When I Met Polly

Chapter 6

I can hear mum buzzing about in the kitchen as I get home, which is surprising. Not only is she home, but it sounds as if she's cooking. I stroll in the kitchen ready to greet her. When I see him leant against the counter stroking her cheek. Said 'he' is Jeffrey. He is disgusting and an awful excuse for a man. When dad had a job in England as a mechanic Jeffrey/Jeff was his partner in business, they were best friends. I used to like Jeffrey, sort of. I mean the way my dad talked about him he was a walking God. However whenever I met him he did not live up to the high expectations my dad had set for him. He stank of beer, and would always seem to be drunk, and whenever my dad was in a different room to he and mum, Jeff would always start openly flirting with her. My brother was around then and Jeff used to always be winding up my brother and picking fights with him, and my brother being a hormonal teenager would be particularly infuriated by this. Anyway none of this is why whenever I see him I want to vomit my insides out. When dad gave up his job, his first trip was to be to Germany. He was going to be gone for six weeks that was last year, my brother had just left for university, so it was just me and mum. Accept it wasn't really, because mum insisted of inviting Jeff for dinner every night, and Jeff would sometimes even stay the night. Now I was about 12 at this time and so I wasn't stupid and I did have a suspicion of what Jeff would be doing when he stayed the night. However I'd push all these feelings away because I believed my parents were starry eyed for each other and would never even dream of looking at another person. However one day when I got home from my stroll on the beach after school, perhaps a little earlier as it was winter and had began to get darker, when I heard giggling upstairs. I presumed it was just mum and me and home however then when I entered her room I saw quite the opposite. Her and Jeff were cuddled up in bed kissing, luckily I was only exposed to that, but it was enough for me to be sick, literally. I froze before sprinting from the room and vomiting into the toilet. It sound bad enough to walk in on your mum snuggling up with your dad's best friend, yet still there's more. Jeff and mum were terrified of what I knew, mum begged me not to tell but I remained silent. So mum and Jeffrey carried me to our attic and locked me in there. Mum said she wasn't letting me out until I swore to her I wouldn't tell anyone. I was left in their for a day. It wasn't that I was hungry or thirsty or needed the toilet as to why I swore I wouldn't tell. It was because I wanted to pretend that it never happened, I didn't want to tell my dad, I didn't want to tell my brother, or Dianne (my mums best friend), or even myself. I just wanted it to be gone. However I did make my mum promise one thing, nor she or I would ever see Jeff ever again unless dad invited him around, being desperate for what I saw to be kept secret she promised and dismissed Jeff. Jeff also threatened me, he said if I ever told dad I'd be sorry and how he wasn't afraid of a 'retarded little girl like me.'. Since then we have only seen him twice. Once at Dianne's baby shower where she invited him around, and once when dad returned from Japan and invited him around for dinner. Both times were horrible and I couldn't look mum or Jeff in the eye. The thing that hurt most was that it was as soon as dad turned his back, with the man she was closest to other than dad. It makes me wonder how long she wanted Jeff for, every time he came over did she long for him? It makes me nauseous to think about.

Now here he is and it's just like it was last year, as if nothing has changed. I back away from the scene. Then Jeff spots me and a smile creeps across his face, mum looks to where he's looking and her eyes widen in alarm. She shoves Jeff away and brushes herself off. She gulps and offers me a smile. She then looks to Jeff and holds out a hand.
"Thank you Jeffrey for fixing my uh car, and if I have any more trouble I'll uh let you know," she says in her most sincere tone. Jeff sheepishly accepts her hand and gives it a firm shake. I watch him in disbelief. They think I'm that gullible to lap up that rubbish!
"Y-you kn-know I-I'm f-fffourteen n-n-not e-ei-eight," I state, with a cocked eyebrow. Mum sighs and exchanges a worried look with Jeff. "Y-yoo-you p-ppromised," I stutter sadly. Mum walks over to me and rubs my shoulder.
"I'm sorry darling, it's just with your father being away I get very lonely, and Jeff well he's comforting to have by me," she says looking back at Jeff who gives her a smile.
"I-ifff-y-you-l-lo-lo-" I stop and sigh, I need to get these words out but I know it will loose meaning if I try to stutter them over and over again. So I walk past mum and to the pot on the side of the table, both mum and Jeff watch me cautiously. I then grab a sheet of paper which we also store on the side of our table and begin to write down.
'If you love dad, then you wouldn't need to do this.' Mums looks down at what I've written and her eyes sadden as she looks up at me.
"But he's never here darling," she says. I sigh and write down something else.
'Than talk to him tell him how you feel,' she sighs again.
"I don't want to stop him from doing what he wants to do," she says.
'So this is what your going to do, sleep with his best friend? Because I think he'd prefer it if you talked to him,' I write and look knowingly at her. She sighs.
"Darling it's just something you don't understand," she sighs. I shake my head and let out a growl before ripping the paper and fleeing from the room.
"Wait, here. I know I haven't been fair on you but Jeff brought you these," she says handing me a slip of paper. It reads-
'One Ticket to Lowsley High Football tournament. Friday 16th January 17:00-19:00. In Lowsley High field, against opposing team, Wenston Secondary School for Boys.' I look down at the little ticket, and back up at mum and Jeff with a raised eyebrow.
"A peace offering," declares Jeff. A peace offering? I don't even know how to play football, and have never been interested in watching my high school playing it. Especially when I have no friends at my school. My school is Lowsley High by the way. I roll my eyes and walk away from the room. I log into my Facebook. I then see a status by Alex Jennings.
'Gettin pumped 4 football game in two weeks, Wenston is goin down!' It reads. I sigh. Not only am I being forced to watch something I'm not interested in, but now I discover playing on the team is a certain boy who wants to boil me alive.