The Kellys of Kelvingrove by Margaret Thomson Davis Page A
Authors: Margaret Thomson Davis
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their shattered minds could recall, he was not one of their attackers.
‘I bet it was that evil man at the root of this,’ Bashir said. ‘He should be arrested, Jack, and charged with attempted murder.’
‘There’s nothing I’d like better. But without any identification or definite proof, there’s nothing much we can do, other than what we’re trying to do at the moment.’
Even after Clive and Paul were able to leave the hospital and be taken home with Bashir in Jack’s car, they still couldn’t remember exactly what happened.
‘All I can remember,’ Paul said, ‘is somebody shouting “Phone 999”. And thank God they did. Otherwise we’d be dead by now.’
‘Well, if anything more does come back to you, let me know immediately,’ Jack said.
‘Don’t worry. We will.’
Jack helped both men back into house number four, before leaving to go to his own house.’
‘You’re a pal, Jack,’ Clive called after him. ‘We really appreciate your help. Don’t we, Paul?’
‘Yeah, definitely.’
‘I’d better get back to Mae but if you need anything else, just let her know. Mae used to be a nurse and if need be, she’ll look after you.’
‘Thanks, pal,’ both men cried out as Jack left the house.
‘Thank God for Jack Kelly,’ Clive said. ‘And you, Bashir.’
Bashir made them both a cup of tea and before he left, he said, ‘Just let me know any time you need me.’
‘Thanks, pal.’
Once they were alone, Clive said, ‘I must confess, Paul, my faith has gone very shaky. I mean, where was God while we were being attacked? And who else could have been at the root of such an attack but the devout Christian, the Reverend Denby. I can’t remember though. Can you?’
‘No, I’m still completely shattered. But like you, my faith has taken a beating.’
‘Yes, what good is it, Paul? I mean, if God made us, why did he make us like this? And if God is love, how can he love us if he allows people to treat us like this?’
‘Some people think that people like us make a decision as adults that we’ll be gay but it’s not like that. At least it wasn’t like that for me. As far back as I can remember, I’ve felt the same.’
‘It’s not a matter of choice.’
‘No, the choice comes in when you choose to hide the fact. So many men have done that in the past. Even got married and fathered children. They lived a lie and were miserable for years. Now it’s gradually getting easier to “come out” – as they say.’
‘Well, I’m glad we did anyway.’
‘So am I but what are we going to do now, Paul? I’m too frightened to go outside the safety of our own front door.’
‘We’re still suffering from shock. We’ll get over it once our bodies and minds have had time to heal properly.’
‘You hope.’
‘Well, we were all right for quite a while, Clive. We were enjoying ourselves.’
‘The Reverend Denby has enjoyed his first real success. What do you bet he’ll try for a repeat performance?’
‘If we could just get our faith back, Clive. That’s what made us feel strong and confident.’
‘Maybe God was testing us.’
‘To hell with that.’
‘Now, Paul, remember how Jesus was tested. He never lost faith.’
‘I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We don’t have his courage.’
‘But we’ve always had faith in him.’
‘I know, but you said he’ll be with us always, protecting us from all evil. And he wasn’t, Clive. He wasn’t.’
For a while, they lapsed into miserable and helpless silence, in which the clock on the mantelpiece tic-tocked mercilessly.
They didn’t know what to do or what to think any more.
Eventually, Paul said, ‘Mae Kelly was a nurse. She’ll know what to do. Jack said she’d look after us. We’ll get better. We’ll be all right.’
And as it turned out, Mae did them a big favour. She couldn’t have done anything better for them. She found them a writers’ club and a host of new and wonderful friends.
25
Mae
‘I bet it was that evil man at the root of this,’ Bashir said. ‘He should be arrested, Jack, and charged with attempted murder.’
‘There’s nothing I’d like better. But without any identification or definite proof, there’s nothing much we can do, other than what we’re trying to do at the moment.’
Even after Clive and Paul were able to leave the hospital and be taken home with Bashir in Jack’s car, they still couldn’t remember exactly what happened.
‘All I can remember,’ Paul said, ‘is somebody shouting “Phone 999”. And thank God they did. Otherwise we’d be dead by now.’
‘Well, if anything more does come back to you, let me know immediately,’ Jack said.
‘Don’t worry. We will.’
Jack helped both men back into house number four, before leaving to go to his own house.’
‘You’re a pal, Jack,’ Clive called after him. ‘We really appreciate your help. Don’t we, Paul?’
‘Yeah, definitely.’
‘I’d better get back to Mae but if you need anything else, just let her know. Mae used to be a nurse and if need be, she’ll look after you.’
‘Thanks, pal,’ both men cried out as Jack left the house.
‘Thank God for Jack Kelly,’ Clive said. ‘And you, Bashir.’
Bashir made them both a cup of tea and before he left, he said, ‘Just let me know any time you need me.’
‘Thanks, pal.’
Once they were alone, Clive said, ‘I must confess, Paul, my faith has gone very shaky. I mean, where was God while we were being attacked? And who else could have been at the root of such an attack but the devout Christian, the Reverend Denby. I can’t remember though. Can you?’
‘No, I’m still completely shattered. But like you, my faith has taken a beating.’
‘Yes, what good is it, Paul? I mean, if God made us, why did he make us like this? And if God is love, how can he love us if he allows people to treat us like this?’
‘Some people think that people like us make a decision as adults that we’ll be gay but it’s not like that. At least it wasn’t like that for me. As far back as I can remember, I’ve felt the same.’
‘It’s not a matter of choice.’
‘No, the choice comes in when you choose to hide the fact. So many men have done that in the past. Even got married and fathered children. They lived a lie and were miserable for years. Now it’s gradually getting easier to “come out” – as they say.’
‘Well, I’m glad we did anyway.’
‘So am I but what are we going to do now, Paul? I’m too frightened to go outside the safety of our own front door.’
‘We’re still suffering from shock. We’ll get over it once our bodies and minds have had time to heal properly.’
‘You hope.’
‘Well, we were all right for quite a while, Clive. We were enjoying ourselves.’
‘The Reverend Denby has enjoyed his first real success. What do you bet he’ll try for a repeat performance?’
‘If we could just get our faith back, Clive. That’s what made us feel strong and confident.’
‘Maybe God was testing us.’
‘To hell with that.’
‘Now, Paul, remember how Jesus was tested. He never lost faith.’
‘I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We don’t have his courage.’
‘But we’ve always had faith in him.’
‘I know, but you said he’ll be with us always, protecting us from all evil. And he wasn’t, Clive. He wasn’t.’
For a while, they lapsed into miserable and helpless silence, in which the clock on the mantelpiece tic-tocked mercilessly.
They didn’t know what to do or what to think any more.
Eventually, Paul said, ‘Mae Kelly was a nurse. She’ll know what to do. Jack said she’d look after us. We’ll get better. We’ll be all right.’
And as it turned out, Mae did them a big favour. She couldn’t have done anything better for them. She found them a writers’ club and a host of new and wonderful friends.
25
Mae
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