A Week in the Past

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A man with a memory problem revisits his hometown.
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Storm62
Storm62
355 Followers

Sunday

Darren was out walking in the April sun, running through the interviews he would be holding throughout the week for the vacant positions in the second print works he and his partner were to open, when he saw her. She was having problems keeping the armful of clothes she had from dropping onto the damp ground as she struggled with the tailgate of her car. Darren popped it open for her. She thanked him and smiled. He felt a spark of recognition at her voice, and then knew he should know her smile. The face didn't register, but the smile did. She looked at him as if she too might know him, then shrugged, climbed into her car and drove away.

The memory nagged at him for the rest of the evening. He knew that smile, but from where? Even as he turned out the bedside lamp his mind was trying to match the face with a name, to open up the memory. At sometime in his past that smile had been important to him, he just knew it. But whose smile? Once more he rued the accident that had so slowed his memory processes.

Monday

After beating his head against the wall of impenetrable memory for some time, Darren finally fell asleep and dreamt. The smile haunted his dreams. The face had to be different now, older after the years he'd been away, but the smile he knew.

On the way to pick up his hire car the next morning, Darren passed his old primary school. The sudden rush of memory stopped him in his tracks. The first time he'd seen the smile was here twenty-six years ago, on his first day at school. Gillian Stewart had been placed at the same little desk as him. He'd asked which seat she preferred and when she replied he got his first view of the smile. For most of the morning they'd talked little, two five year olds shy of others. Then at playtime, five of the older boys had started teasing her about her plaited red hair. Darren had tried to intercede, but a schoolboy scuffle broke out, and Gillian had leapt in on his side.

A pact that had lasted through three schools was formed sitting outside the headmaster's office, waiting to explain three nosebleeds, a scratched face and several bruised shins. 'They started it' didn't sound like a very good excuse, but as it was the first day they got away with it. From then on they'd sworn that when one or the other was in trouble or needed a favour, the other would come running.

There followed years of doing everything together. Falling out of trees, falling into ponds, scratches from bushes, grass burns, nicks and cuts. It seemed that at least once a week one or both of them was being helped home. It drove their poor mothers crazy. But as soon as one was banished to their room, the other was climbing up to the window to plan the next escapade. The summers seemed to last forever, and winter was just as much fun.

Darren smiled at his recollections. He continued on his way. Now he knew he had to find Gillian again, but he'd have to do it a bit at a time, building his memories as he went. All of a sudden the world seemed a better place.

Tuesday

Darren pulled up outside his parent's old house the following evening. It was the first step in his search. The house and garden were familiar, although the tree had grown, and one of the bushes was gone, but otherwise it seemed much the same as when they'd left for the city when his father had been promoted. Gillian had lived at the other end of the small close. He started to walk down the road, hoping that her parents still lived there. Part of the way along he saw the play area that lay between the back of the houses and the allotments. There was the brook that ran through it, now clogged with weed. The two of them had spent many happy pre-teen hours here. They had pledged their allegiance to everything from the Tufty club to CND, via the Famous Five and Tiswas.

On an impulse, he walked over to the climbing frame, resting his hands on the worn metal. He remembered the day they had put the frame in, the council's response to cries about the lack of play space for children. To start with all the local children had been watching, but the little ones soon got bored, and the older ones decided they had better things to do. That had left him and Gillian. They wanted to help, but a disapproving look from the foreman scared them off. One of the men had wondered out loud about who would be the first to come a cropper from it. Darren lifted his hand to the tiny scar on his chin and smiled at the memory. Gilly, as he called her by now, had pushed him off the very next day. It had been his own fault he realised afterwards. He above all people should have known not to tease her about her pigtails. Gilly hated them, but her mother liked them so periodically she'd do Gilly's hair for her. When he'd gone home, blood pouring down his shirt, his mother had forbidden him to play on the frame again while 'that girl' was around. He'd promised but that promise had been broken within a week, as she'd fell off as well. Darren had often wondered about that though. Gilly was as nimble on the frame as a chimp, so her just falling off was a bit odd. He had an inkling that she'd taken a dive to even them up.

He sighed and smiled a rueful smile at the recollection, then carried on to the end of the close where her house had been. As it was Gilly's parents had recently moved, but the new owners had been exceptionally helpful and had furnished him with a forwarding address. They still lived in the town, so he'd try and get over to see them.

Wednesday

It had been a long, hot day of interviews without much success. Darren couldn't find someone who he thought would make a good manager for the print shop, and he was beginning to wonder about doing it himself. Now he felt hot and sticky and thought a brisk swim at the baths might perk him up.

The water had been cool and refreshing and not very crowded. As Darren sat drying himself another memory came to him. He and Gillian had been about eight or nine, probably eight because they were still at their first school. His mother and father had taken him, Gillian, and his older sister Cassandra to a holiday camp for a week. Cass was five years older than him and was acting more grown-up every day. She and Gilly were to share a room, which pleased neither of them. Cass disliked Gilly's overt tomboy behaviour and general excitedness, while Gillian would rather have shared his room, which had bunk beds.

Cassie had always teased him about playing with a girl, but he'd just ignored her. After all, what did she know? She was only his sister. Now Gilly was seeing this up close and it annoyed her. Why did he put up with it? She'd demand. He'd just shrug and tell her to ignore the older girl. Why waste valuable exploring time on a swotty sister. She had grinned at this and they'd gone off to find the dodgem's.

On the third morning all three of them had gone to the swimming pool. After ten minutes of trying Cass had finally managed to dunk Gilly. She held her under for rather longer than was funny until Darren had come to the rescue. Gilly had spluttered to the side of the pool and he could see her plotting her revenge. As Cass had climbed from the pool Gilly had got behind her and deftly tugged at the two string ties of the bigger girl's bikini. Cassie had gone bright red and run crying to the changing rooms. Gillian followed her, calmly swinging the bikini bottoms around her finger, whistling. Darren was creased up with laughter as he too left the pool. Five minutes later he heard raised voices from the ladies changing room, and knew who it was, but he couldn't get between them now. He waited outside for them. Suddenly Cassandra ran out crying still, a black eye now blooming. Moments later Gilly sauntered out. She had a scratch on her face and bite marks on her hand. They decided that now was not a good time to return to the apartment and went instead to the boating lake. His mother came and fetched them. She and Darren's father were furious, a little with him and Gilly for not saying where they were going, but mainly with Cassandra. Cassandra had started it and she was the oldest and had been told she was to be the responsible one. Now she'd let them down. Or something like that. Darren had stopped listening when he'd realised that he and Gilly weren't in much trouble. The outcome of all this was that they slept in the same room for the rest of the holiday, taking it in turns to sleep in the top bunk. Cass never spoke to Gillian ever again, even to ignoring her in the car on the way home. Darren came out of his reverie, and continued to dry his hair. Sighing he decided that tomorrow he must visit Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, and see where that led him.

Thursday

Gillian's parents lived in a new bungalow not far from a school. From where Darren parked his car he could see a school football match taking place. He felt the familiar pull of memory taking him back more than twenty years to the football trials for the middle school team. It was the first full week at a new school, and everything seemed different, almost bigger. They had gone from being the oldest in the school to the youngest. Gillian had played with him for the primary school team and they had decided to go to the trials together. He'd waited for her and they went over to where the football trials were taking place. When they got there the games master, a tall man Darren would never get to like, said that Gilly wasn't allowed to play. Darren had said it was both of them or neither. The teacher had just smirked and said goodbye then.

That was when Gilly suggested they go to the hockey trials instead. The games mistress said it was all right, as she barely had enough players to make two teams. It had been fun but Darren had been completely out of his depth, so he didn't make the team. Gilly however, showed a natural aptitude, and was asked to captain the team. It had pleased Darren more than Gilly. She felt guilty that he'd missed the chance to play in the football team.

"Why don't you ask for another go?" She asked.

He just shrugged and said it didn't matter and he wasn't going to crawl to the games master. Strangely enough after the football season had started with four defeats, the teacher had come to him and asked Darren if he'd play in defence for him. "Why me?" Darren had asked.

"I've seen you in games lessons and you're better than the boys playing in the team."

"So is Gilly."

"But girls aren't allowed to play in the same team after a certain age."

"I didn't know that. Alright, I'll play."

After that he played for the one school team and Gilly the other, usually at the same venues. That had been fun, the times the pair of them had become mischievous and played jokes on the others especially.

As he climbed from the car and walked towards his destination, Darren recalled something else from their time at the middle school. At the beginning of the final year, he'd had to wear a brace on his teeth for a while. About the same time Gillian had to start wearing reading glasses. After only a few days of the new term they had both been in trouble. Him for breaking a boy's nose, her for slapping a girl's face. He had reacted to the umpteenth snide question about his 'speccy' girlfriend, spinning around and landing his fist squarely in the face of the questioner. Gilly had reacted similarly to remarks about her pal 'metalmouth'. Darren had got four weeks detention and Gilly two. The teacher taking detention on the third week had been surprised when Gillian turned up, but said nothing, knowing of the strange bond between the two. As they'd gone home Darren had asked why. "Same crime, same punishment." She'd shrugged.

Now Darren apprehensively approached the front door to the bungalow Gillian's parents now occupied. He'd known them well enough before, but would they still remember him?

"Mrs. Stewart? I don't know if you remember me, my name is..."

"Darren! Of course I remember you, how are you now? Come in, come in." She almost pulled him across the doorstep.

Mr. Stewart got up painfully from his chair.

"Back trouble." He winced. "Got me an early retirement." He shook hands with Darren and asked him to sit. They started to talk. Darren told of how he and his business partner were going to expand by opening a second print shop in the local area, and how he was regaining lost memories from reminders around the town. They told him of Mr. Stewart's accident and why they'd bought the smaller bungalow, mainly because of the lack of stairs. They were candid about just keeping ahead. Darren felt he might owe them something, but when he offered to find the older man a job in his company, he declined, saying that he didn't want anyone making a fuss. Darren saw the pride in his eyes, the same look his own father had had, and knew there was no arguing with him, so he changed the subject. He told them where he was staying.

"Gillian was near there Sunday afternoon." Mrs. Stewart said, then explaining. "She was fetching some clothes from Mrs. Jones house for the school jumble sale." She stood up. "That reminds me, I must get Stephanie's tea ready."

"Stephanie?" Queried Darren, looking around for the signs of some pet.

"Yes, Gillian's daughter!"

Friday

It really shouldn't have been a shock; after all, nearly fifteen years had passed since he'd last seen Gillian, so there should have been a few changes to her life at least. Surely that was one of the more obvious possibilities. Stephanie had proved to be a lovely girl. After talking with her for a while, he swore her to secrecy and promised to meet her the next afternoon for a longer chat in a town centre cafeteria. Apparently she wanted to ask a few questions about something without her grandparents about and while her mother was still working at the library. That had been a bit of a surprise as well. He'd been the reader of the two of them, not Gilly.

Darren had got very little sleep the previous night, as memory after memory had returned to him. Now there just seemed to be one blocked out, but he didn't know why. Perhaps he'd upset Gilly badly, he hoped not. He strode into the cafe. The interior decor had changed, but it was still the same place he and Gilly had spent a considerable time during their early teens, sheltering from the rain. Stephanie was waiting for him with a cup of tea.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?" He said, sitting opposite her. Stephanie looked a little embarrassed. There was something about her eyes that Darren found unsettlingly familiar. They were not like Gilly's at all, but he still thought he knew them.

"I'd just like to hear about my mother from somebody else. Neither her nor my grandparents hardly ever talk about her teens. They all talk about the two of you right up to high school, and then about after my dad left. But there's a gap of five or six years that no-one talks about." She looked up at him, her eyes almost tearful. "I know that it may be asking a lot, but obviously Nanna and Gramps still think a lot of you and mum still tells me about the mischief the two of you caused. I think you may be the only one who can help me." Darren thought for a moment, rubbing his chin.

"Alright, on one condition."

"What?"

"Just hang on at your Gran's for an hour or so tomorrow."

"Easy."

"So, what can I say? Your mother and I were like Laurel and Hardy, or Torvill and Dean. Yes, that's a better analogy. We did everything together, and everyone expected us to pair off together. But we were more like partners, ready to back each other up, but separate. I dated other girls, she went out with other guys, but I think I was still the first to kiss her on a date. They said I always carried her books home from school." He stopped and smiled. "But we didn't always go to school. One time I remember we skipped afternoon lessons and went to the cinema on a double date, to see some John Cleese film or other. What a bad move that was. We both went in with our latest dates, but on the way home her guy had his arm around my girl and your mum and me were larking about, repeating our favourite parts of the film to each other." Darren's eyes took on a faraway look as the past washed over him.

Their friendship had been the rock on which their young lives had been built. Pets and other friends had come and gone, but their other half had always been there. If one was down, the other cheered them up, if one needed a partner for anything, from a dance to a tennis match, the other would go along. People would often talk about the two of them as one whole. Darren spoke again, more softly now, wanting to pass on to this child what he and her mother had been to each other.

"I remember once, when Gilly was about your age, she and I were at your Gran's old house after school. Gilly had just got a new boyfriend. I didn't like him much, but that was nothing new. Anyway, she dropped her bags onto the kitchen table and a packet of cigarettes fell onto the floor. I was a bit surprised, but picked them up for her. She said that Danny had given them to her after she'd smoked one of his. Just then your Gran came into the kitchen. She was totally shocked when she saw the packet in my hand. Quickly, I said I'd been experimenting with smoking, but was giving it up straightaway and if I destroyed them would she not tell my mother please. Our parents knew each other quite well; sitting outside the heads office for so many years will do that." He smiled.

"What about the cigarettes? That was quick thinking."

"A bit too quick. I had to burn your mum's ciggies in front of her. She hardly spoke to me for a week."

"That seems a little ungrateful; I know what Gran can be like when she gets angry."

"So do I. Anyway, the thing with Danny was soon over and then your mum's next boyfriend said he hated kissing her, that it was like kissing an ashtray. So she gave up smoking after about three weeks."

"Maybe, but you still saved her neck."

"She soon evened it out. A week or so later I had a date with a girl from another school. I was desperate to get out of school to meet her. In the last lesson of the day we had chemistry. In a rush to clear up and get out I dropped two empty test tubes. The teacher heard the crash then saw the glass on the ground. Straightaway your mother pushed her two test tubes into my hands and owned up to breaking mine. I got out to meet my girl but your mum had to stay behind and clear up the mess."

"These are the sort of things she never told me about. In her stories she jumps from the happy tomboy, to the responsible mother, and never landing in-between."

"Perhaps it's something to do with my one missing memory."

"Sorry?"

"Doesn't matter. Will you promise to stay later at your Gran's tomorrow?"

"I already did."

"You did, I'm sorry." He smiled as he got up from the table. "Tomorrow I must get to talk with your mother, while you're out of the way of course. " He paused. "You won't tell her will you? I want it to be a surprise." Stephanie nodded her assent.

Saturday

The library closed at one so Darren slipped in just before then. He spotted Gillian working at the information desk. She didn't take her eyes from the screen of the computer she was using as he approached. She had the air of someone who has had a tiring day but who knows that it's nearly over.

"Excuse me." He said. "I wonder if you could help me, I'm looking for the sixth part of 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy'."

Gilly replied without looking up.

"I'm sorry but there is no sixth part sir."

"I know, that's why I'm looking for it."

"Sir, we're closing soon, and I've really no time for snappy banter with members..." Her voice tailed off as she raised her head and saw him.

Gilly had never been a stunning beauty, too much of a tomboy for the most part, but her face, even behind the glasses she now slipped off, had always been perfect. "One to me at last." Darren said, pointing to her glasses and flashing a now brace-less grin. Gillian had been momentarily dumbstruck, but now found her voice.

Storm62
Storm62
355 Followers
12