to be happy.
Russell looked up at his dad. ‘I don’t understand.’ George looked confused. ‘I don’t understand what you’ve just said, Dad,’ he clarified.
George looked at the ground. ‘Don’t get me wrong, boys, it’s not like I don’t love your mother. I do. I really do. She’s a great woman and has done an outstanding job of raising you three boys into the fine men you are today.’
Luke spat a terse and dismissive ‘But?’ in Dad’s direction.
George refused to acknowledge the hostility in Luke voice. ‘There is always a “but” with these situations isn’t there? And the “but” here is me. It’s not your mother’s fault and it’s certainly not you boys’ fault either. If there’s anyone at all to blame it’s me. This is all my fault.’
‘Well you’re not wrong there,’ snapped Luke. He walked towards the window as if he couldn’t trust himself to be in too close proximity to his father. ‘Of course it’s not Mum’s fault and why would any of us think it’s our fault? It’s got nothing to do with us at all. I don’t even know what you’re thinking. None of this is making any sense.’ Russell watched Luke’s face and felt a tight ball of tension in his stomach. The suggestion that Luke was about to make hadn’t even crossed his mind until this moment and even the thought of it made him feel sick.
‘There isn’t anyone else involved, is there?’ asked Luke.
‘Of course not,’ replied their dad, genuinely horrified at the question. ‘What kind of man do you take me for?’
‘I don’t know, Dad,’ replied Luke, ‘with this news you’re making it hard for me to tell.’
‘Look boys, I know you’re angry—’
‘Angry doesn’t even begin to describe it, Dad!’ interrupted Luke. ‘It’s like we don’t even know you. How can you just stand there and tell us that after the best part of forty years of marriage you’ve had enough and you’re off? How did you think we were going to react? Did you think we’d congratulate you? Well done there, Pops, for smashing up the family unit?’
Luke’s anger was rising. Something needed to be done to bring the temperature of the room down a few degrees before things got said that they would all regret. Russell glanced over to Adam in the hope that he might step up and do the big brother thing but he clearly wasn’t about to. Maybe Adam, having had time to deal with his reactions, was simply standing back and giving himself and Luke the opportunity to get fully up to speed.
‘Look,’ Russell was surprised by the forcefulness of his own voice used in the presence of a group of people with whom he was rarely if ever forceful, ‘why don’t we all just calm down. I understand this must be really difficult for you, Dad,’ continued Russell in his role as peacemaker, ‘but I’m still having a lot of trouble getting my head round this, so if Luke and I both promise to keep our mouths shut, will you tell exactly what’s happened?’
Everyone nodded and Dad explained everything again only this time more slowly and with a lot more detail.
‘OK Dad,’ said Adam, aware that his brothers were looking at him with a ‘So what now?’ expression. ‘Now we’ve got to sort out the way forward. First thing we need to know is what time Mum’s getting back.’
‘I’m not sure,’ said Dad. ‘Maybe you should go over there now and make sure she’s all right. She’ll need all the support she can get.’
‘Too right,’ snapped Luke in his father’s direction. ‘In fact I’m getting out of here right now. Just being in the same room with you is driving me insane.’
‘Luke, wait!’ commanded Adam. ‘Just wait, OK? And then we’ll all go. Look, Dad, with the best will in the world I really can’t take the idea of you and Mum splitting up seriously. I don’t know what’s going on with you but I’ve got a strong feeling that you’re going to regret this once Mum finds out. So here’s what going
Russell looked up at his dad. ‘I don’t understand.’ George looked confused. ‘I don’t understand what you’ve just said, Dad,’ he clarified.
George looked at the ground. ‘Don’t get me wrong, boys, it’s not like I don’t love your mother. I do. I really do. She’s a great woman and has done an outstanding job of raising you three boys into the fine men you are today.’
Luke spat a terse and dismissive ‘But?’ in Dad’s direction.
George refused to acknowledge the hostility in Luke voice. ‘There is always a “but” with these situations isn’t there? And the “but” here is me. It’s not your mother’s fault and it’s certainly not you boys’ fault either. If there’s anyone at all to blame it’s me. This is all my fault.’
‘Well you’re not wrong there,’ snapped Luke. He walked towards the window as if he couldn’t trust himself to be in too close proximity to his father. ‘Of course it’s not Mum’s fault and why would any of us think it’s our fault? It’s got nothing to do with us at all. I don’t even know what you’re thinking. None of this is making any sense.’ Russell watched Luke’s face and felt a tight ball of tension in his stomach. The suggestion that Luke was about to make hadn’t even crossed his mind until this moment and even the thought of it made him feel sick.
‘There isn’t anyone else involved, is there?’ asked Luke.
‘Of course not,’ replied their dad, genuinely horrified at the question. ‘What kind of man do you take me for?’
‘I don’t know, Dad,’ replied Luke, ‘with this news you’re making it hard for me to tell.’
‘Look boys, I know you’re angry—’
‘Angry doesn’t even begin to describe it, Dad!’ interrupted Luke. ‘It’s like we don’t even know you. How can you just stand there and tell us that after the best part of forty years of marriage you’ve had enough and you’re off? How did you think we were going to react? Did you think we’d congratulate you? Well done there, Pops, for smashing up the family unit?’
Luke’s anger was rising. Something needed to be done to bring the temperature of the room down a few degrees before things got said that they would all regret. Russell glanced over to Adam in the hope that he might step up and do the big brother thing but he clearly wasn’t about to. Maybe Adam, having had time to deal with his reactions, was simply standing back and giving himself and Luke the opportunity to get fully up to speed.
‘Look,’ Russell was surprised by the forcefulness of his own voice used in the presence of a group of people with whom he was rarely if ever forceful, ‘why don’t we all just calm down. I understand this must be really difficult for you, Dad,’ continued Russell in his role as peacemaker, ‘but I’m still having a lot of trouble getting my head round this, so if Luke and I both promise to keep our mouths shut, will you tell exactly what’s happened?’
Everyone nodded and Dad explained everything again only this time more slowly and with a lot more detail.
‘OK Dad,’ said Adam, aware that his brothers were looking at him with a ‘So what now?’ expression. ‘Now we’ve got to sort out the way forward. First thing we need to know is what time Mum’s getting back.’
‘I’m not sure,’ said Dad. ‘Maybe you should go over there now and make sure she’s all right. She’ll need all the support she can get.’
‘Too right,’ snapped Luke in his father’s direction. ‘In fact I’m getting out of here right now. Just being in the same room with you is driving me insane.’
‘Luke, wait!’ commanded Adam. ‘Just wait, OK? And then we’ll all go. Look, Dad, with the best will in the world I really can’t take the idea of you and Mum splitting up seriously. I don’t know what’s going on with you but I’ve got a strong feeling that you’re going to regret this once Mum finds out. So here’s what going
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