Our Two Girls

"What?" I responded in total confusion. "What are you on about?"

"She's made me leave my wife and home the cow," he carried on. "My wife's started divorce proceedings, and for what, I ask you?"

"I take it that this is Gregory talking," I demanded.

"Of course it is you stupid berk, and if you and her think I'm going to raise that bastard kid of hers, then the pair of you have another think coming."

"You mean the baby's been born?" I asked, still completely confused.

"Of course it has," he shouted down the line. "Your wife is a cheating slut."

"Well I knew that already," I replied, amused to hear him so angry. "She was cheating with you, you bastard."

"Not talking about that twat head," he thundered back, close to tears. "Don't you know anything? Haven't you heard?"

"You mean that she's had her baby?"

"Not that you idiot," he virtually sobbed in rage. "That the fucking baby isn't even mine."

"Well I doubt that it's mine Gregory," I laughed back, now really enjoying his discomfort.

"Of course it isn't you fool. The little bastard's black!"

Christ Almighty!

Now that was a surprise, wasn't it? But before I could reply he slammed the phone down on me, leaving me standing there, my mouth no doubt gaping open, unable to believe what he'd just told me.

What to do?

Well there was one thing to do first, wasn't there? I used the call back facility on our phone, and a few seconds later Gregory answered it.

"What do you want?" he growled, not guessing that it was me ringing him back.

"Just want to let you know that I'm not a berk, an idiot or a twat head, and you watch your back sunshine because I'll be coming for you one of these days."

"That supposed to scare me?" He replied cockily.

"Doesn't worry me whether it does or not Gregory," I answered him calmly. "You won't know when it's coming, but you're going to get what's due to you."

With that, it was my turn to put the phone down, and I left it off the hook, not wishing to continue to trade insults with him.

----------------------

Dring dring --- Dring dring --- Dring dring ----

"Shit," I called out aloud. I'd only just put the phone back after leaving it off for half an hour, and if that bugger wanted to have an argument with me then I'd go straight round and see him and have it out face to face.

Face?

I'd smash his bloody face in.

"David, have you heard?"

Oh Christ. Even worse. It was Mum.

"What are you going to do about it?" She demanded before I could even respond.

"Hello Mum."

Never mind about hello Mum David," she carried on. "What are you going to do about this baby?"

"The black one you mean?"

"Colour doesn't make any difference son," she ranted on. "That no good waster that tricked Nina into going off with him caused a huge storm at the hospital. He called Nina everything under the sun and they called the police to throw him out."

"Good," I replied grinning to myself, aware at how his life must have been messed up. "What's it got to do with me?"

"Well she's still your wife David," Mum calmed down. "Nina and the baby will need someone to look after them. Her parents are so racial that they won't have her, so you've got another chance."

"Another chance?"

"Yes David. You and Nina could get back together again with the new baby."

"Mother," I started formally. "I love you dearly, but you must think I'm bloody crazy."

"Think about David, please."

"I don't have to think about it Mum," I answered firmly. "I wouldn't have Nina back if she was the last woman on earth."

"But Dav....." Mum began but was interrupted.

"Right decision Son," came my Dad's deeper voice over the phone. "I told her you wouldn't but she wouldn't listen to me."

"Give me that phone back," I heard my Mum insisting in the background.

"Do what you want to do and leave your Mum to me," Dad said, and without another word, put the phone down.

Blimey ----- Dad didn't say a lot, but as I'd learnt to my cost when I was younger, when he did, then you didn't argue. I put the phone back on the cradle, and didn't expect to hear back from my Mum again that night.

----------------

Anyway!

Some one must have picked up Nina and the baby from hospital, because it certainly wasn't me, and I somehow doubt that the wonderful Gregory did so. Not my problem and as long as Mum kept her nose out of it then I didn't expect to see Nina again in any hurry. I got on with my life for all of one week!

"David?"

"Yes Mum," I answered wearily into into the telephone.

"I've got Nina here David."

"Very nice for you Mum," I replied. "Crikey, I love my Mum dearly, but honestly .....?"

"She's bought little Samantha to see me."

"Samantha? Her black baby you mean?"

"She's not very black David," Mum informed me. "And she's so, so beautiful."

"Maybe Mum," I replied with a sigh. "But she's still black and not mine."

"You didn't worry about colour when you were going out with that nice Milkie girl David," she reminded me.

"I'm not worried about colour Mum," I retorted. "Milkie was a girl friend who I liked a lot. An awful lot as it happens, but this Samantha is another man's baby. I could accept her maybe, but not Nina's rejection. She betrayed me Mum. Damn it, she betrayed the bugger that she went off with."

"Will you at least speak to Nina David?"

"No!"

"Please David," Mum pleaded. "Just to please me. Just speak to her."

"Mum," I said firmly. "I am not getting back with Nina, and I am not going to bring up that baby as mine."

"But just talk to her David," she continued. "I think Nina wants to apologise. Explain how it happened. What a mistake it all was."

"No!"

To my surprise, it was my Dad who next spoke.

"David, lad, I don't want to interfere, but for Christ's sake meet the woman so that I can get some peace here."

"I'm not having her back Dad," I insisted.

"I know son," he replied wearily. "But just talk to her to please your mother."

"OK Dad," I reluctantly agreed. "Put her on."

"Can't lad," he came back. "She's already on her way over."

Oh Shit!

--------------------------

Twenty minutes later on the dot, the door bell rang. I suppose she still had a key, so that must have hurt.

"Hello David."

"Hi Nina. Not bought the baby?"

"Didn't think you wanted to see her David. I've left her with your Mum."

"OK," I mumbled back, trying to hide my disappointment. Silly I know, but we're all different.

"You're not going to have me back are you David?" Nina asked.

"What do you think Nina," I responded, but she just nodded, not replying.

"I thought I owed you an explanation honey. I fucked up badly and I've got to live with it. I made several very bad decisions and you didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you."

"Well we're agreed on one thing at least."

"Greg's really fucked up. His wife is taking him to the cleaners and all for nothing, and her three brothers beat him up the night before last."

That got me grinning. He still had one coming from me.

"So what happened Nina," I broke the silence with. "The baby? How come? Black and all."

Nina sighed, a sad look on her face.

"You remember me telling you about that black chap who chatted me up the first time I went out with Greg?"

I nodded, "The one that chatted you up in the car park."

"Yes him. Well I bumped into him a bit later one lunch time and ended up having a McDonalds with him."

"More than a big Mac by the sounds of it."

"Afraid so honey," she smiled wistfully. "He asked me out, and at that time I felt like I could walk on water, so I agreed. I'd heard that black guys were hung like donkeys and I went for it."

"So was he?"

"No way David," Nina said, close to tears. "It was all rather disappointing, and unfortunately I told him so, so I've got no future there either."

I just shook my head. Silly cow. Poor silly cow.

"So what now Nina?"

"No idea honey," she replied sadly. "Burnt my boats I guess. My parents have just about disowned me, so maybe I'll go up to Manchester and see if my sister will help me out."

"Well good luck Nina," I wished her, and, more or less meant it. The important thing was that she was out of my life.

And so it was!

Nina reached up to kiss me goodbye, and automatically I turned my head so that it was my cheek rather than my lips that touched.

It upset her!

Damn it, it upset me.

With a strangled sob she gave me a little wave goodbye and was gone.

Yes gone.

Really gone.

To this day, I have never seen Nina again. I've heard of her, but not from her, and apparently she ended up in Liverpool. Not my favourite place having worked there on a building site, and it was a bloody nightmare.

I wish her well ---- no really.

Not like that bugger Gregory, and I don't wish to go into details, but I did sort him out. Maybe he was a bit bigger than me, but he worked in an office and me on a building site. He never stood a chance poor bastard.

-------------------

So there we are, end of story.

Well not the end for me of course, because life really does go on.

By Christ, doesn't life just go on damn it. Less than four days later, the bloody phone rang.

"David, is that you?"

Well of course it was, there wasn't anyone else left at my house.

"Yes Mum," I answered. "What's up?"

A bit like déjà vue this thing was becoming.

"You'd better come round David," she instructed me.

"I'm busy Mum," I told her. I wasn't, but I was not in the mood. I hadn't been in the mood for anything for several days by then.

"You'd better come round David," my Mum insisted.

"I'm busy Mum," I repeated. "I'll pop round tomorrow after work."

There was a bit of shuffling on the other end of the line. I thought maybe Mum had dropped the phone or something, but no, I was wrong.

"David, is that you lad," I heard my Dad's voice. "Better you do as your Mum says and get round here pronto."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes Dad."

As I said, when Dad spoke, he meant business. Something was wrong, and all the way there, I was sure that it concerned Nina. By the time I arrived I was cursing myself for dismissing her, convinced that she had done something stupid.

What could it be? My imagination was working overtime.

"Come in lad," my Dad greeted me at the door. "Your Mum's in the kitchen."

"OK Mum," I said when I walked in and saw her standing with her back to the sink. "What's this about? If you think I'm getting back with Nina, then there's no chance."

"Nina's gone David," she told me. "She's gone up North and I doubt that she'll be back."

"So what's the problem then?"

"No problem David," Mum grinned at me, taking my arm and leading me into the other room. "We've got something here for you to see. Something that Nina left for you. Well, for us really."

"For God's sake Mum, stop playing games with me," I protested as she led me through the door. "What sort of stupid thing has ......... "

I shut up, and stopped in my tracks!

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yes," I croaked hardly believing it. "I suppose she is."

"Do you want to hold her?"

"I don't know Mum. I guess ..... Well I don't know."

Rooted to the spot, I stood there while Mum bent down, and seconds later she put the most wonderful, gorgeous little package in my arms. I nearly cried with joy for some reason, and a few tears ran down my cheeks.

"Hello Samantha," I crooned to the adorable little bundle in my arms, even though she couldn't understand me. "I'm your ..... I'm your ...... "

Oh Christ, what was I?

"You're her Daddy David," Mum encouraged me.

"But I'm not Mum," I almost sobbed, virtually loosing it. "I'm not her Dad."

"The birth certificate says you are son," Dad butted in from behind us. "Nina registered you as her Dad, so legally you are."

"But Dad ---- Mum," I started to protest.

"Just look at her David," Mum interrupted me. "She's beautiful. She's smiling at you David."

Well actually it was probably the wind, but the smile on the face of little Samantha was like a trap, and I was trapped forever after.

"My daughter," I mumbled, then broke down and cried.

----------------------------------------

Silly --- Stupid ------ Impossible!

All those things but it worked out just fine. I moved back in with Mum and Dad, got permission and added an extension to the house to make it big enough. With my building skills and the help of a few friends, then it was up in no time and we were all very comfortable. Mum looked after Samantha while I worked, then I spent time with her in the evenings and weekends.

"You need to get out a bit more lad," my Dad pointed out. "There's a lot of young women out there you know."

Well I did. Know, that is, and I didn't argue. But it was nearly a year till I started to date seriously. I met a girl called Kate that I thought was the one, but apparently so did some other guy from the other side of town. When I found out, I dropped her like the proverbial stone. Once bitten, twice shy they say, and I'd been bitten twice.

Then there was Mary who had the most fantastic great tits, but when I saw how her mother's had sagged when only in her early forties, then I thought twice about it. Shallow of me maybe, but in all honesty, her legs weren't that great either.

Then of course there was Mandy, the Australian girl with the fabulous long blonde hair. But it turned out she was bisexual, and incredibly beautiful and amusing though she was, I just knew that we had no long-term future, though we did end up as good friends.

Yes a small succession of women, some who didn't quite do it for me, and a few that I didn't do it for. Never mind, it was a fun time, and I'd been promoted from bricklayer to brickie forman. Still didn't wear that elusive suit and still worked on the tools with the lads, but I was going somewhere. I seemed to have a future and my daughter Samantha was a huge part of that future. The fact that she was sort of permanently a little sun tanned shall we say, did cause a few remarks, but generally it wasn't a problem. A few girlfriends were put off by it, but that was their choice and if they felt like that, then Samantha and I were better off without them. Into my late twenties, then it did begin to look as if I might be spending the rest of my life single, but I'd tried the other and that simply hadn't worked for me.

Before I knew it, Sam, as we called her, was five years old and going to nursery school. Mum picked her up most days, but Fridays were my day.

"Hi Daddy," Sam greeted me, running up to me and throwing herself into my arms. "I've got a new best friend. Can she come home with us? Can she come to tea? Can she stay the night? Can you read us both the elephant story? Can she ......"

"Hang on there sweetheart," I interrupted her torrent, swinging her round in my arms. "Who is this friend?"

"She's called Suzie Dad," my little bundle of energy swamped me with. "And we're the bestest friends for life."

"Life's a long time sweetheart," I pointed out to her. "Where is she?"

"The little girl over there in the blue dress," Sam said, pointing over to a group of little charmers. Yes ---- All in blue dresses, the school uniform, just like Sam herself was.

"Which one?"

"The one on the end."

"Which end?"

"Oh Daddy," she laughed at me. "You are a silly Daddy. The one that's like me."

"They're all like you sweetheart," I pointed out.

"No Daddy they're not," my little precious informed me. "Jill and Ann are taller than me, and Helen is a bit fat, but don't say I said so because she's really nice. And the one next to Ann is her cousin Rachel and she's got ginger hair."

"Yes sweetie. I can see that now you mention it. But which one's Suzie."

"Oh Daddy," she sighed. "The one like me."

I was at a loss as I surveyed the group of five-year old girls that were jumping up and down in excitement as the mothers and the occasional father picked them up.

"The black one Daddy," Sam said at last. "The one like me."

Oh Golly! Why hadn't I spotted that?

"Well perhaps her Mummy might not want her to come home with you sweetheart," I for-warned Sam. "We'll have to see. Maybe another day."

I didn't have a problem with it, just that I had a hot date that night. Nobody that special, but I'd been working on this girl for a week or more, and was fairly sure that I was going to get laid that night.

"We'll ask her Daddy," Sam cried out joyfully as she started to drag me over to her new best friend. "There's her Mummy coming now. We'll ask her."

I allowed myself to be dragged over to the other side of the playground, with a silly grin on my face, several of the mothers smiling at me as I passed them. As I reached the cute little thing that was apparently Suzie, I spotted what had to be her Mum coming up towards her.

"Hi," the Mum greeted me, as we sort of collided together. "You must be Sam's Dad. Suzie's not stopped talking about her new friend ...... all ....... week." Her voice petering out, as we stared in surprise at one another.

"Milkie?"

"David? Is that really you?"

"Mummy this is Sam," the pretty little coffee coloured girl called out, tugging at her mother's arm.

"Hello Suzie's Mum," joined in my little one. "This is my Dad."

"Hello Sam."

"Hello Suzie."

"Hello David."

"Hello Milkie."

The two girls jumped around playing some little game, while the two parents just stood there staring at one another.

"Been a long time David."

"Yes," I replied croakily. "How have you been?"

"Mostly good," Milkie replied. "Had some bad times, but mostly good. How about you?"

"Much the same," I managed to get out with some difficulty. "See you've got married. Had a baby and she's a cute little thing. Just like her Mum."

"Married and divorced," Milkie whispered, her face breaking out into that smile that I remembered so well, and my heart soared. "Is your wife around?"

"No idea where she is," I mumbled back. "Haven't seen her for years."

What next?

Neither of us knew.

"You're looking beautiful Milkie," I told her, and I wasn't lying. She was so stunning that I felt my heart flip.

"Can Suzie come back and play Daddy," I heard, as I felt a tugging at my jacket. "Please Daddy please."

"Sure," I said my face breaking out into the happiest smile I'd had in years. "I think that would be a really great idea. Perhaps they could stay for tea."

---------------------

No twists of fate this time, I'm pleased to report. We were both single, or at least Milkie was and I soon followed, and we soon moved in together and marriage, my third please note, soon followed that. We were both crazy for one another and didn't seem any point in waiting. We organized for me to adopt Suzie and with a bit more paperwork, for Milkie to adopt Sam. My daughter's best new friend became her sister, and they dressed alike, did everything together, and even looked like one another. I doubt that many true sisters could have been closer. Mum was in heaven with two little ones to fuss over, and Milkie even managed to prise my dad out of his shell from time to time. And if she couldn't, then the two girls had no problem doing so.

Yes, I nearly forgot, five years later I got another promotion and got made up to site agent on our building jobs. That's right ---- At long last I got to wear a suit to work!

Sam and Suzie grew up to be beautiful young women, who both went to good universities to get qualified. Suzie was the better athlete of the two and went on to run in the Olympics for Great Britain, winning a bronze medal in the eight hundred meters. There were other girls who had done better, but none were as attractive as her, and she's just started a new career as a television sports presenter on the BBC, and is engaged to an international footballer. Can't say who he is, but he plays for the Arsenal of course, so he's already one of the family, and we're all going over to Spain next month to meet his parents and two sisters.