MORNING SERIAL
ONCE she could barely speak up for herself anymore,
He stopped her moving. Stilled her. Made her stay at home. Locked her in even. Wouldn’t let her go out alone. So that her street, her town were no longer hers, and even her boy, Pigeon, was shut away from her, wasn’t hers.
But that particular Sunday, because of the beating Pigeon’d got for stealing that lolly, and because last week Efa’d given him the money, she said.
“I hate it that they bought you one out of pity for us.” She looked almost angry. She’s funny his mum. She’s not brave, but she does have this thing. This thing in her. Pride, Efa’d called it. Pride.
“Look Pigeon,” showing him her purse. “I can get one for the both of you.”
It was odd, seeing her out on the street again. How she seemed to grow with every step, until you think maybe, maybe He won’t fit her back in through the door again, because she’ll be too proud and tall and beautiful. Maybe she’ll escape.
“What’ll you have?” she asked him as they walked along the street towards the van and she was half smiling, “a Feast? Or a Calypso?”
He considered. “I’ll wait and see what she chooses,” he said after a while. “It’s her turn.”
He liked the idea of buying Iola an ice cream. Being big about it. Offering her a choice. It’d taste different, better, knowing it was his own mam that bought it. And, when Pigeon saw Gwyn, for a moment he was just an ice-cream man, nothing to worry about, a guy.
Pigeon’s mam went up to the slot in the van’s side. “One Feast. One Calypso.” And Gwyn changed. He changed like men do with her. He looked down at her, and he smiled and he said what a nice day it was, and what did a pretty young thing like her want today, and Pigeon’s mam, you couldn’t believe it, Pigeon’s mam laughed and she said “well, I’m after two ice creams.” And she told him which and he got one out and he winked at her as he handed it over, and she laughed again. And the thing wouldn’t have been so bad, except she was seen.
He was coming up the road with Cher, and He saw her there, saw the wink.