Billie Jo by Kimberley Chambers Read Free Book Online

Nanny's just rung, Grandad's ill and
I've got to shoot straight up the hospital and find out
what's going on.'
    'OK, Dad, that's fine. Will Grandad be all right?' Billie
asked the question out of politeness rather than love. She'd
never had a close relationship with her father's parents.
    Her nan she thought was a hard-faced old cow and her
grandad a miserable old bastard. She'd always dreaded
the odd occasion that she'd been dragged round to their
house. Billie had fantastic early memories of her other
grandparents on her mum's side. Nanny Sheila and
Grandad Brian had been the total opposite of her dad's
family and had showered her with cuddles, presents, kisses
and laughter. It was just after her eighth birthday that
Nanny Sheila had first been taken into hospital and then
moved into a hospice. Billie had vivid memories of visiting
her nan there. She'd burst into tears because Nan had lost
so much weight.
    Shortly after, her dad sat her down and told her that
Nanny had gone to live in the sky with the angels. Two
years later, unable to deal with his wife's death, Grandad
Brian had gone off his rocker and had been carted off to
the local nuthouse. He still lived there now, in a sad,
lonely world of his own. Her mum had taken Billie to
visit him a few times over the years, but he didn't know
what day it was, let alone who they were. Her mum had
stopped visiting him about three years ago, saying she
found the experience too upsetting.
    Thinking back to her early years, Billie remembered
that it was around the time her nan had died that her mum
began to change. Her mum had never been a big drinker
until then, but, overcome with grief, she'd seemed to hit
the bottle and change overnight. From that day on, the
arguments had started and her parents' relationship had
gone from bad to worse.
    'What's up, girl? You're deep in thought.'
    'Nothing, Dad, I'm fine.' Billie smiled at her father,
as her thoughts returned to the present day. She wasn't
happy about what he had told her, but loved him far too
much to be downright nasty to him.
    After dropping Billie home, Terry put his foot down and
raced towards Oldchurch Hospital. He drove around in
circles for ten minutes looking for a parking space. Cursing
at the lack of facilities, he parked the Range Rover up by
the ambulance bay. Let the bastards clamp him, he couldn't
give a shit, he had a showroom full of fucking cars.
    After bowling into A & E and having a chat with the
receptionist, Terry was informed that his mother was there
and had been taken to a relative's room a couple of corridors
away. Terry heard Pearl screaming long before he
reached her.
    'Mum, it's all right, I'm here now, babe. Are you OK?'
    Pearl sat on the brown leather chair rocking backwards
and forwards. 'Oh Terry, son. Jesus, Mary and holy Saint
Joseph, we've lost him, boy.'
    Terry looked at the doctor standing beside him. 'I'm
so sorry, Mr Keane, we did everything we could. It was
a massive heart attack but I can assure you he never
suffered, he wouldn't have known anything about it. Can
I get you, or your mum, a cup of tea or coffee?'
    'No, but thanks anyway. I'll take Mum home and pop
back tomorrow to sort things out and collect his stuff.'
Terry cuddled his mum. 'Come on, darling, let's get you
home. You can come and stay with me and Chelle.
Everything will be OK, I'll look after you, I promise.'
    Pearl was overcome by grief and Terry had to half
carry her out of the hospital. Paddy had been her main
purpose in life, her reason for living. Personally, he'd
never forgiven the bastard for the beatings and the horror
of his childhood.
    Michelle was plonked on the sofa with her second
bottle of wine watching the film Pretty Woman . She
couldn't concentrate on it though, as she was too scared
of what Terry was going to say to her when he got home.
Hearing the front door slam shut, Chelle took a deep
breath and prepared herself for the worst.
    'Hello, Pearl, what are you doing here?' Chelle couldn't
stand Pearl and