It Always Rains on Sundays Read Free Book Online

to help out (I didn’t go into any details). I think I used the word ‘accident’ – why bore people with all the domestic mundane, that’s what I say.
    Cynthia smoothed sun-oil over her thighs. She has really nice legs I think. She looked up ‘What?’ (I must’ve been staring). ‘It’s such a nice day I thought maybe we might do something.’ She gave me a look. ‘Maybe we could go over to the park – all of us. Have a picnic by the lake I thought.’
    No answer. She laid back, then closed her eyes.
    I waited. ‘Just an idea, make a nice change,’ I thought.
    â€˜Too late – we’d just about given you up’ she drawled easily turning to Avril, helping herself to a refill. Avril smiled then took a gulp from her glass, she leaned languidly, sunlight glistening her golden-tanned shoulders. ‘Colin, aren’t you a bit hot in your jacket and tie?’ she asked, but in a nice way.
    â€˜No, not really – one gets used to it I suppose.’
    Cynthia mumbled something under her breath, then laughed (hers was a snorty kind of laugh) making her breasts shake. Let her laugh I thought – idiots laugh at nothing.
    â€˜Good idea, maybe I will take it off’ I answered belatedly.
    I nodded and walked off.
    Cynthia turned the radio up to full volume.
    Late or not I was determined to do something with the day. I showered quickly (something summery I thought). I changed into my light sports-coat and chinos – I also dispensed with my tie. After that I wentin search of the children – no surprises there of course. Hard to imagine, right – a glorious summers day, both glued to the TV screen, with the blinds down. I yanked them out of their respective bedrooms, both under loud protests.
    You should’ve heard them. ‘Where – where we going?’ they both moaned in unison, one copying the other.
    Oh great, now they’re giving me back-chat.
    â€˜Out, out. Just out – okay?’ I growled darkly, I said the first thing that came into my head. ‘Swimming, that okay with you?’ then added, ‘It’s a beautiful day, let’s use it’ I said, making it sound like an order.
    They swapped looks ‘No-way’ they both yelled.
    â€˜Get your things, you’ve got three minutes, okay?’
    â€˜I can’t, I’ve got a verruca’ Jamie said his eyes challenging.
    Lucy followed, mimicking her older brother. ‘Aw dad, I hate swimming, everybody splashes you – it makes me cough.’ There again, that’s Cynthia always giving in to them I expect.
    Time to bring up my big guns. ‘Okay, listen’ I said, ‘Like it or not, we’re all part of a family, from now on we’re all going to act like one, okay – otherwise I go fetch the big axe.’
    They both stared.
    So, then I said ‘My God, some of you don’t even know you’re born. In my day we’d no choice in the matter, when I was a kid we’d all to go to the local brickworks quarry. That’s how we all learnt to swim – we’d to cling to a car inner-tube for dear life.’
    Jamie rolled his eyes. ‘You said it was out of bounds – a boy drowned you said. That’s if it’s true of course’ he smirked, shooting a sideways glance at his sister.
    He gets a bit cocky at times. ‘Don’t you worry, some did’ I said, then added ‘They had a lot bigger families in those days. Life was a lot harder. They didn’t pamper them as much – maybe they didn’t care that much if they lost one or two.’ These days, all they want to do is watch gremlins on TV all day – I was running out of patience. I pointed to the door. ‘Outside’ I looked at my watch – ‘three minutes, okay?’
    Outside, they both leaned listlessly up against the car in the hot sun. Jamie slouched with his hands in his pockets, kicking out at