BY CAT.
Chapter 6.
“Stop that racket at once Nigel,” Gordon spoke sharply.
Anna began to laugh, she couldn’t help it, the look on Chris’s face as Nigel began wailing about her killing Nat and Martin was hysterical. Her laughter suddenly turned to shrieks as Nigel launched himself at her, grasping a handful of her hair and tugging hard.
“Don’t like you, I don’t like you Anna, don’t laugh, it’s not nice laughing when people are dead!”
Gordon acted swiftly, disentangling Nigel’s fingers from Anna’s hair and wincing as his ankle caught a blow intended for Nigel....“stop that at once Anna, kicking isn’t very ladylike is it?”
James intervened, “mother says Anna isn’t a lady anyway.”
“tell your mother to fuck off back to the grave and mind her own business!” yelled Anna, her eyes still streaming water from Nigel’s assault on her hair.
“That’s enough Anna,” Gordon shook a finger at her, “I know you’re upset, but there’s no need for that kind of language. I don’t want to hear you using it again.” He stretched out a long arm, collaring Christopher as he attempted to edge towards the door, “I don’t think so young man, now we’ve finally winkled you from your room you can jolly well stay out of it for a while.” He guided the scowling youth back onto a kitchen chair, “stay put. As for you,” he turned disapproving eyes on Nigel. “Apologise this instant, apologise to Anna. We don’t pull hair do we?”
“He did,” said James helpfully, pointing at the mutinous Nigel, “mother saw him.”
“Be quiet James, and if you say the word mother once more today I’m going to wash your mouth out.....I most certainly can....don’t you contradict me young man,” Gordon put his hands on his hips and surveyed the obstreperous one with a keen eye, “do you want to be put back in that corner?”
James pouted, “Doris doesn’t like you, she says you’re domineering.”
“Doris?” Gordon was slightly nonplussed, “who on eart...oh,” he pressed his lips into a thin line, then swiftly un-pressed them, pointing a just about had enough finger in James’s direction, “go to your room, and take Doris with you. Tidy it while you’re up there, it’s a disgrace.”
James sidled out of the kitchen, pausing dreamily in the doorway for a moment, his lips moving in silent conversation, then he turned back to Gordon, “she says your feet are too big as well, you can’t trust men whose feet are too big.” The dreamy look vanished to be replaced with one of acute alarm as a pair of big feet turned purposefully in his direction.
Gordon suppressed a tiny smile as James scurried away down the hall with more than a hint of alacrity. Composing himself, he turned round, fixing frosty eyes on Nigel, “I’d better hear that apology within the next thirty or so seconds, or there is going to be serious trouble.”
“ No!” Nigel shook his head vehemently. “She killed Nat, I don’t like her anymore.”
Anna suddenly exploded, yelling, “I didn’t kill anyone, you great big nincompoop! “Nat isn’t dead, but,” she glared at him spitefully, “I’ll tell you who is dead and who...”
“I think you’ve said quite enough young lady?” The tone of Gordon’s voice clearly said, progress with that statement only at your peril.
Anna subsided immediately.
“Nat is hale and hearty,” Gordon turned his attentions back to Nigel, “so make your apology, now!”
Nigel tearfully complied, “sorry Anna, sorry I pulled your hair, do you still like me? I like you again, now I know you never killed anyone.”
Anna, conscious of being impaled on a fierce blue look, accepted the apology, then gasped as she was engulfed in a bone bending hug, “NIGEL! Gerrof I can’t breathe!”
“I think you’ve hugged Anna enough now Nigel.”
“There’s bits of you sticking through your skin Anna,” Nigel released her, gazing at her with concern, “you’re not very comfy to cuddle.”
Anna scowled, “and you cuddle like a Boa Constrictor.”
“Go into the sitting room Nigel,” Gordon quickly intervened before he decided to get upset by Anna’s comment. “I’ll be in shortly. I’ve got a few words I want to say to you.”
“What sort of words Gordon,” the soft brown eyes looked appealing, “are they nice words?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, go on.” Nigel trotted off obediently, and Gordon, feeling all of his years, scooped up the broken springs and cogs that had once been the kitchen timer putting them in a drawer. “I believe you have some work involving a dictionary to do Anna.”
She pulled a face, “I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.”
“I never forget.” Gordon gave a faint smile, “I’m like an elephant in that respect.”
“There’s never an ivory poacher handy when you want one is there,” muttered Anna under her breath.
“Dictionary, pen, paper,” Gordon set out the objects on the kitchen table, ignoring the black looks he was getting from the lucky recipient, “and that twenty is now fifty, I’ve told you before about that rude muttering young lady.”
“Fifty!” Anna flushed angrily, “I’ll end up with writer’s cramp.”
“Would you like me to double it?”
“No.”
“Then adjust your attitude and get on with it. Perhaps it will teach you to watch what you’re saying in future, you’re far too fond of name calling for my tastes.” Gordon picked up his neglected coffee.
Christopher broke his silence, glancing resentfully at the tall figure. “Why can’t I go back to my cell?”
“Because I said so, and it’s a room not a cell, please don’t refer to it as such again,” Gordon took a couple of good draughts of his coffee. “Watch television, a video, listen to music, read a book or magazine, chat to Anna, but do it downstairs. I’ll arrange for you and I to have a proper talk as soon as I can.”
Chris twisted his lip into a sarcastic snarl. “Yeah, like that’s something to really look forward to, a chat with the head of the asylum.”
Gordon took another drink of his coffee then set it aside. Putting the palms of his hand flat on the table he leaned towards the lip curling youth, “you might not be looking forward to it, but I am, I’m looking forward to it very much.” He gave a chilly smile, “there’s nothing I like better than discussing good manners with those who seem to know very little about them!”
Chris felt his face grow hot, he glanced at Anna, “what are you looking at?”
“Dunno,” Anna pulled a mocking face, “it hasn’t got a label on!”
“THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC...”
Gordon clicked his tongue in exasperation as the ear shattering vocals of Julie Andrews rang out, he straightened up, “I’m going to have those words with Nigel. I’ll be back.”
“ ‘WITH SONGS THEY HAVE SUNG FOR A THOUSAND YEARS...’”
“I’ll be back,” Chris scowled as Gordon left the room, “who does he think he is, The Terminator?”
“Yep,” Anna started writing, “you’d better believe it.”
“ ‘MY HEART....’”
Both she and Chris emitted relieved sighs as Julie/Maria’s heart abruptly stopped. Gordon had obviously turned off the video.
“He can’t make me stay here.”
“Where else have you got to go?” Anna stopped writing to look at him enquiringly, “the hospital wanted your bed, etc, etc. Face it, no one gives a shit! And look out there, hardly the weather for living in shop doorways or parks is it?”
“I could get a flat.”
“What are you going to pay the rent with, fresh air? Anyway, I heard you totally trashed the last two places you had, who’s going to give you another one to wreck?”
“Bit of a mouthy know it all aren’t you?” Chris got up.
“It’s not so bad here, once you get used to it.” Anna watched in fascination as he walked across the kitchen, carefully placing his feet only on the terracotta coloured tiles and not on their cream counterparts, it meant him proceeding with a crab like motion across the floor. “Why are you doing that?”
“Doing what?” Chris turned to look at her, his face turning the colour of skimmed milk. It hadn’t worked, again!
Anna, her skin crawling, looked over her shoulder to see what had brought such a look of fear to his face, had Gordon returned for that chat? She gazed up at the tall, long haired figure in wonderment, so, this must be nutty Nigel’s feline friend.
“Hello,” Caleb smiled and held out his hand, “I’m Caleb, and you must be Anna.”
Anna, feeling suddenly shy, shook the tall figure’s hand. “Hi,” to her annoyance she found herself blushing.
Caleb pointed towards the pad that she was writing on, “I see you’ve incurred the displeasure of Gordon,” the gentle smile broadened into a grin, “I’ve done that myself a time or two.......there’s no need to be frightened,” he suddenly turned to where Christopher was still staring at him from across the kitchen. “I’m not what you thought I was, I’m real, and human.”
Christ took a deep shaky breath and gave a nod of acknowledgement. He walked back across the kitchen, stepping only on the cream tiles this time. “Why have you been incarcerated here then?”
“I haven’t, I’ve come back for a visit, I come every winter.”
“You’re definitely a nutcase then!”
“If you say so,” Caleb smiled softly, “for myself I consider it to be the sanest moment in my whole year. I think you may have to adjust your attitude a little or I suspect that you’ll soon be experiencing the thrills of line writing, and if you’re very lucky that’s all you’ll experience.”
“What do you mean?” Chris scowled.
“You’ll find out,” Caleb winked at Anna, “soon enough.”
Chris suddenly flinched as a loud shriek came from the vicinity of the sitting room, “jeez, why does he keep doing that?”
“You get used to it,” Anna grinned, “eventually.”