(aka Bike) Part 1624 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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The phone rang about ten o’clock and when I answered it I was relieved to discover it was Maureen not Jenny. I explained that I needed to bring forward the stable conversion–sounds like something out of the Gospels doesn’t it? She had plans drafted and approved so it was essentially about getting some quotes and then agreeing a schedule with the pertinent builder. She would get cracking on it immediately.
I’d just put down the phone from her when it rang again and I picked it up half expecting Maureen to say that she’d forgotten something, except it was Jenny calling.
“You asked me to call you back.”
“I did.”
“And the verdict?”
“Guilty.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I was guilty of offering you a home and my family are agreed that I need to honour my promises.”
“Assumin’ I stlll want to come.”
“You did last night.”
“So I did, but I coulda changed my mind this morning.”
“You have ten seconds to tell me if you want this place or not.”
“Yes,” she snapped in under a second.
“It’s probably going to take a month to do.”
“Okay.”
I could have punched her one if she was nearer–what had happened to the lovely young woman who used to work for me?
“I’ll contact you nearer the time it’s completed.”
“Okay,” I put my phone down feeling disgusted with her except it hadn’t been disconnected from her call and I heard her say to someone, “She swallowed it hook line and sinker.” I was sure I hadn’t imagined it–what was going on?
I had a cuppa and talked things over with Stella who seemed equally perplexed by Jenny’s attitude. I decided I wanted to see her, Jenny, that is, but I didn’t want her to know I was there, I wanted to observe her and see to whom she was talking. I called her back.
“Hello, Cathy, what d’ya want?”
“I’m going to need and address to send the lease and I suppose it would be useful to see what we’re planning to do to the stables.”
She agreed it would and gave me her address. It was a place in Shirley–that’s a district of Southampton not the first name of Ms Bassey. I found it on Google maps and after agreeing with Stella to look after the babies, Julie and I jumped in the car set off for the address.
It took about an hour to find it and a bit longer to park the car. She hadn’t seen it before but my number plate was almost as expensive as the car, CAT11Y, a screw being deposited between the two ones. I wasn’t into personalised number plates but I didn’t pay for it. Would you believe it took me two weeks to notice the number? And only then because he asked me if I’d memorised the number yet–I never did–until this one. His of course was S1MON, his dad’s was H3NRY, and his step-mother’s, MON164. Okay the last one took some imagination but it was as close as you could get to her name.
We split up and walking on opposite sides of the road in case we were seen went and cased the place. It was essentially a block of flats for the disabled being quite close to the hospital, there were ramps and things and all the door handles and bells were at waist level.
Her flat was on the first floor and something was bugging me. I knew she’d changed, she had when she was there at Christmas, but she seemed angry with me for some reason and I wanted to know why. So I rang the bell and the locked outer door opened without her waiting for me to say who I was. We both stepped inside and walked up the steps, although there was a wheelchair lift available.
“I thought you only came to suss the place,” Julie said as she followed me up the stairs.
“Yeah, I did.”
“So what are you doing now?”
“Sussing some more.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Nor me, which is why I’m doing it.”
She stopped me at the top of the stairs, “You don’t like it which is why you’re doing it? What are you a masochist?”
“It is Lent.”
“What’s been lent?”
“No, Lent, yesterday was Ash Wednesday.”
“What?”
“Never mind–it’s to do with Easter.”
She muttered to herself as we approached the door. “Oh, that Lent?”
I shook my head–Trish would have got it in seconds. I rang the doorbell and a voice called ‘Come in.’ So we did.
“Hello, Jenny.”
“Cathy? Julie? What are you doing here?”
“Came to see you, do we need another reason?”
“I suppose not.”
One could cut the atmosphere in the flat with a knife, “Nice place, well adapted, hope the stables work out as well.”
“It’s alright,” she said dismissively.
“Mind if I look round might give me some ideas for the stables conversion. I walked out of the room before she could answer and went into the bedroom, there were two beds in there, one with a hoist thing attached for helping her in and out of bed and the other an ordinary bed. She followed me in. The men’s clothes showed she had someone living with her.
“Have a live in carer, do you?” I asked trying not to show any emotion.
“Yeah, name’s Chris.”
“Christopher, I take it?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Is he planning on coming to the stables with you?”
“Yeah, he’ll be able to help me.”
“Okay, now tell me what’s really going on?”
“Waddya mean?”
“Jenny, you are not the person you used to be. Now I know circumstances have been difficult but the old Jenny wouldn’t have been trying to bullshit me. There is no reason for you to want to leave here and don’t give me the line about wanting to see my kids grow up, because that is offensive as well as being nonsense.”
“I don’t like it here and want to be back at the farmhouse.”
Just then the door opened and in walked Chris who said as he came through the door, “I managed to get some stuff–real skunk this time. Who are you?” he said to Julie.
Jenny and I went back to the living room and I introduced us, he wasn’t very pleased. He was also still holding the bag of cannabis he’d gone out to get.
“I can explain,” said Jenny as I was about to storm out of the flat.
“You have ten seconds,” I said and stood there arms folded.
“Since I hurt my back, the pain killers don’t work, the nerves are jangling all the time–the cannabis seems to help.” I was scanning her back and I suspect she was telling the truth. “I was hoping if we could live somewhere with a garden we could grow our own and save some money. This stuff is quite expensive.”
Whilst I had sympathy for her pain problem, no one was growing illegal substances in my garden–I couldn’t trust someone like that with my children in such close proximity, which was such a tragedy. Before she went off the rails, she had been such a good nanny-housekeeper. It was so sad, but that was in the past and I was about to let it go.
“You’re disappointed?” she looked at me with moist eyes but I wasn’t going to change my mind.
“Frankly yes, very disappointed. We could have been prosecuted and I don’t see how you could do this in a place with young children about.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that.” I think the apology was heartfelt, at least I accepted it as such.
Julie and I did a healing session with Jenny which exhausted all three of us but the pain was eased enough for her to cope without the drugs. I also expected her to begin to start to feel her toes again and be walking after a fashion in the coming months. How well she did was up to her. She’d never walk normally again but she’d be able to walk enough to function again–at least until old age stopped her.
We left, after wishing them both well.
“Is she going to make a full recovery, Mummy?” asked Julie as we drove to collect the girls.
“Not quite, but she could walk again if she wants to.”
“Why not a full recovery?”
“Ask the energy, I don’t make the rules, but it might be something to do with either the motive for the injuries or the fact that they’re old ones–and surgeons have been playing with them.”
“Oh–sort of makes sense, but you haven’t forgiven her have you? I wondered if that was a factor?”
“No, I don’t judge those I heal, because I don’t control it–remember, we’re just the vessels for something I still don’t understand.”
“Oh yeah, Shekhina all over,” sang Julie and I shook my head, she could be getting worse than Stella.
Comments
Visits
I do like the pun.
I must admit I wouldn't have thought of visiting let alone intruding.
Just shows how talented she is.
Lies, damned lies, and cannabis
Jenny was unwise on several counts; the telephone call, Chris If that's his name), her attitude; her history; the list goes on.
Trying to hoodwink Cathy was stupid in the extreme.
Very nicely done as usual, Ang and fiends (sorry, Friends)
Susie
Perhaps...
...once Jenny's eventually moved into the old stables and the majority of her physical healing is done (no doubt with further assistance from Shekinah using Cathy / Julie / Trish as channels), she can take steps to actually grow up a little. She still seems to be fairly impressionable, naïve and trusting, with little concept of how to cope when things don't go well. Heck, she's almost like (another) prodigal child...
Especially if Christopher's planning on moving into the stables with Jenny, it would probably be a good idea to run some background checks on him, as he's (a) male, (b) in a position of trust, (c) living with Jenny and (d) has knowledge of where to find Cannabis sativa. Based on all of those factors and the history of her love life, it wouldn't surprise me if she thinks she's in love with him, which could be very dangerous grounds...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Little Head/Big Head
It's supposed to be guys who think with their little head instead of their big head. Jenny needs to get a grip on her hormones. All of her troubles so far have stemmed from men.
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1624
Jenny could also be with child.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Interesting thought, Stan
... but I think Cathy would have detected the embryo. She's done that before.
Portia
Cynic's view.
Cathy shouldn't trust her; end of!
As far as I'm concerned an agreement is only valid if BOTH parties are entiely honest with each other. All bets should be off.
Still lovin it.
Bev.
OXOXOX
Still don't trust that Cathy's
gotten to the bottom of things... and Chris didn't sound like a caregiver. More like a live in boyfriend. Jenny's judgment is not too strong on boyfriends. Suggest that Cathy keep her far away from her property and family.
Meanwhile...
It's going to take a month or so to get the former stable block ready - plenty of time to do some background checks on this Chris character. If he turns out to be dodgy (as seems the case), perhaps adopt a two-pronged approach: (a) keep up the healing on Jenny so even though she'll still have some mobility difficulties, she can become as independent as possible; then (b) consult with Simon / Henry / Jim and see if Chris can be subtly edged away from Jenny (perhaps if it turns out Chris is employed by a care agency, ask Jim to put in an anonymous tip-off - the further the cause can be removed from Cathy the better!)
I don't think Jenny is, in her heart, a bad person - after all, she was working for the family for a year or so - but she is very naïve and prone to critical failures of judgement. If Chris can somehow be removed from the equation, her limited mobility will reduce her ability to seek new boyfriends, so living in the stable block will provide a safe environment where she can be largely independent but largely removed from external temptation. If she can get over her impatient desire to have a boyfriend, achieve greater maturity and realise there's more to life than having a partner, she may yet prove to be a valuable addition to the family. However, getting her to wise up to the terrible decisions she's made in the past and learn from her experiences is likely to be a long term project...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Frankly Jenny is just trouble
I agree that 'word' or no 'word' Cathy has the right to break her deal because the spirit of the agreement has been broken.
Kim
Cannibus
She ought to move to Michigan, USA. All she would need is a prescription and she could get the stuff legally. I suspect that the source would be a whole lot more reliable and safe, too.
Actually, I kinda wonder what it's like to get high. I'm not actually curious enough to try it, though. Especially since it might not react well with my prozac.
Anyhow, I hope Cathy doesn't end up ruing that trick she played on her aunt. [snicker]
Jenny's selfish abuse of trust and friendship
Jenny didn't, in this case give a damn of the consequences for Cathy and the others. She didn't care about the danger of a serious drug, growing in a garden used by young children. She made that clear by her last statement on the phone.
Why didn't Cathy tell her that she had heard Jenny's comment? Why didn't Jenny ask Cathy to use the energy to heal her, instead of using drugs? Duh!
Cathy should never let Jenny near her again, or shouldn't trust her. I wouldn't.
I would suspect brain damage
at this point, which is no help at all. Jenny can no longer be trusted, Cathy made the right call.