Jogging Memories Ch. 06

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"Blimey, Gran!"

"Language, Brett," she admonished.

"Sorry, Gran, I need to think about this. I was right angry with him that he upset Mum by coming back from the dead at all, and was doubly mad that he upset her in the first place when he went away."

"There's no point in being angry at him, Brett, it only hurts you in the long run. He doesn't remember a thing about what happened, so how can you blame him? Come on, tell me, how are my great grand kids, Ollie and Nellie, and your beautiful Katie?"

"Oh, Katie's fine, O is A-Okay as usual, and as for Nellie, well, that's why I'm ringing you now, Nellie is awake and teething in the middle of the night over here, so we're all up an' wide awake, so thought I'd ring you while Katie gives her a cuddle."

"Well, make sure you give her a cuddle from me, then you get off to bed when you can and pass on my love and kisses to everyone. Do you want me to say anything to your Dad when I see him?"

"When are you seeing him again, Gran?"

"This afternoon, my friend Ralph's giving me a lift, coming round in about ... ooh an hour or so. You probably don't remember Ralph but I used to baby-sit his son Mikey, and had you with me too, sometimes."

"Can't say I do, Gran. Is Dad far away from you?"

"Not far. Your Dad's about a forty-minute drive away."

"OK. No message from me, Gran, right now, but I would like to come over and see him when I can get away. I'll speak to Mum about it first, though."

"Isn't this your busiest time of the year, Brett, dear?"

"Yeah, but this is too important to let go by. The blokes'll chip in with the overtime and help out, I'm sure. I'll speak to Mum first. Then, hopefully I'll come and see him and it'll be great to see you again, Gran."

"Oh, that would be lovely, Brett."

<<<>>>

Sharon was aware that Tommy's wife was already somewhere around, even though she had deliberately come up early before visiting hours. Sharon couldn't actually see her; she simply noticed a female coat and bag on the chair next to Tommy's bed. Too late to turn and walk away this time, though, as Tommy had seen her and waved in greeting with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey there, Sharon, come on in," Tommy called from the bed, swinging his legs around to get up. "I missed you yesterday, where were you?"

Sharon forced a smile as she entered the room, brightening more as she saw that Tommy and she were alone, for the moment at any rate.

"We've all got far more important things to do than keeping you company all day long, you know! Actually, I did come up but I saw you had visitors and probably wouldn't want to see me so I decided not to come in."

"Don't be daft, woman, of course I'd want to see you. Don't you know that you and Helen are the oldest friends I have?" he said as he put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

"I've heard that chat up line before," she smiled, surprised at how upbeat she felt in Tommy's presence, "You men all have short memories!"

"Ha ha," he laughed, "That's a good one! Memories don't come much shorter than mine! Let me assure you, Sharon, whatever happens, I'll never forget you. You were there when I needed help and support and I don't want either you or Helen putting on a disappearing act on me. Especially as that appears to be my favourite trick!"

They both laughed at that.

"Well, what have you brought me then?" he asked.

"You are like a big kid you are! What makes you think I've brought you anything at all?"

"Ever since I woke up in this place you've brought something for me every visit, and this is a big clue ... you happen to have a plastic carrier bag in your hand."

"Ooo, you're a sharp one you are," Sharon tut-tutted, "You'll cut yourself if you are not careful."

"Well?"

"I might have brought some knitting in, just in case you were asleep," she grinned.

"I can't imagine you as a knitter, Sharon, you are far too glamorous for clicking needles."

"Cheeky sod!" she laughed.

"OK then. If you are knitting, what are you knitting me?"

"You have a one-tracked mind, everything's you, you, you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I know, it's not my most redeeming feature," he replied ruefully.

"It's a puzzle book, if you must know, with quizzes, word searches, crosswords, mathematical and sequential puzzles," she said as she pulled the thick paperback book plus a pack of retractable pencils out of the bag and handed it to him.

"And why," he grinned, "Would I be interested in puzzles?"

"Because your life is one big puzzle at the moment and exercising your mind with different puzzles just might unlock a door into that crazy head of yours."

A "Huh hum!" from the door interrupted their amusing interplay. They both turned to see Jennifer at the door, who continued, "Are you going to introduce me to your friend, Bob?"

"Of course, Jen. Sharon, this is Jennifer Harris, sorry Morris! I don't know where that came from. Anyway, Jen is my wife of nearly twenty years. Jen, this is Sharon Bister, my very best friend. It was her daughter Helen who found me in the woods and therefore saved my life. They have both visited me pretty much every day since I was brought in, even posting a night-time vigil in case I woke up alone while I was in the coma. By talking to me, they pulled me through from whatever hell there is on the other side of consciousness."

Jennifer smiled graciously and stepped forward to embrace Sharon, who was a little taken aback by the warmth of the response.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, Sharon. Bob told me yesterday about how you and your daughter Helen have kept him company these last few days. Thank you so much, I am sure you have both made a huge contribution to his recovery. Even the doctors have been amazed at the rapid rate of his progress. We must get to know each other, Sharon, and I want to meet your daughter too, it would be such a pity to lose contact with you both once we get Bob home to Buxton."

"No, yes, er Buxton's not too far to go. Yes, it would be great to keep in contact." Sharon stuttered, "Helen and I were so worried that T- er Bob wouldn't actually make it through that first couple of nights. It is great to see how well he is getting on and hopefully will get back to what he once was."

"If you've got time, after visiting, we could go and share a pot of tea and talk about Bob without him being able to hear us," Jennifer laughed, "We don't have to watch what we're saying if he's out of earshot."

"Sounds like fun." Sharon agreed, smiling.

"Well, don't let me stop you ladies," Bob/Tommy snorted, "You both shoot off and enjoy a brew and I'll have a go at this puzzle book."

"Really?" asked Jennifer.

"Yeah, go on," Tommy laughed, "In this place, what with all the comings and goings, I never get a blessed moment's peace to myself."

<<<>>>

It was while Tommy was working on a word search puzzle that his Mum, Ann, turned up with Ralph Haroldson, no doubt not far behind.

"Hello Mum, how are you?" he said, looking up before she came through the door. He had heard her wheezing as she walked down the corridor. That was a worrying sign, he thought, trying to work out how old she must be. Yesterday he hadn't really noticed, as there were too many people about until she started to leave. Mmm he thought, she was 28 when she had him, he was 55; therefore ... she must be about 83. And I thought I had suddenly got old, he mused.

"I'm fine, Tommy boy, how are you feeling?"

"I'm getting better, Mum, I can't wait to get out of here, though, to be honest," he grinned, "I'm so bored I'm even doing crossword puzzles here, and you remember how bad at spelling I was at school!"

"Yes, I remember," Ann smiled, "If it wasn't for Sally, you would never have got through it at all."

Ralph joined them a couple of minutes later, having dropped Ann off at the entrance before parking the car. Still in his early seventies, he was pretty spry for his age.

It was shortly after Tommy's Mum turned up with Ralph, that Jennifer and Sharon returned chatting away to one another from the restaurant, bringing up an extra coffee for Tommy, "just the way Bob likes it, unsweetened black Americano", emphasised Jennifer. Sharon restrained herself from reporting that Helen and she had been weaning Tommy off sugar, getting him down to three teaspoons, although he still insisted on pouring three pots of UHT cream into his coffee.

Tearfully, Ann Barlow greeted Tommy's new wife, hearing all about three grandchildren that she didn't know existed. Ann also took the opportunity to thank Sharon for keeping vigil with her son all the time he was in the coma. There were tears and hugs all round.

All the while Ralph looked on, his mind working on the facts being presented before him.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: JJ's joy

"Mum, it's Sally, how are you?"

"Oh, Sally, dear, I was so worried about you. The line went dead while we were chatting and I wondered how you were coping with the news. It was such a shock all round, but I really didn't think, dear, blurting it all out like that, I was just so ... happy." Ann put down her stirring spoon and turned the gas off under the pan, where she had been browning off some chicken pieces for her tea.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Mum, it was such a shock that I was overwhelmed and ... I fainted. I feel silly really. I was expecting the worst news when you hinted at something affecting both Brett and me but not that. John found me spark out on the settle. I had to go have a lie down I was in such a tizzy, I couldn't do anything at all. The Doc came and gave me a pill to knock me out."

"So how are you now, dear?" Ann asked, "You sound so much more cheerful."

"Yeah, that's cos I am a whole lot more chipper now that I've had time to think about Tommy coming back from the dead. Do you ... has he said ... does he say why he left me and Brett, Mum?"

"Not a thing, Sally, sweetheart, the last thing he says he remembers is going up the shops, from your little flat, to buy some milk. Next thing he knows he was waking up in hospital a couple of days ago connected up to all these tubes and monitors."

"So just how badly is Tommy injured, Mum?" Sally enquired, "Brett did say he was in hospital."

"Not so bad, Sally, dear. The doctors say he can go home in a day or two. It's all depending on the results of his blood tests."

"That's something to be thankful for then. Tell me, Mum, what does he look like, after all this time?"

"He looks very good on the whole, or he will do when the bruising goes down. He's a bit of a mess to look at, if I was honest," Ann surprised herself by laughing, Tommy had actually looked pretty good she recalled, "His black eyes would make a panda bear jealous, and the rest of his face is black and blue from all the bruises and cuts on his face, so he's a bit puffy still."

"No lasting damage, then?"

"No, but they've had to shave his head, cos they had to operate on his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain, so he has got a lot of stitches in his head. His hair is starting to grow back already, so not much'll show once it's all grown back."

"Is he still blond or has he gone grey, Mum?"

Ann giggled, "Oh, the new stubble growth is really very grey, which has upset him because, he had held onto his natural fair colour pretty well until now, er, his wife said, other than the few odd grey hairs!"

"Wife!" Sally exclaimed, "Of course, he's married. Has he any kids?"

"Yes, Sally, dear, he has three other children, two boys, of 18 and 14, and a girl of 16."

"Did his wife say when they got married, Mum?"

"She did say they were going to be celebrating their twentieth anniversary in February next year, Sally. She was saying that they needed to get a venue booked so that all his family and friends could get together. Jennifer, his wife, was led to believe that Tommy, who she calls Bob, didn't have any other family."

"So he changed his Christian name, did he, when he disappeared?"

"Yes, he changed it completely to Robert Neil, I think Jennifer said his middle name was, with the surname of Morris. Robert Neil Morris. Everyone calls him Bob."

"I wonder what he has been up to all these years? Did she say where she met him?" Sally asked.

"I think they worked for the same company at the time they met. He was a maintenance engineer. I think she said she worked in the admin office possibly in personnel. Anyway, she said that Tommy was like the ice-man, all the girls in the office fancied him and he didn't really want to know any of them."

"Tommy always had the gift of the gab. Always cheeky and able to get away with murder because he always had such a beguiling smile. He always was handsome. Well, I always thought so. I assumed at the time, Mum, after he had been gone for a while that he must've run off with some other bird."

"Well, there was never any other girl for him than you Sally, dear, certainly that I was ever aware of. And that was all the way through from when he was still wearing short trousers until the time he disappeared. And there was certainly no other woman in his life when Jennifer first knew him. I get the impression she had to work on him for a long time before he responded to her charms."

"What's she like, this new wife of his, this Jennifer, Mum?"

"She's quite short compared to you, maybe a bit above my height, blond, quite glamorous looking in a way. She's quite posh, if you know what I mean, talks very nicely, takes care of her hair and make up. She's what you'd call very well groomed. I guess that she might have a little trouble with maintaining her weight. She did mention that she goes to the gym two or three times a week. She's quite a bit younger than he is. She works part-time down at the local doctors' surgery."

"I thought she might be younger, considering her children are teenagers. Have you met your new grandchildren yet?"

"No, not yet. I've seen their photos, of course, Jennifer brought some up to the hospital this morning. The boys are tall and slim and very handsome. They both remind me of Alan. The girl is a bit camera shy though and covers herself up in the photos. When she doesn't know she is being photographed though, she is quite petite, like her mum, only dark, like my side of the family, and very pretty."

"So Tommy has ended up with a nice family and life for himself then, has he?"

"Yes, dear, I think he has," Ann continued, "Jennifer says they have a nice house, completely paid for. He has a well-paid job and the kids are bright and well behaved. The two youngest are going to college when they are old enough and the eldest boy is getting married in January, apparently his girlfriend's pregnant. Jennifer says she feels too young to be a grandmother already."

"Well, it's probably more than Tommy deserves, but I wouldn't want to wish him anything ill. He caused me a lot of heartache but I've got some good memories of while we were together. I'll ring you again in a couple of days, Mum, once I've had a chance to talk to Brett properly."

"All right, dear, please take care won't you? Bye, sweetheart."

<<<>>>

"Richard, that you, honey?" Emma called down the stairs as she heard the front door open.

"Who else would it be, now?" Richard called back up as he dumped his holdall in the hallway, before pulling his empty sandwich box and coffee flask out of the top.

"True," she shouted down, "My lover never risks coming around here at this time of day!"

"So long as I don't meet him," he shouted back, moderating the volume of his voice as Emma appeared at the top of the stairs and descended towards him.

"Your dinner's in the oven, Hon. It's a casserole and should be ready in about twenty minutes or so. Help yourself to half of it, and I'll sort the rest out for the freezer when I get home."

"Where are you off to then, Em?" Richard asked, "That's the second night you've gone out in a row."

"No more than you were last week! I'm off around Jen's to start with again. Then I'm going out with Jen and the kids, to give her some moral support if the kids need it. You know they found Bob, don't you?"

"I did hear a rumour, Em, but nothing really definite. What's the latest?"

Emma reached one step from the bottom of the stairs and briefly kissed Richard on the lips, "I know you've really been concerned, sweetheart, after all, he is your best mate."

"Not been that concerned-" he protested.

"Come off it, Rich, you can't hide from me how occupied you've been this last week. I know you've been ringing Jen on the quiet and going out evenings trying to find him, pretending that you're working late. It's obvious that you've had that guilty look on your face for a week now."

"What d'yer mean ... guilty?" he spluttered, his skin darkening.

"It's alright, honey," Emma patted his cheek affectionately, "I know you've tried to protect me from all the worry, bless you, but I'm Jen's best friend too, you know."

"I know, sweetheart. So, what's Bob been up to then?" he swallowed, "Seeing another woman?"

"No!" Emma exclaimed, "How can you even think something like that of our Bob?"

"It happens all the time, Em, he could be goin' through a mid-life crisis, or somethin'."

"Not Bob, surely? Anyway, know-it-all, he's been in Chesterfield Hospital the whole time since last Sunday and is suffering from amnesia. He has lost his memory from since just before he was married. He can't remember anything from the last twenty years. Jen told me all about it last night when she got home after visiting him. You were sleeping the sleep of the innocent by the time I got in. I didn't see you this morning before you left for work, either, so I didn't get a chance to tell you."

"So he can't remember anything from the last twenty or so years ... that's us, you and me, his best friends, and his children?"

"Nothing, he can't even remember Jen, but she reckons that once she gets him home his memories may start to be triggered by having all his familiar things around him."

"That's a bummer for all concerned, Em. So, when can I see him?"

"I'll find out tonight, sweetheart."

<<<>>>

"Thanks so much, Em, for helping me out tonight. I want Bob to see the kids but am worried how they will react to him not recognising them. I have to say, it is quite eerie talking to a man you have lived with and loved for over twenty years, when he looks at you as if you are a stranger and isn't sure how to interact." Her voice trailed off a little as she added, "Even his mannerisms seem different, no puffing and blowing out his cheeks all the time, which used to annoy me while we talked, have gone. He even seems to smile all the time now, as if he hasn't a single care in the world - and you know how worried he always was about, well about everything."

"Yes, I know, Rich is always saying that Bob worries about money, not for the cash itself, but worried about making sure both JJ and Tig have enough finance to get to Uni, especially as Tom seems hell bent on leaving college and going out to work to support the baby when it comes. He's worried that Tom will never get the qualifications needed to get a job that pays enough to bring up a family."

"We have more than enough savings to manage, Em. We could support Tom if he went to college, even if it meant stepping up my hours at the surgery. Anyway, you're a life saver if you can take JJ in your car, that's one less thing for me to worry about."

"Jen, I don't mind helping you out, of course not. You've told the kids about their Dad losing his memory?"

"Yeah, but not sure if JJ believes me. She's very anti-Mum at the mo. That's the main reason why I was hoping you could take her in your car, she seems to prefer your company to mine lately."

"Sure, I'd love to have JJ in the car with me, she's really great company and we have a good laugh together."