The Richmond Curse - {The Richmond Haunting 2}

Chapter Twenty Two

From start to finish, the meal was a plane crash! It started with Steven criticising what Jay was wearing; tracksuit bottoms and trainers. Who did he think he was, a fucking road man?

'Well, how should he come to dinner, looking like Peewee Herman?' Fiona asked. Not knowing why Steven was acting the way he was. Rude, really rude.

But Jay, nevertheless, was polite. His parents had come from the Caribbeans; he told everyone back in 74.

'I'm the youngest in my family; my eldest sister is twenty-three.'

'Twenty-three and your.'

'Seventeen.'

'Wow, that's some age gap.' Fiona said. 'How old are your parents, if you don't mind me asking?'

'Well, my mum had my sister when she was nineteen, and my other two brothers when she was in her twenties and my other sister when she was in her thirties, and me when she was in her forties.'

'That's a big family.'

'I know, and we're all pretty close.'

Reaching over for the salt, Steven gave Jay a look.

'Seventeen, you say?'

'Yeah.'

'And when's your birthday?' Steven asked, sprinkling the salt onto his dinner.

'In two months.'

'Harmony is next week; do you think it's wise, you and her being together?'

'I don't know what you're getting at?'

'I think you do, sunshine.'

'No, I don't.' Jay fired back. The boy was trying to keep his cool, but it was difficult, especially when you had someone giving you the third degree.

Fiona came into the conversation. She could see where it was leading too, and she tried to put a stop to it.

'C'mon, he's a big boy; I'm just asking him a simple question. Is he willing to put my daughter at risk? Because if they sleep together, say next week when she turns eighteen, he'll still be underage, but she'll be an adult.'

Nobody knew where to look.

'Why, you being like this?' Harmony suddenly asked.

'Like what?'

'You know what?'

'Because I can. Any more stupid questions?'

There wasn't only silence — until Jay came into the argument; the kid felt awkward being in the middle of a family row, yet he couldn't just stand by and have his girlfriend spoken to like that.

'I really don't think you're being fair. I know you and your family; have been through a lot.'

'What do you mean we've been through a lot — the fuck you on about?' Steven asked, leaning forward, spitting his words out.

Jay was going to explain further, but he didn't need to because Harmony came into the argument.

'I told him what we went through.'

'Is that a fact?'

'Why you being like this?' Fiona wanted to know, trying not to give way to her anger, but her eyes couldn't lie.

'Like what?'

'Rude, that's what?'

Steven laughed. 'Oh, you are slow, there again, you always were.'

That was enough; Fiona shot up. She really couldn't believe what a pig Steven was acting.

'Can we talk in here for a sec?'