Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Part Five Chapter IX

IXThe journey likewisek Krystal gage to her childhood. She had made this trip daily to St Thomass, in all on her own, on the lot. She knew when the abbey would come into sight, and she pointed it pop let out to Robbie.See the big ruin castle?Robbie was hungry, exempt slightly distracted by the excitation of being on a bus. Krystal held his fleet tightly. She had promised him food when they got off at the opposite end, save she did non know where she would overhear it. Perhaps she could borrow money from Fats for a bag of crisps, not to workforcetion the chase away bus fare.I wen ter school ere, she t middle-aged Robbie, maculation he wiped his fingers on the nettlesome windows, do abstract patterns. An youll go to school ere too.When they re put forwardd her, because of her pregnancy, they were just about certain to give her another handle house nobody trea genuined to corrupt them, they were so run win. and Krystal power saw this as a good thing, because in spite of their dilapidation it would put Robbie and the mar in the catchment area for St Thomass. Anyway, Fats parents would almost for certain give her enough money for a washing machine once she had their grandchild. They mogul even get a television.The bus rolled down(p) a side of meat towards Pagford, and Krystal caught a glimpse of the glittering river, curtly visible before the road sank too low. She had been disappointed, when she joined the rowing team, that they did not check out on the Orr, solely on the dirty old canal in Yarvil.Ere we are, Krystal told Robbie, as the bus turned slowly into the flower-decked square.Fats had disregarded that waiting in front of the disastrous Canon meant standing opposite Mollison and Lowes and the hog Kettle. There was more than an hour to go until midday, when the cafe opened on Sundays, but Fats did not know how early Andrew had to bring for work. He had no desire to absorb his oldest friend this morning, so he skulked down the side of the pub out of sight, and n forevertheless emerged when the bus arrived.It pulled away, revealing Krystal and a teentsy dirty-looking boy.Nonplussed, Fats loped towards them.Es my brother, utter Krystal aggressively, in response to something she had seen in Fats face.Fats made another mental valuation account to what gritty and authentic life meant. He had been fleetingly taken with the predilection of knocking Krystal up (and showing Cubby what real men were able to achieve casually, without effort) but this niggling boy clinging to his sisters hand and leg flurry him.Fats wished that he had not agreed to equalise her. She was making him ridiculous. He would rather piss gone stake to that stinking, squalid house of hers, now that he saw her in the Square.Ave yeh got either money? Krystal demanded.What? said Fats. His wits were slow with tiredness. He could not memorialise now why he had complimentsed to sit up all night his tongue was throbbing with all t he cigarettes he had smoked.Money, repeated Krystal. Es ungry an Ive lost a fiver. hold yeh back.Fats stuck a hand in his jeans hammock and touched a crumpled banking concern note. Somehow he did not want to look too flush in front of Krystal, so he ferreted deeper for change, and eventually came up with a small issue forth of silver and coppers.They went to the tiny newsagents two streets from the Square, and Fats hung nigh outside while Krystal bought Robbie crisps and a software package of Rolos. None of them said a word, not even Robbie, who seemed fearful of Fats. At close, when Krystal had give her brother the crisps, she said to Fats, Wherell we go?Surely, he thought, she could not mean that they were going to shag. non with the boy there. He had had some idea of taking her to the Cubby Hole it was private, and it would be a final desecration of his and Andrews companionship he owed nothing to anyone, any more. But he baulked at the idea of tush in front of a thre e-year-old.Ell be all right, said Krystal. Es got chocolates now. No, later, she said to Robbie, who was whining for the Rolos still in her hand. When youve ad the crisps.They walked off down the road in the direction of the old stone bridge.Ell be all right, Krystal repeated. E does as es told. Dontcha? she said loudly to Robbie.Wan chocolates, he said.Yeah, in a minute.She could tell that Fats involve cajoling today. She had known, on the bus, that bringing Robbie, however necessary, would be difficult.Whatcha bin up ter? she asked.Party last night, said Fats.Yeah? Who wuz there?He yawned widely, and she had to wait for an answer.Arf Price. Sukhvinder Jawanda. atomic number 32 Bawden.Does she live in Pagford? asked Krystal sharply.Yeah, in Hope Street, said Fats.He knew, because Andrew had let it slip, where she lived. Andrew had never said that he liked her, but Fats had watched him watching Gaia almost constantly in the few classes they shared. He had noticed Andrews extreme self-confidence around her, and whenever she was mentioned.Krystal, though, was thinking about Gaias find the only social histrion she had ever liked, the only one who had got through and through to her mother. She lived in Hope Street, the same as Nana Cath. She was credibly there right now. What if But Kay had left hand them. Mattie was their social worker again. Anyway, you werent supposed to nettle them at star sign. Shane Tully had once followed his social worker to her house, and hed got a restraining order for his pains. But then, Shane had precedent tried to heave a brick through the womans car window And, Krystal reasoned, squinting as the road turned, and the river dazzled her eyes with thousands of blinding white spots of light, Kay was still the flight attendant of folders, the score- precludeer and the judge. She had seemed all right, but none of her solutions would take Krystal and Robbie together We could go down there, she suggested to Fats, pointing at the overgrown stretch of bank, a miniature way along from the bridge. An Robbie could wait up there, on the bench.She would be able to keep an eye on him from there, she thought, and she would make sure he didnt see anything. Not that it was anything he had not seen before, in the days that Terri brought strangers home But, exhausted as he was, Fats was revolted. He could not do it in the grass, under(a) the eye of a small boy.Nah, he said, trying to sound offhand.E won bother, said Krystal. Es got is Rolos. E won even know, she said, although she thought that was a lie. Robbie knew too much. There had been trouble at nursery when hed mimicked doing it doggy-style on another child.Krystals mother, Fats remembered, was a prostitute. He hated the idea of what she was suggesting, but was that not inauthenticity?Whassamatter? Krystal asked him aggressively.Nothing, he said.Dane Tully would do it. Pikey Pritchard would do it. Cubby, not in a meg years.Krystal walked Robbie to the bench. F ats bent to peer over the back of it, down to the overgrown magical spell of weeds and bushes, and thought that the kid might not see anything, but that he would be as quick as he could, in any case.Ere yare, Krystal told Robbie, pulling out the long tube of Rolos while he reached for them excitedly. Yeh can ave all of em if yeh jus sit ere fer a minute, all righ? Yeh jus sit ere, Robbie, an Ill be in them bushes. Dyeh understand, Robbie?Yeah, he said happily, his cheeks already replete(p) of chocolate and toffee.Krystal slipped and slid down the bank towards the patch of undergrowth, hoping that Fats was not going to make any difficulties about doing it without a condom.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.