SCOTLAND ZEN and the art of SOCIAL WORK

  Chapter 12

  Friday 16th May

  Huntington's disease is caused by a faulty gene that runs in families. The gene produces a protein called Huntingtin. Scientists are still researching how this faulty gene causes the disease. Research is also looking into methods of slowing down the symptoms.

  John runs in from school, breathless as usual. We all pause in what we are doing and look at him expectantly, waiting for his pearl of wisdom. Theresa and Rosie turn from their colouring-in books. Kate and I put our coffee cups down and stop speaking. We all know the routine. This is John’s one moment in the day when he can get full attention.

  He peels off his backpack, drops it in the hall and actually has to sit down before he can speak.

  ‘I’ve been asked to a party at Khalid’s house next Friday night, there will be thousands of people there and I will have to sleep over.’

  He stops, takes a deep breath, continues,

  ‘I will be the first in my class to sleep at a Pakistani’s house, if the Mothers agree to it. I need three biscuits, I’m really starved.’

  I was a bit taken aback, but only at the ‘Mothers having to agree’ bit. I imagined having to draw up a written agreement or cover my head, or something, but the rest sounded exciting. John was staring at me anxiously, waiting for my verdict.

  ‘Well, this is great news, I’ll need to do the agreement, this is only Friday, so we’ve plenty of time, a week.’

  ‘Yes a whole week but maybe not nearly enough time for you to clean yourself up for a party, John,’ Kate says, with a laugh.

  John is immediately relaxed, and is confident as only a seven year old can be that his Mother will sort it all out for him later. He gets his biscuits.

  ‘Put on the telly you whinger,’ he aimed at Theresa, who was tearfully trying to recover from the word ‘party’ and her not being included in it.

  Kate and I finish our coffee. We had just completed a post mortem on my night out with Tommy. She found it hard to believe that she had not been discussed. I swore we never mentioned her or the adoption, and said that Tommy obviously knew what the rules of confidentially were. We also talked about my fears of the Huntington’s illness in the family given what the Priest had said.

  Kate flatly refused to consider the possibility of us having inherited the condition, on the premise that we would know already if there was anything to worry about, and after all Dad had died of a heart attack, not Huntington’s. She feels the priest must have made a big mistake and she will not even consider that the church may have covered this up for years to stop people using contraceptives if they feared they would pass it on to their children. I told her about my confrontation with Mam and she was shocked that I could rock the boat so much.

  ‘Can’t you just accept that we’re all fine? You’re getting obsessed, we would have known if Dad had it, and anyway Mam couldn’t have kept secrets this long, she would be off her head by now.’

  ‘You know my answer to that, I think she is half way off her head anyway.’ We both have a laugh but Kate stands up and says much more seriously,

  ‘If you dig up anything in our family history that stops me getting a baby, I’ll cripple you and steal your children.’

  I do believe she means it.

  John and Khalid have exchanged phone numbers and Khalid’s Mother called me later in the evening to invite me round for coffee the next day when the kids were at Kate and Phillip’s for their Saturday treat lunch. I hope that routine stays the same when they get their baby, it is my few hours of weekend freedom. I was happy to agree to the visit and curious to meet this very polite sounding young woman.