Respect for the King 29

 fiction by Patricia Foster

Early on New Year’s Day Kevin found a pen and paper, and while eating breakfast, started a list with ‘Ring Eddie.’  It would make him feel easier about staying away from the Copper Kettle if he knew that all had been in order when Eddie locked up after the party.  It was too early to telephone, as it was also Eddie’s day off work.  Ten o’clock would be a polite time to call.

He would extract the maximum value from the day by doing all the boring things before he telephoned Eddie.  Then he would be assured that there was nothing to do at the café and he could enjoy the rest of the day.

The plan had to be altered when Dot answered the phone,and explained that Eddie had gone on the supporters’ bus to the football match.  Dot sounded worried, and Kevin assured her that he was really pleased that Eddie was enjoying his day off, and that he was only checking that everything had gone all right at the café.

Kevin then had to drive into the city centre so that he could put his mind at rest by checking that everything was in place at the café.  Eddie had done such a thorough job of tidying up that Kevin could find very little to do in the kitchen. 

All of the music that he played in the café was on a collection of compact discs, stored on a shelf in the lobby between the kitchen and the dining room. They should have been lined up in a vertical row, so that all of them were equally easy to access, but in the holiday rush, they were piled one on top of another, so that a few discs were played over and over again. This had not really been a problem, as the CDs in use had mostly featured Christmas music.

He removed the Christmas themed discs, putting them aside to take back to his house, and tried to think of a better method to ensure that there was a rotation of the collection.  He noticed that there was a button on the CD player labelled ‘random’ , inserted a disc and pushed that button. 

The first song played was ‘Treat me Nice’.  Kevin thought this was a good omen for the New Year, or at least a good theme for the year. 

He considered going to Sheila’s house, but then remembered that she was helping at a children’s party.

Back home he found Chris in the kitchen, heating up some soup, which he offered to share.  Kevin made some sandwiches, and the two men sat at the table and ate lunch together.

In between sips of soup and bites of sandwich, Chris said, ‘That was a good dinner last night.  Thanks for organising it, and inviting me.’

‘Glad you liked it.  It was intended as a sort of thank you in advance for help with the new restaurant.’

‘I’ve already set up a sort of skeleton website for the restaurant, just to give an idea of what it would look like. Did you know I’ve done one for Heather?’

‘Sort of.  Clare mentioned it,’ he said, remembering that Clare had made derogatory remarks about Chris’s frequent presence in the office above the bookshop. After another mouthful of sandwich he asked, ‘So, did you go anywhere last night after the dinner?’

‘Heather and I went on to a party with some people she knows.  It was good fun, and we ended up by staying much later than we intended.  Then I had to walk all the way home from up on the hill.  I hope I didn’t wake you up when I came in.’

‘No.  Slept like the proverbial.  But – out with Heather – I didn’t know.’

‘Hope that isn’t a problem.’  Chris looked worried.

‘Not with me.  But it might be with Sheila.  She has been trying to pair me off with Heather.  I don’t think I will be mentioning anything to my sister just yet.  Give her a chance to work things out for herself.

Kevin had just made a pot of tea when Helen came home from work. He offered her some, which he carried through to the sitting room.

‘Did you see Ann Marie?’

‘Yes, she said to just give her a ring to sort things out.’

‘What, the dishes, or life in general?’  He joked.

‘I think that’s your choice, Kevin,’ she laughed, but then added, ‘Seriously, you might really have a choice.  I think she misses you.’

‘Anyway,’ Kevin began, leaning towards Helen, and lowering his voice to a just above a whisper, ‘Guess who left together after we’d gone home?’

‘Can’t guess. Too tired.’

‘Crafty Chris, upstairs,’ Kevin pointed up at the ceiling, as his lodger was still upstairs doing something with his computer, ‘Went to a party with Heather.’

‘No!’ Helen looked surprised, and then concerned, ‘We mustn’t let Sheila know. Have you spoken to her today?’

‘No, she’s been out at a kid’s party with Waverley. She’ll probably ring soon.’

‘Don’t you think it would be a good idea to phone her?’ Helen suggested.

‘Why?  I don’t want to tell her much about last night,’ he answered, defensively.

‘It might be a good tactic to call her before she’s thought about getting in touch.’

‘Do you mean, catch her off guard?’  Kevin asked, and then answered his own question, ‘Might be a good idea, because she would probably interrogate me.  What should I say to her?’

‘Why are men so clueless?’ Helen asked, before suggesting, ‘You could start by wishing her a happy New Year, and then ask about the kids’ party.’

‘Good idea.  She always talks about Waverley for ages.  And then I’ll say I’ve got to go.’

‘Go where?  You’ll need to say something more substantive.’  Helen said, firmly.

‘I’ll say I’ve got to get something out of the oven’

Kevin went into the hall to collect the telephone.  It had a long lead, so that he was able to carry it back into the sitting room and talk while seated comfortably.

‘Don’t go away,’ he ordered, ‘Being a clueless male, I may need you to mime some suggestions while I’m talking.’

Helen rolled her eyes, but moved to sit next to him so that she could hear the other end of the conversation.

Sheila answered after only a few rings, and seemed surprised but pleased to hear from her brother.  The tactic of asking her about Waverley’s party seemed to work well, because she described it in immense detail.

After a long time, she seemed to be concluding with the story of a game that had been played at the party, which involved each child calling out the name of a vegetable that could be included in a stew.  While he was thinking this was a strange game, with little discernable appeal for children, Sheila continued with her tale, ‘And then a little girl said ‘radish’ and everyone stopped and looked at her because everyone knows that radish is not an ingredient for stew.  But then Brown Owl said, ‘of course, dear.’ And the game carried on.  But it wasn’t right, and everyone knew it.’

Sheila paused for breath, and Kevin interjected, ‘But did it really matter?’

‘I think it did.’ Sheila sounded defiant, ‘ She might grow up to be a dreadful cook.  But seriously, I think honesty is always important.  In fact, I’ve been thinking about it, as it’s the New Year, and think that we should make a joint resolution to be totally honest with each other.’

‘I think it’s important to be honest in business.’ Kevin ventured, ‘But surely there are degrees…’

He tailed off, as Helen was waving her hand at him, with wide eyes.

‘Oh, sorry Sheila, I’d forgotten something in the kitchen.  Look, I’ll have to go.  But please say Happy New Year to Wavey from me.  Bye now.’

‘I’d sort of lost the plot, and then you suddenly got into deep water. What was Sheila saying?’  Helen asked.

‘She said that we should resolve to be totally honest with each other.  But I can’t agree.  It’s not just about Heather either.  I do want to be nice to Sheila.  I want her to be happy.  I can’t help thinking that she would be happier if she’d never known that her scumbag late husband had had a girlfriend.  If she didn’t know that, sure, she’d be sad, but she wouldn’t be bitter.  So how can honesty always be the best policy?’

 ‘But don’t you think it would be best to tell Sheila that you’re not interested in Heather?’

‘I’m not going to go out with her, so I think she’ll gradually get the idea.  It’s just that I don’t want to be the one to tell her.  I’d rather she figured it out for herself.’

Helen persisted, ‘Won’t she be embarrassed when she finds out that Heather is going out with Chris?’

‘They might not be going out.  Last night could have been a one off.  So, I’m not saying anything.  My New Year’s Resolution is to treat people nice.  So, how about if I make some supper for all three of us?  That’s assuming Chris is eating in.  Would you give him a shout and see if he wants some food?’

Kevin picked up the cups, and carried them into the kitchen, singing to himself.

Adrian: accountant

Amy: part time staff at the Copper Kettle cafe

Chris: Kevin’s lodger and computer expert

Chris (the waiter): part time staff at the Copper Kettle cafe

Clare: a young woman who has moved to the city in hope of starting a career

David: Heather’s father

Dot: Eddie’s mother

Eddie: chef at the Copper Kettle cafe and long-term friend of Kevin

Heather: bookshop owner and in Sheila’s opinion a suitable partner for Kevin

Helen: Kevin’s lodger (and a nurse)

Kevin: owner of the Copper Kettle cafe. 

Peggy: Heather’s mother

Sheila: Kevin’s older sister.  She works in the cafe

Waverley: Sheila’s daughter (sometimes called Wavey)

I hope you have enjoyed this and would be delighted if you left a comment.

Comments encourage me to keep going and give me ideas to improve my writing. Some hubbers have been especially helpful. This episode is dedicated to dahoglund who has carried on reading and commenting. He is a wonderful writer and has produced hubs on a wide variety of topics.