‘Hey, Mum!’ he shouted, putting his head over the banisters. ‘Have you got a box I can use to put some stuff in?’
‘There’s a shoebox on the sideboard,’ shouted back Maureen. ‘Just got letters in it. You can leave them on the side.’
Alex bounced down the stairs in three jumps and went to the sideboard, emptying out the box. As he put the letters down, a few slid to the floor and he bent to pick them up.
‘Christie’s?’ he said to himself, seeing the logo on one letter. He felt his heart begin to pound.
‘I’ve only got fig rolls . . .’ said Maureen, walking through holding up a packet. She stopped abruptly when she saw her son holding the letter.
‘What is this, Mum?’ Alex said.
‘Just a check-up at the hospital.’ She tried to smile, but her eyes were full of pain.
Alex had been past Christie’s Hospital dozens of times on the bus. It specialised in cancer treatment. ‘This isn’t a check-up, Mum,’ he said, looking at the letter. ‘This is asking you to report to admissions. ’
‘I just need some chemotherapy.’
‘Just some chemotherapy?’ said Alex.
Maureen had walked back into the kitchen and began opening the biscuits with jerky movements. ‘Stupid things . . .’ she muttered.
‘Mum. Just stop for a moment,’ Alex said, putting his hand on hers. She dropped the packet and began shaking. He put an arm around her and gently led her to the kitchen table.
‘Tell me, Mum,’ he said, sitting down opposite her.
‘The doctors want to try the chemo first before they do the surgery. I think they want to try and shrink the tumour.’
Tumour. His mother had a tumour.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I didn’t want to worry you. Not before I knew if it was serious. Everything is going so well for you and Melissa and I didn’t want to burden you. Jean and Brian were going to come with me to the hospital.’
‘Jean and
Brian are your next-door neighbours,’ he said angrily. ‘I’m your son.’ He clutched her hand. ‘Listen, you’re coming back to America with me. We’re going to get you the best treatment available. ’
‘Alex, Christie’s is one of the best cancer hospitals in the country. I’m lucky, really.’
‘Don’t be such a fucking martyr!’ he shouted, banging his fist on the kitchen side.
He saw her alarm and took a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ he said, his voice pleading. ‘I just want to make you better.’
‘I’ll be fine, love,’ she said softly. ‘It’s going to be all right.’
He rested his head on her shoulder and began to sob, feeling ashamed and alone as she stroked his hair and held him tight.‘Don’t you worry about a thing,’ she whispered. ‘We’ll get through this together.’
We have to, thought Alex. Because she’s all I’ve got left.
56
April 2008
The flight from Dubai arrived earlier than expected. Miles’ dinner with the sheikh had been cancelled due to ‘pressing state business’, so he was on the ground at City airport before 9 p.m. As his Bentley left the terminal, it was tempting to go straight to Soho. He felt he had been neglecting the Globe over the past few months. Yes, Chrissy seemed to be doing a good job, but it never did any harm to keep an eye on things, keep the staff on their toes. He imagined the look of surprise and fear on their faces as he walked in, as the barman fumbled to get his drink on the bar, as the buzz went around the club. And then he imagined all the people who would want to talk to him. ‘Miles! How are you? Now about that investment opportunity ...’ ‘Long time no see, any chance you could help me out with the planners?’ ‘Miles, you said you’d call ...’ And that was before the manager and the sommelier and the receptionist would want to talk to him about budgets and restocking and membership queries.
Screw ’em, thought Miles, leaning forward to his driver. ‘Take me home,’ he said.
Their house in Notting Hill was sumptous. Three rooms on the ground floor had been linked to create a sunken living-cum-entertaining space with a huge kitchen diner overlooking the garden, accessed by French doors which folded right back for summer parties. The garden, too, had been landscaped to make it a series of enclosed areas where guests could sit and drink or smoke. There was even a sunken hot tub which cast a blue-green glow up the side of the house, adding to the atmosphere.