(aka Bike) Part 1308 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad
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As you might imagine, I didn’t sleep that well after Maureen’s revelation and request. What rotten luck for her to get lumbered with a son after one brief encounter, with a woman she didn’t love. In lots of ways I was grateful that I’d had a very sheltered up-bringing; although I was reminded of a lecture my father gave me before I went off to university.
“Charles, you’re now a man,” I nearly fell over laughing, I was about as close to being a man, as he was to being a chimpanzee. “So you must be responsible for your actions. We don’t want to hear any stories of you spending all your time in the Student’s Union bar or sleeping with every female who gives you the eye. D’you hear me?”
“Yes, Dad, I’m going there to get a degree not drunk or laid.”
“No need to be crude about it, young man.”
I didn’t consider I’d been crude–I could have used a few more unsavoury words and really made the vein in his neck throb as he went puce, then beetroot.
Looking back, things could have been worse. It was a shame I lost my mum when I was finding myself and wonder how she might have coped. Then would Dad have been different if he hadn’t had the stroke? I like to think he might have been, but I’m probably wrong. Then he was–well, they both were–victims of their upbringing and that poisonous church they went to.
It’s funny they left it after I went to Portsmouth, so I never got the pleasure of pissing off the vicar by appearing as my true self because the funeral was at another church.
I was awake at six and showered and dressed myself before even Si stirred. Then after drying and styling my hair–it was getting quite long again–I left it down using some mousse to help the ends stay curled under, under my jaw. I kept the makeup simple too, some mascara, blush and lipstick, with some diamond ear studs and a gold chain necklet.
Of course the girls were all questions, why was I wearing makeup and perfume. Livvie has a nose like bloodhound. I kept the explanation simple.
“I have to go to Eastbourne with Maureen about a private matter of hers. End of message.”
“Oh,” sighed Trish, “I wish I could come.”
“Yeah, me too,” Livvie agreed.
“Tough, now stop nagging me and eat your breakfasts.”
I wasn’t hungry but forced a couple of slices of toast down with mashed banana on them; washed down with a good cup of tea.
After dropping off the girls I collected Maureen, who was looking very dapper in a cerise coloured skirt suit. If I thought I hadn’t slept much, Maureen looked very much as if she hadn’t at all. She clambered into the Cayenne with laptop bag and an equally large handbag. My own was small by comparison.
We didn’t talk very much and when I looked across, she was asleep. I turned the radio down to low and kept the speed constant as we sped east along the motorway.
According to Googlemaps, it’s just over seventy miles and takes a fraction over an hour and three quarters. They were spot on, because an hour and forty minutes later, we were heading into Eastbourne, and following the directions, I’d downloaded from the internet the night before, we arrived at the road where Cilla and Andrew lived.
Maureen had roused from her slumbers and was shaking her head, “Why did you let me sleep, ma’am?”
“I don’t think I could have stopped you if I’d tried. How d’you feel?”
“Like me ’ead’s a bucket and some bugger just whacked it with an ’ammer.”
“I know we discussed what you wanted me to tell her, but are you sure you still want me to do this?”
“Why, don’t you want to, ma’am?”
“I’m quite prepared to go in there and tell her anything you’d like me to, including where to get off, if necessary.”
“He is me son.”
“You think, I suspect it’s unlikely but that’s another matter.”
“He’s the same bloodgroup.”
“Is that all you had tested?”
“We didn’t actually have anything tested, she showed me ’is ’ospital card and it said group O.”
“Half the planet is group O, I’m group O so was my cat.”
“Eh?”
“Alright the cat wasn’t but loads of people are. That only means he’s human, and possibly your son, but I have my doubts.”
“Oh.”
“I suspect she saw you as a soft touch and she was right. How long after your night out was the baby born?”
“Eight months I think.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, pretty sure.”
“Was it a tiny thing, about three pounds?”
“No ’e was about eight pounds.”
“Didn’t you do any biology in school?”
“Not much why?”
“From conception to birth is about forty weeks not thirty two. You’ve been had, old girl.”
Maureen stared at me and started to laugh, “I ’ave too, by the sound of it. See you females know it all, don’t you?”
“I’m no more female than you are, as you well know. Okay wait here, it’s just coming up to eleven. If you hear screams, send for an ambulance–it may save her.” I left the car and walked down the road a little and into the garden of the house. It was neatly kept and the house looked well maintained–possibly on Maureen’s money.”
I rang the bell and the double glazed door drew open, behind which was a woman of about fortyish. “You must be, Cathy?” she said.
“I am, so you’re, Cilla?”
“Yes, you’d better come in.”
She led me into a nicely furnished room and invited me to sit on a two seater, leather settee. It was a sort of burgundy colour and went reasonably well with the dark carpet and the frieze around the walls.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“No thanks,” I decided this might not take as long as I thought.
She sat opposite me in a matching easy chair. “So Maurice works for you, does he?”
“Yes, part time.”
“What does he do–the dockyard sacked him didn’t it?”
“He does all sorts of building and engineering jobs for me and my husband’s firm.”
“So he’s doing alright, then?”
“He’s getting by. How is your son?”
“He’s fine, in school of course.”
“Of course.”
“Do you have any children?”
“Yes, I have seven.”
“Seven–how can you afford seven–I can barely afford one?”
“I send them all out to work down the mines and up chimneys.”
She looked at me aghast for a moment, then sniggered. “You have quite a sense of humour, don’t you?”
“You may not think so in a moment.”
“Why, what’re you going to do?”
“I’m going home and instruct my lawyers to investigate the parentage of your son.”
“What for?”
“Because you’ve been ripping off that poor bugger for fifteen years.”
“I have not, how dare you even suggest it?”
“I can suggest it because it’s true isn’t it but he was too soft to challenge it. I don’t know who the father is but it isn’t Maurice Ferguson.”
“Yes it is–I know it is.”
“I know it isn’t.”
“How can you know that? You weren’t there.”
“I didn’t need to be, you picked on the wrong drunken sailor.”
“What’ya mean?”
“Maurice is gay–he couldn’t get it up for you if you sprayed it with starch.”
“He’s not.”
“Also he’s no longer Maurice.”
“What he’s changed his name?”
“Yes, to Maureen. I think your son is going to have to make other plans, don’t you? And I’m serious about challenging your paternity claims. I have a very good firm of lawyers.”
“You bitch.” She said quietly and stood up in quite an aggressive manner.
“Please sit down Mrs Bromley, you’re not doing your blood pressure any good at all.”
“Who do you think you are?”
“I know exactly who I am, the Lady Catherine Cameron, but that wasn’t in doubt was it? I have to go now, I suggest you inform your son of your little subterfuge if you haven’t already, and I think a letter to the CSA or whoever acts as the go between in your maintenance arrangements explaining your mistake might be in order. I’ll be instructing my lawyers to do so anyway.” I stood up and walked out of the house, “Good day, Mrs Bromley.”
I left her sitting in her arm chair looking like she’d just stepped on a mine, and walked back to the car.
“Did you tell her?”
“I told her you were now called Maureen and where she could get off.”
“Blimey.”
“I could use a cup of something, let’s go and find a decent coffee shop.”
Comments
Another enemy?
How many enemies now, then?
Topsy
Mostly Harmless
Obviously.
This isn't over.
I sense another chapter in this vein afore it ends.
Can't wait, as is often the case with your stuff Angie.
Still lovin' it.
Love and hugs.
OXOXOX
Bev.
Growing old disgracefully.
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1308
Me, I do hope that Cathy hasn't stirred up a hornet's nest, just now. But for some reason, I see the Cameron's gaining two more.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Well
She could have done the job a bit better, and maybe saved some future problems, or hard feelings. Cathy is very probably correct, but screwing with someone's wallet can cause all sorts of problems. The boy could possibly have found a friend, maybe needed, in Maureen, even if they are not related.
In Addition...
...it's not at all clear that Maureen wanted rid of her son and/or the support payments. That was extremely presumptuous of Cathy. It's not clear, either, that the child wasn't emotionally bonded in some way with Maurice.
As Cathy should well know, people do adopt children, and those children can and do bond with their adoptive parents. So, even if "Maurice & son" is based on a fraud, the intervening years of relationship, thin though they might have been, might still have counted for something, both with Maureen and with the child.
___________________
If a picture is worth 1000 words, this is at least part of my story.
Emotionally bonded?
Here's an extract from yesterday's episode:
So although Maureen knows his name, she hasn't had any contact whatsoever with him apart from sending the regular child support payments. Therefore the only knowledge Andrew has about "dad" has been provided by mum.
It might be interesting to see a meeting between the two, because of course Maureen looks slightly different (and not just through aging!) than she did fifteen years ago. It's anyone's guess as to what his reaction will be. Or what Maureen's reaction will be - if she approached the situation rationally she might be able to make a satisfactory parent for Andrew, but she might (initially at least) get flustered and worried that maybe she wasn't doing the right thing (having no childcare experience and probably very little if any contact with teenagers other than Cathy's bunch).
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
So many
ALISON
'young men were caught that way in the days before the technology available today.
Maureen is owed a lot of money but I don't like her chances of getting it.
ALISON
I Wonder How Many....
I wonder how many are paying for this boy (given the state of the house).
how many
this could be a very salient point. I never thought of that. She may have used the kid to gather all kinds of support. Very tricky on her part. Good point to bring up. Parent tests weren't that common 15 years ago
oooh ahh
well that was fun...sorta. But some people do need to be kicked. Now then, a nice cappuccino and a sticky bun, that'll sort it. Good job
Kris
Ahh Yes
Cathy at her best.
Fraud
Claiming fifteen years' worth of child support payments from someone she knew not to be the father translates as fraud, plain and simple. It does raise some interesting questions...
1) Does she know who the real father is - and if so, why wasn't she claiming off him?
2) Why is she moving up North? Could it be related to (1)?
3) Why doesn't she want to take her son with her?
4) To what extent were the home and furnishings subsidised by Maureen's child support payments?
5) Who will get custody of the son? Cue more fun and games with Children's Services...
Now, because a government body (the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, previously the Child Support Agency) are involved, and the fraud took place over such an extended period of time, they will almost certainly take legal action against Cilla Bromley. I suspect that if convicted, a significant portion of the proceeds of the ensuing house sale would go to cover costs and compensation.
Then there's the thorny issue of Andrew. If the real father either can't be found or is not interested in taking care of Andrew, then he'd have to be taken into care. There is currently a nationwide shortage of foster carers, and as placement breakdowns among teenagers are not uncommon, he could end up being caught up in a game of human pass the parcel. Not good.
Unless a certain some one decides to privately foster him "temporarily" until suitable adoptive parents can be found...
Now where have we heard that situation before, and what's became of the children concerned? :)
There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Of course
Maureen might just be tempted to get involved with the kid since she thought he was dad all these years. And she still might be. And if Cathy got her "peeps" involved, Maureen could end up as a care giver overnight.
Can't help but wonder if
a boy not related to any of the crew is about to become a member of the clan. Hope Cathy follows through with the lawyers. Interesting that Celia didn't even dispute Cathy's comment about maureen never being able to "perform".
Performance
That was the thing that jumped out at me. The boy's wishes, though: what a raft of possibilities!
The plot thickens
I wonder how many other poor unsuspecting sailors are also paying child maintenance for Andrew. It's an underhanded fraud that Cilla seems to be milking. All the more reason, I guess, to insist upon DNA testing even if one thinks one's responsible.
Thanks A+B: This was a twist that I didn't see coming, especially the way it played out. I'll be back for tomorrow's Bikesode to see the next installment in this story.
Paternity Scams
Bike Resources
Bike Resources
It's always good
to see someone who seems to have spent her life making money out of innocent people, Get her her comeuppance!!!... Mind you you would have to say that someone who can make money in this rather nasty way for so long , Is unlikely to give up at the first sign of trouble, More trouble awaits for Cathy methinks !
Kirri
Cathy is spot on here
I had an aquaitance who after his divorce was paying child support for 3 children. Turns out that after 10 or so years of paying support that none of the children were his. His wife had been sleeping around while he was on deployment aboard ships overseas (he was in the U.S. Navy.)
As for breakfast, not sure I could go for banana on toast. I love banana's but not on bread. Butter with a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar but not 'nana's. However, I do like splitting banana's lengthwise and spreading peanut butter on the halves then eating the banana with a spoon.
thinks alot of folks are jumping to conclusions
or read a different chapter than I did.
#1 - Maureen isnt/hasnt complained till till Kathy explained biology 101 about the boy, only concern that nither the woman nor the boy knew Maureen was transgender and now a lesbian.
#2 - why would the boy end up at Kathy's? Maureen and partner could as easily take boy in as own and that woman still get nailed for the crimes committed. The house could be sold & put in trust for Boys future and or Maurice might get back comp for all the 15 yrs he/she has paid in alimony.
#3 - I dont know UK laws that well, but gays or lesbians can adopt children and Maureen could present a pretty good case in that she has paid for the boys up keep past 15 yrs. So, if they were to get along at all, I'd tend to believe a judge would see that as a major plus even if there's been no contact, both have aknowleged an already formed relationship bond of sorts.
#4 - legal action should def. be taken.
The list here goes on forever, tho, Kathy could of been a little less blunt, the effect is still the same in the end. No, I dont see Kathy ending up with another child. She is only providing access for Maurice to legal help and maybe a helping hand in expenses to a friend. In the end, It's Maurice's choice to keep providing for the boy or letting court decide he should end up elsewhere.
#5 - There's another male out there whom would/should have a say in matter also, the real father.
No, Kathy wouldnt likely get that boy unless it was a TEMP thing, namely cause outside of a loose relationship to maurice...she has absolutely no connection to the boy.
be interesting to see how our authoress ties this into other existing storylines... tho i can see one possibility... the transgender thing when Kathy starts being in news on her work on mcBeth and tabloids looking for juicy things again ...
I can't but help think of the kid,
he is vulnerable, very much so. He is not responsible for what his Mom did, but he might pay the price.
Aced the meeting that time
Aced the meeting that time Cath. Maureen is gay?
I guess to be the father, she'd need artificial insemination. Maybe not, a friend of mine has three kids, a son and two daughters. He is, as Maureen would say a poofter.
Karen