Thursday the 18th of November.
- 28 am.
It seems so long ago
When a phone rang
On a table in the hall
It was always a bad time
As dinner was served
Or the mood had come upon us
Not the time for speaking
To a stranger about home insurance
When the temperature was high
Enough to melt anybody’s ice-cubes
‘Who was it on the phone?’
‘It was Cecil’
‘What did he want this time?
I remember the last time he called
You spent two hours trying to
Get him to see his way clear
To accepting he might have
Made an error of judgement
In thinking it was right
To demand
To see his child at any time
Day or night
Just because he paid a few quid
Into a bank account every other week.’
‘Perhaps crashing into a family dinner
On a Sunday to make a point
Was a little selfish
Considering he had missed to weekends,
On the bounce because
United were at home.’
‘My good god hun he takes offence
If you try to say there has been good music
After 1975
Was he even born then?
Did he want you to smooth things
Over with her again?
I remember when we had to go halfway
Across London to pick him up
From outside her flat in Brixton
When she wouldn’t let him in
How did he get so drunk
He couldn’t even remember his own name
Or that he had spent the previous night
In a cell
He phoned you from there as well
If I recall
So what did he want?
‘He wanted to come over
And talk about her and the baby
He wanted to try again’
‘So what did you say?
After all, he hasn’t been in touch for months
Not since…’
‘Yes I know…
‘What did you say?’
‘I said it had been a while
He hadn’t called since Emrys’s funeral
When he hadn’t bothered to show up.
My only son...and him supposed
To be my best friend
After all I had done for him and he couldn’t
Even be there to give me support.’
‘So what did he say?’
‘He said he didn’t like funerals.’
‘He said what?
‘He said he didn’t like funerals’
‘The selfish sod...what did you say?
‘That anybody who does is weird
Only undertakers and serial mourners
Who go from one service to another leeching
Off other people’s grief
Enjoy a funeral.’
‘So what did he say to that?’
‘I didn’t give him time to reply
I just said if he couldn't
See the wrong in what he had said
To me
Then he shouldn’t call again
Until he could.’
‘Thank goodness for that.