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| LOOKING FOR SOME HAPPINESS by Enola PART 1 After three years together, Joanne thought that meeting Keith had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. She had always had a weakness for men who were a lot older than her probably because she lost her father at the age of 2 and needed a mature man as reference point by her side. They had met at Sean’s wedding and at that time Keith was engaged to one of Rhian’s colleagues and dearest friends. It was Rhian herself the one who introduced them since she knew they had a lot in common and would make friend in the twinkling of an eye. And so it was. Joanne had finished college a couple of months before getting a degree in English while Keith, who was almost twenty years older, was a lecturer at Bristol University. Once they started talking about Shakespeare, they couldn’t manage to shut up! They spent hours quoting an infinity number of passages from ‘The Twelfth Night’, ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’, ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ and ‘Hamlet’. Some months later Joanne got a phone call from Keith who had been transferred to Cardiff and was eager to see her, so met up that very day and many other times later. Soon they both realised they were in love with each other and before Christmas he moved to her flat. Keith was incredible. He was intelligent, charming, friendly and sweet. He had made friends with Nicky in a little time due to the fact there were lots of things they loved to talk about: politics, literature, music and sports. Differently from Nicky and Sean, James was a little sceptical. There was something he didn’t like about Keith though he couldn’t say what it was. James loved Joanne as all the others did. She was like a little sister to everyone since she was 8 years younger than Nicky and James. Her mother, Mrs. Matthews, had been their teacher at primary school and they didn’t live too far away from the Bradfields. James and Nicky always had in mind the day the head teacher knocked at their classroom door and asked her to go out. Some pupils could see him telling her something with a miserable expression in his face. A moment later everyone in the school could hear her piercing shrieks of grief. James’s and Nicky’s hearts sank when the head teacher entered their classroom and, with the same expression, informed the children that Mr. Matthews had had a dreadful car accident and, unfortunately, passed away. All the children cried that day as they cried some days later when the whole class took part in their teacher’s husband’s funeral. They saw Joanne growing up stronger and stronger day by day. She was a little boss in her neighbourhood, all kids respected her, even boys who were older. Everyone called her Jo and those who didn’t know her used to mistake her for a boy because of her hair always cut rather short and her strong personality. James also called her ‘gorgeous’, but when she made him angry he always, and only, called her Jo. This happened when having left Nicky’s house, James went back home around 5 or 6 in the evening and found her playing in the street with the other children. ‘JO?’ he said aloud, ‘What are you doing still out? Go home at once!’ Most of times she ignored him, so he raised his voice even more, ‘At home I said!’, but almost always, he ended by grasping her hand to drag her home. For freeing herself she always struggle with him to the point of biting his hand. Once they had got there he always told her, ‘Bye gorgeous! Be good. Don’t make your mum angry’ pinching her cheek affectionately and winking at her. When she entered, her mother often appeared at the door and thanked him. He just smiled and waved at her before going back home. The years spent with Keith were the happiest of her whole life. During that time she had never doubted they would be together forever. But things changed unexpectedly. It was the day of his 45th birthday and they were supposed to have dinner with Nicky, Sean, their wives, James and his girlfriend Alice. During those past few days Keith had had some trouble at work and was always bad-humoured. When Joanne phoned him in the afternoon to remind him of their arrangement, he said he didn’t feel like going out at all, but in the end, after a little argument, she managed to persuade him. When they got at the restaurant the others were already there. During the meal everyone had a good time but Keith. He didn’t speak a word while the others couldn’t stop telling old stories and laughing like mad due to wine as well. Since Keith wasn’t taking part in that fun, Nicky started to tease him sure that Keith would tease him back as they usually did. That day things went differently. While the others were laughing at Nicky’s joke, Keith took the napkin he had on his lap and threw it upon the table, so stood up and went away without saying a word. All the others called his name inviting him to come back while Joanne followed him pleading with him to stay and rebuking him for being so unbearable. He finally stopped and slapped her in front of everyone saying harshly it was her fault since she knew he didn’t want to go there. Their friends were shocked at the scene. While Joanne burst into tears and rushed to the toilets, Rachel and Rhian ran after her. All the others kept silent unable to believe what they had seen a few moments before. Sean and James scowled at Nicky who lowered his blue eyes on the table as soon as his mates watched him. He was aware that they were rightly angry with him because of what he had told Keith, but he could never expect him reacting in that way. In any case, he felt guilty and was about to go and apologise to Joanne when his wife got back. She said Joanne was fine but wanted to leave so Rachel had suggested sleeping the night with them. While Rachel was driving home, Nicky sent Keith a text to let him know Joanne would spent the night at their house. Some moments later his phone rang and when he saw Keith’s name on his mobile screen he didn’t feel like answering, but Rachel persuaded him to. Keith, who sounded sorry and repented, asked to speak to his girlfriend but Nicky told him it was better lo leave her alone till the following day. On morning, having had breakfast, Rachel drove Joanne to the station where she caught the first train to Cardiff. When she got home she found Keith standing by the door waiting for her. He hugged her apologising for the slap and promised not to do it again. He made a promise but broke it. He hit her again and again, most of times for pointless reasons, and each time he made the same promise. At the beginning she didn’t speak to anyone about it and when someone asked her about things with Keith, she replied everything was fine. But one day when Keith had gone out slamming the door after slapping her again, Nicky, Rachel and Clara visited her returning from their shopping. Joanne sat Clara on her lap and started playing with her hoping that that little wonder could prevent her from thinking about her trouble with her boyfriend. That worked until Rachel noticed a mark on her cheek. She tried to control herself saying it was nothing but burst out crying, then put under pressure by her friends, Joanne told them all the truth. Nicky and Rachel could hardly believe their ears and agreed that she had to leave Keith at once. They planned everything. Joanne would stay with them so that Keith could search for another place. She agreed to go away with them but not to leave his boyfriend since she loved him and was sure he loved her too. She left him a note saying they both needed a break. Not much time passed before also Sean and James knew what had happened. While the former was disbelieving because could have never expected such a thing from a person like Keith who considered a ‘good fella’, the latter couldn’t control his anger when Nicky informed him. He started yelling out on phone swearing to break Keith’s head. It was hard for Nicky persuading his friend to do nothing although he comprehended how James felt. Actually, nobody knew how he really felt. James and Joanne were bound together by a special affection. He admired her tenacity and independence and her previous relationships had fallen apart because of that. On the contrary, Keith had managed to change her. James loathed him because he had stifled her enthusiasm for everything she loved and believed in. Keith had stolen the sun from her heart, something that James couldn’t bear. She had always been there when he needed her. Although she was just a teenager when Richey left, she greatly supported him and even more when his mum died. Joanne was at hospital when it happened. When James left his mum’s room in tears she held him tight and whispered in his ear something that partially relieved his grief: 'Don’t be sad James. My dad now will take care of her.' Joanne spent a couple of weeks at Nicky’s. Keith hadn’t looked for her and, if at the beginning she had missed him, after a few days she enjoyed her stay as much as she could. Each morning they all had breakfast together, then Rachel drove her to the station and went to the grammar school in Cardiff where she taught English. Luckily, she had a job she loved, and her pupils, whom she adored, helped her not to think about her troubles. When she got back from work she spent some time with Clara, then helped Rachel to cook the meal. On Friday Rachel took one day off for going to Blackwood since it was Irene’s birthday the next day. At first, Rachel and Nicky had decided to leave later in the afternoon so that also Joanne went with them, but as she wouldn’t mind staying by herself for the weekend, they left in the morning. At school everything went fine until Joanne left since Keith was out waiting for her. One hour later she phoned James. She just said she was at hospital and asked him to go there at once. The word ‘hospital’ frightened him. He got there as quicker as he could and got pale when he saw Joanne sitting on a chair with her arm in plaster. “Jo?! Darling what happened to your arm?” asked James worried sitting close. She threw her arms round his neck and burst into tears, “He came to school,” she began, “You mean Keith…” “He said he was sorry and that missed me…that he loved me too much and couldn’t live without me…I said I was confused…needed more time to think over us…I turned to go away but he grasped my wrist so tightly…I tried to get free but he wouldn’t let me go and…” she paused for a while, so she finally sobbed out, “it was so painful James!” James was fuming. He said nothing and just hugged and consoled her. She begged him to bring her at Nicky’s house and so he did. Once there he made some tea and sat in the couch next to her without speaking. “I know you’ve never liked him…but he’s not the same man I fell in love with three years ago.” “I know,” he said rubbing her back, “and I’m sorry he harmed you. If I had faced him…” “James, it’s not your fault! I should’ve left him at once.” “Don’t think about it.” He put his arm around her waist pulling her closer kissing her hair. “It’s over. He won’t harm you any more.” She felt tired and decided to go to bed. James slept over there. Alice was away for work and he didn’t feel like leaving her alone. When she got up the next day she found him in the kitchen on his knees cleaning up the floor. She watched him from the threshold until she burst into laughing. “What the hell are you up to with those pink rubber gloves?” “I dropped the milk!” replied he a bit upset, then he went on jokingly, “Stop laughing at me! What can I do? They’re Nicky’s! You know that he likes pink…what I should say about your pyjamas with all those puppies?” “Hey? Don’t you dare speak ill of my fave pyjamas! You know what HE’d say if he was here…” “Don’t want to think about that! And…as I’m your dearest friend…you won’t say anything, will ya?” “Guess that’s the least I can do!” she said walking in. She sat down and tried to spread some jam over a piece of toast she could hardly take in her injured hand. Seeing her in difficulty, James removed the rubber gloves and, having washed his hands, helped her. He also poured her some coffee he had just made adding two sugars before handing it to her. “Thanks dear!” smiled Joanne widely, “You’re welcome gorgeous!” he winked as he usually did. “You look a lot better this morning.” “Yeah, I do feel better. It’s thanks to you, you should know!” The first thing Nicky did when they got home was calling and telling Keith to get his arse out of Joanne’s flat. He gave him three days to collect his stuff and leave. He didn’t even let Keith say a word. He was too angry to hear his excuses. Nothing he would say could have justified him. Part 2 >>> <<< Enola's stories |