April 12
Mark, how could you? We were both laughing at that unwashed village girl, and then you end up in her bed! I stormed out of the hallway, fuming at my husbands conduct.
Sorry, Emma, I was drunk. I still cant work out how I found myself under Lucys blankets, Mark muttered, his brows knitted, cursing under his breath while nervously puffing on a cigarette.
A new family moved into our block: Nick, his wife Lucy, and their fiveyearold daughter Violet. Were both thirty, our son Jack is six, and the newcomers are twentyfive. Sharing a floor made us interact a lot. Lucy was a hearty country girl, especially fond of baking. Cakes, scones, pies occupied a place of honour on her kitchen table, and she would swagger into the kitchen like a barrelfull of dough.
Mark and I teasingly called Lucy Muffin because of her generous curves. Her kitchen was lined with jars of preserves. I could never match that. I prided myself on being a wellkept lady, while Lucy was forever in an overworn dressing gown with a small bun perched on her head. Her husband Nick, thin as a reed, and his plump daughter were always well fed. Those were Lucys only assets, yet I befriended her. Nick spent long stretches on the road as an HGV driver.
Hed met Lucy in a remote village when he ducked into the local shop for a pack of cigarettes. She laid eyes on the lanky stranger at once, and Nick had no chance of slipping away unnoticed. Nine months later Lucy gave birth to a daughter for the wandering driver. Nick brought Lucy and the baby into town. When I introduced my sudden new family to my motherinlaw, she flatly refused to accept either country Lucy or the newborn granddaughter. Nick was forced to rent a flat.
Mark always grumbled about Lucys appearance.
How can a woman not love herself? Shes called he would scold me.
Then my mother fell ill, bedridden. At first we took turns looking after her, but eventually we needed a livein aide. Lucy volunteered.
Ill help a bit for friendships sake. I need to buy my husband a rubber boat for fishing, so keep it a surprise from Nick, Lucy chirped, delighted at the chance to earn a little extra.
Lucy, dont overfeed my mother; she has no appetite with her illness, I warned her.
Soon after, work sent me on a lengthy assignment away from home. I left instructions for Mark, Jack, and Lucy, then flew to another city.
A month passed before I returned. Mark avoided my gaze, and Lucy kept her distance.
Mum, could you make the same tasty potatoes Aunt Lucy makes? And her meatloaf was brilliant, Jack said as I stepped through the door.
Did Aunt Lucy feed you? I asked, wary.
Yes, she brought Violet over and took Dad away, he reported.
I began piecing it together. Nick was on a delivery route, I was on a assignment That evening, after feeding Mark a hearty dinner, I pressed for the truth.
Mark, I know everything; the boy told me everything, I said, hoping it was a wild accusation.
There was nothing, Mark replied. Muffin asked me to fix a tap. He didnt blush or look away.
Come on, relax. It was just a fling. I dont think youd go after Lucy, I breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Mark started visiting his ailing mother more often, lingering longer each time. I checked on my motherinlaw; she was calm, wellkept, but alone. I searched for Mark and Lucy I knocked on Lucys door.
A tired Lucy opened, and in the background my listless husband lay propped up in bed. I, trying to keep my composure, turned and walked back home. It was impossible to swallow that Mark, whod called Lucy a slob, was getting cosy with her!
Honestly, I couldnt muster real jealousy toward the kitchen maid. When Mark rushed after me, I pointed disdainfully toward the bathroom.
Take a shower, wash up properly! Got a laugh? Ill tell Nick everything. Hell have a word with you, I threatened, chuckling to myself. I imagined the skinny Nick flailing his fists in front of Marks nose.
Lucy eventually confessed her affair to Nick. I have no idea how the lanky driver reacted, but within a week the whole family moved out. As Nick left, he saw me and said proudly,
Its no surprise what happened. Who could resist my Lucy?
Months later I bump into Muffin again.
Hey, love! Still holding a grudge? No point. Back in the village, gossip spreads like wildfire. Ive lost nothing, and your husbands happy. Youre always travelling for work you cant leave a hungry bloke for too long, Lucy reminded me of some old country wisdom.
Holding a little girls handshe looked uncannily like my own husbandshe smiled.
Lesson: Trust is fragile; when neglect and secrecy creep in, even the most ordinary lives can unravel in the most unexpected ways.
