CHAPTER 5

Elaine woke up to Toni crying for her 7am bottle. With a groan she got out of bed, went over to the crying baby, picked her up and patting her back to sooth her, she took her downstairs before she woke Sam up.

Passing the hall mirror Elaine caught a glimpse of her face. God, she looked awful. Elaine hadn’t fallen asleep until at least 5am. - Her eyes were puffy from crying, with dark circles underneath, and sunk back in to her head She had never seen herself look like this before, but there again she had never spent hours crying before! Elaine had never been hurt like this before.

Stop it! Stop it! Elaine though angrily, as tears threaten to spring up again ‘don’t cry’, she said to herself, ‘He isn’t worth it’, and in sad desperation she accepted, that no matter how much her head repeated’ he isn’t worth it’, it would be some time, before her heart accepted it.

She had a lot to do today, too much to do, to cry over a worthless man, she thought. Get busy! By the time Elaine had fed, washed, and changed Toni, Sam had woken up, demanding his breakfast.

Elaine busied herself with the daily routine of getting Sam washed, changed and fed, keeping an eye on the time. Waiting till the shops were open, so that she could put her plans of the night before into action.

Elaine had decided that her first job was to ring a solicitor and make an appointment. She had found a local solicitors number in the yellow pages. Then she would go to the shops. The first port of call would be the post office, to get stamps so she could post the letters. Then the bank, to check on how much was in their joint account.

Elaine planned on drawing out five hundred pounds, which was the limit the bank allowed in one transaction a day. Then she would open an account in her own name. Transfer the rest of the money, from their joint account, into her new account, but leaving a hundred pounds in the joint account. Doing it this way, Elaine hoped that Colin wouldn’t realise too quickly that Elaine had all their money. Giving her access to hard cash, the she so badly needed.

After that, she would go round to Teresa’s, catch her up on what had happened and ask her to look after the children, while she went to pick up firstly the car, then the caravan.

At last! Nine o’clock came around, Toni was asleep in her pram, ready for her outing, and Sam was playing with his cars. Elaine rang the solicitor and got an appointment for the following Tuesday. Elaine was half hoping it would be for that day, but even though she knew it was unrealistic, she was still a little disappointed about the long wait. Tuesday seemed such a long time to wait, but there wasn’t anything Elaine could do about it. The receptionist who took her call had found a cancellation as it was, and really could not bring her appointment forward, but she had taken Elaine’s mobile number and promised if there was a cancellation, she would ring Elaine, and try to fit her in earlier than Tuesday.

Elaine put on her coat, and then Sam’s, and pushed the pram out of the door. Walking briskly to the post office, she purchased the stamps and posted the letters, listening as they fell to the bottom of the post box. ‘No turning back now,’ she thought. Bank next!

She wrote the cheque out for £500 cash, which was the banks upper limit for withdrawing cash without notice. Then enquired how much was left in the account. The woman behind the counter wrote on a piece of paper and pushed it through the opening at the bottom of the window. Elaine asked her, how she went about opening an account, in her name only. The woman gave her a book on current accounts, with a form on the back, which needed to be filled in.

Elaine took the form over to the small kiosks, which gave a modicum of privacy. Filled in the form, and then looked at the slip of paper in her hand; £700, remained in the joint account. Elaine wrote a cheque out to herself for £600 which she would use to open an account in her own name. Altogether she would have £1,100 pounds in cash, provided Colin did not twig before the cheque cleared. That would give her something to live on whilst her social security was getting sorted out.

Returning to the counter, she handed over the form, with the cheque. The woman processed the form and cheque, informing her it would be less than a week for the cheque to clear, and for a cheque book and paying in book to be sent out to her. If the woman had any suspicions at all, she didn’t show it. Elaine would return later and remove her name off the joint account, but not yet! She didn’t want to arouse Colin’s suspicion. With her letters posted and bank sorted out, she then headed for Teresa’s house.

Teresa wasn’t surprised to see her friend Elaine walk up the path, they saw each other most days. Teresa had a daughter Clare, who was Sam’s age, and a little boy Aden, who was two years younger. Clare went to the same school as Sam; both children were also in the same class. In fact that is how Teresa and Elaine, first met, when Teresa, took Clare to nursery school. Whilst waiting for their respective children to come out of nursery class the two women quickly struck up a firm friendship.

What did surprise Teresa when she opened the door to the knock was how Elaine looked. Immediately it was apparent that all was not well with Elaine, she was not her usually bubbly self. It looked as if she hadn’t slept for a week. Her face was drawn; eyes puffy and she had a worried look in her eyes. All of this Teresa took in, watching Elaine put Toni fast asleep in her pram, by the side of the stairs in the hall.

Teresa, didn’t ask Elaine what the matter was, much to Elaine’s relief, as she didn’t want to discuss it within Sam’s hearing. Instead, Teresa helped Sam off with his coat, asked Elaine to put the kettle on, while she took Sam upstairs to play with Clare. Raiding the biscuit tin, on the way past the kitchen, and collecting a couple of cartons of juice for each of the children.

By the time Teresa had come back down the stairs, the kettle had boiled and Elaine was pouring the coffee into the cups. Elaine knew her way around this kitchen, nearly as well as she did her own. Teresa picked up her cup and led the way into her living room, shutting the door after Elaine.

Once they were both seated, Teresa looked at Elaine, ‘Whatever, is the matter? You look as if someone has been run over?’ Teresa was aghast, as soon as she spoke the words, ‘Oh no! Not Colin, he hasn’t had an accident?

‘No, no, it is Colin, but not that, no accident, he is okay’. Then Elaine broke into sobs that racked her whole body, her hand pressing into her mouth trying to stop the sound or her crying.

Teresa hurried to where Elaine was sitting, and putting her arms around her, shushing and patting her back as she would have done if it was her young daughter. Rocking Elaine, backwards and forwards in an attempt to comfort her friend, all the time, wondering what on earth had happened to make Elaine cry so. It must be something really bad, whatever it is. Teresa knew she wouldn’t get any sense out to Elaine until the crying had stopped, so she just let Elaine cry it out. When Elaine’s sobs had subsided a bit, she passed Elaine the box of tissues, made her have a drink of her coffee, before saying, ‘Now tell me, what has happened?’

Between her sobs, Elaine told Teresa all about the phone call from the woman, or rather what she remembered of it, and the fact that she had gone through everything she could think last night, trying to pin point something, that would have give her clue to the fact that Colin was having an affair. She told Teresa that she had analyzed every conversation, and every move, that Colin had made. And found nothing, absolutely nothing, that she could have picked up on.

Every now and again Teresa interrupted her to ask clarification, on a remark the woman had made, or to say - ‘Oh no!’ the disbelief showing in her voice, her expression, one of shock. ‘Colin! Who would have though it…..? Colin,’ shaking her head in disbelief, when Elaine had finished. ‘Are you sure this woman wasn’t trying to wind you up….? It’s hard to believe Colin would do that to you? He thinks the world of you and the kids……... Remember last weekend, he was chasing you round the field with a water pistol, messing about with you as usually.’ I even said to Ken, look at them two acting like two kids, just starting out’, you never act like that with me’.

‘Well I’m the proof, it doesn’t mean a thing if he did! …. No, this wasn’t any wind up. I believed her! … Besides if it was, she would have called back and let me know and she didn’t…….. Am I going crazy Teresa…..? You have seen us together. Was there something you noticed that I might have missed........? Be honest?’ Elaine implored her friend, with all the anguish she felt showing in her face, as she looked intently at Teresa.

Teresa shook her head, for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning, as she looked sympathetically at her friend. ‘No, Elaine you haven’t missed anything! From what I have seen over the years I’d have staked my life on it…… Colin loved you! It takes some believing that he has been carrying on with a woman for months…… I bet she has made out it was more than it was! You know a quick drink; into a full blown affair….Where is she from this woman?’

‘She’s from Stoke…..I’ve been round that one, no its been four months she said…..Remember what I was like four month ago…..sick as a dog all the time and kicking off with false labour every couple of days.? Colin probably got sick of it and then decided to go elsewhere.

‘I don’t believe that, he wouldn’t deliberately, decide to go out and have an affair. I bet she has done all the running; lets face it your Colin is a catch! Good job, nice looking, good personality, she could be after a meal ticket!!..... Some women are like that you know, and were there are bad woman there are always men that will have a fling with them. He won’t be the first man, Elaine who has done that, and he won’t be the last.’

‘Well, he is the first man that has been married to me, that has done that! And I will tell you one thing Teresa; I’m not having him back!’ Elaine looked at Teresa with the defiance and determination she had felt the night before, when she had made up her mind that she was going to end her marriage. ‘I am finishing what he has started….I will make him live to regret it…..If he didn’t want me , he should have said so, told me, asked for a divorce…I would have given him one! I wouldn’t have kept him tied into a marriage with someone he didn’t want or love. I don’t believe in this, staying together for the sake of the children. I would have let him go!’

‘Have you though this through Elaine?’ Teresa said, looking now, just as worried as her friend did, ‘It’s going to be hard bringing up two kids on your own. I know you are angry and hurt and you have every right to be. If you had enough money to manage living without him, just you and the kids, Id says the same…. To hell with him….But you haven’t and I wouldn’t be your friend, if I didn’t tell you to think it through properly, don’t act rashly …….So think, before you do anything, your marriage is strong and I am certain Colin loves you……You could just give him a hard time, don’t make it easy for him for god sake, but still remained married to him, and then try in time to patch things up….. Have you thought about that?’

‘I’ve thought about things all night, cant you tell, look at me?’ Elaine gave a small ironic laugh. ‘No, I’ve decided I can’t live with Colin anymore! Every time he is away, I would be wondering what he is up too…..I wont live like that Teresa, it would kill me wondering that all the time!

Elaine’s eyes started to fill up again with tears. Teresa put her arms round her friend, ‘Okay, you do what you have too, if you need me for anything you know where I am,’ and gave Elaine a hug. ‘Right, lunch time, you stay there and I will make some dinner for us and the kids and after dinner, we will talk about what you are going to do’.

‘Oh I already know that one!’ said Elaine ‘thanks for the offer of lunch. I will tell you all about my plan!! After we have had it and the kids are playing back upstairs’ Elaine clapped her hand and smiled a triumphant smile at Teresa, as Teresa walked out of the room into the kitchen.

Teresa busied herself preparing sandwiches for her, Elaine and the children, still thinking of what Elaine had told her. Teresa was truly shocked by the news of Colin’s affair. She had been telling Elaine the truth, when she had said that in her opinion Colin loved Elaine. Out of all the couples that she knew, she would have thought Elaine and Colin would have always been together. Any fool could see they were happy…….It just goes to show you don’t know what is around the next corner. A puzzled expression showed on Teresa’s face, ‘I wonder what Elaine is on about, her plan, well I will know soon enough I expect.

Colin was a bastard doing that to her. Teresa knew that Elaine didn’t have any family living in the area. Elaine had moved to St Asaph because of Colin’s job, all her family were miles away; to far away to be of any really day to day help. I will do whatever it takes to help and support Elaine she thought. Teresa knew that Elaine would do the same for her.

Teresa shouted through to Elaine, that lunch was ready and Elaine went upstairs to get the children. With luck they would get a chance to have lunch before the baby woke for her feed at 2pm. The weather was picking up too, perhaps the kids could play in the garden after lunch and the baby could go to sleep in her pram out there as well. Leaving her and Elaine in peace to discuss what Elaine needed to do next and how she could help.

Both Elaine and Teresa kept conversation to normal everyday things and including the children during lunch, stimulating a semblance of normality which neither of them felt for the children’s sake. Neither of them seemed to pick up that anything was wrong with their respective parent.

Lunch over, faces washed, coats back on and Clare and Sam were playing out in the garden. Teresa was just finishing washing the last of the dishes, while Elaine finished changing Toni’s nappy before settling her down for her afternoon nap.

Teresa was walking into the living room with a coffee for each of them, when Elaine came back in from the garden after putting Toni’s pram outside.

‘Now, what is this plan you have’ said Teresa, putting a cup of coffee on the table in front of the chair where Elaine wearily sat down on.

Elaine proceeded to tell Teresa her plan! That had come to her the night before, getting more animated as she explained it to Teresa. Teresa shook her head in amazement, she had always known Elaine had a good head on her shoulders, but as Elaine’s plan unfolded Teresa knew this time her friend had surpased herself. Elaine’s plan was brilliant!

By the time Elaine had finished Teresa was smiling at the delight on Elaine’s face at her plan!

‘Can you imagine the look on Colin’s face when he finds the car missing, no money in the bank, the caravan gone and the locks changed on the door?’ asked Elaine.

‘I can, but think on, if you do all of that you will drive Colin away forever, do you really want to do that? Cautioned Teresa.

‘I don’t care if I do’, stated Elaine bitterly, ‘I couldn’t live with him again Teresa, I really couldn’t it would drive me mad wondering what he is up to all the time. I can never trust him again, never. So the way I am looking at it, I will get enough money to tide me over until benefits are sorted and at least this way I get my own back! The person who said revenge is sweet was right! Because that’s what I am going to do get my revenge!!

Teresa, saw the anger in Elaine’s face and nodded her agreement. There was no way Elaine was going to take this lying down and she was no where near ready to even think about forgiving Colin. Taking all of that into consideration Elaine’s plan was a good one, it would provide for her and the kids for the time being.

‘Right, what do you want me to do? I will do everything I can to help you’.

Elaine stood up and went over to give her friend a hug. ‘I was counting on you saying that, so thank you for being you!

‘Some friend I would be if I didn’t ‘Teresa retorted returning Elaine’s hug. ‘So, come on, what can I do?

‘Would you look after the kids for me? I have to go to the factory, get Colin’s car, then go and hitch the caravan up and take both over to Preston to my brothers. If I do that then I can leave the car and caravan with him, and he can sell them for me. He will also lend me another car to use. I can do all of that tonight while the kids are in bed, do you think your Ken would look after your kids, so you can come round and look after mine?’

‘Yes, I will explain to Ken , he will be okay, he wont like what Colin has done to you, remember Ken went through a similar sort of thing before he met me.’

It was arranged that Teresa would come round to Elaine’s at 7.30pm that night, Sam and Toni will be in bed then. Elaine would then go up to Preston. The two friends had estimated that it would be about 12.30am before Elaine would get back from Preston, but at least that part of the plan would have been carried out. The quicker Elaine’s brother could sell the car and caravan the better. Elaine would then be able to buy a much needed car of her own out of the proceeds; her brother would find her one.

‘Look at the time, its 4 o’clock already, and Id better get these two home. I still have to give my brother a ring to let him know I will be round tonight and why, that’s going to take a bit of time to do’.

Elaine rounded up Sam, put her coat on and pushed the pram out of Teresa’s back garden; Teresa reassured Elaine that she would be there at 7.30pm as promised. Elaine hurried home to ring her brother.