Day 71 - Closure

The summons came in bright and early: Office. Tomorrow. 9am sharp. A 'quick' meeting to discuss 'the way forward'. 😟
     Those three words threw up a whole host of concerns for me, which I'd been desperately trying to keep in check for some time. I was the only one on the team with children; a fact that had always been completely incomprehensible to the likes of Olivia and Antonio. For now, John was home, but with lockdown lifting, his return to work was surely imminent.
     I didn't share my concerns with John. He was still fixated on the Rosie situation. With the pile of recycling in the shed on top of this, I daren't give him another worry for fear of his head actually exploding.🤯No more drama needed here today.

Some hope. "This situation has gone on long enough between you and Rosie, Daisy," he said, as I was trying to enjoy my breakfast. "It was over twenty five years ago for Christ's sake. Enough is enough. You need to talk to her."
      No!!!
     "I really don't think there's any need to …… ".
     "The sun's shining. You can go and sit in her garden if you stay at a safe distance. That's allowed now," he said. "Text and tell her you're popping over. You said you needed to go shopping anyway. You could call in on the way."
     When did John stop stressing about me mingling with other households, goddamn it?
     "Ugh!" I said, biting into my toast. It was pointless arguing. He was right (for once).
     I decided to do the shopping first, so that I could turn up armed with a few items to soften the blow that I was about to land. I didn't text ahead. Forewarned and all that ……
     I rapped on the front door. I knew exactly what John would say if he was standing here right now, looking at two fairly new cars on the driveway. The most God-awful racket was coming through an open upstairs window. It sounded like there were at least fifteen kids up there, involved in bare-knuckle fighting or something equally as vicious. Rosie miraculously heard me above the din. I saw her blurry outline approaching through the frosted glass. I took two backward steps.
     "Daisy?" She said, not looking remotely pleased to see me, considering she was forever complaining about the fact that I didn't visit. "Is everything ok?"
     "Yeah. I was um …. hoping that we could talk."
     "Oh."
     "Look, I've brought cake," I said, holding up a carrier bag. "And wine for you and Dwayne."
     She eyed the bag suspiciously. "Well, I supposed you'd better come into the back garden. I'll go round and open the gate."
     If I had any intention of approaching this matter delicately prior to entering the garden, it went totally out of the window when I laid eyes upon the spanking-new, full-on swimming pool that greeted me there. I cast my eyes around: a MASSIVE Jungle Gym, a trampoline and SIX expensive-looking bikes leaning against the garage wall. Thank the Lord that John hadn't come along.
     The first thing that Rosie did was to make a grab for the carrier bag in my hands. I pulled it into my body, protectively. She looked up at my face, visibly shocked. "Daisy?"
     "You've got a new swimming pool?"
     "Oh, that. Yeah."
     "I don't have a swimming pool."
     Keep calm, Daisy.
     "No?" Her voice had a distinct tone of uncertainty.
     "I can't afford a swimming pool."
     "Well ….. they're not as expensive as you might ….."
     Ffs!
     "One of the main reasons why I can't afford a swimming pool is because I keep giving YOU handouts."
     "Handouts?"
     "Yep. Handouts, Rosie."
     "I'd hardly call them …"
     "Well, they're not bloody loans are they? Cos the idea behind those is that you pay them back, Rosie."
     "I told you that I'll pay you back, Daisy. Do I seriously need to remind you …." she began, taking a furtive glance towards the house over her shoulder.
     "About Brighton? No. You've been reminding me for over twenty five years. Enough is enough. John knows everything, Rosie."
     "Oh."
     "I'm sorry about blowing up your burger van. I really am. But as I told you then and as I've told you about a million times since, I didn't mean to do it."
     "You ruined my ….."
     "Life? I didn't though, did I? Look around you, Rosie. Your life isn't exactly in tatters." I indicated around the garden.
    "I lost everything because of you. I lost the man that I loved, for God's sake."
    "You've had two more husbands since then, for fuck's sake. If it hadn't happened you would never have met Dwayne," I said, glancing in through the open kitchen door, where he was giving us a delightful view of his arse crack as he bent down to take something from the bottom of the fridge. "Have you ever stopped to consider that, ay? There's always an up-side," I said, trying not to grimace as I took in the sight.
     She looked at me like she wanted to slap me, grabbed the carrier bag out of my hand, turned on her heels and flounced off into the house.  "It's over now, Rosie!" I called after her. "I've done my penance! If you need any more money …… sell something!" Rosie's back door slammed shut. "Or you could try getting a proper job," I muttered to myself.
     I'd avoided doing this for so long, yet ……… it felt good. I threw a final glance towards the pool as I let myself out of the gate. She'd get over it. The next time she needed something.