Heaven's Promise by Paolo Hewitt Read Free Book Online Page A

soon?’
    â€˜Monday. Bloody Monday.’
    â€˜Then before you see her we’ll try and sort out what the plot really is. Okay?’
    â€˜Sure.’
    Then Brother P. dropped the clanger. ‘There’s no way you want this baby, right?’
    â€˜Easy, P.’
    â€˜I’m serious. It might be good for you,’ he said with a slight raising of the eyebrows.
    â€˜Oh, you think so, do you,’ I challenged. ‘I’ve just started at The Unity and I need to keep that job down. Once I’ve shelled out for my expenses there’s not exactly a lot left and so what do you suggest I do. Get a nine to five and come home to a woman I hardly know every night?’
    â€˜You don’t have to do that. Just have the child. You stay in your place. The kiddiwink goes to Sandra’s and you go visit every so often.’
    â€˜Yeah, alright P. That simple. Right?’
    â€˜Most things in life are simple. Except people always have to complicate. We’ve spoken about this before. 2,000 years on this planet and we still haven’t figured out how to wash, clothe and feed everyone. Same with you. It’s not the disaster you think it is. There is always a way around things, the trick is to find that way. But it exists and if you think it doesn’t then that only means you haven’t seen it.’
    â€˜Look Mr. Fix It, I have already told you on many an occasion that when I bring kiddwinks of my own into this world I fully intend it to be with the woman I am staying with for the rest of my life. It may have escaped your attention but I am hardly head over with the ever so lovely Miss Sandra. Seen? I am not your cousin.’
    As you can check, sometimes my tongue slips a bit nasty as it had just done with that reference to one of Brother P.’s family numbers, a truly mad second cousin who, in his infinite wisdom had purchased, from God knows where, one of those old style crowns that you always see the dead Kings and Queens of England sporting in history book pictures.
    Something of a Royalist, he had locked away the crown in his wardrobe, intending, when the time was right to place this gleaming item on the head of his blushing and beautiful bride. For years the crown gathered dust as the would-be King searched the land for his intended until one day the cheerful news rang out from his yard. Cousin Ernie had found his Princess. The Crown would be used. Happy as the man who has discovered oil, the crowning, or should I say the wedding, took place one bright Saturday afternoon in Chelsea although Cousin Ernie, by all accounts, looked extremely tense and unhappy come his great day. Putting his demeanour down to nerves, everyone was in great mood as the ceremony took place and Ernie crowned his princess amidst much happiness. All and sundry then retired to the reception room for speeches, champagne and the whole caboodle.
    It was there they heard the bride, a blushing beauty if ever there was one, make a speech to the effect that yes, this was indeed the happiest day of her life and that in Ernie she had found everything that she was searching for, and she was sure they would be so happy, and thank you all very much for coming. The best man then rose and launched into one about the old days, him and Ernie meeting up and hitting it off, moving to Britain and looking out for each other as they struggled to make ends meet, and the less said about that incident with a bottle of rum and a copper the better, and, now here he was, all married up with a wonderful woman and why, it even brought tears to his eyes, and with a slap on the back, they all rose to toast bride and groom. After that, Cousin Ernie then stood up with a very serious expression on his face. It was he said a very special occasion and his heart had indeed been moved by all these folk coming out today, but it was with special gratitude that he looked upon both his best man and his wife, if only because a week ago he found