Ahead of his Time by Adrian Cousins (children's books read aloud .txt) 📕

13

Walmart

Leaning against the door frame with my arms folded, I stood and watched Jenny kneeling on the lino floor, playing with the kids in the bath. Christopher’s plastic U-boat submarine fizzed along in the bath, powered by a bicarbonate-soda tablet; a really innovative little gadget, I thought. Jenny had brought it from Woolworths as one of his Christmas presents. I felt slightly tearful, a feeling I hadn’t experienced for many months, but life was unravelling, and now I feared this wonderful sight of my family was drifting. The more I reached out to save it, the further it drifted away. Jenny turned and smiled.

“You’re late home, darling.”

“Yes, sorry, took George for a pint.”

Jenny turned back to Beth, who was nestled in her arms as she swished her back and forth up the bathtub.

“Shall I put them to bed for you?” Jenny didn’t answer but carried on swishing Beth whilst Christopher laughed at his submarine, which zipped along, crashing into the end of the bath.

Although we’d only officially adopted them both for just over a week, the children had lived with us for over a month now. The transformation in Christopher was nothing short of miraculous in such a short space of time. No longer was he the little lad who winced every time you moved your hand. I suspected that had been an involuntary movement he made as he prepared for the inevitable slap or beating he was used to getting. Now he was a happy, carefree lad, accepting the love we gave him with his frightening past now evaporating. He was so young, and I hoped he never remembers his first five years.

I had to get this situation sorted and quickly. Not for me and my desire to keep my family, but for him. Christopher and Beth deserved a loving and stable life which Jenny and I would give them, but that was only going to continue if I could get myself out of this hole. Jenny still hadn’t answered and ignored the atmosphere, almost tormenting me with her silence as I waited for the argument to restart for the third night in a row.

“Jenny, did you hear me? Shall I put the kids to bed?”

“Can you take Christopher and read him his story? I’ll get Beth ready, and she’ll go down after she’s had her bottle.”

“Okay.” I knelt beside her and looked into her eyes.

“We can talk afterwards, Jason, alright?”

“Okay.” I nodded, as tears pricked at my eyes, and I turned my head so she wouldn’t notice.

After getting Christopher off to sleep, Jenny handed me Beth to settle into her cot. I cradled her as she yawned and stared up at me with those bright blue eyes.

“I’ll start supper if you can settle her, please. She’s been winded,” Jenny threw back, as she purposefully bounded down the stairs.

I tucked Beth into her cot and gently smoothed her wispy white-blonde hair.

“Oh bollocks, Beth, I have truly cocked up again. Not really my fault this time, but everything is turning to shit. I could do with your usual advice or bollocking that you used to give me when I’d done something twattish, which we both know was quite often.”

Beth looked up at me and smiled. Did she have memories of her previous life and recall the stupid scrapes I got into? No, she was probably filling her nappy. I will admit that I was thankful Jenny changed and washed the nappies. Although the ‘new man’ I was, especially for this era, nappy changing just didn’t appeal. I’d shown Jenny the new disposable ones that some chemists like Boots and Timothy-Whites were now selling. However, even though we were reasonably loaded, Jenny thought they were way too expensive.

“Look, Beth, what am I going to do? I can’t explain Martin’s arrival, and the longer he’s here, your mum will question it more and more. God, I hate lying to her. Christ, also, what am I going to tell Don? He knows something is up, but telling them both Martin and I are time-travellers is not possible. Can you imagine how they would react if I told them you and I were best friends from the future and I'm not born until March this year? Jesus, Beth, this is a bloody nightmare. I thought dealing with that bastard who would’ve abused you was difficult enough, but this is on another level.”

‘Told you on Sunday, Apsley … you’re screwed.’

Of course, Beth offered no help and continued to smile up at me. I rested my head on the cot railing before standing up and scrubbing my hands over my face.

“Come on, Apsley … think,” I muttered, as I tried to suppress that ever-so annoying voice in my head which was now on a roll as it tormented me.

The floorboards on the landing creaked; I spun around. There Jenny stood, leaning against the door frame, tears in her eyes. We just stared at each other for what seemed an age. My jaw fell open whilst Jenny wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

I broke the silence. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Jenny continued to glare at me, searching my eyes for answers.

“Right,” I huffed. I guess she’d heard it all. Tuesday the 18th of January seemed to be pumping out disaster after disaster, and it just kept giving.

“Why were you saying those ridiculous things to Beth? Why, Jason?”

I moved towards her and reached out for her hand, but she snatched it away and moved back a step which caused the floorboards to creak again. I’d vowed to sort those floorboards out many times in the last few months and thirty-odd years in the future. Jenny had never moaned about it, although Lisa had on many occasions.

“Jason, I don’t understand why you were saying those stupid things … you need to start talking.”

“I was just … err … just telling a Beth a bedtime story.”

“No you weren’t! I heard you … I heard all of it.