- Daniels’ School Concert
- Was Alistair “grooming”?
- Usha really is jealous of Catherine
- Alistair tells all to Shula
Daniels’ School Concert
Shula and Alistair are in attendance, especially for Daniel doing a reading of Matthew chapter 1 verses 18-25.
But, Erin is also there, playing in the orchestra.
Alistair – to himself during Erin’s playing - Why does she have to be playing tonight. Isn’t it complicated, even with Daniel? Did she see me looking? Well what if she did, everyone else is too.
Good that Daniel doesn’t want us to bump into her either. If we can just get through the evening without any awkwardness. Terms ending, let it all die down. Let her just disappear out of our lives
Was Alistair “grooming”?
At the interval, Alistair goes to the toilet.
Erin’s waiting for him in the corridor when he comes out. She’s turned nasty:
[Erin] “Can’t keep your eyes off me, can you? I saw you all the way through the Beethoven, letching at me”
[Alistair] “I wasn’t”
[Erin] “How can you say you don’t want me, perving away with your wife sitting next to you?”
[Alistair] “For god sake, keep your voice down”
[Erin] “It’s pathetic”
Alistair drags her from the corridor to a room.
[Alistair] “Erin, I told you last week this is all in your head. I only helped you out because you wanted to be a vet”
[Erin] “Oh yeah, right. I know the difference between a bit of work experience and what you were doing”
[Alistair] “I wasn’t doing anything!”
[Erin] “Finding excuses to be with me …”
[Alistair] “That was you”
[Erin] “All those personal conversations, affectionate texts …”
[Alistair] “It was nothing like that”
[Erin] “There’s a name for that you know … grooming”
[Alistair] “That’s absurd! You were the one sending affectionate texts, you instigated most of the trips, look how you went on at my about coming to Clinical Club”
[Erin] “Only after you dangled the carrot. You knew just what you were doing. Except when it worked and I fell for it. You chickened out then, didn’t you … enjoyed a bit of an ego message then you got cold feet”
[Alistair] “It was nothing like that”
[Erin] “If people knew how you treated me …”
[Alistair] “Do you have any idea of the damage you could cause going around saying things like this? It’s just not true”
So – Alistair reckons it’s all been in Erin’s head – Erin reckons he led her on.
As we’ve heard what Alistair had been thinking about Erin – who do we side with?
On the one hand, Alistair did fancy her. And did want to spend time with her. But it felt like a crush on his side – that he wanted the flirt and the thrill, but didn’t actually want anything more.
Erin picked up on that, and is (rightly) angry that he’s now denying it and treating her like’s she’s the kid with the crush.
BUT, main thing for me is that Erin is the kid, Alistair the adult. Alistair should have known better and behaved more appropriately towards her. She’s right that is was his ego, and also right that it’s his fault.
We could expect Erin to be a bit more reasonable about Alistair rejecting her when it came down to it.
But, how much can we expect of a teenage girl? That’s why adults shouldn’t meddle with teenagers – they don’t have the experience, maturity or life reference to cope with this sort of situation.
Alistair didn’t let it get too far, but he let it get far enough. He’s now going to have to deal with the fall-out.
Alistair – to himself - It’s not going to go away, is it. I don’t know what to do … She really thinks I’ve led her on. This is beginning to feel out of control
Take it like an adult man, matey.
Usha really is jealous of Catherine
I was surprised to hear Usha agreeing with Alan that Amy should be told about Catherine’s juvenile incarceration. She claims she’s worried about Amy being more upset that Alan knew but chose not to tell her.
[Usha] “You’ve seen how the past can rear up out of nowhere, and with modern technology even more so … I’m much concerned about damaging her relationship with you”
So – as Alan knows, Amy should know that, and what, he knows.
I don’t agree, but good advice none-the-less.
Until we heard:
Usha – to herself - Please. Let’s get it all out in the open. Then maybe we can pout Catherine to rest once and for all
Wow.
Usha really does feel Catherine’s shadow looms large.
Alistair tells all to Shula
In a very brave (but right) move, Alistair asks Shula to sit down (when they get home) and tells her about Erin.
[Alistair] “There’s been a bit of trouble … it’s actually with Erin. The fact is, she’s developed a bit of a crush on me. And it came right out of the blue when, she tried to kiss me. She kissed me. After Clinical Club”
[Shula] “That was last week. And you’re just telling me now?”
[Alistair] “I thought I’d dealt with it. She turned up at Arnold Hamilton’s … she practically threw herself at me”
[Shula, her emphasis] “She threw herself at you?”
[Alistair] “Honestly I didn’t want it. I made it clear to her that I wasn’t interested”
(when someone says “honestly”, you know the exact opposite of what they’re about to say is the truth)
[Shula] “But, wait, you were at Arnold’s on …”
[Alistair] “Friday. And I know I should have told you.”
[Shula] “Damn right you should have told me!”
[Alistair] “But I didn’t want there to be any embarrassment…”
[Shula] “For you, you mean …”
[Alistair] “Not for anybody. You, Daniel … I thought when I told her she’d got it all wrong she’d just go away and forget all about it”
[Shula] “Which would have been very convenient for you!”
[Alistair] “But this evening, I bumped into her at the interval …”
[Shula] “Really, just by chance?”
[Alistair] “Yes, well I don’t know, she might have been waiting for me”
[Shula] “Or because you made an arrangement …”
[Alistair] “No. I was desperate not to see her”
[Shula] “Oh, so that’s why you rushed us home”
[Alistair] “Because now, she’s coming out with all these wild allegations. I needed to explain to you before, well the state she’s in,. I don’t know what she’s going to do … that I led her on, spent more time with her than was necessary … tonight, it looks like she’s developed an obsession”
[Shula, in disgust] “With you?!?”
[Alistair] “I’m not that repulsive am I?”
[Shula, beginning to get shouty] “You’re old enough to be her father!”
[Alistair] “I told her that. I said that I loved you and that it was unfair on Daniel”
[Shula] “And has anything happened between you?”
[Alistair] “No, she kissed me”
[Shula] “She actually kissed you?”
[Alistair] “Tried to, I mean she caught me by surprise”
[Shula] “Alistair, you’re saying you’ve done nothing you’re ashamed of …”
[Alistair] “Nothing”
(Alistair – to himself - Almost nothing)
[Shula] “So, if you’re completely innocent …”
[Alistair] “I am”
[Shula] “Why did you keep it a secret?”
And darn it all – the secret microphones were turned off before we could hear Alistair’s reply.
Shula was furious from the word go – and also didn’t seem to believe Alistair that it was all Erin. She’s obviously livid that he’s kept it a secret, but is also quite right in thinking that he’d have told her the moment it all started, if he had nothing to hide.
Problem is, Alistair did want to keep flirting with Erin. It’s only because Erin took him seriously that he’s in this mess.
If he wasn’t remotely interested in her, he’d have nipped it there and then, and told Shula.
Alistair hasn’t quite been caught with his pants down. He’s going to be hung for stealing a lamb rather than the whole flock. He’d have got the flock, if he wasn’t a half decent bloke …
No comments:
Post a Comment