Free Pool by Justin D'Ath Page A
Authors: Justin D'Ath
insisted.
‘Not a problem,’ Keith said. ‘In fact, it’s in the evenings that I’d most like you to keep her company.’
That complicated matters. What could a blind person do in the evenings? Movies were out. Ten pin bowling was out. Wolfgang was under-age, so they couldn’t go to a bar or a club.
On Tuesday while he was at the pool he had an idea.
‘Audrey, remember your New Year’s resolution?’ he asked her on the phone that evening.
‘Yeah. I was going to take swimming lessons.’
‘Were you serious?’
She hesitated. ‘I guess I was.’
‘Good,’ said Wolfgang, pulling his key ring from his pocket and toying with the fluorescent-orange master key. ‘Tonight I’m giving you your first lesson.’
Audrey answered the door-chime. She was wearing a long-sleeved top that looked black in the muted lighting and navy-blue tracksuit trousers. Her feet were bare. ‘You’re right on time,’ she said.
‘Have you got your bathers?’
‘Under my clothes.’ She narrowly missed him with the security door as she pushed it open. ‘Come in for a minute.’
Wolfgang squeezed past her, along with one or two moths that had been circling the outside light. ‘How did you know it was me?’
‘Nobody else we know wears that much deodorant.’
She was supposed to like it. ‘Hi Campbell,’ he said as the dog came trotting down the passage. ‘Am I allowed to pat him?’
‘Yeah, it’s okay when he’s not in his harness.’
‘Audrey?’ her father’s voice came from inside the house. ‘Is that Wolfgang?’
‘Yes,’ she called back. She lowered her voice. ‘My parents wanted to see you before we go. They think we’re off to Brahms in the Park.’
Brahms in the Park. They could do that one night next week, Wolfgang thought. You didn’t need eyesight to enjoy an orchestra. Audrey led him through to the lounge room, where her parents sat watching a crime show. Keith muted the television.
‘Would you like a beer, son?’
‘I’m right, thanks. Hi, Mrs Babacan.’
‘Hullo, Wolfgang. It’s good to see you.’
For a few awkward moments, nobody spoke.
‘I’ll get my things,’ Audrey said. She smiled in approximately Wolfgang’s direction, then shuffled out of the room with Campbell at her heels.
‘It’s lovely to see her so happy,’ Bernadette said quietly.
Keith caught Wolfgang’s eye and gave him the Furniture King wink.
Audrey held his arm as Wolfgang led her down the orange-lit driveway. They had left Campbell whimpering at the front door.
‘Dad thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread.’
‘He’s obviously got good taste.’
She gave his arm a squeeze. ‘So have I.’
You wouldn’t say that if you could see me, Wolfgang thought. Or if you knew I was on your father’s payroll.
‘Did you bring the key?’ Audrey asked.
‘Of course.’
‘Where is it?’
‘In my pocket. Hey !’ he cried.
She had let go of his arm and burrowed her hand into his pocket. ‘What if we get caught?’ she asked, fingering his key ring.
‘We won’t get caught.’
They passed beneath a street light, dangling its cloud of swirling insects. Audrey had put on a pair of black sneakers to match her dark top and trousers.
‘The clothes are good,’ Wolfgang said as they turned the corner into Federation Avenue. ‘You’re nearly invisible.’
‘Welcome to my world.’
Audrey stopped and took out her cigarettes and lighter. ‘Smoke?’
Wolfgang accepted one, lit it and took a shallow puff. He would have to be careful – if he spent too much time with Audrey he might wind up being a smoker. ‘Audrey, how did you know that man was drowning?’
‘What man?’
‘The one at the pool on Saturday.’
‘I heard about that,’ she said, exhaling loudly. ‘It’s embarrassing – I must have been asleep when it happened. I didn’t know anything about it till I got home and we heard it on WIN News.’
Wolfgang drew in too deeply and nearly choked. ‘You were the one who
‘Not a problem,’ Keith said. ‘In fact, it’s in the evenings that I’d most like you to keep her company.’
That complicated matters. What could a blind person do in the evenings? Movies were out. Ten pin bowling was out. Wolfgang was under-age, so they couldn’t go to a bar or a club.
On Tuesday while he was at the pool he had an idea.
‘Audrey, remember your New Year’s resolution?’ he asked her on the phone that evening.
‘Yeah. I was going to take swimming lessons.’
‘Were you serious?’
She hesitated. ‘I guess I was.’
‘Good,’ said Wolfgang, pulling his key ring from his pocket and toying with the fluorescent-orange master key. ‘Tonight I’m giving you your first lesson.’
Audrey answered the door-chime. She was wearing a long-sleeved top that looked black in the muted lighting and navy-blue tracksuit trousers. Her feet were bare. ‘You’re right on time,’ she said.
‘Have you got your bathers?’
‘Under my clothes.’ She narrowly missed him with the security door as she pushed it open. ‘Come in for a minute.’
Wolfgang squeezed past her, along with one or two moths that had been circling the outside light. ‘How did you know it was me?’
‘Nobody else we know wears that much deodorant.’
She was supposed to like it. ‘Hi Campbell,’ he said as the dog came trotting down the passage. ‘Am I allowed to pat him?’
‘Yeah, it’s okay when he’s not in his harness.’
‘Audrey?’ her father’s voice came from inside the house. ‘Is that Wolfgang?’
‘Yes,’ she called back. She lowered her voice. ‘My parents wanted to see you before we go. They think we’re off to Brahms in the Park.’
Brahms in the Park. They could do that one night next week, Wolfgang thought. You didn’t need eyesight to enjoy an orchestra. Audrey led him through to the lounge room, where her parents sat watching a crime show. Keith muted the television.
‘Would you like a beer, son?’
‘I’m right, thanks. Hi, Mrs Babacan.’
‘Hullo, Wolfgang. It’s good to see you.’
For a few awkward moments, nobody spoke.
‘I’ll get my things,’ Audrey said. She smiled in approximately Wolfgang’s direction, then shuffled out of the room with Campbell at her heels.
‘It’s lovely to see her so happy,’ Bernadette said quietly.
Keith caught Wolfgang’s eye and gave him the Furniture King wink.
Audrey held his arm as Wolfgang led her down the orange-lit driveway. They had left Campbell whimpering at the front door.
‘Dad thinks you’re the best thing since sliced bread.’
‘He’s obviously got good taste.’
She gave his arm a squeeze. ‘So have I.’
You wouldn’t say that if you could see me, Wolfgang thought. Or if you knew I was on your father’s payroll.
‘Did you bring the key?’ Audrey asked.
‘Of course.’
‘Where is it?’
‘In my pocket. Hey !’ he cried.
She had let go of his arm and burrowed her hand into his pocket. ‘What if we get caught?’ she asked, fingering his key ring.
‘We won’t get caught.’
They passed beneath a street light, dangling its cloud of swirling insects. Audrey had put on a pair of black sneakers to match her dark top and trousers.
‘The clothes are good,’ Wolfgang said as they turned the corner into Federation Avenue. ‘You’re nearly invisible.’
‘Welcome to my world.’
Audrey stopped and took out her cigarettes and lighter. ‘Smoke?’
Wolfgang accepted one, lit it and took a shallow puff. He would have to be careful – if he spent too much time with Audrey he might wind up being a smoker. ‘Audrey, how did you know that man was drowning?’
‘What man?’
‘The one at the pool on Saturday.’
‘I heard about that,’ she said, exhaling loudly. ‘It’s embarrassing – I must have been asleep when it happened. I didn’t know anything about it till I got home and we heard it on WIN News.’
Wolfgang drew in too deeply and nearly choked. ‘You were the one who