If I Fell

~10~

I thought about seeing a policeman but when I stood on the steps of the station the bobbies would look me up and down like I was a criminal, I felt so dirty. I shan't tell, hopefully Bill will just forget and let me move forward, away from the horrid night.

Days slipped by and I was feeling almost myself.

I concentrated only on Jim plus on not damaging Ramone's new car!

Driving the red and black mini was so much fun!

I was scared of the car at first, the gears, the turns, other cars swishing past, all around me. It was very zippy getting in and out of places so quickly, it gave me a feeling of freedom even thought it would be short lived.

It was good to feel free even if it was only fleeting. Like a totally different life I had borrowed from the local library- on loan to return in a fortnight.

Ramone: Hello Abigail luv, how's da?

Me: Oh, he is doing marvellous, we managed to get him up and about trying to walk today. I am getting very good at massaging his arms and legs, it helps the circulation you know.

                                                                      Ramone: You're an angel you are. This isn't what you signed up for but never once have you wavered on him. Thank-you

Me: No problem. I haven't crashed the mini either!

                                                                 Ramone: I didn't think you would         (Bill: ello Abby!.......Geo: Who's Abby. Bill: The girl with Pauls da, keep up Geo. Geo: Oh 'ello Abby thanks for the lemon and scotch trick, I'm much better thank you)                                         Sorry about that luv, I'm back. Soooo all good, got petrol money from the housekeeping, yea?

Me: Well about that. I bought something. For your da, it's his birthday soon Ramone. I got it so it was from you, of course.

                                                      Ramone: Oh, I totally forgot. You are.. Wow. Amazing (Bill: totally can't wait to me you Abby) Oh I'm sorry you won't be meeting 'im.

Me: Oh, alright then, nor you then, I take it.

                                                          Ramone: Probably not, no (Bill: told you he's a prat Abby, I'll wear him down we'll go out when I'm back, not long now! ) Don't say that, we can't. (Bill: what ....because we're 'knife' salesmen, RAmoneo!?)

Me: yes well I put the receipt in the second drawer in your side-table in your bedroom, on top of the Playboy magazines you have in there.

                                                               Ramone: No! They're not mine!!!         (Bill: what's this, sounds interesting let us listen. There now Abbs it's on speaker phone now, got it put in yesterday. Ello luvy, hear me?!)

Me: Yes, Bill I hear you. They are your Playboys, Mister Ramoneo.

Ramone: They'll be me Da's.

Me: No they are not.

Bill: You're got him now Abby, he's turning bright pink, he is.

Ramone: No, definitely not mine.

Me: Look Ramone they are yours. And if you're going to tell porky pies I'm going to continue on with this conversation. (I had a quiet giggle, it felt good to smile)

Ramone: No, they aren't. No, not at all.

Me: Do you know, how I know?

Ramone: They'll be me Da's Abigail.

Me: No son they aren't your dads. As his are in his drawer.

Ramone (whinging): Well they can still be his!

Me: Arrr but there's a difference Mister Ramone, a big difference....

Bill: He's currently on the floor luv, hit him with it!

Me: Well Ramone you see, its pretty simple really. Your Da's are just dog eared, folded on the very corners of the the interesting pages....

Ramone: And mine..... oh god kill me now.

Me: And yours.... Well yours they're stuck together, aren't they. No two pages able to turn in any of them books. 

(I hadn't looked at them of course I just thought up the brashest thing I could, and said it. Turns out I was completely, and utterly, on the button!)

                                                                       Geo: that is the most hilarious thing I've heard about PaRamone ever.                                                                                                                                                      Bill: Abby, he sped off toward the bathroom at a hundred mile an hour, white as a sheet. You are a top laff, you are! Got our PaRamoneo good.  I had better go and rescue the lad from throwing himself off the bathtub into the sink!

Me: Glad I could alleviate your boredom. Tell PARamone? He can always buy some new ones with his knife sales money.

Bill laughed maniacally again then...

Click and the phone went dead.

I smiled to myself. They were funny and witty, their voices bright and fast. 

Bill really listens when I speak. 

Geo well I get the feeling he maybe a tad younger than the others. 

Ramone, well he is a hard one to pick, doesn't seem like his Da at all, overly sensitive and smarmy I get from his voice. 

I shouldn't characterise them so. 

Manuel and that accent!?

I walk over to the only picture of the sons of Jim on the mantle above the fireplace, its grainy and shows two lads still in school uniform aged maybe around ten or twelve years old smiling brightly with adoration up at their mother, all Jim's other photographs are in his room in albums which I don't get to look at.

Those boys are stuck in a room together.. everyday, together.

It's right weird, but each to his own. Bill sounds quite nice, and even over there, he worries 'bout someone he has never met.