A Pair Of Pears (Completed)

Broken glass and Pop Tarts

Gran goes back into the kitchen, she pulls on her rubber gloves and starts the washing up as if nothing has happened. She stops suddenly as if remembering something and pulls a dustpan and brush out from the cupboard under the sink. She comes over and hands it to me.
‘Clear up that glass please love.’ she goes back over to the sink and submerges her hands in the soapy water. I stand there in disbelief, that’s all she has to say about what I have just walked in on? 
‘What the hell has happened?’ I ask, slightly raising my voice. Gran is in one of her, pretending nothing has happened moods, no matter what I say now there’s no way she’s going to talk about the situation. I sweep up the glass and go to dump it in the bin outside, Grandad is no longer sat on the steps, he’s walking down the gravel drive without his shoes on. I’m beginning to worry about him, I call out for Gran in a panic and she comes rushing out, still wearing her dripping wet pink marigolds. She rushes down the steps after him, calling out his name.
‘Peter, come inside, you’ll get cold.’ She takes his arm and leads him back into the house, I follow them in closing the door behind me. Grandad jumps to the sound of the front door closing. Gran leads him to his armchair and sits him down. She turns and looks at me. ‘Don’t you see what you and your mother are doing? You’re both driving him crazy.’ 
The constant knot that sits in the pit of my stomach tightens, were we really causing this? I know it probably isn’t my fault, Mum is the one with the problems. But, I know better than to argue with Gran, Mum has always managed to turn situations around so that I’m to blame, Gran would take her side anyway, so I just go up to bed. Mum doesn't come home that night, I skip breakfast to avoid my grandparents and just rush out the door without saying goodbye when I see Willow’s van pull up into the drive. Before I can open the side door, it slides open, Lily’s excited face appearing from behind it. 
‘Charlie! You’ll never guess what!’
‘What?’ I say taken by surprise. Lily’s never a morning person, especially on a Monday. It must be big news to make her this happy. 
‘Cathy ate Mum’s dandelion cookbook.’ She then lower’s her voice into a whisper. ‘No more dandelions!’ Lily does a little dance. 
‘Don’t think I didn't hear that Lily!’ calls Willow from the front of the van. 
Willow puts on a baby tone. ‘It wasn’t your fault was it Cathy?’ She says stroking the goats head. ‘You can’t help being a bit stupid.’
I climb up into the van and peer over the seats, Cathy the goat is cuddled up the front with Mystic the cat. Willow continues with the baby voice. ‘It was just the universe, telling me it was time to make a lifestyle change.’ 
‘Why did you call her Cathy?’ I asked plonking myself on the mattress next to Jackson, who is making his way through a box of Pop Tarts. Jackson must have read my mind, he holds the box out in front of me. As I take a Pop Tart our eyes meet, and he gives me a wink. The whole world seems to stop for a moment.  
‘Oi!’ snaps Lily.  ‘Are you Two listening to me? Or are you just going to sit there gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes all day? Cause I don’t really fancy bringing my breakfast up.’ 
I turn and look at Lily. ‘Sorry, what did you say?’
‘I answered your question. Mum named her after her mother, She’s a right old cow. for god’s sake, will you two stop looking into each other’s eyes for three seconds.’
Willow starts up the van. ‘Lily, you need to watch your language. What have I told you about referring to that god? That’s classed as blasphemy in this house. Leave that guy to the Christians. And Jackson! Don’t eat that processed food in my van. It’s full of E numbers, no wonder you’re so cheeky.’ 
‘Alright!’ says Jackson, folding the lid over on the box. 
‘But I’m starving!’ I groan. 
I end up going into the story about what happened last night and about why I skipped breakfast this morning. It’s not like me to talk about these things so openly normally, but the more I get to know Lily, Jackson & Willow I know I can say anything, and they will be on my side, always. Lily is also my sister, after all, that has to count too. We reach school and we all jump out, Willow calls me back. 
‘Charlie, have you heard from that social worker yet? The one you saw in the hospital?’
I shake my head. 
‘Hmmm.’ Says Willow tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. ‘You still have my number, don’t you?’
I nod. 
‘Call me if you need anything, anything at all. I’m not happy about what you said happened last night, I worry. If you can’t get to a phone, walk to Jackson’s, day or night. His family are a good bunch; They’ll look after you.’ 
‘Ok.’ I say nodding again, as I close the van door behind me.
The next week flies by, Jackson and Dylan have a talk on Wednesday they sort things out, so they can still play their set at the Apple Festival, Dylan and I are still avoiding each other, though. We make plans Thursday morning Willow is going to pick me up early and I’m going to hang out with her and Lily around the stalls during the day. In the evening, there’s going to be a bonfire and music where Jackson and Dylan will be playing their acoustic set. I’m walking out the door on Friday morning and Gran calls me back. 
‘I’m going to need your help at the Apple Festival at the weekend, I’ve a lot of harvested veg to sell, you can also help me wash it all before. Cleaner veg sells for more money.’ 
‘I’ve already made plans to go with Lily & Willow.’ 
‘Well you can un-make them, your Grandfather isn't in the position to help me, so you will need too.’ 
I break the news to everyone on the way to school.