A Taste for Malice Read Online Free PDF Page B

I’d love one. The tea at the hospital tasted like tar.’
    ‘Or, if you prefer some time …’
    ‘Some time … on my own would be nice.’
    ‘Okay …’ What the hell is the etiquette when you’re bringing home a wife who has no idea who you are, let alone who she is? There are certainly no books in the Mind, Body, Spirit section in the shop for that thorny little problem.
    ‘I’ll, eh …’ He rubbed his palms on the side of his trousers as if …well, he’d no idea why he did it. ‘I’ll bring you up a cup of tea and you can have a seat. Or a lie down. There’s the remote for the telly. Watch the telly. Have a seat.’ His face felt hot. Christ, he felt like he was twelve, he didn’t know where to put himself.
    Ben realising his father was about to leave the room, stood as if his feet were glued to the laminate flooring.
    ‘C’mon, Ben. Let’s leave mummy on her own for a wee while.’
    ‘Awww,’ his features contorted.
    ‘You can come up later … Ben,’ her pause before she said his name made Jim feel that she was about to issue an endearment and then found she couldn’t. ‘I just need a sleep. I’ve been very sick in the hospital.’
    ‘I know that mummy. I came to see you and you wouldn’t wake up. Will you wake up this time?’ He ran to her, put his arms round her thighs, which was as high as he could reach, and his head against her stomach. She patted his head.
    ‘Of course I will. Just give me ten minutes. Okay?’
    ‘Let’s go and I’ll put on He-Man cartoons.’ Bribery was an essential tool in this parent’s toolkit and this was one occasion when it was absolutely necessary. Normally He-Man was deemed too violent and kept as a treat for when he was a really good boy.
    ‘Yeah. He-Man .’ He jumped up and down and then ran from the room.
    Angela sat on the edge of the bed while placing as little of herself on it as was possible without falling off. ‘Ben, Ben, Ben.’ She whispered to herself and then the skin of her face heated as she read Jim’s quizzical expression. What had she been doing? Trying to remember his name?
    ‘He …he’s a lovely, wee boy. You’ve done a great job with him.’ She ventured a smile.
    ‘ You’ve done a great job with him.’ He corrected her. ‘You gave up work to stay at home with him.’
    ‘Oh,’ she responded as if Jim was talking about someone else. ‘What did I do before… him?’
    ‘Daddy?’ Ben’s voice sounded from the living room.
    ‘You were a social worker.’
    ‘Oh.’
    ‘Daddy?’ Ben’s tone was more strident.
    Angela ran her fingers through her hair, ‘I’m sorry. It’s just that I have so many …’
    ‘…questions. I know. Let’s take it easy for now.’ Dr Bodrum’s advice as they left the hospital grounds was that Angela should take her time and not overload her brain with information.
    ‘Only answer the question she asks. It would be too much if you gave her all of her life story at the one time.’ He said and paused while he deliberated further. ‘By all means do look at photographs, videos et-cet-e-ra ,’ he carefully enunciated each syllable. ‘It may spark off a memory or even a chain of memories. But do take your time. Too much stimulation too soon will overload her and she will tire very quickly.’
    ‘DADDY.’
    ‘Coming, Ben.’ Jim turned to Angela. She had opened a drawer to look at the clothes inside. ‘When you want your tea, just give me a shout.’
    Wishing he had something stronger, Jim made himself a coffee, with a mug, kettle and spoon all chosen by the woman upstairs. Everything in this house was her; her taste, her personality and none of it was familiar to her. She’d looked through the house as if she were a polite viewer at a house sale. A “that’s nice” or “mmm” accompanied each fresh object that she had initially deliberated over and savoured for hours. For Jim this was symbolic of the change in her. Before the accident, well, before the separation, he used to