Читать книгу Draca - Geoffrey Gudgion - Страница 17

That last sentence raised a lump in Jack ’ s throat.

‘ He ’ s mad. ’ Harry still used the present tense.

The anger flared, and died as Jack realised his father wasn ’ t talking about ‘ the best of us ’ . Mad? Yes, ‘ Draca will know where ’ was a bit strange, but the cancer had spread to Grandpa ’ s brain by the end. He could act strange, sometimes, but Jack didn ’ t think he was mad. He ’ d loved that boat. He ’ d rebuilt it from a wreck, with his own hands, and it was a part of him. Some people want their ashes scattered in a place that ’ s special. Grandpa wanted to go down with his boat. Jack could understand that.

‘ I ’ d better go and talk to that solicitor. ’ When Harry stood up, he needed to duck to fit under the bows of the boat shelter.

‘ I ’ m not driving anywhere. ’ Jack poured more wine. ‘ I ’ ll sleep here, in my old room. ’ He ’ d done that a lot while Grandpa was sick. ‘ And the offices will be shut by the time you get there. ’

Harry snorted as he left. Jack didn ’ t blame his father for the lack of emotion. Not really. Harry and Eddie had never been close. They lived ten miles apart and hardly saw each other. Strange how life repeats itself. A couple of times Jack had been here when his father rang, maybe after Jack had taken the old man out for a birthday pint, and the half of the conversation he could hear always sounded stilted, a duty performed and received, technically connected but not connecting in any personal sense. Soon Grandpa would say ‘ Jack ’ s here – want a word? ’ like he was keen to hand over the phone. Afterwards the cottage would be quieter, as if some sadness or regret had settled on the place, and Grandpa would go and sit on his dinghy seat, even in winter, and smoke.