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Dudley's been dramatic here, but Eunice has brought us little beyond hail and snow. Down south it seems she's caused havoc.
We had a havoc-causing, or attempting-to-cause, Eunice in our lives. Not that I met her. Eunice was one of my dad's mistresses. She wrote to me (god knows how she got our address) telling me that Dad had told her that I knew all about their relationship. I don't think I got far beyond that before giving the letter to Mum, having no clue what else to do. I was in my very early teens I think. Mum read it, thinned her lips, and with stony expression, re-sealed the letter and redirected it to Dad's address (he was working in another country at the time). She wrote Your daughter read this on the back of the envelope.
Some time later she received a letter beginning 'I am so sorry!' She showed me that bit. I didn't ask, I never asked for any of these things. I remember her laughing at the letter, a terrible sound, and I wished to God Mum would just divorce him. Eunice wasn't his first or last, but she was a signal moment in understanding my dad, and my mother too. It never occurred to me to doubt that he had indeed made up some daft fantasy about me understanding everything, because it just felt like him. If this was a movie, I would hate her, but I didn't then and I don't now because I knew that there was nothing to this, on his side at least. Kids know stuff, don't ask me how.
Dad never talked to me about it. He just sailed on, never looking back. But it does make me think now of how sad our lives were, and what brilliant fun I've had since. Dad obligingly dumped Eunice, probably faster than he would have done without the letter incident, but he'd have got bored anyway. And I knew that too. The benefit to me was that I've never been impressed with bad boys. I don't fall for them and have never wanted to heal/ help/ rescue/ run away with one. Consider me immunised by early exposure.
Of course it was only one in a series of shocks and betrayals for mum, already fragile. Now Dad's dead, Mum's nuts and Eunice only comes to mind because her name's associated with fallen trees and the ripped off roof of the 02. As mnemonics go, it's excessive.
We had a havoc-causing, or attempting-to-cause, Eunice in our lives. Not that I met her. Eunice was one of my dad's mistresses. She wrote to me (god knows how she got our address) telling me that Dad had told her that I knew all about their relationship. I don't think I got far beyond that before giving the letter to Mum, having no clue what else to do. I was in my very early teens I think. Mum read it, thinned her lips, and with stony expression, re-sealed the letter and redirected it to Dad's address (he was working in another country at the time). She wrote Your daughter read this on the back of the envelope.
Some time later she received a letter beginning 'I am so sorry!' She showed me that bit. I didn't ask, I never asked for any of these things. I remember her laughing at the letter, a terrible sound, and I wished to God Mum would just divorce him. Eunice wasn't his first or last, but she was a signal moment in understanding my dad, and my mother too. It never occurred to me to doubt that he had indeed made up some daft fantasy about me understanding everything, because it just felt like him. If this was a movie, I would hate her, but I didn't then and I don't now because I knew that there was nothing to this, on his side at least. Kids know stuff, don't ask me how.
Dad never talked to me about it. He just sailed on, never looking back. But it does make me think now of how sad our lives were, and what brilliant fun I've had since. Dad obligingly dumped Eunice, probably faster than he would have done without the letter incident, but he'd have got bored anyway. And I knew that too. The benefit to me was that I've never been impressed with bad boys. I don't fall for them and have never wanted to heal/ help/ rescue/ run away with one. Consider me immunised by early exposure.
Of course it was only one in a series of shocks and betrayals for mum, already fragile. Now Dad's dead, Mum's nuts and Eunice only comes to mind because her name's associated with fallen trees and the ripped off roof of the 02. As mnemonics go, it's excessive.
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