Читать книгу The Clamour of Silence - Valerie Pybus - Страница 8

It was one of those balmy summer evenings that Sydney produces for its cosmopolitan inhabitants. After a stifling, humid, forty degree scorcher of a day, nature had kindly relented and ushered in a cooling southerly change. Ryan purred along the highway in his black BMW with the sunroof open. It was a comfortable run with the busiest traffic on the other side of the highway heading toward the city. Most occupants were anticipating the gaiety and excitement of Sydney’s nightlife. His journey took him around the busy suburb of Brighton- le- Sands which was teeming with life. He stopped at the traffic lights looking through his windscreen watching the pedestrians straggling along the road crossing.

A pimply faced youth tucked his skinny arm around his companion, an overweight teenager, her ample backside spilling over her too tight hipster jeans. Her purple mouth gaped up at him in delight.

The families, young people pushing prams, children skipping, tripping, running ahead or lagging behind in the general manner of humanity crossing a busy street. In the privacy of his car Ryan’s thoughts indulged in the ‘what ifs’ of family life. The lights changed breaking his train of thought, ‘what am I thinking?’ Ryan, an only child, had long ago indulged in speaking his thoughts aloud in the quiet confines of the car it was quite natural.

“Hey, I know she’s nice, but children, home and hearth! Whoa, steady there.” He changed the radio station frequency, sat up straighter in his seat, and gave his head a shake as if that would change his thought pattern. Continuing, he drove across the Taren Point Bridge. From his side vision he saw the sunset a brilliant backdrop to the few vessels, leisure boats and sailboats, large and small riding at anchor on the huge expanse of the George’s River. The streetlights suspended across the softly curved bridge were well clear of the traffic and hung in proportioned elegance from their supporting poles, their illuminating arcs slowly emerged as the evening deepened and slipped into night.

He turned off the main road to get to his destination, a man-made marina of ample proportions. He had not been there for some time. He slowed his vehicle to admire the manicured landscaping, the sense of space, so different from the area around his home in the eastern suburbs.

From the road it was difficult to see the actual marina so the houses looked quite modest from the front. However, once inside, their opulence and style were evident.

Ryan pulled up on the tree-lined street, collected the gift pack of chocolates and flowers from the back seat, and strode up the sandstone walkway. As he approached the well-illuminated house he could hear the unmistakable sounds of a party. Music sounded loudly, in the still of the evening, laughter, the tinkling of glasses, the cacophony of voices. A thought caught him, so powerful it momentarily stopped him from proceeding. The girl, Julia, she wouldn’t be able to hear those sounds! A twist in his gut, why had he never thought like that before about deaf people, it had just never occurred to him. He had taken all his faculties, his hearing his sense of smell his eyesight as no more than his right. He felt his eyes water with emotion. The urge to describe to her how music sank into his bones, melting them; the way the piercing notes of a violin brought ripples of ecstasy chasing up and down his spine until he hunched his shoulders to make them stop.

A young woman, part of a catering organisation welcomed him in. Within seconds Margot bustled to his side.

“Ryan how lovely to see you,” she gushed as she enveloped him in rattling jewellery and clouds of expensive perfume. Her cleavage dangerously low, as she pressed her body with enthusiasm against him. It was a well maintained body; she obviously spent a great deal of time and expense keeping it immaculate. Ryan gently removed her hands from his arms, stepping backwards to offer her his gifts.

“Hope these are a brand you like Margot?”

He said all the pleasantries he could muster to his hostess as she thanked him profusely and thrust a glass of champagne into his hand before she was distracted away. He scanned the room next to the entry searching for Julia the one woman he had thought about for days. He smiled at other guests, nodding politely his eyes searched endlessly hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

It was a large house with a more than adequate back patio adjoining a swimming pool. Several clusters of people congregated around the luxurious outdoor furniture illuminated by cleverly placed lighting. He stood waiting for his eyes to adjust from the bright lights in the house. A group of people sat at a table outside the well-lit pool room. Bursts of laughter and sounds of happy voices attracted him. He walked over becoming aware of one central figure obviously the focus of attention. Instantly he saw that it was Julia, but not the Julia he had met in the restaurant. This was a radiantly beautiful Julia, her sea green dress fitted closely to a well-proportioned body. Her sophisticated coiffured hair was elegantly arranged in soft folds around her face, atop an Egyptian princess-like slender neck. Her small shell shaped ears adorned with diamond studs that flashed as she turned her head this way and that to lip-read the mouths of the various people surrounding her.

Ryan saw that the conversation was orderly with each person waiting until the other finished to enable Julia to keep up with them. It was relaxed, none of the usual method of people talking over the top of each other or interrupting one another. He also observed that of the people surrounding Julia most of them were males!

Julia was very much in charge, not only of herself but also of her surrounding admirers. As she connected to each person, she watched their expressions intently making them aware every word was vitally important, maintaining total eye contact, as if the speaker was the most special person in the group. The effect was flattering as each speaker relaxed and basked in her complete attention.

Ryan continued to observe from the fringe of the group surrounding this captivating woman. Her total one-on-one concentration was uniquely different to the flippant asides that Ryan was used to in many of his social gatherings.

The overwhelming sense of compassion and empathy he had felt minutes ago now seemed utterly ridiculous. Here was an attractive, vibrant woman, secure it seemed, in any environment.

In his egotistical way he had thought perhaps she would not have many suitors, that men, in general might find her deafness unattractive. At the restaurant she had seemed quiet, beautiful but perhaps a little timid. He had been attracted to her in an I can be a protector for you fashion, that she would respond immediately to any overtures from him. It actually was a shock, to find that he was just one of a group around the table. He wondered if there would be an opportunity at all that evening to have a few private moments with her. As he pondered, in a small lull she glanced in his direction. At first she looked with the smallest question on her pretty face. Then she obviously remembered him and with the sweetest smile breathed the words ‘Hello there,’ toward him. He felt like a tongue-tied schoolboy. His heart catapulted up and down; his body absurdly tingled, his breath constricted in his chest. He wanted to get nearer to her, but she was metres away separated by other people. The men in the group obviously found her as attractive as he did.

Ryan was always popular at soirees and parties much in demand by various hostesses. He had film-star good looks, an intelligent man with his own modern pad in a much in-demand part of Sydney. He was in line for a partnership in his futures’ firm, an immensely good catch on the marriage circuit. He had lots of female ‘friends’ he could engage for dinner. Several were happy to share brief holidays with him or the occasional weekends. They went to lengths to insist that they expected no commitments in return. If Ryan had looked beneath the light hearted banter he would have realised that this was an all female ploy to stay in his life and be there if he ever felt like settling down.

Inadvertently he had built the ‘playboy’ image and hid behind it. He was helped in this regard by his mother, Delma, who played a discreet part in his life until she heard the name of any particular girlfriend mentioned for a period of longer than a couple of months.

A dinner party would be organised, either in her lovely house or an intimate meal at one or other of the more up market restaurants. At other times the young lady in question would be warmly welcomed. Later invited to attend a coffee sharing, ‘mother getting to know you sort of affair.’ Within a short space of time these ‘friends’ would drift away.

He had to get to know this woman. She fascinated him. He would wait, he felt sure an opportunity would arise whereby he could get her attention and ask her out to dinner. He stood there thinking about where he could take her, what sort of place would interest her? Would she like a sky top view of the city from a revolving restaurant? Perhaps a panoramic view of the south coast? He knew some popular places where diners could observe the sea in all its tranquility or at other times watch its onslaught against the rocky shorelines. As he stood quietly planning, he realised he wanted to take her everywhere. He wanted to see the expressions on her face, the way a smile dimpled on part of her mouth as she prepared to smile, as if the laughter was exploding from within and could not wait to express itself.

***

Julia had wondered if the tall handsome man from the restaurant would show at Margot’s party. What was his name? Ryan, she remembered it was a name she had always liked. She remembered also his way of walking, smooth, lithe, and athletic. He was a head turner, the women at their table in the restaurant had all become animated, smiling, even the newly engaged Suzanne.

As she kept up her banter with the people around her she also kept an eye on the door leading into the house.

Suddenly there he was! It was almost as if her thoughts had, somehow genie-like, materialised his presence. Taller, better looking in casual clothes than when she first saw him. He stood quietly watching her group. He made no attempt to join them although she hoped that he would.

Ryan, waiting for an opportunity to speak to Julia, suddenly became aware of an abundance of over-powering perfume. Margot was insinuating her body next to him, her ample breast pressing against his upper arm. She gushed breathlessly, “What a lovely gift, Ryan, those delicious chocolates, you are so thoughtful.”

She laid a hand, heavy with jewellery, displaying blood-red nails, on his arm; it would have been cavalier to shake her off. How he disliked blood-red nails. A distant and vague memory assailed him. As a small boy someone had inflicted hurt to him, he never remembered the face or even the voice just the red nails, pinching him painfully. The hands had tugged angrily at his tousled curls, pulling him by his ear from room to room; the ear swollen and tender to touch for hours afterwards.

Margot began to pull him inside the house.

“Do come and meet my guests. I’ve told all my friends about our meeting at the restaurant.” She held tightly to his arm and led him firmly across the room to a group sitting at a miniature bar. She simpered, putting her face close to his.

“They’re all so interested in the new man in my life!”

Ryan stopped abruptly and gently disengaged Margot’s hand from his arm. “Margot I thank you for inviting me here tonight, but I want you to know I had no ulterior motive in accepting your invitation.” He went on, his tall frame leaning forward to talk to the woman who was clutching him. He wanted to make his meaning abundantly clear. “I had no commitments for tonight and you all seemed such an interesting group!”

As he finished speaking he tried to move away from her.

Too late he saw that Julia had walked up behind Margot and was watching his mouth intently. She must have understood every word he had spoken.

The tiniest expression momentarily flashed across Julia’s face. Was it disappointment? Was it dislike? As quickly as it appeared it was gone, but the light he had seen in her eyes when he first arrived had disappeared. With a polite smile to him she rejoined her original group.

Ryan was left standing near Margot who seemed not to hear the rebuff in his words, or chose not to acknowledge them. She playfully seized his arm and began to introduce him to some of the guests, but he felt strained and made only the most necessary greetings. He had to contact Julia. She would have misunderstood the portion of the conversation between himself and Margot.

Later when alone, he reached for one of his business cards. He would get it to Julia somehow. Then he realised she would not be able to talk to him on the telephone. He heavily underlined his website and email address and wrote on the back of the card contact me PLEASE. He stood around for almost another hour but the opportunity never came.

Eventually he sought out Margot.

“Thank you for a pleasant evening, your home is delightful.” He said as he shook her hand. She leaned forward and gave him more than a perfunctory goodbye kiss.

“Ryan I am sure we shall see you again before too long. A handsome bachelor is always welcome.”

He knew where the catering party was cleaning up in the kitchen and quietly slipped into that well-appointed area. He approached the young woman who had greeted him at the front door some hours earlier. With his most devastating smile he said, “When you have a moment would you give this card to the lady in the green dress by the pool?”

The girl, glad to be part of a conspiracy, agreed. “No problem,” she said with a grin.