s r oom n ow, b ut h is m other's pr esence i s t here i n t he co lour of t he b e d spread, the c urtains a nd th e wa llp aper. S he s till so mehow ow ns thi s r oom . Th e dr essing t able, eve n wi thout th e h ai rbrush a n d m atching s ilver-backed h and mi rror, sh ould h ave h er groom in g in fr ont o f it . The to p drawe rs of th e c hest s till co ntain som e o f hi s m other's und erwear. H e th rows th e l ingerie o nto th e b ed.
Th e d ouble b ed i s b adly m ade, th e s heet h anging l ower th an th e co unterpane. Hi s father 's s ide of t he b ed is i ndicated b y hi s blu e n ylon p yjamas o n t op o f th e p illow. H is s lipper s a re o n th e fl oor a nd th ere is a n ewspaper a nd a farmi ng m agazine o pen at a n a rticle a bout p roperty va lue .
Hi s m other's s ide of the b ed i s unruffl ed a nd Ta liesin w onders i f a t n ight his fa ther sp read s o uth is l egs in to the coo l p atches o f b ed w here h is mo ther u sed to s leep. Ta liesin ca rries th e r emainder o f hi s m other ' s lin gerie d ownstairs a nd fin d s hi s f ather e mptying more dr awers. It see ms t hat hi s m other h as h oarded th ings away i n s trange pl aces .
T aliesin h olds
o ut th e intim ate b undle. H is
fa ther t akes th e lin gerie pi cking
o ut a w hite br assiere
w hich h e h old s up a nd e xamines f or
a m oment as th ough r ecalling so mething .
'How man y peopl e did y ou have at your wedding?' Taliesin as ks.
'T oo m any . W e didn 't h ave enough drink. For ever yone.'
' How o ld w ere y ou wh en you got married?'
' Too y oung. Tw enty-three.'
At tw enty-three you co uldn't b e a wise man.
Th e tel ephone rin gs.
'Will yo u ge t that ? It'll b e your mother. She 'll w ant to know a bout th e trunk . '
Tali esin pi cks up th e phon e a nd it 's his mother.
' Taliesin i s that yo u?' Hi s moth er's v oice is ob scure throu gh a t elephone a nd s he s ounds further a way th an W est H aven. Sh e co uld b e in B ombay or Br azil.
' Hi Mum . '
H e pi ctures h er in th e off-white satin of the fair y album, smilin g lik e th ere's n o tomorrow. ' Darling, I'm g lad yo u've an swered. Ar e y ou we ll?' She sound s n ervous, a littl e j abbery .
'Y eah, I'm fin e.'
' Has your fa ther run g th e s tation a bout the trunk, do
you kno w?' H e n otices how s he s ays ' your father. ' It 's all part of h er di sassociation.
' I d on't kno w . D o yo u wa nt m e to a sk him?'
'No, no, don 't wo rry. How are you ?'
'I'm fin e, Mum.'
'How' s Jon? '
'H e's fin e. H e's work ing down the f arm. '
' How is sc hool?'
' Fine .'
'And a re y ou pr actising?'
'Y eah . ' H e li es.
' Toni says h ello . H e says h e's looking
forward to m eeting y ou at Chri stmas. And L eo s ays
hello .' 'S ay h ello back .' 'T al sa ys hello back, Leo . Well look Darling , t ell your f ather th at I c an pick
up the trunk tomorrow. Th ere a re s om e fi sh kniv es. Th ey're in th e top
draw er o f th e sid eboard In
th e s itting r oom. We can l eave th e furnitur e ' til Eas ter o r so methin g. I'm go ing to l eave
yo u th e pi ano.
Te ll yo ur f ather
t hat h e d oesn't n eed to send th e trunk until tom orrow.'
'Oka y'
' And g ive m y love to Jon athan. H as h e d ecided what to do a bout C hristmas?'
'I'm n ot s ure,' h e lie s agai n .
' Well, tr y a nd per suade him t o c ome . H ow is y our fa ther? I s h e a ll ri ght ?'
' He's okay,' Talie sin says .
' And l ots o f l ove t o y ou, D arling.'
' Okay.'
' Love yo u .'
'Y eah.'
' Bye.'
' Bye. '
' Oh, ju st o ne mor e th ing : the ca rriage cl ock. D on't f orget to w rap it. All ri ght no w . B ye.'
'By e.'
Th e fi sh kni ves and f orks a re exac tly w here hi s m other sai d th ey wo uld b e. The y li e in a v elvet i nlaid b ox. Th e fo rks h ave hallm arks a nd a s hell motif at th eir e nds, th e kni ves h ave bon e h andles. Ther e a re e nough f or s ix pl ace se ttings. Sh e alw ays talked about wantin g four childr en.
'Bun g thes e c
Th e d ouble b ed i s b adly m ade, th e s heet h anging l ower th an th e co unterpane. Hi s father 's s ide of t he b ed is i ndicated b y hi s blu e n ylon p yjamas o n t op o f th e p illow. H is s lipper s a re o n th e fl oor a nd th ere is a n ewspaper a nd a farmi ng m agazine o pen at a n a rticle a bout p roperty va lue .
Hi s m other's s ide of the b ed i s unruffl ed a nd Ta liesin w onders i f a t n ight his fa ther sp read s o uth is l egs in to the coo l p atches o f b ed w here h is mo ther u sed to s leep. Ta liesin ca rries th e r emainder o f hi s m other ' s lin gerie d ownstairs a nd fin d s hi s f ather e mptying more dr awers. It see ms t hat hi s m other h as h oarded th ings away i n s trange pl aces .
T aliesin h olds
o ut th e intim ate b undle. H is
fa ther t akes th e lin gerie pi cking
o ut a w hite br assiere
w hich h e h old s up a nd e xamines f or
a m oment as th ough r ecalling so mething .
'How man y peopl e did y ou have at your wedding?' Taliesin as ks.
'T oo m any . W e didn 't h ave enough drink. For ever yone.'
' How o ld w ere y ou wh en you got married?'
' Too y oung. Tw enty-three.'
At tw enty-three you co uldn't b e a wise man.
Th e tel ephone rin gs.
'Will yo u ge t that ? It'll b e your mother. She 'll w ant to know a bout th e trunk . '
Tali esin pi cks up th e phon e a nd it 's his mother.
' Taliesin i s that yo u?' Hi s moth er's v oice is ob scure throu gh a t elephone a nd s he s ounds further a way th an W est H aven. Sh e co uld b e in B ombay or Br azil.
' Hi Mum . '
H e pi ctures h er in th e off-white satin of the fair y album, smilin g lik e th ere's n o tomorrow. ' Darling, I'm g lad yo u've an swered. Ar e y ou we ll?' She sound s n ervous, a littl e j abbery .
'Y eah, I'm fin e.'
' Has your fa ther run g th e s tation a bout the trunk, do
you kno w?' H e n otices how s he s ays ' your father. ' It 's all part of h er di sassociation.
' I d on't kno w . D o yo u wa nt m e to a sk him?'
'No, no, don 't wo rry. How are you ?'
'I'm fin e, Mum.'
'How' s Jon? '
'H e's fin e. H e's work ing down the f arm. '
' How is sc hool?'
' Fine .'
'And a re y ou pr actising?'
'Y eah . ' H e li es.
' Toni says h ello . H e says h e's looking
forward to m eeting y ou at Chri stmas. And L eo s ays
hello .' 'S ay h ello back .' 'T al sa ys hello back, Leo . Well look Darling , t ell your f ather th at I c an pick
up the trunk tomorrow. Th ere a re s om e fi sh kniv es. Th ey're in th e top
draw er o f th e sid eboard In
th e s itting r oom. We can l eave th e furnitur e ' til Eas ter o r so methin g. I'm go ing to l eave
yo u th e pi ano.
Te ll yo ur f ather
t hat h e d oesn't n eed to send th e trunk until tom orrow.'
'Oka y'
' And g ive m y love to Jon athan. H as h e d ecided what to do a bout C hristmas?'
'I'm n ot s ure,' h e lie s agai n .
' Well, tr y a nd per suade him t o c ome . H ow is y our fa ther? I s h e a ll ri ght ?'
' He's okay,' Talie sin says .
' And l ots o f l ove t o y ou, D arling.'
' Okay.'
' Love yo u .'
'Y eah.'
' Bye.'
' Bye. '
' Oh, ju st o ne mor e th ing : the ca rriage cl ock. D on't f orget to w rap it. All ri ght no w . B ye.'
'By e.'
Th e fi sh kni ves and f orks a re exac tly w here hi s m other sai d th ey wo uld b e. The y li e in a v elvet i nlaid b ox. Th e fo rks h ave hallm arks a nd a s hell motif at th eir e nds, th e kni ves h ave bon e h andles. Ther e a re e nough f or s ix pl ace se ttings. Sh e alw ays talked about wantin g four childr en.
'Bun g thes e c
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