A Bit More of You

Chapter Twenty: One Man, One Woman

(Photo from scrapbook: Me and Reeny - sisters forever, 1977)

Serenity and I were crying like utter babies, clinging to each other and howling. I couldn't understand why I was in such a pathetic state. Why was I crying over the man who had flat out ignored me my entire life? The man who shattered my mother's heart?

I knew why.

George was my dad, and I loved him.

The past didn't matter to me anymore. I couldn't care less about mistakes that had been made before I was even brought into existence. What really mattered was getting to George's house ans making sure he was all right. I couldn't bear it if anything serious happened.

If...

If...

"We have to get you home, Reeny," I said. "We need to get there now."

"I know," Serenity wept, dabbing at her eyes with a hankie. "I know we do, only... only I don't know how we can. Public transportation is terrible. It took me all day to get here!"

"We're gonna have to," I said. "You and I can't drive, and Mum can't either. She doesn't own a car, do you, Mum?"

Mum didn't answer. I glanced around the lounge in confusion. She wasn't anywhere to be seen, like she'd suddenly vanished into thin air. My heart began to thump maniacally inside my chest. Had she gone back to bed with a bottle?

"Mum?" I called, my voice wavering because I was so anxious. "Mum, where did you go?"

"Right here, sweetheart," said Mum, emerging from the hallway. She stood in the doorway and grinned at me and Serenity, arms placed confidently on her hips. We stared at her in awe. She looked so different!

Mum was wearing a beat up leather jacket and matching leather trousers. There was a flat-top cap perched on her head, squashing her short, chaotic hair downwards. When I peered doen at her feet, I saw they were laced up in a pair of massive brown boots (possibly a men's pair as they looked way too big on her). I was utterly astounded. I had seen my mother in leather jackets and caps before, but never all at once. She looked wonderful; an awe-inspiring stranger rather than my mum.

"Mum!" I gasped. "What... Why... How..."

Mum grinned at me. "Something wrong, babe? Cat got your tongue?"

"No! Nothing's wrong! It's just... you look great, Mum!"

Mum tipped her cap playfully. "Well, this is how George first knew me, so why not pay him a visit like this?"

I nodded enthusiastically (mainly because I was relieved to see my mum in something that didn't make her look like a hooker), but Serenity was struck speechless. She stared at Mum, her big blue eyes going blink-blink-blink like indicators on the back of a car.

"You okay, Reeny, dear?" Mum asked.

Serenity didn't respond. She was far too shell-shocked for talk.

Mum simply laughed and hustled us out of the flat. "Come on, girls. No time to waste. We've got a mission to do!"

* * * *

Serenity was right about the public transport being the absolute pits. We spent about fifteen minutes hiking to the nearest bus stop, then waited a further twenty minutes for a goddamn bus to arrive. The bus driver looked around five hundred years old - all wrinkly with white hair and whiskers - and acted like a total creep. He flashed Serenity a horrible toothless grin and blew kisses at her. The poor kid was scared out of her wits, shrinking away behind me in terror.