadily through the water, feet flexing in perfect rhythm. Robertwalked to the deep end and squatted at the end of James’s lane. As his brother approached, Robert reached down in front of the diving block and waved his hand to and fro under the
‘Yes. Yes, that’s right,’ James hadn’t moved from the window. He caught sight of his face reflected in the glass. Gobsmacked , he thought, and closed his mouth. Usually he and Robert talked about sport, or current affairs.
‘Vesna and I both think it’s wonderful, you know, that you and Silver are so happy together. I really mean that.’
‘Thanks, Robert. Thanks! And we… you know, we’re both looking forward to seeing you guys at the party. Yeah. It’s great!’
‘Yes indeed.’
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Each brother stood for a long moment, pleasantly startled by what had been said, and remembering the events of that long-ago evening.
D e C em B e R 1980
As the afternoon drew closer to evening, Robert’s indecision was making him more and more unsettled. Should he go to Justin’s party or not? He tried to read a book on classroom management – next year he’d actually be there standing in front of a class, a qualified teacher – but found it impossible to concentrate. He went out to the backyard and asked his father if he needed a hand.
‘Not really, lad,’ Alex said from where he was kneeling by a flower bed, transplanting seedlings. ‘I’ve just about finished this lot.’ He looked up at his oldest son standing there restlessly tapping one foot on the ground. ‘Well, but since you ask…The front lawn could use a mow, if you wouldn’t mind.’
‘No worries, Dad,’ said Robert gratefully. ‘Should I do the nature strip, too?’
‘That’d be beaut.’
As he pushed the roaring lawnmower up and down in meticulously straight lines, Robert tried to consider the party invitation rationally. Justin’s a genuinely nice bloke, even though his family’s so rich. But I don’t really know his friends. They might all be snobs. I don’t want to be standing there like a shag on a rock with all these private school types ignoring me. And Justin’s the host, he’ll be busy. But I’d… I’d actually love to see his house; that time I picked him up outside, it looked… incredible. I’ve never been inside a place like that.
If only he had someone he could go with, but his few friends from teachers’ college were all busy. Meredith would’ve been perfect; she was a real social butterfly, mixed with anyone, anywhere – but she was away for the weekend.
‘James!’ he said out loud. He finished the mowing quickly and put the machine back in the shed. His father was sitting on a canvas chair under the shade of a fruit tree, Toby the labrador flopped on the grass beside him.
‘Do you know what James is doing tonight, Dad?’
Alex shook his head. ‘I think he’s working at the pool till six.’
‘I’ll just nick down there. But if I miss him and he comes back here, can you tell him I want to ask him about going to a party tonight?’
‘I’ll do that. That’ll be nice for you, Robbie, a party. You deserve to relax. Don’t know whether young James does though!’
‘Oh, Dad, don’t be hard on him. Architecture just wasn’t right for him, you know.’
‘Well no, I don’t know actually,’ said Alex in a prickly tone. ‘He would’ve made a bloody good architect. But there you are, it’s not up to me what he does, is it?’
‘James’ll be okay, Dad.’
‘Oh, there’s no doubt about that ! Well, off you go. I’ll tell him to wait if he comes back here.’
Down at the local swimming pool, one of the other attendants confirmed that yes, James had finished his shift but he hadn’t left yet. ‘He’s doing laps,’ the guy said, pointing at the fifty-metre pool.
There he was, his long tanned arms and broad shoulders surging steadily through the water, feet flexing in perfect rhythm. Robertwalked to the deep end and squatted at the end of James’s lane. As his brother approached, Robert reached down in front of the diving block and waved his hand to and fro under the
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