Free Broke by Mandasue Heller Page B

ventured.
    ‘How did you guess?’ Amy snapped sarcastically.
    ‘Sit down, I’ll do that,’ Marnie ordered, prising the kettle out of her friend’s hand and pushing her towards a chair. ‘You’ve been at it for hours. And don’t say you haven’t, ’cos you’ve been banging around so much I thought you were being raided.’
    ‘I’m better off keeping busy,’ Amy insisted, sidestepping her and taking two cups out of the cupboard.
    ‘There’s busy, and there’s manic,’ Marnie said when Amy slammed the cups down on the ledge. ‘And this is manic to the max, hon. Cass and Bobs won’t know where they are when they get up, it’s that clean.’
    ‘I like it clean,’ said Amy, spooning sugar into the cups. ‘And they’re not here.’
    ‘No way !’ Marnie clasped her hands to her breast and stared at Amy as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. ‘You mean Mark’s actually took them out to give you a break? Hallelujah, kingdom come!’
    ‘Has he hell. They’re at my mum’s.’
    ‘Typical.’ Marnie tutted. ‘And there was me thinking he’d remembered he was a dad at long last. I take it he’s still in bed while you’re wearing yourself out?’
    ‘He didn’t come home last night,’ Amy told her. ‘He was supposed to be borrowing some money, but I’ve phoned all his mates and no one’s seen him.’
    ‘So they say.’ Marnie gave her a cynical look. ‘Bet he was sitting right there while you were on the phone. Born liars, the lot of them. Or, as I like to call them, pricks with dicks.’
    When Amy cracked a sad smile, Marnie said, ‘That’s better. Who needs men when you’ve got mates like me to cheer you up, eh? Now sit down and let me pamper you for a bit.’
    Too weary to argue, Amy flopped onto a chair. But when the kettle switched itself off a few seconds later, and Marnie said, ‘Oh, oh, I think the electric’s gone,’ she fell to pieces all over again.
    ‘Oh, God! I can’t take any more of this!’
    ‘Hey, it’s not the end of the world.’ Marnie rushed over and gave her a cuddle. ‘We’ll just go round to mine for a brew instead.’
    ‘I don’t want a stupid brew,’ Amy sobbed, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘I just want my l-life back.’
    ‘I know it’s hard,’ Marnie said soothingly, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her. ‘But this is just a little blip, hon. Everything will start picking up soon, you’ll see.’
    ‘ How? ’ Amy cried. ‘Mark’s not even trying. He just leaves everything to me, then walks out when I ask him to do anything. And the social are saying we’re not entitled to full benefits ’cos it’s Mark’s fault for getting sacked. I’ve got no food, no electric, and the phone’s about to get cut off. I don’t know how much more I can take, Marn, I really don’t.’
    ‘Right, that’s enough,’ Marnie said firmly. ‘You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met, Amy Taylor, and if anyone can get through this, you can.’
    ‘I couldn’t even give the kids their tea last night,’ Amy admitted tearfully. ‘That’s why they’re at my mum’s. Mark promised to get some money so I could go to the chippy, but he didn’t come back. And then Bobby started crying, and my mum had a right go at me, and I just . . . I just . . .’
    Unable to go on, Amy covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Marnie held her in silence. There was no point saying anything, because money was the only thing that would make her feel better and Marnie had none to give. She could cheerfully kill Mark for walking out and leaving Amy to deal with all this on her own, but she didn’t want to add to her friend’s distress, so she kept her thoughts to herself.
    When she was cried out, Amy got up and splashed cold water onto her swollen eyelids. ‘Sorry. Didn’t mean to break down on you like that.’
    ‘That’s what friends are for,’ Marnie reminded her, taking her cigarettes out of her pocket and lighting one.