I’ve never met Denise’s mother, and from what I’ve heard she has more money at her disposal than sense. However, if she is also willing to include my daughter in this trip to a so-called ‘convention’, I’m not going to complain. I therefore agreed to let Jenny go but began to wonder about what I was going to do to entertain Joe whilst his sister was away for the next weekend. It would be better if I could take them both away on holiday for a couple of weeks during August, but unfortunately that isn’t realistic. I’ve only just secured my promotion after several years of working part-time so that I could look after the kids. My new job involves a fair amount of travel and occasionally spending nights away from home, but Jenny is now old enough to take responsibility for her younger brother, and in any event, he is almost fifteen and is usually quite trustworthy.

Last week I asked Joe what he planned to do during the summer holidays. I even offered to pay for him to go away to a summer camp for a couple of weeks, but he didn’t seem interested in any of my suggestions, and said he would be alright on his own at home. It isn‘t that I think he is likely to get himself into any trouble; quite the opposite in fact. For most boys of his age the prospect of six weeks with no school and the opportunity to go out with friends would be wonderful, but I can’t complain about his lack of progress at school; his latest report was excellent. I just wish he could enjoy life and socialize a little more.

As expected, Jean was perfectly happy for Jenny to spend Friday afternoon with her daughters and even invited the three of us to have dinner with them afterwards. This suited me well as it would save me from cooking and I’d wanted an opportunity to discuss my worries about Joe with her for some time. Jenny managed to bribe her brother to co-operate with this plan and come with us to Crawley on Friday by offering to help him with some of his housework chores. I collected them both from school after lunch, together with Jenny’s two friends and dropped the three girls at Jean’s house where they intended to spend the afternoon working on their costumes. Karen and Sue (the twins) had been given responsibility by their mother for preparing our evening meal and laying the table as Jean, ran a hairdresser’s shop and beauty salon in town and so wouldn’t be home until 6.00pm. As soon as we’d dropped them off, Joe and I completed the bulk of the family shopping for the week, took it home to stow it, before setting off to go back to Crawley for our meal.

Over dinner, the three girls were complaining that their other friend, Denise, had failed to turn up for school in the morning, or for her fitting during the afternoon, although she’d previously assured them that she would be doing so.

‘We’ve tried to ring her several times,’ said Jenny, ‘but her mobile has been turned off, and there’s no answer from her home number either.’

‘It is a nuisance because I’ve almost finished her dress for the ‘Angelica’ routine and I just wanted to make sure its the right length,’ said Karen.

‘You don’t need to get in a panic, as you still have a full week before the convention,’ said Jean.

‘But we'll need to spend that time rehearsing if we are going to stand any chance of winning a prize,’ said Sue.

At the end of our meal the three girls politely asked whether they might be excused to carry on with their work, and I volunteered to help Jean with the washing up. Joe parked himself in front of their television set in the dining room, which was a little bit annoying as he wasn’t entirely out of earshot of the kitchen, but fortunately Karen returned to the room soon afterwards and came to my rescue.

‘Joe, are you watching anything in particular at the moment?’ she asked.

‘No, not really,’ he answered.

‘In that case would you mind giving me a hand please?’

‘Doing what?’

‘Come upstairs and I’ll show you.’

He shrugged his shoulders, turned off the television and followed her. This was my opportunity to talk to my friend.

‘Jean, I’m getting quite worried that Joe seems so down since his friend moved away a couple of months ago and he spends most of his time on the computer at home.’

‘I don’t think you need to worry Carol, lots of boys enjoy playing violent computer games these days, but they soon grow out of it,’ commented Jean.

‘No, I’m not worried about him playing violent games, in fact many of the things he does on the computer are quite constructive, but the only contact he has with other children is via chat rooms. I’m anxious in case he becomes clinically depressed, particularly as he seems to have no particular friends from school, and isn’t interested in sports or the things that other boys in the neighbourhood enjoy,’ I said.

‘Not all boys like football,’ she commented.

‘I know, but he seems to have nothing in common with the other boys in the village.’

‘Are you worried that he might be gay?’ asked Jean.

‘That wouldn’t worry me as long as he was happy, I think it is a bit early to be worrying about his sexuality; I just wish he would get on with his puberty and start growing into a man.’

‘He seems to get on alright with Jenny.’

‘They don’t squabble like some other children, but she has her own friends and interests and doesn’t want to be lumbered with a geeky younger brother hanging around all the time. I wish I could spend more time with him, but this new job means I have to spend a fair amount of time away on business. I’ve struggled for ages for this opportunity and seem on the brink of rebuilding my career, although I don’t want to sacrifice the happiness of my children in the process,’ I said.

‘I’m not sure that a mother can do a lot in those circumstances, he really needs to spend time with youngsters of his own age’.

‘I know but I can’t force him to make friends with other boys, or girls for that matter.’

Jean sighed.

‘I’m not sure what to advise, Carol, as I have no experience dealing with teenage boys, but I would try not to be too anxious. Things will probably work themselves out in time. The main thing is not to put any pressure on him. What about Joe’s father, could he perhaps spend some time with him?’ asked Jean

‘Joe has never met his father, and Jenny was only eighteen months old when we went our separate ways. I believe he has re-married and now has a new a family somewhere back in Ireland. If Joe wants to track him down at a later date, then of course I’ll help him do so but otherwise I would rather let things stand. He’s managed without a father so far, and I don’t want to complicate things.’

‘I know what you mean. I was devastated when my Jack was killed in an accident at work, especially as the girls were only five at the time, but in retrospect we’ve coped quite well without him,’ commented Jean.

‘It must have been difficult for you.’

‘Yes it was awful at the time for us all, but the compensation has at least enabled me to set up and run my own small business’.

We finished the washing up and put away the crockery and continued our conversation in the kitchen for half an hour when Sue suddenly appeared from upstairs.

‘Mum, please may we borrow your long wig?’ she asked.

‘I suppose so, as long as you’re careful with it, but what do you want it for?’ asked Jean.

‘Just give us ten minutes and then you can come up and see’.