Chapter 34
34
‘Security’s on its way. I need replacement platters. I have more guests arriving and the flamenco demonstrators will be here soon,’ Taylor told George, arriving at her side.
Carleen was like a mirror image beside her.
George and Adam didn’t hear her. They were oblivious to everything, just staring at each other. Tears were welling up in George’s eyes.
‘What did you say?’ Adam asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
‘I said, yes I am,’ George responded, swallowing a lump in her throat.
‘I don’t understand. I said, “you’re not my mother”,’ Adam repeated.
‘And I said, yes I am,’ George said again.
‘Look, I have a party here. You’re in charge of catering. I need more food, I need the tables to be fixed up, I need—’ Taylor began.
‘Just shut up!’ George ordered, turning to face Taylor and truly despising her for the first time.
‘How dare you speak to me like that!’ Taylor exclaimed, putting her hand to her chest like an arrow had just been speared through it.
‘Oh my! You cannot speak to the bride like that!’ Carleen added, patting her friend on the arm .
‘You’re saying you’re my mother? Why would you say that?’ Adam questioned, backing away from George.
‘I want this mess cleared up. I want more canapés, I want—’ Taylor began again, stamping her shoes up and down like she was auditioning for Riverdance.
George span around, drew back her fist and punched Taylor in the face. The bride-to-be fell to the floor and Carleen let out a deafening scream as if she had just been doused with devil’s spit.
The scream drew the attention of Quinn, Helen, Marisa and the less-inebriated bachelors and bachelorettes.
‘Christ, George! You’ve just knocked out the bride!’ Adam exclaimed, looking at the unconscious Taylor lying on the ground.
Carleen bent over her, a look of concern on her Maybellined face.
George grabbed hold of Adam and pulled him away into one of the corners of the room.
‘Get off me! You’re mental!’ Adam said, shrugging off her arm.
‘Adam, I know how this sounds but – I’m your mother,’ George repeated in case there was any doubt.
‘What’s got in to you? You’re still drunk, aren’t you!’ Adam said, eyeing her suspiciously.
‘I’m not drunk,’ George exclaimed.
‘Then why are you saying mad things?’ Adam wanted to know.
‘Mad things like what?’
‘Mad things like you’re my mother!’ Adam exclaimed.
‘Because I am your mother! How loud do I have to yell it before you believe it? Do you need me to write it down?!’ George shrieked hysterically.
Adam just stared at her, trying to gather from her expression what was going on.
‘Stop saying that! Just stop it. ’
‘It’s the truth. I should have told you before. It never seemed like the right time. She wouldn’t let me and then she got sick and she wanted to tell you and I didn’t and…’ George began, the tears starting to spill from her eyes.
‘No, this is all wrong! Why are you doing this? Because I answered back? Because I hit Belch? Why would you make something like that up? It’s sick!’ Adam yelled.
‘It’s not made up. Listen, let’s just go back to the villa and I’ll explain. I’ll explain everything,’ George begged as Adam backed towards the door.
‘No, stay away from me. You’ve gone mental. Nothing you’re saying is making sense,’ Adam stuttered as he rushed towards the door.
‘Adam, just come back!’ George ordered, hurrying after him.
‘No! You wanted me to go, now I’m going. I’m going before we really fall out. I’m not listening to anything else you have to say. I’m done,’ Adam shouted. He turned his back on her and began hurrying up the canvas walkway.
‘Adam, please! Don’t go. Let me explain, please, just let me explain,’ George called, hurrying after him.
Her words didn’t reach him. He was already at the bottom of the walkway, making for the outside.
‘George, what’s going on? What’s wrong with Adam? He just dissed me big time,’ Marisa enquired as she and Helen arrived at her side.
‘Nothing, he’s just upset about Belch and everything. He just needs some space,’ George spoke hurriedly, blinking away her tears and trying to ignore her hammering, terrified heart.
‘Did you have a go at him for hitting Belch? Was it my fault?’ Marisa questioned.
‘No, it wasn’t your fault.’
‘Shall I go after him? ’
‘No, Marisa!’ George yelled.
Marisa looked like she was about to cry. Her bottom lip trembled and she defensively folded her arms across her chest.
‘Look, I’m sorry. Just leave Adam alone for a while. It’s been a bit of an evening and we’re all stressed,’ George said, regaining a little composure.
‘Is everything OK?’ Quinn questioned, meeting them in the walkway.
‘Marisa, why don’t you and I go and see if we can put right some of the mess up there. We could knock up some more food,’ Helen suggested, putting an arm around her daughter and trying to shepherd her away.
‘This is the weirdest party I’ve ever catered for,’ Marisa remarked, looking back at George.
George put her fist to her mouth and tried not to let her anguish get the better of her. The very last thing she wanted to do was look vulnerable in front of him.
‘What’s happened? I’m so sorry about Belch and the others. They’ve been drinking all day and—’ Quinn began.
‘Stay the fuck away from me. I have nothing left to say to you. Do you understand that?’ George blasted, her eyes meeting his.
‘George, you and me, we’re not done. I had to look like I was toeing the line today but that was all it was,’ Quinn told her.
‘You know what? I don’t care. None of that matters, not now. I’ve got more important things to worry about. Adam knows. He got mad and I got mad and I told him. I told him I’m his mother,’ George informed him.
‘George,’ Quinn said, putting an arm around her.
‘Get your hands off me!’
‘Don’t do this, George; let me help you,’ Quinn begged.
‘If you want to help me, you’ll tell me where the nearest piano is in this damn place,’ George ordered.
He wanted to help her but she’d pushed him away and, shit, he didn’t blame her. It had taken all the strength he had to make an appearance at his own bachelor party. But he’d put on the mask, buttoned up his persona and smiled at everyone. She couldn’t do that now; he’d laid her bare. He’d got her to tell him all her secrets and there was no going back. He’d done that to her. He was responsible for making her world fall apart.
She could hear the piano outside the door. It was the piano that would be playing ‘The Wedding March’ located in the mock Tudor hall, on the lower level of the fabricated castle. She paused at the door and just listened. The player was hammering the life out of the keys in a tuneful, yet ferocious way. She didn’t know what she was going to say to him. She couldn’t imagine how he was feeling. She still didn’t know whether he really believed her. But she had to talk to him. She couldn’t leave things how they were.
She opened the door and saw him, right at the far end of the room, sat at the grand piano. His hair was damp with sweat, he had taken off his bow tie and his shirt was half undone. He didn’t look up as she moved towards him. He just continued bashing at the keys, oblivious to anything else.
‘Adam,’ George started.
He ignored her, bowed his head and carried on playing. He was hitting each key harder and harder with every note.
‘Adam, please. Can we just talk about this?’ George asked him.
‘Talk about what?’
‘About what I said, about who I am. About who you are. ’
‘I phoned Mum. You know, my real mum, the one who brought me up. When I told her what you said, she couldn’t say anything. She didn’t say anything . There was like this long pause, like she was holding her breath. I couldn’t hear that breath just go on and on like that, without her speaking,’ Adam informed her.
‘Adam…’
‘Why couldn’t she say anything? Why didn’t she tell me you were a liar?’ Adam enquired, raising his eyes to meet hers.
‘Because I’m not a liar. Because, for the first time in eighteen years, I’m telling you the truth.’
Adam just looked at her. His eyes were brimming with tears. He looked pale and scared and lost. He looked like someone had just pulled a dozen crucial pieces out of the jigsaw of his make up.
‘Adam, I haven’t told you this to hurt you. I told you because Mum’s sick and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be there for you. And I wanted that to be on the proper terms, as your mum, not as your big sister playing some sort of guardian. Mum thought it was time you were told the truth and she was right,’ George tried to explain.
‘I can’t believe it. I can’t understand it. How? Why? And all the lies you must have told over the years!’ Adam exclaimed, slamming shut the lid of the piano and standing up.
‘I was stupid, Adam; I got pregnant very young. I was careless, we were careless, and I was alone and pregnant at sixteen years old.’
‘You didn’t want me?’
‘No, it wasn’t like that. I was scared, of being so young, of not being able to manage. But there wasn’t even a second when I didn’t want you,’ George spoke quickly.
‘Go on.’
‘Well, you know what Mum’s like. She felt let down by me, because I got pregnant, and she took over. She came with me everywhere, to all the appointments. Most of the time, it felt like she was the one having the baby, not me, and that’s what happened. As soon as you were born, she looked after you,’ George said, trying to hold back her emotion as much as she could.
‘And what did you do? Squeeze yourself back into your school uniform and go back to screwing boys behind the bike sheds?’ Adam snapped.
‘Adam, it wasn’t like that. I tried to look after you; I longed to look after you. I used to steal you out of the house just to have some time alone with you. But she never let me get close. One bath, a couple of nappy changes and then weeks would go by before she would even let me hold you again.’
‘And when I was older? Wasn’t there any opportunity, before tonight, to tell me the truth?’
‘I was scared. You were happy and Mum wanted things to stay stable,’ George said, knowing her answer wasn’t good enough.
‘Who’s my father?’ Adam questioned.
‘The boyfriend I told you about. Paul,’ George said.
Her hand instinctively rose up to finger the ring on the chain around her neck.
‘And he got you pregnant at sixteen and ran off and left you,’ Adam scoffed.
‘It wasn’t that simple; he had to move away. He didn’t know about you. He still doesn’t know about you.’
‘So you don’t know where he is now?’
‘No. But I’m sure we could trace him, if that’s what you want,’ George suggested.
‘No, it isn’t what I want. I have a father! Yeah, maybe he spends all his time drinking Earl Grey and watching golf, but he’s still my dad. And he’s the only dad I want to know!’ Adam blasted.
‘That’s fine. Of course he’s still your dad. Nothing has to change if you don’t want it to,’ George spoke .
‘Then if nothing has to change, why did you bother telling me?’ Adam asked, staring at her.
George let out a heavy sigh. It didn’t matter what she said. She could speak for hours and it wouldn’t make the situation any better. Adam was hurting. He didn’t understand why he had been lied to. His whole past was being broken up and analysed in his mind. She could almost see all the thoughts riding through his brain as he stood in front of her looking angry, confused and vulnerable.
‘Like I said before, because Mum’s sick and we don’t know how that’s going to pan out. I wanted you to know I’m here for you. No more pretence, no more lies, everything out in the open. I know I didn’t choose the ideal time to announce it but…’
‘What if I don’t want you to be my mother?’ Adam snapped viciously.
‘That’s your choice. I guess I would have to live with it.’
‘And could you live with the fact that perhaps, after all this, I might not even want you as a sister?’ Adam continued.
‘You don’t mean that. You’re angry, I get that. I can’t imagine what you must be thinking, but give it time, to think about things properly,’ George suggested, her heart up in her throat.
‘You think angry and upset covers it, do you? How about betrayed and let down?’
‘We shouldn’t have kept it from you for so long. But the longer it went on, the harder it was to change things. But there’s no reason to feel isolated; I’m here for you. I’ve always been here for you and that isn’t going to change.’
‘Isn’t it? I think that’s for me to decide,’ Adam said, moving away from her and heading towards the door .
‘Adam, don’t shut me out. Talk to me, shout at me, but don’t turn your back on me,’ George begged, following him.
‘Why not? You turned your back on me, gave me up,’ Adam told her.
‘I didn’t want to. Adam, please,’ George began, tears finally escaping.
‘You still did it,’ Adam hissed.
‘Adam, please. We can work through this,’ George assured him.
‘I’m not sure I want to,’ Adam responded, opening the door.
‘Adam, don’t go. Please, not like this.’
‘You’ll have to call back some of the staff you fired tonight. I can’t be in a catering wagon with you; I can’t be anywhere near you right now, possibly not ever!’ Adam informed her.
He slammed the door shut in her face with such force, it banged open again and hit the retaining wall. A piece of plaster fell off onto the floor and George crumpled with it. She slumped to her knees, putting her face in her hands. Torrents of tears fell down her cheeks and her body wracked with sobs. Her heart was breaking.
And then a pair of strong arms were around her, pulling her into an embrace she so sorely needed.
‘Why did I tell him? Why did I go and tell him? I’ve lost him Quinn, I’ve lost him.’
He wasn’t going to listen to anything she said right now. Even if she told him to fuck off, he wasn’t going anywhere. She needed him, whether she wanted to need him or not. They needed each other.