How are You ? I asked, giving her a peck on the cheek.
How do you think I am? She snapped. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I haven’t eaten since I heard. I’m sick to my stomach. And nobody gives a damn. Come on Mum, I said, rubbing her should awkwardly. It’s not the end of the world. This happen every day. It’s not like years ago, people don’t shut up! She bellowed, suddenly in real tears. You haven’t got a clue! Is she in? I asked, very quietly. No Mum replied, just as quietly. Her tears had subsided almost immediately, as they often did.
Work?
No not day. She gets every second Saturday off. I think she went to meet that Riley one for coffee. Well, I said, it’s good that she’s still getting out and about. You know, not sulking in her room. That brought a contemptuous ha from mum, who then seized on a favourite topic. I was never sure about that Riley one, and I’m even less sure of her now. Maybe she’s the one who’s been leading Deirdre astray. I almost laughed. No one had been leading Deirdre astray, that was for sure. Deirdre had been born astray
Yvonne’s all right, Mum, I sighed. And Deirdre’s going to need a friend. She’s going to need a lot more than friends. What about a father for the baby? What about money? What about ‘
Let’s not worry about the details just yet, I interrupted. The main thing is to calm Deirdre down, let her know it’s not the end of the world. She doesn’t need calming down, Joseph! Mum yelled, once again reaching hysterics in the blink of an eye. She’s perfectly calm! I’m the one who needs calming down! You’re not the pregnant nineteen-year old, I was tempted to say, but didn’t. You’ll survive, I said. You’ve been through worse than this. For a start, I’m sure she didn’t do it deliberately. And for another thing, she doesn’t sleep around. You can be unlucky, you know. She looked at me with an expression of shock and outrage. Bad luck you call it? She goes to bed with some stranger and gets pregnant and shames us all in front of