Chapter 2-1
1318 Words
Chapter 2
Mark and I went back to see the nurse about his bandages on Monday morning. She said that although things were healing nicely, Mark would have to keep his hands wrapped for another week.
“I’m sorry, love,” Mark said.
The fact he was apologising to me, when he was the one who had suffered the greatest, made my heart swell up with love. I hugged him in front of the nurse. Normally I wasn’t so demonstrative in public, but the moment called for it. The nurse gave us a strange look.
I turned to her and said, “Have you got a problem?”
I don’t think she was expecting such a challenge, so backed down. Mark later told me he had been proud of me.
* * * *
The rest of the week flew by. Mark and I, celebrating the New Year, stood in front of the telly in each other’s arms watching Big Ben strike midnight and then sang Auld Lang Syne. We’d been invited to a party given by Mary’s parents, as well as to a smaller gathering hosted by Paul and Helen, but we both wanted to see in our first New Year alone together.
The following Monday, Mark’s bandages finally came off. I could only begin to imagine what a relief it must be for him. The nurse, a different one this time, cautioned Mark to take things easy. She told him not to get his hands wet too often.
“Does that mean I can get out of the washing up?” he asked hopefully.
“No, you can still dry the pots.” She had his number.
After cashing a prescription for some ointment for Mark, we decided to go to Daphne’s for lunch.
“How do your hands feel?” Mary, who was in the café on her break, asked Mark.
“Bloody marvellous,” he said, picking up his cup of hot chocolate.
“Excellent,” Mary smiled. So you’ll be able to do the washing up now.”
I laughed and Mark rolled his eyes.
“What?” Mary looked confusedly between the two of us.
“Long story,” I told her.
She shrugged. “So, Simon, you’ll be coming back to work soon then?”
I hadn’t thought about it. “I’ve got a couple of days leave still to go. I’ve also got another week’s worth in reserve which I’ll have to use up before April or I’ll lose it.”
“True,” Mary said. “But I’ve missed you so much, darling.” She fluttered her eyelashes at me.
“Daft bat!” I said.
We laughed.
“It’s just not the same without you there.”
“I want to spend as much time as I can with my man,” I said quietly, taking Mark’s free hand under the table.
It was fantastic to finally be able to hold his hand. Even though we had to be careful about it in public.
Mary saw what we were doing and gave us a wide smile.
* * * *
Mark’s unemployment benefit money started coming through. He offered me some of it to put towards his keep. I refused to take a penny.
“Look, apart from a bit of extra food, it’s really not much dearer to have two people living here.”
When we got to the supermarket that Thursday afternoon, Mark wanted to pay. We didn’t need much, as we still had a load of food in from the holidays. I told him he could pay for the Chinese take-away. This seemed to mollify him. I asked if he had already chosen what he wanted to order. I remembered what Mark had said about how when he’d been a child, on the way home from the supermarket his parents would stop off at a Chinese take-away, and so as they shopped he would have to decide what he wanted to eat
Mark laughed.
As we sat at the table eating our meal, I realised this simple domestic tableau was deeply symbolic of our lives now. Previously I could order only the one dish. With Mark here, we could each get a different dish and share. As a result the variety that the meal now gave us was a far richer experience because of that simple act of sharing. If we expanded this to the rest of our relationship, who knew what wonderful possibilities awaited us in the future?
* * * *
One Friday at the end of January, I walked up the garden path, musing at what a long and boring day it had been at the library. I’d telephoned Mark at home earlier to tell him not to bother cooking, as we’d have a bar meal down at the Mucky Duck.
“Lucy, I’m home!” I said, closing the front door behind me.
Mark and I were both confirmed I Love Lucy fans.
“Good day at the office, dear?” Mark gave me a hug and a kiss to the cheek.
“The usual. Mary sends her best. Mind you, she’s over the moon now Jerry’s back.”
“I bet, she really took it hard over Christmas.”
Mary’s boyfriend, Jerry, was a post-graduate history student who had gone on a field trip to the Middle East over Christmas.
“He’s taking her out to the cinema tonight. Back row and all that. Then they’re going out for a romantic candlelit meal at that new Italian that’s just opened up on the high street,” I said, taking off my coat.
“We’ll have to go and try it out sometime,” Mark said.
“Good idea. I’ll ask Mary what she thought about it on Monday.”
“She’ll have been too busy gazing into Jerry’s eyes to take any notice of the food.”
“You’re probably right,” I chuckled.
“Anyway, what kind of a day have you had?”
“Same old, same old.” Mark was not happy about being stuck at home all day with little to occupy him.
“Something will turn up soon, my angel.”
“I know. It’s just so frustrating. I don’t like the idea of living off you.”
I wrapped him in a tight hug. “There’s millions out there in a similar position, but it won’t be long before an employer sees what a wonderful and talented guy you are.”
“Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“And I don’t know what I’d do without you either.” I pinched him on the cheeks.
Mark went upstairs and took a bath.
It was these small and, by themselves, insignificant domestic arrangements which enriched my life immeasurably. I remembered another example of this: we had been standing at the kitchen sink one evening after dinner. I must have zoned out, because the next thing I’d known Mark was speaking.
“You’re going to wipe the pattern off that plate.”
“Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking about how great all this is,” I had said, waving the washing-up brush over the whole scene. “I mean, who’d have thought such a mundane activity as doing the washing up could be such, such…” I hadn’t been able to find the words.
“Know what you mean. It’s great just being with you. That’s the best way I can put it, just being here with you.”
I’d dropped the brush into the sink and put my arms around him.
I was jolted back to the present by Mark kissing me on top of the head and telling me the bathroom was free. Damn, I’d wanted to wash his back…or something.
* * * *
I was soaking in the warm water when the phone rang. It didn’t ring for long; Mark must have answered it.
Later, when I went into the bedroom, Mark was fastening the final button on his new blue shirt. “Your Gran was on the phone,” he said, buttoning his cuffs.
Damn! I’d forgotten to ring her New Year’s Day.
“She was wondering if we wanted to go see her next weekend.”
Realising I’d gotten away with not calling, I quickly recovered. “Can’t see why not, we’ve nothing arranged, have we?” I asked, pulling a clean pair of underpants from the drawer. There was one benefit of Mark being home all day, I always had clean underwear.
“Don’t think so.”
I ran through the bus timetables in my head. “Should take us a couple of hours, including changing buses in Leeds.”
“I’ll take a book to read or something to help pass the time.”
“I’ll probably do the same. I’ve really neglected my reading since you came along.” I ran my hands along his broad shoulders. “But you’ve proved to be a really sexy distraction.” I started to kiss him.
“Keep that up,” Mark said when he drew back for breath, “and we’ll never be ready to go out and eat.”
“We haven’t booked a table or anything, so it doesn’t matter what time we turn up.”
We spent several more minutes kissing. I also managed to undo most of the buttons on Mark’s shirt before he smacked my underwear-clad bottom.
“That’s from your Gran for not ringing her on New Year’s Day.”
- Writer
