Chapter 16
After dropping Bill junior off at school Charlene returned home and started the housework. Bill offered her a cleaner but she preferred taking care of the domestic duties herself. As she made the beds she wondered if Jarvey was finalising everything for that night. Her husband sprang to her mind and she felt a pang of guilt. There was no doubt he loved her and would do anything for her but it was Jarvey she wanted, always had been, always would be. If it hadn't been for her father they'd have been together years before.
Charlene came from a big, well known family on the estate. The family had made a small fortune through armed robberies during the seventies and invested in pubs and drinking clubs. As the youngest and only girl she was the little princess. Whatever she wanted she could have¦. except for a black boyfriend.
Anybody non Anglo Saxon would have been the wrong choice, but to them there wasn't a worse option than Jarvey.
They'd first met when they were fourteen at a local youth club. Charlene was already rebelling against her parents but then some of the kids from the estate starting hanging out around a derelict house in Palmerstone Street smoking dope and drinking. She'd got together with Jarvey a year later.
There had been uproar when her family found out, threats, groundings, running away and eventually disownment. She moved into a house on the Riverside and started partying more.
Charlene had already been frequenting the club scene and experimenting with drugs, now she made it a full time occupation.
With the added drug use her return to reality became increasingly drawn out and lethargic so she began taking valium to ease the comedown. Heroin was more readily available so she started flirting with that. In Jarvey's book that was a big no, no, it was okay for his mates, but not his girl.
After he left what began as something to ease comedowns became a daily ritual. She watched as time passed and people ended up empty shells of their former selves. Some died, others got locked up, or like her best friend Kelly, ended up prostitutes or beggars. Still she couldn't kick the habit.
Going into another room Charlene grabbed two large suitcases before returning to the bedroom.
When first meeting Bill she'd had enough and was looking for a way out. She saw her chance for a better life and took it.
After playing the damsel in distress Bill played the knight in shining armour. Soon her nightmare was behind her. Her new home was away from the Riverside and she wanted for nothing, as long as she had receipts. Bill had paid for expensive counselling and over time her family started speaking to her again. The only contact she had with her old life had been meeting up with Kelly a couple of times a week away from the Riverside. Over time Charlene convinced herself she was developing feelings for Bill, perhaps she had been. They were married and Bill junior was born.
Then she'd bumped into Jarvey.
Years later the affair was still a well kept secret, they had their rendezvous where they met several times a week and now they were on the verge of running away together, starting a new life.
But what about Bill, would he just stand by and let it happen?
Heading downstairs Charlene continued cleaning, hoovering the lounge she glanced at the television. The news was on and the house they were showing looked like Dwaine's mum's block. As the picture panned out onto the reporter Charlene saw it was, it had been given a fresh lick of paint but the surroundings were unmistakable. The picture cut onto Kelly's dad talking to the camera and Charlene stuck her foot out switching off the hoover. By the time the noise died enough for her to hear the news had moved onto the next story. Charlene shook her head, no doubt Kelly had been arrested, didn't the media have more important things to report.
The phone rang interrupting her thoughts.
Knowing before she picked it up who would be on the other end she reached for the remote control.
As she'd suspected it was her mum. Settling down to a long, one-sided conversation she began flicking through the television channels.
Charlene half listened whilst watching an over excited antiques dealer leap around on the screen.
