Chapter 5

Ross went back to college and Joanne returned to her routine of writing letters and visiting him. As the examination period drew near, she added good luck cards to her schedule and said prayers regularly for his success as well as for their happiness. She was so engrossed in her programme of doing all she could do to help Ross at this hectic time that she hardly noticed the increasing number of young men who come on one pretext or another. She treated them all with kind vague in attention, politely declined dates and forgot about them the next moment.

"That's not the way." Mr Kings told his wife mildly.

"I've got to try everything." She insisted. "I thought Ken..."

"Joanne doesn't notice whether Ken is in the room or not," he commented. "It's a good thing she hasn't realised what you are trying to do. Leave it alone. My dear Helen."

"I can't." She protested, near to tears of exasperation.

Mrs Kings was still sure that Ross was after the Kings fortunes. One evening, during this period, while he waited for his result, he went to Joanne's house and were watching TV when her mother came in.

Mrs Kings sat down opposite him, cleared her throat like a man and asked abruptly. "Do you two plan to get engaged, now that you have graduated, Ross?"

Ross was floored by this question but he managed to answer cheerfully. "Yes, of course, ma. I'm still waiting to hear my result. I would like to marry Joanne as soon as I get a job and can stand on my own two feet."

Joanne Kingston reflected for a moment. Her enquiries through contact at the college confirmed that Ross had nothing to fear about his result. He was sure to get a 2(1) and might just achieve a first class. She hid her feelings of satisfaction at the thought of it. "Yes a job of course," she repeared. "How do you suppose to go about getting that?"

"In the unusual way, he answered, a bit puzzled. I'll write applications to various companies and organizations, answer advertisements..."

"As so many people are doing," she agreed smoothly.

"What do you mean exactly by standing on your own two feet?"

" Being independent," he said, his perplexity increasing. "Finding somewhere to live, furnishing it..."

That's going to take you quite a long time, she commented.

Ross agreed. "Rome wasn't built in a day."

"But left to you, a job comes first and then somewhere to live and then the means to furnish it to a reasonable standard?"

That's how it is for most people in this world. Ross knew he was being got at but couldn't understand how and why.

Mrs Kings reflected again as if about to bring out some sudden bright Idea. "We will give you a job as a manager in one of our companies with a very good salary. And as you know, this is a big house. We have no other child except Joanne. You could get married immediately and live here. If you like, we can convert the East wing of the house into a duplex for you." She looked at Ross expecting to see a satisfied triumph leap in his eyes.

Instead Ross was shocked and angry. What a nerve they had, he thought, to imagine they could arrange other people's lives to suit their plans. He tried not to let her see how angry he was. "Thanks for the offer, ma, but I don't intend to sponge on you or anybody else. I want to work where I like and live in a house I choose and pay the rent with my own money."

"You need not to be curt about it. We are only trying to he helpful. And I insist, if you are going to marry my daughter, you must work in our firm and live in this house. You can see that we've got no son to leave the business to. One other thing, Joanne is not going to work anymore, after she is married."

"But that will be our decision, not yours," Ross protested furiously. "It's left for us to decide what we want to do with our married lifto,"

"I don't know why you should be so ungrateful. This is a great chance that most ungrateful men would jump at. You'll be able to save as much as you want to," retorted Mrs Kings sharply, giving him a scornful look, and walked out of the sitting room.

Ross was livid by now. Most of all he was angry with Joanne. She had sat there silently all through the argument without saying anything and he knew she was all for her parent's plan. He wondered why she allowed her mother to ruin her life for her like this.

"Well, she is not going to order me about," he fumed. He did not realise he had said this aloud until Joanne spoke.

"She was only trying to help and I don't really see any harm in it. She was thinking of how to make life easy for us. This way, we don't have to worry about bills and things like that," Joanne volunteered, trying to thaw the barrier of ice that had piled up after her mother's exit.

"Will you shut the hell up?" Ross roared, getting up on his feet. "I haven't even proposed, and you've already laid down such rules for me. Let me warn you, Miss Joanne Kingston, if this is the way your parents will carry on, you will never find a husband, except of course among your fat-faced socially acceptable weaklings!With these words, he marched out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Helen Kingston reported the incident triumphantly to her husband. "Such an unreasonable young man," she added. "And quite devoid of any business sense. How could he reject such a splendid opportunity?"

Her husband shook his head doubtfully. "Don't you think you are being unreasonable?" If he'd accepted promptly, you would have felt sure that he was after your fortune and position in society. Now he rejected it, you complain he lacks business acumen. Whatever he did you'd complain.

"I'm not interested in being logical," she laughed. "I've won. He's gone. That's all that matters to me."

This was the first time Ross had spoken harshly to her. Joanne felt the hot tears trickling down her face.