The old woman gave Xavier a warm, welcoming smile as her son Norman helped him over to the sofa. Xavier looked around the brightly lit, neat and tidy room, furnished in overstuffed chairs and a large comfortable sofa made in the early fifties. Nothing had changed much since Norman was a little boy and Xavier felt as if he had been transported to another era than that of London in the late seventies. However, Norman's mother, Gertrude was a meticulous housekeeper and Xavier felt happy to be in her small, warm, one bedroom flat.
Here Norman retold the story of the past thirty minutes to his mother and she, at once, helped the young injured lad off with his jacket, she bade him lie on the sofa. The old retired nurse, who had served her country in her early twenties during the War with the Nazis, unbuttoned his white button down Oxford shirt, exposing his chiseled abs. "Oh my." Gertrude gave a wink and smile as she noticed Xavier's 'washboard' stomach "I could scrub my laundry clean on your stomach." Gertrude laughed as Xavier blushed at the old woman's words. "Now, aside from your black eye, swollen cheek and cut lip, let us have a look at your belly." Nurse Gertrude pressed down on his abdomen checking for internal bleeding, finding no swelling or severe pain, she continued the examination. The young man had no fever and no longer felt nauseous, he had clear sight, no double vision and had a clear memory of the event. "No love, you'll be fine. I'll give you two aspirin for the pain and an ice pack. You know that boy tenderized your belly like a cut of meat." she gave another little laugh "Your lucky you are in such fine shape. Perhaps you can take our Norman to the gymnasium with you one of these days."
"Mum." her son rolled his eyes as he stood in the kitchen eating from a big bag of greasy crisps.
"Now Norman, it wouldn't hurt you to exercise now and again."
"I was on a polo team for many years." Xavier said trying to change the subject so his new friend would not be further embarrassed by his mother, whom Xavier felt a great affinity for as she had shown him great, motherly kindness.
"Oh, I can imagine. Tall, broad shoulders, lean, muscular body. You must have been the best player! Tell me Xavier why did you stop playing? Did it become too expensive?" she asked " Everything is so expensive now days, Our Norman had to stop playing rugby when our Dennis passed away.., God rest his soul. Isn't that right Norman? You miss those days I'm sure. Oh yes, Norman, here, was the finest full back in the league. Weren't you Norman?" she paused to take a breath as her son gave a big bashful smile recalling happy times on the grass field with his teammates. "Oh Norman, remember those days?"
"Yes, Mum." he said going over to the cookie jar on the counter by the kitchen sink.
"Dear? Are you hungry?" she asked walking into the her small kitchen. "Let me cook something up for us, a midnight supper would be good. Now here" she said handing her son a bag of frozen peas from the freezer "Give this to your friend, I'll bring him two aspirin and nice glass of cold water."
Xavier thanked both of them as he tried, in great pain, to sit up and drink the water. As he lie back down the package of frozen peas felt good on his sore muscles as he rested with a cold piece of steak on his swollen black eye. Gertrude explained the cold meat would absorb any swelling from his eye and, though he felt strange with a little piece of raw meat on his face, it actually felt good. So Xavier Antonio De La Rosa rested on a comfortable couch in a small apartment in Islington miles away from his dorm room. He could not believe his incredible stroke of luck as he lie their in the wonderful old Scottish woman's home, with her giant of son, who in his mother's presence was as gentle as a lamb. Xavier listened as Norman helped his mother in the kitchen preparing a late night meal together. Talking of common things, laughing together here and there, now as Xavier listened he became a little envious as he wished he and his own mother could be close. However, Xavier's mother was cold, unfeeling, stern, austere and quite unlike Gertrude was, with her son.
Here Norman retold the story of the past thirty minutes to his mother and she, at once, helped the young injured lad off with his jacket, she bade him lie on the sofa. The old retired nurse, who had served her country in her early twenties during the War with the Nazis, unbuttoned his white button down Oxford shirt, exposing his chiseled abs. "Oh my." Gertrude gave a wink and smile as she noticed Xavier's 'washboard' stomach "I could scrub my laundry clean on your stomach." Gertrude laughed as Xavier blushed at the old woman's words. "Now, aside from your black eye, swollen cheek and cut lip, let us have a look at your belly." Nurse Gertrude pressed down on his abdomen checking for internal bleeding, finding no swelling or severe pain, she continued the examination. The young man had no fever and no longer felt nauseous, he had clear sight, no double vision and had a clear memory of the event. "No love, you'll be fine. I'll give you two aspirin for the pain and an ice pack. You know that boy tenderized your belly like a cut of meat." she gave another little laugh "Your lucky you are in such fine shape. Perhaps you can take our Norman to the gymnasium with you one of these days."
"Mum." her son rolled his eyes as he stood in the kitchen eating from a big bag of greasy crisps.
"Now Norman, it wouldn't hurt you to exercise now and again."
"I was on a polo team for many years." Xavier said trying to change the subject so his new friend would not be further embarrassed by his mother, whom Xavier felt a great affinity for as she had shown him great, motherly kindness.
"Oh, I can imagine. Tall, broad shoulders, lean, muscular body. You must have been the best player! Tell me Xavier why did you stop playing? Did it become too expensive?" she asked " Everything is so expensive now days, Our Norman had to stop playing rugby when our Dennis passed away.., God rest his soul. Isn't that right Norman? You miss those days I'm sure. Oh yes, Norman, here, was the finest full back in the league. Weren't you Norman?" she paused to take a breath as her son gave a big bashful smile recalling happy times on the grass field with his teammates. "Oh Norman, remember those days?"
"Yes, Mum." he said going over to the cookie jar on the counter by the kitchen sink.
"Dear? Are you hungry?" she asked walking into the her small kitchen. "Let me cook something up for us, a midnight supper would be good. Now here" she said handing her son a bag of frozen peas from the freezer "Give this to your friend, I'll bring him two aspirin and nice glass of cold water."
Xavier thanked both of them as he tried, in great pain, to sit up and drink the water. As he lie back down the package of frozen peas felt good on his sore muscles as he rested with a cold piece of steak on his swollen black eye. Gertrude explained the cold meat would absorb any swelling from his eye and, though he felt strange with a little piece of raw meat on his face, it actually felt good. So Xavier Antonio De La Rosa rested on a comfortable couch in a small apartment in Islington miles away from his dorm room. He could not believe his incredible stroke of luck as he lie their in the wonderful old Scottish woman's home, with her giant of son, who in his mother's presence was as gentle as a lamb. Xavier listened as Norman helped his mother in the kitchen preparing a late night meal together. Talking of common things, laughing together here and there, now as Xavier listened he became a little envious as he wished he and his own mother could be close. However, Xavier's mother was cold, unfeeling, stern, austere and quite unlike Gertrude was, with her son.
