Sometimes my daughter can be such a bitch. I think she takes after her father, who is a moody sod with a serious temper on him. Every time she sees him, a bit more of the bastard seems to rub off on her. Since I divorced Frank three years ago, I've felt that Patsy has grown more like him, as if there's another little troublemaker developing under my own roof.
I can't stop her seeing him. In fact, I can't stop her doing anything anymore. She's nineteen, and doesn't she let me know it? She's still at hairdressing college, training to be -- well, a hairdresser, beautician, or whatever -- and she basically lives her own life under my roof.
As for boyfriends -- well, she's brought a few home with her, and I know that some of them have been staying the night, but she's old enough to make her own choices now. Not that they're all sensible choices, at least not to my mind.
When she started seeing Harry, I thought that at last she'd found herself someone a bit more -
appropriate
. The boy is very good looking in a sweet sort of way -- all doe eyes and floppy hair, with a nice fit body and a tight little bum. I know I shouldn't notice these things, but since the divorce I've found I notice a hell of a lot more about men than I used to -- not that I've got the courage to do much about it. Years of marriage and then the divorce have left me at a bit of a loss when it comes to forming new relationships with men.
But Harry is not only good looking, he's also bright and he's nice. He's a proper student, doing management studies, which is a notch above the average boy Patsy seems to hang out with. She'd been seeing him for a few weeks when she brought him home and we all had a meal together, which was lovely. My daughter acted like a decent human being for a change. She didn't swear at me, or throw anything -- not even a tantrum -- and Harry was very attentive and polite. At last, I thought, my girl has found someone who might look after her properly and turn her into a worthwhile person. And Harry was sweet and funny and could keep Patsy's old mum amused, so that was a bonus.
Anyway, Harry turned up one Friday evening unannounced to see if Patsy was in. She was getting ready in her room, so I made Harry a cup of tea and we sat and chatted. He knows how to talk to you so that you feel like the most interesting person in the room. Most of Patsy's boyfriends either just grunt or ignore you completely. Those that don't can only talk about themselves. But Harry's different. He's intelligent, funny and -- well, maybe just a little shy, and not as full of shit as the rest of Patsy's hangers-on.
When my daughter finally made it down to the kitchen, she took one look at Harry and said "What are
you
doing here?"
"That's not a nice way to talk to your boyfriend," I replied, feeling annoyed on Harry's behalf.
"Boyfriend? Who said he was my boyfriend?" she retorted.
"He took you out at least three times in the last week alone," I replied. "I thought -- and obviously Harry thought -- that you were going out."
"So? I
am
going out tonight, but it's with Lewis," she replied with a rather smug little sneer.
"Look, Harry's turned up here to take you out, and you're off with someone else. That's not very nice."
"Well, Harry's not very nice," she spat back,
"Why? What's he ever done to you?" I was getting rather annoyed with my daughter by now.
"Nothing. And that's his problem -- the snivelling little git." I was appalled. The expression on her face was quite nasty. "Anyway, I don't have time to hang around here. I'm off out. I'll probably be back late, Mum. Don't wait up." She headed towards the door.
"Wait, Patsy. You can't just go off like that. What about Harry?"
"Yeah, what about him? He hasn't said a fucking word for himself yet, have you Harry? That's just typical."
Harry suddenly spoke up. "Pats, I just thought I'd take you out for a meal."
"Oh don't worry, Harry. I'm sure Lewis will give me plenty to chew on. Or at least, suck..."
"Patricia! Will you..."
"Bye Mum. See you later - maybe. Oh, and Harry?" He looked up as she stuck her head around the kitchen door. "Fuck off, loser..." Patsy slammed the door behind her.
I was furious. My daughter was behaving like a common tramp, probably behaviour she'd learned from her bastard father. Harry looked really hurt.
"I'm so sorry, Harry. She'd been behaving very strangely lately. I'm not sure what's got into her." But I had a pretty shrewd idea that her father's influence was in there somewhere.
Harry looked really upset. "It's all right, Mrs. Baker. I think -- I think I'd better be leaving..."