The Grandmothers Read Online Free PDF Page B

falling into the flirtatious mode as if into a bed. ‘But that’s no use is it, it’s Lil you want.’
    ‘Yes. I’ve had my eye on Lil for - a long time. ‘This meant, before his wife left him for another man. ‘Yes. But she only laughs at me. Now, why is that, I wonder? I’m a very serious sort of chap. And where are the lads this morning?’
    ‘Swimming, I suppose.’
    ‘I only dropped in to make sure you are all getting along all right.’ He got up, finished his tea standing, and said, ‘See you on the beach.’
    On’ he went and Roz rang Lil, and said, ‘We’ve got to be seen about a bit more. Saul dropped in.’
    ‘I suppose so,’ said Lil, her voice heavy, and low.
    ‘We should be seen on the beach, all four of us.’
    A hot morning. The sea shimmered off light. The sky was full of a light that could punish the eyes, without dark defending glasses.

    Lil and Roz, in loose wraps over their bikinis, slathered with sun cream, made their way behind the hoys to the beach. It was a well-used beach, but at this hour, on a weekday, there were few people. Two chairs, set close against Roz’s fence, were faded and battered by storm and sun, but serviceable, and there the women sat themselves.! he boys had gone running into the sea. lan had scarcely greeted his mother; Ian’s look at Lil slid off her and away.
    The waves were brisk enough for pleasure, but in here, in the bay, were never big enough for surfing, which went on outside, past the Teeth. For all the years of the boys’ childhood they played safe, on this beach, but now they saw it as good enough for a swim, and for the serious dangerous stuff they went out on to the surfers’ beaches. The two were swimming well apart, ignoring each other, and the women’s eyes were behind the secretive dark glasses, and neither wanted to talk - could not.
    They saw a head like a seals quite far out grow larger, and then it was Saul, and he came out of the sea, waving at them, but went up through the salty sea bushes and past the houses up to the street.
    The boys were swimming in. When they reached the shallows they stood up and faced each other. They began to tussle. Thus had they fought all through their growing-up, boy fashion, but soon it was evident that there was nothing childlike about this fight. They were standing waist deep, waves came rushing in, battering them with foam, and streamed away, and then Ian had disappeared and Tom was holding him down. A wave came in, another, and Lil started up in anguish and said, ‘Oh, my God, he’s going to kill Ian. Tom’s going to kill …’
    Ian reappeared, gasping, clutching Tom s shoulders. Down he went again.
    ‘Be quiet, Lil,’ said Roz. ‘We mustn’t interfere.’
    ‘He’s going to kill … Tom wants to kill …’
    Then Ian had been down a long time, surely a minute, more …
    Tom let out a great yell and let go of Ian, who bobbed tip. He was hardly able to stand, fell, stood up again, and watched Tom striding through the waves to the beach. As Tom stepped up on to the sand, blood flowed from his calf. Ian had bitten him, deep under the waves, and it was a bad bite. Ian was standing swaying in the water, choking, gasping.
    Roz fought with herself, then ran out into the waves and supported Ian in. The boy was pale, vomiting sea water, but he shook off Roz and went to sit by himself on the sand, his head on his knees. Roz returned to her place. ‘Our fault,’ whispered Lil.
    ‘Stop it, Lil. That’s not going to help.’
    Tom was standing on one leg, to examine his calf, which was pouring copious blood. He went back into the sea and stood sloshing the sea water on to the bite. He came out again, found his swimming towel, tore it in half, and tied one half tight around his leg. Then he stood, hesitating. He might have gone back into his house and through it to Lil’s. He might have stayed in his own house, claiming it from Ian? He could have flopped down where he stood near the fence, not far from