Episode 10
Ruth had been advised to go on the pill following her termination and she had agreed that it would help regulate her periods, make them less painful and would assure no further pregnancies. She had healed from the operation quite quickly over two weeks.
James had wanted sex several times but waited until she had healed before going ahead as it were.
She could not understand why James instigated this, especially as he now wanted to go unprotected.
She had not forgotten that for what ever reason, she knew, James thought her dirty and had said she had AIDS . So why? Would he want to do this now? and why so apparently eagerly. Funnily enough the clinic had asked her status and she had said was not HIV positive but they had not checked her, given her a test or anything, so how could he be sure.
She only remembered this enough to make her wonder though, she just wondered to herself.
Anyway, Over the August bank holiday weekend Ruth was due to go to Towersey folk festival with her mum and Fred. It was taken as red that James would join them.
James did not want to go; Ruth decided she would go alone there was no problem. Ruth was happy to go it would be fun. James did not question it.
She traveled up to Oxfordshire and met up with some old friends, got wet on the campsite and all of that, it was a laugh. Funnily enough, she remembers Fred saying at some point, “do you want to walk down to the village and phone James from the kiosk.’ (Mobile phones weren’t on the scene for about another five years). Ruth said, “ I don’t need to” and she and her mum both said at the same time “ he could have come if he wanted to”, Ruth does chuckle at that.
On their return Fred dropped Ruth off at 33 West Brow. James was all smiles. Fred and her mum left and James suggested they both go down the local pub.
After they had got some drinks James asked after the weekend, “ what had they done?” who was there?” As the conversation progressed James became still. He asked, “ Why didn’t you phone me?”
Ruth replied honestly, I didn’t think I needed to”
James then said “ you stupid little bitch”
Ruth went on the alert.
James began a slow, softly spoken speech. He explained quite succinctly, that Ruth was a sad, state of affairs, no wonder really considering what her mother and father were like. He was very clear that he thought Ruth was very dim indeed, and that she was very sad to want to go to this ridiculous festival with all these cunts that she thought were friends, that Ruth was actually pathetic and of no use to him or anyone else.
Ruth was now acutely aware; she was in a pub with people looking at her crying. She said she was going to leave. He took her arm in his grip and replied that she was not going anywhere. Ruth got up and began to leave and he pulled her into the seat. Lets have another drink, he said.
They walked back to West Brow in near silence, James standing just behind Ruth’s shoulder. Ruth still had tears running down her face. They had been in the pub two hours! For two hours, he had talked this nasty, horrible filth, round and round again.
Ruth had at first tried to explain her reasoning but in the end she had just fallen silent, while he spoke.
The next morning in the kitchen, he chatted with Jenny about what nice time they had had in the pub and she mentioned they should think about moving out and getting a place together. Jenny and James laughed and made plans about where he and Ruth could live. Ruth sat quiet and still.
