Gillian Jackson - The Accident

Each time Joe thought about his brother over the next few days he did so with incredulity, a feeling which was to be heightened when Joe picked up the post from the mat one morning, noticing a handwritten envelope. It was from David. He let Liffey into the garden then sat down and tore open the envelope.

Dear Joe ,

I know we didn’t part on the best of terms after Alison’s funeral and we would really like to remedy this situation if at all possible .

Joe shuffled uncomfortably in the chair; his brother’s letter sounded as if he was writing to a civil servant.

We considered another visit to see you but the truth of the matter is that we cannot afford the petrol; in fact things are so bad at the moment that we may even have to sell the car. I didn’t want to trouble you with my problems while you have so many of your own, but we are family and I hope that you can see your way to helping us out of a difficult situation.

It’s not that we have been extravagant but were badly advised regarding recent investments and all our savings have been lost. Pam has been quite unwell with all the stress and we find ourselves with credit card debts which are in excess of our modest income.

As your situation has changed and with compensation, and possibly life insurance, coming your way, we wondered if you would consider a loan to enable us to pay off the credit company. £15,000 should cover it. It’s not as if your needs will be great now that you’re alone and, as I say, we are family and should stick together in times of trouble.

Needless to say if there is anything we can do for you, we will be happy to help.

Your brother,

David

Joe could hardly believe what he’d just read. David’s letter was incredible, but went some way to explaining his brother’s interest in any future plans Joe might have regarding selling the house, and any possible insurance pay-outs. To casually suggest a figure of £15,000 as if it was nothing, was unbelievable and Joe didn’t know what to think. His immediate response was to say a resounding ‘no’ to his brother, but perhaps it would be better to wait until he calmed down before making any decision; he knew only too well that that would have been Alison’s sage advice.

Joe remembered a time shortly after he and Alison were married when his brother asked for a loan of £500, quite a large sum in those days. His initial response then was to refuse; they didn’t have much spare cash themselves after buying their first home, but his new young wife persuaded him to hand over the money, as their happiness was overflowing and she was only too happy to share it.

The money was never repaid, which possibly contributed somewhat to the cool relationship between the brothers over the years, and Joe had little doubt that the loan David was asking for now would also not be repaid.

Putting the letter aside, Joe set about preparing a meal in an attempt to take his mind off it. He’d been slowly trying to increase his efforts at domesticity, knowing that he couldn’t rely on Phil and Helen’s generosity forever, and he anticipated becoming more capable as his shoulder healed. The following day he was again to attend the hospital for another X-ray, which would hopefully show more improvement. His arm was moving without much pain now, although he was still cautious, not wanting to hamper recovery, yet also impatient to be able to drive again and even get back to work.

By 10.30 the following morning, Joe was in the X-ray department, waiting his turn. He’d travelled by taxi, as Phil was working, and would ring for another one to take him home after his appointment. The radiologist worked quickly and efficiently and soon Joe was in another waiting area, in line to see the consultant.

‘Excellent,’ was the verdict, and both men smiled.

‘Can I leave the sling off now?’ Joe asked.

‘Yes, but don’t overdo things. It might be a good idea to wear the sling for an hour or two at some point during the day to give your arm a rest, but if you’re sensible and are guided by how you feel, I think we can discharge you today.’

‘What about driving? Am I okay for that?’

‘Again, if you feel comfortable and don’t drive for lengthy periods, you should be fine. Will you be going back to work?’

‘Yes, they’ve been very good and haven’t put me under any pressure but I think I’m ready to return now.’

‘It’s not heavy work you do, is it?’ the doctor asked.

‘No, I work for an engineering company as a manager in the finance department, nothing physically strenuous.’

‘Good. If you do experience any problems don’t hesitate to come back. You needn’t go to your GP for a referral, just ring my secretary and I’ll be happy to see you again.’ The doctor smiled and offered his hand to Joe who shook it and thanked him before leaving the room.

As he walked down the corridor his first thought was a reflex ... he’d ring Alison and tell her that he’d been discharged! Even as the idea ran through his mind, the stupidity of it hit him hard. How long would it take to really accept that she was gone?

Once back at home, Joe began drafting a reply to his brother. It was a difficult letter to write, yet he didn’t want to ring, wishing to reply in the same manner his brother had approached him. Initially, Joe had been angry at David’s insensitive request for a loan so soon after Alison’s death, but on reflection he felt a degree of sympathy for his elder brother. His own life must have seemed charmed in comparison to David’s, until now of course, and he knew that his brother had never achieved the success he felt he deserved.

In the past, Joe had shown little sympathy for situations which were obviously of David’s own making, but now he could almost hear Ali’s voice urging compassion and reminding him that this was his brother, his only living relative. He did intend on refusing the loan and pointing out that there was no compensation, or life insurance, as they mistakenly assumed, but for Ali’s sake he would try to let them down gently and leave the way open to maintain contact now that they were once again in touch. Perhaps when things were more settled he would send them a few thousand as a gift, but he’d not mention that for the time being.

It felt unbelievably good for Hannah to be walking unaided again. Naturally, it had taken time to adjust to her prosthesis and she still needed regular breaks from wearing it, but Hannah felt human again and was beginning to regain some of her confidence. The twins were a great encouragement and applauded her efforts to walk normally, and more importantly, Mel seemed to have abandoned the crazy notion of giving up going to university to care for her mum. They were in the middle of A-Levels now and Hannah was glad she’d regained some of her independence, not wanting them to be worrying about her at such a stressful time.

Mike, too, seemed relieved that she no longer needed as much help in everyday matters, but his relief manifested itself in his slipping back into his old ways, working too many hours and staying away from home far more often than Hannah would have liked. However, a semblance of normality descended on their home and, although she still grieved for her missing leg, Hannah woke up each morning with a determined, if at times forced, positivity.

A week after getting her prosthetic leg, she walked into the estate agents’ office, her place of work, with a smile on her face and was greeted by a round of applause from her colleagues. It was great to be back, although the senior partner insisted that she initially worked only part time, an arrangement which gave Hannah the chance to ease back in gradually.