Rare Sight

Chapter Eight

“What… stay here? With us?” His mum didn’t seem too keen on having Gideon anywhere near her, never mind in the house. She’d even made a fuss about his sleeping there overnight after he’d returned Joe safely.

They had agreed it made sense for her and Joe to stay at his gran’s for the time-being, as his gran had more room, and the three of them felt safer together. Now he had to persuade her to include Gideon in the arrangements. He led her into the living room, where they could talk without Gideon overhearing.

“I thought we might be safer if he was with us,” he said.

She laughed, but it wasn’t a nice sound. “Safer? With Gideon?” she said.

“Mum, he’s quite a bit older than when you knew him. I think he might have grown up,” said Joe. “What did he do that was so bad, anyway?”

“What didn’t he do? He was involved in all kinds of shady things, Joe. I should never have got mixed up with him. It would certainly have been better for Georgia if she hadn’t done.”

“Don’t be too hard on him, Mum. He’s really sorry for everything.”

“Is that what he told you?” She looked at Joe. “He’s got to you, hasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh…” she waved a hand, “…he’s done the whole Downtrodden Man act and you’ve fallen for it.”

Joe lost it. “Mum, this isn’t all about you and some bloke you slept with umpteen years ago, before the dinosaurs. I think we could really do with some help at the moment. I don’t know if you noticed, but I was nearly whisked off to some place that didn’t offer a return fare. Gideon seems to know a bit more than we do about the spirit world. I think he could help us.”

His mum paused. She walked over to the window, and gazed out for a minute. Then she turned back. “You’re right,” she said.

“You what? You mean he can stay?”

“If your gran’s OK with it. And there have to be ground rules.”

“Sure. Whatever.” He couldn’t help grinning. He hadn’t expected his mum to give in so easily.

His gran came in. “So what’s been decided?” she asked.

“Mum says Dad can stay,” he told her with a grin.

She raised an eyebrow. “So it’s ‘Dad’ now, is it?”

“Well,” said Joe, “he is my dad, isn’t he?”

Gideon seemed quite happy with the idea that his bed was the old sofa with the worn-out springs. He didn’t even seem to mind that Joe’s mum wouldn’t speak to him directly, but insisted on going through Joe.

“Tell your father,” his mum said, “that he may stay, but only if he abides by the house rules. He should wipe round the bath after he uses it, and not leave the toilet seat up.” Joe repeated the message in a monotone, and Gideon winked at him before responding.

“Tell your mother that a clean bath is an unhappy bath,” he said. “And, as there are now an equal number of men and women in this household, it’s only right to cater for the needs of both genders. I would appreciate if it she would reciprocate by leaving the toilet seat up after use.”

His mum gave up and left the room. But Joe noticed that she had made a bit more effort than usual over her hair, and had even put on make-up.

He went after her. “Mum, I think we need to call a meeting. You know – to discuss tactics, that kind of thing.”