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Authors: Dorothy Koomson
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Don’t be long.’
‘You’re not my father, Sarto, in case you’d forgotten,’ I replied, stepping over the threshold to leave.
‘Things would be very different if I was,’ Sarto called as I shut the door in his face.
‘Are you mad, coming here?’ I hissed to Scott when we were clear of the front path and on the pavement. I daren’t look back at the house in case they were all in the front-room window watching us. I marched quickly up the road out of sight. ‘My whole family were in there and now they all think …’
The truth
, I realised so stopped talking.
‘Sorry, sorry, I had to see you. I came after you but you’d gone. You weren’t at your flat and I remembered you said about your Saturday lunches here so obviously …’
‘Obviously what? What do you want?’
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I behaved very badly. Of course I love you. Of course I know the baby’s mine. You’re the best thing that has happened to me, and the baby will be too if you want to keep him or her. If you don’t, that’s fine, too. But whatever you decide, I’ll support you. I’m sorry I didn’t say all that before.’
‘Thing is Scott …’
‘No, no. No, don’t.’ He stopped walking and threw himself to his knees. ‘Please don’t say “thing is” and my name in that tone of voice because that means it’s over. And I can’t stand the thought of that. I wish I had been a better man, but I’m here now. I want to be with you. I want to support you. Please give me one more chance. I probably deserve to be – what’s that thing they say on
Jerry Springer
– “kicked to the kerb” but please don’t.’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘Because I love you. Because we’re good together. Because every time we’re apart it feels as if there’s a piece of me missing. Because I love you.’
‘Yeah, well, sometimes love isn’t enough, you know? How do I know you aren’t going to freak out again about something we’re both responsible for? Or suddenly start questioning if I’ve been sleeping around? A baby puts all kinds of pressure on people andif you can’t handle it, I’d rather you weren’t around.’
‘Please, I’m begging you. I’ll do anything to make this work. Anything. You name it, I’ll do it. Just don’t give up on me, please.’
I could feel people in the street staring at us from behind their net curtains, formulating their gossip as fast as they could: the Challey boy on his knees in front of the Berize girl, hands clasped together as he begged her for something.
‘Get up, Scott.’
‘No. No, I can’t until I’ve made you understand how sorry I am and how much I love you and how much it would kill me if you didn’t give me a second chance.’
‘People are staring at us.’
He looked around, the street was empty but the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes was still upon us. ‘I don’t care. I love you and I don’t care who knows it.’ He opened his arms wide, threw his head back. ‘I LOVE TAMIA BERIZE!’ he bellowed suddenly. He lowered his head. ‘See? I don’t care who knows it. I’m yours from now until eternity. And I want to be the baby’s, too.’
Around us, front doors were opening and net curtains were being pulled back as people who hadn’t been watching came to see what the shouting was about.
‘Right, listen, I’ll give you another chance. But only one more chance, Scott, anything remotely bastard-like and I am gone. Do you understand me?’
‘I won’t need another chance, I’m not going to mess up like this ever again.’ He got to his feet, grinning from one ear to the other. He kissed me in front of all our neighbours, his hand resting on my abdomen, completing the circle that made us a family.
My mobile bleeps on my lap. My heart leaps and I immediately check it hasn’t woken Cora and Anansy. Their two forms lie undisturbed under the chocolate-brown duvet. It won’t be Scott. I know he’s notgetting out tonight, his mobiles
‘You’re not my father, Sarto, in case you’d forgotten,’ I replied, stepping over the threshold to leave.
‘Things would be very different if I was,’ Sarto called as I shut the door in his face.
‘Are you mad, coming here?’ I hissed to Scott when we were clear of the front path and on the pavement. I daren’t look back at the house in case they were all in the front-room window watching us. I marched quickly up the road out of sight. ‘My whole family were in there and now they all think …’
The truth
, I realised so stopped talking.
‘Sorry, sorry, I had to see you. I came after you but you’d gone. You weren’t at your flat and I remembered you said about your Saturday lunches here so obviously …’
‘Obviously what? What do you want?’
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I behaved very badly. Of course I love you. Of course I know the baby’s mine. You’re the best thing that has happened to me, and the baby will be too if you want to keep him or her. If you don’t, that’s fine, too. But whatever you decide, I’ll support you. I’m sorry I didn’t say all that before.’
‘Thing is Scott …’
‘No, no. No, don’t.’ He stopped walking and threw himself to his knees. ‘Please don’t say “thing is” and my name in that tone of voice because that means it’s over. And I can’t stand the thought of that. I wish I had been a better man, but I’m here now. I want to be with you. I want to support you. Please give me one more chance. I probably deserve to be – what’s that thing they say on
Jerry Springer
– “kicked to the kerb” but please don’t.’
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘Because I love you. Because we’re good together. Because every time we’re apart it feels as if there’s a piece of me missing. Because I love you.’
‘Yeah, well, sometimes love isn’t enough, you know? How do I know you aren’t going to freak out again about something we’re both responsible for? Or suddenly start questioning if I’ve been sleeping around? A baby puts all kinds of pressure on people andif you can’t handle it, I’d rather you weren’t around.’
‘Please, I’m begging you. I’ll do anything to make this work. Anything. You name it, I’ll do it. Just don’t give up on me, please.’
I could feel people in the street staring at us from behind their net curtains, formulating their gossip as fast as they could: the Challey boy on his knees in front of the Berize girl, hands clasped together as he begged her for something.
‘Get up, Scott.’
‘No. No, I can’t until I’ve made you understand how sorry I am and how much I love you and how much it would kill me if you didn’t give me a second chance.’
‘People are staring at us.’
He looked around, the street was empty but the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes was still upon us. ‘I don’t care. I love you and I don’t care who knows it.’ He opened his arms wide, threw his head back. ‘I LOVE TAMIA BERIZE!’ he bellowed suddenly. He lowered his head. ‘See? I don’t care who knows it. I’m yours from now until eternity. And I want to be the baby’s, too.’
Around us, front doors were opening and net curtains were being pulled back as people who hadn’t been watching came to see what the shouting was about.
‘Right, listen, I’ll give you another chance. But only one more chance, Scott, anything remotely bastard-like and I am gone. Do you understand me?’
‘I won’t need another chance, I’m not going to mess up like this ever again.’ He got to his feet, grinning from one ear to the other. He kissed me in front of all our neighbours, his hand resting on my abdomen, completing the circle that made us a family.
My mobile bleeps on my lap. My heart leaps and I immediately check it hasn’t woken Cora and Anansy. Their two forms lie undisturbed under the chocolate-brown duvet. It won’t be Scott. I know he’s notgetting out tonight, his mobiles
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