Boy Wonders: Chapter 20

The trio reconvened in the family front room: the father, his pregnant daughter and his remaining son. These last two contrived a display of fascination for the large tank of marine fish in the corner of the room so that Melvyn could put his shirt and trousers back on amid an illusion of privacy. The fish were his hobby, his only one. His motorbike, gleaming and powerful, stood in the garage encased in a tarpaulin like some grim monument to a smashed dream.

“Beautiful, aint they?” he said, quietly. He was announcing that he was fit to be looked at again and even available for conversation, though Jamie could not imagine what about. He knew so much more about Melvyn now than when he’d left everyone standing at the graveyard and adjusting was proving frightening.

Lisa said, “That yellow one’s new innit?”

“Yeah. Got it last week,” Melvyn said. He was seated at the front edge of an armchair, leaning forward, as if to show that he was penitent and keen.

Lisa stopped looking at the fish. She looked instead at Melvyn and said, “So, Dad, where have you been?”

Melvyn took his time answering that one. “Just walking,” he offered, uneasily. Lisa waited, and Jamie could see that the future grandchild within her already enhanced her authority. “I just needed to be on me own,” continued Melvyn.

Lisa waited again. Melvyn gave her a face full of beseeching resignation and when Lisa’s body language rejected it, he offered it to his bare feet instead.

Jamie observed all this still standing next to the tank of fish, the coloured shapes aimlessly floating, the water filter bubbling low: an enclosed world faking reality.

Lisa said to Melvyn: “Dad, you’ve got to give it up sometime.” Again, Melvyn said nothing. “You’ve got to move on, Dad,” said Lisa quietly.

Melvyn looked up at her, mouth pursed, then looked down again.

“Right, I’ve got to go,” Lisa said. “Jamie, give us a hand out with me bag, eh?”