慦hich service? Christmas? Easter??
慛o. The one for the dead,?says Saffron. 慣he outcast dead.?
Ruth gets held up in traffic and is ten minutes late to collect Kate. She finds her daughter sitting smugly in the secretary抯 office pretending to read a library book.
慖抦 so sorry,?says Ruth, half to Kate and half to Mrs Chambers, 慖 got held up on a dig.?
慖 know,?says Kate. 慪ou抮e all muddy.?
Ruth looks down and sees that she抯 left dirty footprints on the grey carpet. She starts apologising again but Mrs Chambers says that it抯 no problem. 慖抣l just pop the hoover over it.?This makes Ruth feel worse than ever.
In the car, Kate embarks on a long description of the Year 6 trip in the summer term. She抯 in her last year in primary school and, from the PTA newsletter, it looks as if her final term will be full of valedictory events: picnics, discos, rounders matches, concerts, even a prom. Ruth always feels slightly guilty, knowing that she won抰 be able to get away from work for all these festivities. Nor will Nelson, although he抣l want to come to Kate抯 final assembly and will embarrass everyone by taking too many photographs.
Kate抯 next educational step has also proved controversial. Ruth was determined that Kate should have a comprehensive education, as she did. 態ut she抯 so bright,?said Nelson. 慡o was I and I did OK,?countered Ruth. 慍omprehensives are for everyone, that抯 the whole point.?Nelson wanted Kate to go to the private girls?school attended by his older daughters. In the end, Ruth consented to take Kate to the open day at St Faith抯。 She抎 been slightly afraid that Kate would be swayed by the facilities, especially the theatre with real swishing curtains, but Kate announced that she preferred the comprehensive. 慦hy??asked Ruth, masking her relief. 態ecause it抯 got boys in it.?Ruth had filled in the forms that night.
Is Ruth sacrificing Kate抯 prospects for her own political beliefs, as Nelson clearly thinks? No, she tells herself. Kate would do well anywhere, and Ruth wants her daughter抯 schoolfriends to be socially diverse, and to include boys. She thinks back to the reunion at the weekend. Ruth抯 old classmates are certainly a mixed bunch: hard-working GP Fatima, successful plumber Daniel, much-married Kelly. Would they have been different if she抎 attended a private school? Did Ruth抯 parents ever consider another option? They couldn抰 have afforded private school fees but there might still have been the odd grammar school around. Ruth has an opportunity to ask her father about this because he rings later that evening, after Kate has gone to bed.
慔allo, Dad. How was Eastbourne??Arthur and Gloria were staying with Gloria抯 eldest son, who runs a restaurant.
慒ine. Very pleasant. Cleaner than Brighton.?
慣hat抯 nice.?Ruth loves Brighton but she can see why it wouldn抰 be her father抯 favourite town.
慣hank you for what you did, Ruth. For taking care of . . . of Mum抯 stuff.?
It still makes Ruth抯 heart contract to hear her father say 慚um?without the determiner, as if Jean is still there somewhere. Mummy, Daddy and two children. Just like an old-fashioned reading book.
慣hat抯 OK. Happy to help. Dad, I was going through some of Mum抯 old pictures and I found one of the cottage.?
慍ottage? Which cottage??
慣his cottage. Where I live.?
慡he must have taken it when we visited.?Those visits were few and far between. Jean always refused to stay the night at Ruth抯 house because she thought the stairs were unsafe.
慖t was taken before I moved here. On the back it said, 揇awn 1963??
There抯 a silence. Then Arthur says, ?963. That抯 before you were born.?
慪es.?
慪ou were born in 1968. Simon in 1966.?
慖 know, Dad.?
慣hen why would Jean have a picture taken in 1963??
慖 don抰 know. That抯 why I was asking you.?