Free Going Up and Going Down by Eva Bielby Page B

how many of us would be
holidaying together the following December.

CHAPTER 7
    I took a week’s
holiday from work just before I was about to sit my final exams. I knew I would
have the house to myself during the day and it would be peaceful for my final
round of studying. Dad was very busy at work and Mum was out most days doing
more voluntary work than she could really cope with. I studied hard and for
long hours. I concentrated mainly on the elements where I knew my weaknesses
lay. I read, re-read, made a list of the key points and then focused on letting
them sink in. By the Wednesday night I felt like my head was in overload and I
was in need of some time out. I told my parents I would be taking some time off
on the Thursday. My father asked if I would like to visit his office for a few
hours to check out some new design software package that had recently been
installed on all their computers. He was particularly excited about it and as I
hadn’t been to his office for years he thought it would make a pleasant change
for me. I agreed to a visit just to keep him happy and told him I would be
there for 11am.
    As I’d pulled
into the car park and parked my Mazda, I was aware that I was being watched and
not just from one window. Dad had obviously made all his staff aware of my
visit and they were all waiting to catch a glimpse of the boss’s daughter -
most of them for the first time. I was disappointed to find that only two of
his original staff remained - Dorothy, his aging secretary and Graham, the
financial controller who was also heading towards his sixties.  To bring me up
to speed Dad gave me a guided tour of the office. So much had changed since my
last visit (which had been before I went off to Uni) and he introduced me to
all the staff that I didn’t know en route. Fifteen minutes later and once we
had sat down in his office, Dorothy provided us with coffee and biscuits and
Dad gave me a demo of the new software as promised – it was way over my head
but I tried to show an interest. He was expecting Anthony, a staff member, back
from a business meeting around 12.30pm, and as they would be going out for a
spot of lunch Dad invited me to go along too, or I should really say he
insisted.
    Anthony had
been a new recruit just before Dad had his heart attack and five years on he
was the marketing director - and Dad’s right hand man. It was 12.15pm when he
knocked on the office door and stuck his head around realising that it wasn’t
closed properly,
    “Is it okay for
me to come in, Ken?” he spotted me sipping at my coffee and winked “I can come
back if…” Ginger hair and green eyes. Definitely not my type!
    “Come in, Tony,
yes.”
    I did a quick
appraisal as he came towards me to shake hands – smartly dressed, nothing
spectacular but certainly not unattractive. I detected a hint of cockiness
about him.
    “Let me
introduce you both – this is my daughter Helen…Helen, this is, Tony Pawson.” He
shook my hand firmly (too confidently in my opinion) and smiled.
    “Pleased to
meet you, Helen. I’ve heard so much…your father never stops…” he nodded as Dad
cut in,
    “Of course I
don’t stop, Tony. I’m a doting Dad.” he chuckled as Tony still kept hold of my
hand.
    “Glad to meet
you too Anthony,” I uttered, easing my hand away, “though I can honestly say
that Dad hasn’t spoken of you much. Probably because Mum doesn’t like him
talking about work at home – she blames it for his heart attack.” and I gave
Dad a quick wink.
    “Helen’s
joining us for lunch – shall we get going?” I had a feeling I was going to
regret coming to Dad’s office and joining them for lunch.
    Thirty minutes
later at their favourite gastro pub, with lunch ordered and a gin and tonic in
hand, we sat down at a table situated in a large bay window. Whether he’d
wanted to hear it or not, Dad gave Anthony a detailed biography of my life
since birth. There were a few cringe-worthy moments for me but