9. Remembering Geordie

9. Remembering Geordie

A Chapter by Peter Rogerson
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THE SWEETEST SUMMER WINE Part 9

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Joshua had returned to his own home, across the road, to attend to his own housework.

You’d be shocked if you saw my bedroom” he said before he went, “the sheets are clean enough but everything else’s got to be dusty seeing as I don’t go round with a duster very often.”

What you need is a woman,” she advised.

I can’t believe that you said that,” he replied, frowning slightly.

Why might that be?” she asked, lightly.

It’s as if such mundane things as dusting are woman’s work when us men should play our part,” he said, “I’ve long thought that. Peggy taught me before the chip pan took over!”

I agree,” she said, “but sometimes things are team efforts. A woman creates a plan and the man does as he’s told!”

Fair enough, I suppose,” he responded, “shall I see you later?”

If you like. It would be nice. Do you want me to pop across to see how the dusting’s going on after lunch?”

If you like,” he nodded, “and maybe for a bite of lunch with me, and wee drop of whisky,” he added with a grin.

She was about to suggest that a wee drop would be just the job and she’d be over in an hour or two when her mobile rang and the display said it was Rosie.

Excuse me,” she said, “it’s the lass. Rosie.”

I’ll see you later then,” he said, and he adjusted his mask and left her in peace.

I was just talking to Josh, dear,” Helena told her daughter.

So he’s staying for breakfast now, is he? What have you been getting up to, mum?”

Nothing like that!” she protested, “what do you think I am? I woman of the night? A pair of legs and nothing in the attic?”

You’ve got plenty upstairs, mum,” laughed Rosie, “and I was only joking!”

He was quite interesting last night,” said Helena, “telling me all about about his Miss Whiplash! But I don't think he’d appreciate me spreading his dirty secrets around, so I’ll leave it at that.”

You had your own Mr Whiplash, mum, did you tell him about Geordie?” asked Rosie.

Darling, I’d forgotten him and hoped you had, too!”

I don’t think I ever will! That one time I came home from school and he came out of the bathroom as naked as a jaybird and clearly quite excited, and poor little innocent me didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…”

You laughed, darling. Quite loud. Anyway, Geordie was a bit of a troubled soul, but I liked him for the few days it lasted.”

Men are troubled souls, mum. I could never get my head round my ex.”

Mentioning of your ex, have you heard anything of Paul lately?” asked Helena in a vane attempt at changing the subject from her brief fling (if that was what it was) with Geordie.

He crawls round to see me every so often with a silly grin on his face and stories about how hard life is without me, but it’s his fault that he’s on his own and there’s no way I’ll let him back,” sniffed Rosie, “thinking he could get away with sowing his wild oats in every corner of creation without me getting to know! He even thought I’d be all right with it, saying it saved me from an endless trail of pregnancies without realising I’m a big girl and know how to take precautions, which is something I did as soon as little Rosie was born. But come on, did you mention your Geordie to the new love of your life?”

As if!”

Then I’d better, mum. He ought to know the truth.”

Just like you know! Geordie wasn’t anything and I can’t help it if he had a shower in my bathroom and wandered out without realising there was a teenage girl around…”

I don’t know, mum. I was too young to understand and home from school after a boring day learning stuff that hasn’t meant anything to me since I learned it.

Well, Geordie was a flash in the pan! He came to see me half a dozen times, we got up to absolutely nothing I would ever be ashamed of, and we decided to call it a day because it was at that time that the oh-so serious Roger came along and for a while, and I quite fancied him. I would have been about your age back then and thought I might need a last fling before time and age caught up with me.”

He was a turnip!”

He was a professor!”

That doesn’t mean he wasn’t a turnip!”

You were only a child, darling. He knew more things than the two of us together will ever learn.”

The trouble was, it was all boring stuff and neither of us would be silly enough to want to learn it in the first place! I mean, we can see the stars on a clear night and even admire the patterns they make in the sky, but will we ever need to know what they’re made of?”

I know, darling, but I did think I found some of his chatter quite interesting. It was a great deal deeper than the stuff his predecessors, including your father, liked to talk so pompously about. Men can be boring, you know.”

Is Joshua boring?”

Actually, no, he isn’t. He’s just an ordinary elderly man who doesn’t like dusting.”

And wears shorts,” giggled Rosie, “I love that!”

He can wear what he likes! He doesn’t tell me what to wear.”

And if he did, mum?”

I’d give him his marching orders straight away!”

If Roger was so deep, how come you got shot of him?”

He had to move away and I wouldn’t go with him. Not wouldn’t: couldn’t. I had you, and you were much more important to me than any man.”

And if Joshua wanted to whisk you away to never-never land, would you go?”

He won’t, dear.”

He might.”

At his age? Men are more stuck in the mud than women when they reach the doorway to God’s waiting room, and us women are stuck in the mud enough.”

Mum! I don’t like to think that!”

I know, darling, people should live for ever. But they don’t. Geordie didn’t. He died, you know, years ago. I bumped into a mutual acquaintance and he told me. He even took me to the garden where his ashes had been spread.”

Really? You never told me!”

It wasn’t important and you had Little Rosie in nappies. But I did go with him to see, and there was a small plaque giving details of his age. He was only sixty something. I said he was older than me, didn’t I? And the plaque was placed there by his partner. Tony, it was, spelt the way boys spell it, with a y at the end.”

Oh. You mean?”

He was gay, darling, something I’d known when we were friends. He told me, and I liked him for telling me. And he was a decent man.”

Rosie paused, then, “Oh. Mum, I must go. There’s someone at the door. Love you.”

And I love you, Rosie,” sighed Helena.

© Peter Rogerson 28.11.21

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© 2021 Peter Rogerson


Author's Note

Peter Rogerson
Although the content of this ventures slightly towards adult material, I believe it' really suitable for everyone.

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Added on November 28, 2021
Last Updated on November 28, 2021

THE SWEETEST SUMMER WINE


Author

Peter Rogerson
Peter Rogerson

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom



About
I am 80 years old, but as a single dad with four children that I had sole responsibility for I found myself driving insanity away by writing. At first it was short stories (all lost now, unfortunately.. more..

Writing