Part Three Chapter IX

IXKay Bawden never wanted to doctor foot in Miles and Samanthas house again. She could non forgive them for witnessing Gavins collection of indifference, nor could she forget Miles patronizing laughter, his attitude to Bellchapel, or the sneery course that he and Samantha had spoken ab disclose Krystal Weedon.In spite of Gavins apology and his tepid assurances of affection, Kay could not stop fancy him nose to nose with Mary on the sofa jumping up to help oneself her with the plates walking her home in the dark. When Gavin told her, a few days later, that he had had dinner at Marys house, she had to fight down an angry response, because he had never eaten more than toast at her house in Hope Street.She might not be allowed to say anything bad some The Widow, ab egress whom Gavin spoke as though she were the Holy M other, but the Mollisons were different.I cant say I like Miles rattling much.Hes not exactly my best mate.If you ask me, itll be a catastrophe for the addiction cl inic if he gets elected.I doubt itll make any difference.Gavins apathy, his indifference to other peoples pain, always infuriated Kay.Isnt there anyone wholl stick up for Bellchapel?Colin Wall, I suppose, express Gavin.So, at eight oclock on Monday evening, Kay walked up the Walls drive and rang their doorbell. From the search step, she could make out Samantha Mollisons red-faced Ford Fiesta, parked in the drive three houses along. The sight added a illuminatetle extra zest to her desire for a fight.The Walls door was undef overthrowable by a short plain dumpy woman in a tie-dyed skirt.Hello, tell Kay. My names Kay Bawden, and I was wondering whether I could speak to Colin Wall?For a split second, Tessa simply stared at the attractive young woman on the doorstep whom she had never seen before. The strangest idea flashed across her mind that Colin was having an affair and that his lover had make out to tell her so.Oh yes come in. Im Tessa.Kay wiped her feet conscientiously o n the doormat and followed Tessa into a sitting room that was smaller, shabbier but cosier than the Mollisons. A tall, balding man with a high hilltop was sitting in an armchair with a notebook in his lap and a pen in his hand.Colin, this is Kay Bawden, tell Tessa. Shed like to speak to you.Tessa saw Colins startled and wary expression, and knew at once that the woman was a stranger to him. Really, she thought, a little ashamed, what were you thinking?Im sorry to barge in on you like this, unannounced, said Kay, as Colin stood up to shake her hand. I would rescue telephoned, but youre Were ex-directory, yes, said Colin. He towered over Kay, his eyes tiny behind the lenses of his glasses. Please, sit down.Thank you. Its more or less the election, said Kay. This Parish Council election. Youre standing, arent you, against Miles Mollison?Thats right, said Colin nervously. He knew who she must be the reporter who had wanted to talk to Krystal. They had tracked him down Tessa ought not to have let her in.I was wondering whether I could help in any way, said Kay. Im a social proletarian, mostly working in the Fields. There are some facts and figures I could give you about the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic, which Mollison seems sooner keen on closing. Ive been told that youre for the clinic? That youd like to keep it escaped?The onrush of relief and plea undisputable made him about giddy.Oh, yes, said Colin, yes, I would. Yes, that was my predecessors thats to say, the previous holder of the seat Barry Fairbrother was certainly opposed to closing the clinic. And I am, too.Well, Ive had a conversation with Miles Mollison, and he made it quite clear that he doesnt think the clinics worth(predicate) keeping open. Frankly, I think hes rather ignorant and naive about the causes and treatment of addiction, and about the very real difference Bellchapel is making. If the Parish refuses to renew the lease on the building, and the District cuts funding, then theres a danger that some very vulnerable people will be left without support.Yes, yes, I see, said Colin. Oh, yes, I agree.He was astonished and flattered that this attractive young woman would have walked through the evening to find him and offer herself as an ally.Would you like a cup of tea or coffee, Kay? asked Tessa.Oh, thanks very much, said Kay. Tea, please, Tessa. No sugar.Fats was in the kitchen, helping himself from the fridge. He ate copiously and continually, but remained scrawny, never putting on an ounce of weight. In spite of his openly declared disgust for them, he seemed unaffected by Tessas pack of ready-filled syringes, which sat in a clinical white box following to the cheese.Tessa moved to the kettle, and her thoughts returned to the subject that had consumed her ever since Sukhvinder had suggested it earlier that Fats and Krystal were seeing each other. She had not questioned Fats, and she had not told Colin.The more that Tessa thought about it, the more certain she was that it could not be true. She was sure that Fats held himself in such high regard that no girl would be good enough, especially a girl like Krystal. Surely he would not Demean himself? Is that it? Is that what you think?Whos here? Fats asked Tessa, through a mouthful of cold chicken, as she put on the kettle.A woman who wants to help pop music get elected to the council, replied Tessa, foraging in the cupboard for biscuits.Why? Does she fancy him?Grow up, Stu, said Tessa crossly.He plucked several slices of thin ham out of an open pack and poked them, bit by bit, into his crammed mouth, like a magician inserting silk handkerchiefs into his fist. Fats sometimes stood for ten minutes at a time at the open fridge, ripping open clingfilm and packets and putting chunks of food directly into his mouth. It was a habit Colin deprecated, along with almost every other aspect of Fats behaviour.Whys she want to help him, seriously? he asked, having swallowed his mouthful of meat.She want s the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic to stay open.What, a junkie, is she?No, she isnt a junkie, said Tessa, noting with annoyance that Fats had finished the last three chocolate biscuits and left the invalidate wrappings on the shelf. Shes a social worker, and she thinks the clinic is doing a good job. Dad wants to keep it open, but Miles Mollison doesnt think its very effective.It cant be doing that well. The Fields are full of glue-sniffers and smackheads.Tessa knew that if she had said that Colin wanted to close the clinic, Fats would have instantly produced an argument for its continuation.You ought to be a barrister, Stu, she said as the kettle lid started to rattle.When Tessa returned to the sitting room with her tray, she found Kay talking Colin through a sheaf of printed material she had brought out of her big tote bag. two drugs workers part-funded by the council, and partly by Action on Addiction, which is a actually good charity. Then theres a social worker attached to the clinic, Nina, shes the one who gave me all this oh, thanks very much, said Kay, beaming up at Tessa, who had set down a mug of tea on the table beside her. Kay had taken to the Walls, in just a few minutes, as she had not taken to anybody else in Pagford. There had been no sweeping up-and-down glance from Tessa as she walked in, no gimlet-eyed assessment of her physical imperfections and dress sense. Her husband, though nervous, seemed decent and earnest in his determination to close down the abandonment of the Fields.Is that a London accent, Kay? asked Tessa, dunking a plain biscuit in her tea. Kay nodded.What brings you to Pagford?A relationship, said Kay. She took no pleasure saying it, even though she and Gavin were formally reconciled. She turned back to Colin.I dont quite understand the situation with regards to the Parish Council and the clinic.Oh, it owns the building, said Colin. Its an old church. The lease is coming up for renewal.So that would be an easy way to force them out.Exactly. When did you say youd spoken to Miles Mollison? asked Colin, both hoping and dreading to hear that Miles had mentioned him.We had dinner, Friday before last, Kay explained, Gavin and I Oh, youre Gavins girlfriend interjected Tessa.Yes and, anyway, the subject of the Fields came up It would, said Tessa. and Miles mentioned Bellchapel, and I was quite quite dismayed by the way he talked about the issues involved. I told him Im dealing with a family at the moment, Kay remembered her indiscreet mention of the Weedons names and proceeded carefully, and if the mother is deprived of methadone, shell almost certainly end up back on the game.That sounds like the Weedons, said Tessa, with a lowering sensation.I yes, I am talking about the Weedons, actually, said Kay.Tessa reached for another biscuit.Im Krystals advocate teacher. This must be the second time her mothers been through Bellchapel, is it?Third, said Kay.Weve known Krystal since she was five she was in our s ons class at primary enlighten, Tessa said. Shes had an dreadful life, truly.Absolutely, said Kay. Its astounding shes as sweet as she is, actually.Oh, I agree, said Colin heartily.Remembering Colins absolute refusal to rescind Krystals time lag after the squawking incident in assembly, Tessa elevated her eyebrows. Then she wondered, with a sick lurch in her stomach, what Colin would say if Sukhvinder was not lying or mistaken. But surely Sukhvinder was slander. She was a shy, naive girl. Probably she had got the wrong end of the stick misheard something The point is, about the only thing that motivates Terri is the fear of losing her kids, said Kay. Shes back on track at the moment her key worker at the clinic told me she senses a bit of a breakthrough in Terris attitude. If Bellchapel closes, it all goes belly-up again, and God knows whatll happen to the family.This is all very useful, said Colin, nodding importantly, and commencement to make notes on a clean page in his n otebook. Very useful indeed. Did you say youve got statistics on people going clean?Kay shuffled the printed pages, looking for the information. Tessa had the image that Colin wanted to reclaim Kays attention for himself. He had always been susceptible to good looks and a sympathetic manner.Tessa munched another biscuit, still thinking about Krystal. Their recent guidance sessions had not been very satisfactory. Krystal had been standoffish. Todays had been no different. She had extracted a promise from Krystal that she would not pursue or harass Sukhvinder Jawanda again, but Krystals demeanour suggested that Tessa had let her down, that trust was broken. Possibly Colins detention was to blame. Tessa had thought that she and Krystal had forged a bond strong enough to withstand that, although it had never been quite like the one Krystal had with Barry.(Tessa had been there, on the spot, the day that Barry had come into school with a rowing machine, looking for recruits to the crew h e was trying to start. She had been summoned from the staff room to the gym, because the PE teacher was off sick, and the only supply teacher they could find at such short notice was male.The fourth-year girls, in their shorts and Aertex tops, had been giggly when they had arrived in the gym to find Miss Jarvis absent, replaced by two strange men. Tessa had had to reprimand Krystal, Nikki and Leanne, who had pushed to the front of the class and were making lewd suggestive remarks about the supply teacher he was a handsome young man with an unfortunate tendency to blush.Barry, short, ginger-haired and bearded, was eroding a tracksuit. He had taken a morning off work to do this. Everybody thought his idea was strange and unrealistic schools like Winterdown did not have rowing eights. Niamh and Siobhan had seemed half amused, half mortified by their dads presence.Barry explained what he was trying to do put together crews. He had secured the use of the old boathouse down on the canal at Yarvil it was a fabulous sport, and an opportunity to shine, for themselves, for their school. Tessa had positioned herself right next to Krystal and her friends to keep them in check the worst of their giggling had subsided, but was not entirely quelled.Barry present the rowing machine and asked for volunteers. Nobody stepped forward.Krystal Weedon, said Barry, pointing at her. Ive seen you dangling off the monkey bars down the park thats proper upper body volume youve got there. Come here and give it a go.Krystal was only too happy to step into the spotlight she swaggered up to the machine and sat down on it. make up with Tessa glowering beside them, Nikki and Leanne had howled with laughter and the rest of the class joined in.Barry showed Krystal what to do. The silent supply teacher had watched in professional alarm as Barry positioned her hands on the wooden handle.She heaved on the handle, making a stupid face at Nikki and Leanne, and everyone laughed again.Look at that, Barry had said, beaming. Shes a graphic.Had Krystal really been a natural? Tessa did not know anything about rowing she could not tell.Straighten your back, Barry told Krystal, or youll injure it. Thats it. Pull pull look at that technique have you done this before?Then Krystal really had straightened her back, and she really had done it properly. She stopped looking at Nikki and Leanne. She hit a rhythm.Excellent, said Barry. Look at that excellent. Thats how you do it Atta girl. And again. And again. And It urts shouted Krystal.I know it does. Thats how you end up with arms like Jennifer Aniston, doing that, said Barry.There had been a little ripple of laughter, but this time they laughed with him. What was it that Barry had had? He was always so present, so natural, so entirely without self-consciousness. Teenagers, Tessa knew, were riven with the fear of ridicule. Those who were without it, and God knew there were few enough of them in the adult world, had natural authori ty among the young they ought to be forced to teach.And rest Barry said, and Krystal slumped, red in the face and rubbing her arms.Youll have to give up the fags, Krystal, said Barry, and he got a big laugh this time. OK, who else wants a try?When Krystal rejoined her watching classmates, she was no longer laughing. She watched each new rower jealously, her eyes darting constantly to Barrys bearded face to see what he thought of them. When Carmen Lewis messed it up completely, Barry said, Show em, Krystal, and her face lit up as she returned to the machine.But at the end of the exhibition, when Barry asked those who were interested in trying out for the team to raise their hands, Krystal kept her arms folded. Tessa watched her shake her head, sneering, as Nikki muttered to her. Barry carefully noted down the names of the interested girls, then looked up.And you, Krystal Weedon, he said, pointing at her. Youre coming too. Dont you shake your head at me. Ill be very loaded if I dont see you. Thats natural talent youve got there. I dont like seeing natural talent wasted. Krys tal, he said loudly, inscribing her name, Wee don.Had Krystal thought about her natural talent as she showered at the end of the lesson? Had she carried the thought of her new aptitude around with her that day, like an unexpected Valentine? Tessa did not know but to the amazement of all, object perhaps Barry, Krystal had turned up at try-outs.)Colin was nodding vigorously as Kay took him through relapse rates at Bellchapel.Parminder should see this, he said. Ill make sure she gets a copy. Yes, yes, very useful indeed.Feeling slightly sick, Tessa took a fourth biscuit.