|
Chapter 4.
It was simply a matter of deduction. I knew the times the local schools closed. I knew when Tommy had arrived at the park. All I needed to know to complete the calculation was the length of time it would take for a ten year old to walk from each school to the park carrying a football! It was an easy piece of deduction for an ex-ace programmer and the walk would do me good - perhaps.
And now the answer was staring me in the face as I propped myself casually against the corner of one of the more popular National Banks and surveyed the children leaving their school. The pavement was teeming everywhere with young mothers collecting their excited offspring. Baby buggies scythed their way dangerously through the crowds. Tiny people wailed about the injustices they had suffered or bragged about their successes of the day. Proud mums congratulated and scolded as they fought to gain control as their loved ones and dodged in and out of the wave of human and manmade traffic.
I saw him first. He was standing by the railings just inside the playground, a small figure and not this time carrying his football. He looked lonely. Then I saw Jennifer and my pulse went into orbit. Her hair flowed over her shoulders like a field of corn. She was walking quickly and purposefully and every tiny step lifted my heart. The red trouser suit looked expensive but her style and grace would have done that for a sack. I dimly realized I'd moved forward and crossed the road to the screech of brakes and the angry honking of horns. Then Tommy saw me and pointed.
I sauntered over as casually as I could. Jennifer didn't look happy.
"Can I go and play football in the park with Barry again please mummy," shouted Tommy excitedly.
"No, Tommy, another day perhaps. I'm sure Barry has other things to do and anyway the school confiscated your ball for playing with it in class."
"Maybe if Barry talked to them, they'd give it back. I didn't mean to break the window. It was an accident."
His small voice had started to wheedle and his face was beginning to pucker with tears not far off.
Jennifer pushed him behind her and spoke quietly at me through gritted teeth.
"What exactly are you doing here? Are you some sort of pervert that chases young boys or what?" She seemed beautifully in her anger but it was not the welcome I expected.
"I just happened to be passing. I work quite close to here - as I thought you knew." It was a mild reproof. She'd promised to come and see me.
"When I saw Tommy, I just wanted to say hello!"
She looked a little mollified but not much.
"I've got enough problems with men without you adding to them."
It suddenly struck me that she had been crying - and recently.
"I thought we agreed we could be friends," I said as lightly as I could. Tommy sidled around his mum and then shoulder charged me to attract attention. Unfortunately, his shoulder didn't reach very high on my body and I doubled over with a grunt. I looked up at her through the waves of sickness and pain trying to smile.
"Remember what we said?" I finally got out.
She looked sympathetic. Perhaps Tommy did this to all the men she knew. But she was still suspicious.
"You want to be friends?" Her face was full of doubt.
Tommy was struggling against her grip, trying to pull her back towards the school to get his ball.
"What's wrong with that?" My breath was beginning to return to normal and I now figured I wasn't going to puke up.
She still looked skeptical but interested, possibly in whether I was still going to puke.
In my pain I felt irritated at her coolness. So I decided to fight dirty and Mister Dynamo moved up a gear.
"Look why don't I buy Tommy a ball from that toy shop over there and we'll go to the park and kick it around a bit. He'll love that."
"Yes please, mummy! We can get my kit from home on the way!"
Tommy was now a bouncing bundle of joy. The world was beautiful again and just for the cost of a football!
Jennifer knew she couldn't say no and I felt great because I was now going to find out where they lived!
|