Wendy Jones - The Songbird and the Soldier

“I wish I had your confidence,” Sam said.

Kate sat down again. “Just think of men as mischievous puppies. They need plenty of ground rules, a slap if they misbehave and loads of affection and treats if they do things right. Remember that and you’ll have hordes of them eating out the palm of your hand.”

“But I don’t want hordes of them. I just want one good one: a nice, kind, decent man, who’s easy on the eye and reliable. I want a little house with a bit of garden and two or three kids.”

Kate’s mouth gaped open. “I so do not want any of that. I’ll tell you what. I’ll trawl through all the guys out there and if I find a boring one who fits the bill I’ll pass him over to you, okay? I want to live a little before I die. I want to travel, see the world. I want to get pissed in seventeen different countries and get thrown out of at least two.”

“Good grief,” said Sam. “How are you going to manage all that? Sleep your way around Europe?”

Kate feigned shock. “No. I’m going to win the lottery,” she said.

“But you don’t even play the lottery.”

“Then I’ll find myself a rich man,” Kate concluded.

“Hussy!”

“Mouse!” Kate shot back.

The two girls grinned and giggled. “I can’t imagine you married with kids,” Kate said. “You’ve still got a rag doll.”

“Says the girl with the Zac Efron bedding,” Sam replied.

“Tea’s ready, girls,” Sam’s mum called up the stairs and Kate looked at her watch and got to her feet.

The two girls peered round the door of the dining room.

“Kate, love, there’s plenty enough for you as well, if you want to stay,” Mrs Litton said. Kate looked at Sam, who nodded eagerly. Mrs Litton smiled. “Give your mum a ring and make sure it’s okay.” Kate stepped out of the room.

“I left your cheque on the dresser this morning, Mum. Did you get it?” Sam asked, passing the salt and pepper from the sideboard to her mother by the table.

“Yes thanks, love. And do you want me to pick up a paper in the morning again? See if there’s anything new?”

“Haven’t we got rid of her yet?” her dad asked, walking in with the large dish from the oven and winking at his wife.

“No. I’ll probably still be here when you’re sixty, Dad. Sorry,”

A groan escaped her dad’s mouth but he smiled. Kate walked back in. “Knowing my luck Kate’ll still be with us too,” he said.

Mrs Litton bashed him and he smiled mischievously. “Don’t you take any notice of him, love. Did your mum say it was all right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Take a seat and ignore the grumpy one over there. He loves having you here, both of you. Don’t you? Now who wants some shepherd’s pie?”

Sam’s dog, Humphrey, trotted in.

“Oh no you don’t,” Mrs Litton said. “Sam, put him in the living room while we eat, love. You know I won’t have him near the food.”

Sam walked Humphrey out to the living room, where his basket lay in the corner beside one of the armchairs. It was small and smart with a tartan blanket folded up neatly inside to make it soft. Up in her bedroom Sam had a squidgy old soft bed for him, but one of the conditions of her being allowed a dog in the house was that her mum’s living room would still look ‘presentable’. Sam told him to get in and lie down and then stroked his head affectionately. “You only had your tea an hour ago, Humph. You can’t possibly be hungry again yet. Good boy.” She walked away without a backward glance. She was hopeless at resisting the sad eyes he turned on her whenever he wanted something and had learned it was better simply not to look.

“So, Kate, what exciting things have you been up to recently?” Mr Litton asked over dinner.

“Oh you know… um…”

“Still no luck on the job front then?”

“No. I’ve got a bit of casual work next week. I’m helping out in a warehouse for a couple of weeks while they get a big order through, but that’s all. But, I did hear through the grapevine that Sally who works at the leisure centre is pregnant, so fingers crossed, there might be some work coming up there soon!”

“Well at least that’s something. And what about you, Sam? Has Jimmy managed to drive the music teacher to drink yet?”

Sam smiled. “Close, I think. No. Nothing exciting really.”

“Apart from pining after Dean,” Kate added, and Sam kicked her under the table. “Ow!”

“What’s this?” Sam’s dad put down his knife and fork. “Sam? You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend?” He looked at his wife for her reaction, but she looked just as surprised as him.

Sam cringed. She had been trying to keep the whole thing under wraps. The last time her mum and dad had got involved; it complicated matters, so she had wanted to keep this one to herself. And Kate knew that!

“Is it anyone we know?” her mum asked.

“No. I don’t think so.”

“His name is Dean Fletcher. His parents live next door to me,” Kate offered, and promptly received another sharp blow to her ankle for her troubles. “Ow!”

“Dean?” Mrs Litton said.

“He’s a soldier.”

“A soldier?” Mr Litton seemed a little more wary.

“I’m going to kill you,” Sam said under her breath, and Kate grinned.

“That’s not your usual type,” her dad said.

“It’s no big deal,” Sam said trying to calm the excitement down. “We haven’t been going out long.”

“Two months,” Kate mouthed.

“And are we going to meet this young man?” her dad asked.

“Not for a while,” Sam said. “He’s off to Afghanistan in a few weeks.”

“Oh.” The mood changed.

“What’s he like, Kate?” Mrs Litton asked.

In an instant Sam was put aside and Kate was asked to describe Dean to her parents. Afghanistan, Sam thought. Yes, that was something of a conversation-stopper. Only a few more days and he would be back from training and getting ready to go out. Sam looked up.

“Well, at least if he’s on the other side of the world I won’t have to worry how he’s treating you, will I?” her dad said.

“Dad!”

“I’m sorry, but that Rick fellow was bad news, Sam. He treated you exceedingly badly and you refused to see it. I guess you were just too young and too besotted.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “Now look what you’ve started.”

“Sorry,” Kate whispered back, unconvincingly. “We’re just trying to look after you, love,” said her mum.

Sam’s dad changed the subject and the meal continued. At the end Mr Litton thanked Kate for staying to tea and told her she was welcome to come again anytime. Sam declared that she was not.

Kate left soon after. Sam waved her off and then took Humphrey upstairs again. She sat down on her bed and thought back to the last time she had seen Dean.

It had only been a quick visit. Dean had turned up at her school five minutes after the bell and surprised her while she was clearing up the classroom at the end of the school day. Sam had felt awkward when Dean started to make a move on her while people were still in the building. Dean had been very persuasive, obviously turned on by the whole schoolmistress thing. Had she been a different person, Sam might have had a great time. Nobody surprised them, no one even came in after he had gone, but it was all too stressful for Sam and eventually Dean gave up trying and left.

Sam finished tidying the classroom and battled with the guilty feeling that she was probably a disappointment as far as girlfriends were concerned. Oh well, she thought at last, there was nothing she could do about it now. Hopefully she could make amends when he got back from training in a couple of weeks.

Sam got up from her bed and walked over to where her big flower press lay on a pile of large books on the floor. Soon, she thought. Soon she would find a house of her own and then she would have a place for everything. She picked up the flower press and lugged it over to the bed. She sat down and patted the space beside her. Humphrey needed no second bidding. He jumped up and made himself comfortable. Sam hugged him to her and then played with his ears. “If only all men were as easy to love as you, Humph,” she said.