The Answer

Glennys Matthews sat down opposite the miserable young man who had interrupted her planned attack on the wasps nest in the bottom garden. He had stood on her doorstep, begging almost, to be allowed in to "talk to her."

"This is about Isobel, right ?" she asked, after taking a deep breath.

The young man, Derek, nodded. He was Isobel's latest boyfriend and she had an inkling of what she was about to hear. Isobel had been on the phone the previous Sunday morning to one her girlfriends and the words" beer" and "wasted" had wafted through to the kitchen.The young man sat on the edge of his seat, scuffing her carpet nervously with his shoes.Cutting to the chase was needed.Carpet was not cheap.

"I'm quite busy this morning Derek, what's on your mind."

"I just don't know why Isobel doesn't want to see me anymore Mrs Matthews."

"So ?"

"I thought you might, well, umm, you could, maybe..."

"Enlighten you?"

"Yes."

She sat looking at the wretched eyes with not a lot of sympathy. Normally she would not have responded. But she had just received another letter from her lawyer. Her ex-husband Brian had been making another determined legal manoeuvre over the house and the resentment dam, already full, had just overflowed.

"Do you drink Derek ?"

"Pardon? Drink? You mean, beer and so on. Ah, yes, a bit, sort of..."

"Drunk more than a little recently have you?"

"Ahh..."

"You've answered my question. Let me tell you about a birthday many years ago. It was the first birthday party I held for Isobel. We had just shifted to another town and Isobel had finally made some friends. Always hard to make new friends when you change schools. Especially when you are only seven years old, still developing social skills as it were. But she had enough acceptances and was very excited.It was very important to her to cement things I suppose, and of course it was her first actual party with playmates."

The young man frowned slightly, but said nothing. At least she was talking about Isobel.

"So there was much planning and preparation. Just what dress to wear was a major decision. That had to be a new one of course. Then there was the food. Had to have hundreds and thousands on white bread, because she had seen those at another party. And pavlova. And jelly and ice cream.Then there were the games. I spent hours over them. Had to buy fresh buckets for the balloon in bucket contest because they had to match exactly, to be fair. Everything had to be just right. Are you getting the picture Derek?"

Derek nodded, none the wiser, but knew not to show impatience.

"Came the day, great excitement. Everyone arrived, party just starting, home came Brian, Isobel's father.Been to a long business lunch. Very unsteady on his feet, smelling like a brewery, as he often did. Talking sentimental piffle, he staggers over to Isobel before I had time to react. Then vomits all over her new party dress,trips sideways and does the same over her new best friend's dress.

After a pause that seemed to Derek to last for ever, Glennys Matthews sat back with eyes narrowing,breathing a little faster, and continued.

"So you see there's an alcohol history. A long one. Because it took some years before I managed... "A deep breath. "Never mind."

As the young man left, she thought of what more she wanted to say. She had ignored Derek's protestations, and the promises. Been there,heard it all before.

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