Our Father Who Are Out There...Somewhere Read Online Free Page A

glass bubbles in the bottom. Aunt Edie sings along to Andy Williams on the radio, out of tune and about four words behind.
    They sit down at the small wooden table in the corner of the sitting room, where Aunt Edie has laid out lunch. “Oh, it’s so nice to see you, Lily.”
    “I need to find my dad,” Lily blurts
    “Would you like salmon or beef paste? I got the beef special this morning."
    “I want to find my dad.” Lily says, louder this time.
    “Of course you do pet, no need to shout. I take it you’ve not seen him? Not ever?” Lily shakes her head and tries to stop herself ripping the skin from the sides of her thumbs. “What did your mother tell you?”
    “Nothing, I don’t know anything about him. I looked in the loft last night. Found some old clothes and his record collection, but...” she hesitates at telling Aunt Edie what her mother had done, “but there was nothing that would help me find him.”
    “She was a different woman altogether in those days, Lil. She loved him so much. Never looked at another man. She got with him when she was seventeen. Always said she was going to marry him. He didn’t stand a chance.” Aunt Edie chuckles to herself. “Ay, she was determined, stubborn as a mule. Always was. The happiest bride I’ve ever seen.”
    “So, what happened?”
    “He ran off with another woman,” says Aunt Edie, as she tears the cellophane lid off the beef paste. “And it broke her heart, simple as that. She swore she’d never recover and she never did. Like I said, stubborn as stubborn.” Aunt Edie stands up and fiddles with the teapot. “That’s what I told her in the end. She was determined not to get over it and it wasn’t fair, Lil. It wasn’t fair on you, or on anyone around her. I told her she had to move on and that was that. She never spoke to me again. Once she made her mind up about something. Well you know what she’s like, was like.” She sits down heavily in her chair again. “Oh dear, I still can't believe she’s passed over.”
    “What was he like,” Lily asks, “my dad?”
    Aunt Edie spreads a dollop of butter as thick as clotted cream on her bread roll, while she considers the question. “He was handsome,” she says after some time. “But never trust a handsome man, that’s what I always say. Thank the good Lord my Arthur wasn’t anything to look at.”  She pauses for thought and to spread a broad smear of salmon paste on her barm cake. “He were carrying on, course, but no one knew a thing about it. He used to play snooker with our Terry and he didn’t have an inkling. And there was your mum, all pregnant, just about to have you. Terrible really.” She takes a large bite out of her creation. “It did for your grandmother,” she adds with her mouth full, “Sent her to an early grave.”
    “I need to find him, Aunt Edie. I need to get some sense of where I’m from. I want to know about my past.”
    Aunt Edie looks her up and down as she chews. She finally swallows. “I have something for you. Your granddad gave it to me for safekeeping when your granny died. I think he knew he wouldn’t last long without her. I didn’t really know what to do with it while your mother was alive. She’d have had my guts for garters if I’d given it to you.” She stands up again. “Mad as a wasp she’d have been. Wait there.”
    A few minutes later Aunt Edie returns carrying a rectangular box. “I don’t know why he wanted you to have this. You see, your granddad never did like David, your dad. Always said he weren’t to be trusted. And turns out he were right, of course. But I think your granny must have wanted you to have it. I think she knew you’d be curious one day.” She hands the box to Lily. “You have a look at it love, while I check on the custard.”
    Lily takes the box. She puts it on the table in front of her and eases off the cardboard lid. Inside she can see a large, cream coloured book, with a sheet of see-through crepe paper laid