Respect (Mandasue Heller) by Mandasue Heller Page B

Glenroy,’ Mary said irritably. ‘It’s about time he started doing his bit.’
    ‘I already tried, this morning,’ Chantelle told her. ‘But his girlfriend doesn’t know where he is.’
    ‘No change there, then,’ Mary snorted. ‘Bastard never could keep it in his pants. What was she like, then – the girlfriend? Bet she wasn’t as pretty as me!’
    ‘Never mind her,’ Chantelle snapped. ‘What about me and Leon? You’re either going to have to come back, or you’ll have to send some money. And don’t say you haven’t got any, ’cos I know the dole sorted out that mistake. They sent a letter saying they were backdating it and paying it into your account.’
    ‘What you doing reading my letters?’ Mary demanded. ‘You’ve got no right.’
    ‘Are you serious?’ Chantelle was shouting now. ‘Don’t you think I’ve got a right to know what’s going on, seeing as I’m the one who’s trying to keep a roof over your son’s head? I need money, and I need it now !’
    ‘God, you’re such a drama queen,’ Mary said scornfully. Then, sighing, she said, ‘Right, I’ll see what I can do. But I can’t promise it’ll be much, ’cos I’ve got the wedding to pay for.’
    ‘You’re having a laugh,’ Chantelle gasped. ‘What’s more important, a stupid wedding or your kids?’
    ‘Oh, will you get off my fuckin’ back,’ Mary yelled, losing patience. ‘I’ve just told you I’ll be coming home soon – what more do you want?’
    ‘ Money! ’ Chantelle bellowed.
    ‘Get it off your dad,’ said Mary. ‘He’s another one who’s had it easy for too long.’
    ‘Oh, yeah, ’cos it’s that easy to get to Jamaica, isn’t it?’
    ‘Who said he was in Jamaica?’
    ‘ You. ’
    ‘Did I?’ Mary sounded confused. ‘I don’t remember saying that.’
    ‘Well, you should, ’cos it’s what you’ve been telling me for as long as I can remember,’ said Chantelle. ‘So, what are you saying now? Is he, or isn’t he?’
    ‘Not as far as I know,’ Mary said. ‘Last I heard he was in Moss Side.’
    ‘ What? ’ Chantelle felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach. ‘You said he went home before I was born.’
    ‘Yeah, to his own house ,’ said Mary. ‘Well, I wasn’t having him living with me. He did my bleedin’ head in, boring bastard.’
    ‘How could you?’ Chantelle gasped. ‘All this time I’ve been thinking he was in a different country, and you never told me any different. You’re unbelievable.’
    ‘Oh, I’ve had enough of this,’ Mary said snappily. ‘I only rang to tell you my good news but you’re obviously not interested. You never are – unless it’s about you , you self-centred bitch.’
    When the phone went dead in her hand Chantelle tried to ring her mum back, only to find that the number was withheld. She screamed in frustration, threw her phone down on the bed and pummelled the pillow with her fists. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, although she didn’t know why she was so surprised, because this was just typical of her mother. She’d been lying to Chantelle her whole life, but now, just because it suited her , she’d landed a bombshell like this – and wondered why Chantelle was so pissed off.
    Agitated, Chantelle jumped up and walked over to the window. If it was true, then her father had been living less than a mile away this whole time. So why had he never tried to contact her? They had always lived in this same flat, so he would have known exactly where to find her, but Chantelle had never seen him in her life. And that made him an even worse father than Glenroy, who had at least stayed in Leon’s life for the first few years.
    As fresh tears began to sting her eyes, Chantelle rested her forehead against the cold glass. Was she really so unlovable that the people who had created her found it so easy to turn their backs on her? Leon was rude, disrespectful and downright defiant, but in their mum’s eyes he could do no wrong;