Reality and Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page A

any idea,’ Tom
asked Julia when she brought him his supper on a tray, ‘who is dining down
there to-night?’
    ‘The
two new guests,’ said Julia. ‘And Claire and Charlie.’
    ‘Describe
Charlie. Is he small and fat?’
    ‘No,
tall and manly. Very good-looking, in fact. Don’t work yourself up, Tom. I’m
sure he’s only a friend.’
    ‘Will
he stay here for the night?’
    ‘I don’t
think so.’ In the kitchen Claire the cook and Dollie, the maid, were debating
that very point. No extra bed made up in the single room, nothing arranged for
his breakfast. ‘We feel he’s only here for dinner, to make an extra man.’
    ‘How
good of you to get me all this information,’ said Tom. ‘Did he bring flowers?’
    ‘No, no
flowers. Perhaps he’ll send them tomorrow. They often send flowers after a
party.’
    ‘Does
he seem to have that much savvy?’
    ‘I don’t
know. I haven’t had the opportunity to judge him close-up,’ said Julia who was
putting on her outdoor things. ‘Will I wait for the tray?’ she said.
    ‘No,
Claire will come up and take it away later on. Good-night, Julia.’
    ‘See you
in the morning.’
     
    In the morning Tom’s first
visitor was Ralph. It was nine-thirty. The bed was made and Tom was sitting in
his chair with his legs up on an orthopaedic rest.
    ‘Apart
from this disability,’ said Tom, ‘we are putting a lift in the house, so that
we can get up and down. As it is, I expect to do the stairs within a month, six
weeks. That’s what they say.’
    ‘If
there’s anything I can do…’
    ‘Nothing,
thanks. I suppose you are busy looking for another job.’
    ‘I’m
going to be active in that area. I believe it’s more exhausting looking for
work than doing it.’
    ‘Did
your redundancy come as a shock?’
    ‘Yes.
Although I might have expected it. I was truly under shock. From one moment to
the next I had status, a settled income, then nothing. But I pulled myself
together enough to make a deal with the firm. That included the severance
handshake and the hush-money.’
    ‘What
hush-money?’
    ‘Not to
reveal the secrets of the firm to the next employer.’
    ‘That
should be a difficult promise to keep. You would be bound to use your utmost
knowledge in a new job.’
    ‘Yes,
it’s an impossible promise to keep. It’s only that once having signed an
agreement one doesn’t actually go round selling knowledge as a separate item.
Especially in the electronics business, knowledge is valuable.’
    ‘Knowledge
is always valuable,’ said Tom. He was looking at Ralph with new eyes: check
shirt, smart, loose country jacket, slim twill trousers, good shoes. An open
face with a flush of pink, wide grey eyes, plenty of sleek dark hair, hands in
good shape. Ralph had been envied for his earning power by his brother, Tom’s
son-in-law, who wrote travel books but lived above his income, largely, now, on
Marigold’s money which, through Claire, was considerable. Ralph was no longer a
financial prodigy. He was out of work, probably for a long time, possibly for
ever.
    ‘You
have youth on your side,’ Tom said.
    ‘You
mean I can switch my brain to something else?’ Ralph said.
    ‘Yes,
that’s one of the things I mean.’
    ‘I can
tell you from personal experience,’ Ralph said, ‘that redundancy causes sexual
disaster. It causes anxiety and inadequate erections.’
    ‘These
are early days,’ said Tom. ‘You’ll get over that hang-up in a few weeks.’
    ‘According
to statistics, no. Apparently the phenomenon of male redundancy is frequently
accompanied by a brusque fall in sexual activity and reduced desire with the
impossibility of having a complete erection. I read an article about it, and
now I’ve found it’s so.’
    ‘It
will pass. It’s only the result of shock. Don’t try.’
    ‘That’s
what Ruth says. She’s very understanding about it.’
    ‘Lucky
fellow.’
    Julia
came in with her many-toothed smile, fresh in her mauve and white uniform. She
had