My University Life - Year 2 Term 1

So my second year at King's College London began. My Grand Plan of shagging my way through University had proved unsuccessful. All the shagging had been back home, while all the sex at Uni had been on my own! I wondered what Year 2 would bring.

KCL Year 2 - Term 1

September 1976

As I began to get ready to return to University, I realised that since being back home I hadn't once considered sucking my own dick. Having parents and a young sister in the house didn't exactly encourage it. Even so, I also realised I hadn't missed it. I thought

I'd been there and done that

and didn't need it anymore. Besides, I was intent on shagging my way through Year 2.

So, I arrived from home into Euston station and made my way to the house in Hither Green. It was about half a mile from Lee Station, less than 15 minutes walk. A bit further on was Mountsfield Park. It was Sunday afternoon when I got there, to be met by Eric and his partner Mary. As Sam had suggested I was surprised as Mary looked to be a similar age to my own mum. In her mid forties!

Eric and Mary made some tea while I took my stuff up to the room. It had changed since I first visited, as there was now a double bed and no desk in there! Sitting downstairs drinking tea, Mary explained that Eric's son and his wife had come over from Canada in the summer, hence the bed change. A new desk would have to be sorted out for me, though I couldn't see how one would now fit!

The bedroom was in the rear of the semi, straight on from the landing at the top of the stairs. I discovered the squeaky step up from the landing just before the bathroom, only when I went to bed. It was another first night nervous feeling, only eased by ejaculation!

At breakfast on Monday morning, Eric gave me a key, told me they'd be back between 5 and 6 o'clock and to help myself to whatever I needed. We'd eat about 7. Even though College didn't start till the Tuesday I had decided to go in anyway. When I got there, I realised that my two closest fellow students, Phil and Richie, were no longer involved. Suddenly I felt sort of lonely! I didn't bother signing up for 5 a side, even. Though I mooched around, I had somehow lost... something. I returned to Hither Green earlier than expected. Somewhat dejected.

It was about 4 o'clock when I got back to find Mary already there, prepping stuff for tea. I must have looked glum somehow because she asked me

'what's wrong?'

I suddenly just seemed to see her as I would my mum, so I confided in her. She was easy to talk to and she stopped doing what she was doing to pay me attention. Having mentioned missing two fellow students and suddenly feeling isolated, she just talked saying things like:

"Though I've only just met you, I get the impression you may also be a bit home sick suddenly. Think of this place like your home."

"What would you like to do, if you felt like this?"

And so the conversation went on, and before long we were laughing. She even asked me my favourite meal! Having thanked her for brightening my mood, I asked how she had met Eric.

With a slight sigh, she said, "I suppose you're wondering about the age difference,"

"No, I wasn't. Sorry if I..." I hurriedly answered.

She was smiling, "Got you!"

She then proceeded to tell me their story. Eric's wife Gwen died when he was 52, from a fall at work, just 6 years ago. Mary had worked with Gwen who was a kind of mentor to her, both at work and personally. Mary had been deeply affected by Gwen's death and as she already knew Eric, over time they just grew closer. It was Gwen who had started the student lodging thing, as a sort of

'empty nest'

thing after their son had left for Canada and the

'problems'

with their daughter Linda whose many relationships, among other things, had caused an alienation with Eric.

Mary told me she was 14 years younger than Eric but it didn't bother them. She had been in a difficult, abusive relationship herself, and Gwen helped her through it. She still had her own flat nearby, which she/they still used. His daughter Linda, rather ironically, was upset at their relationship but couldn't understand Eric's feeling about hers!

Linda had a daughter Jane, Eric's granddaughter, who was lovely considering the environment she was growing up in. Jane struggled, particularly with the current partner. And her mother! While Jane visited regularly, they hardly ever saw Linda. Mary suggested that it was Eric and Gwen who provided the love that Jane needed as a child. Jane had taken Gwen's death really badly. It was almost as if she'd lost a real mother, not her grandmother. Eric and Mary still provided as much love and care for her as they could. Jane always seemed to love coming here. She said that Jane usually came visiting on a Wednesday, so expect to see her then.

Suddenly she looked at me and said, "Do you know, you're very easy to talk to? I've just realised how much I've said."

"Maybe that's the 'family like' thing!" I answered, "Besides, my mum says when I'm not busy talking, I often have this invisible 'talk to me hat' on. Maybe that's another reason!"

She hummed and there was a look, as if she was in deep thought for a moment. Then she was up and resumed making the evening meal. I offered to help but she said "Thanks for the offer, I'll remember that another time."

The meal was great and filling. I really did feel at ease with Eric and Mary. They and the house did have that 'home' feeling. Eric asked me about me, my interests and family stuff.

So I rambled on about myself, my interests but above all about family. My parents, my younger sister and our wider family.

Time passed and suddenly it was 10:30 in the evening. I actually slept quite soundly. Unexpectedly.

Tuesday I was back at KCL and the start of my year 2 studies. The timetable had changed a bit and I no longer needed to go across campus for any lectures. I'd finished a little early that day, so headed back. I was walking along the end road, when I noticed a school girl walking in the opposite direction towards me. I say school girl because she was wearing a school uniform with a short-ish skirt. Even at this distance I could see she was tallish and had what looked like 'nice legs'. Then she turns into the same road I'm living in! So I thought

'Oh! she must live up there'

. I'm about 20 paces behind her but walking faster and steadily catching her up. I confess to watching her bum wiggle as she walked in her short skirt and thinking

'nice bum'

. I also looked at the bottom of her skirt, wondering just how much above that hem was her knickers! Three inch, two inch... one inch? By then I was just about 5 paces behind and I was thinking

'where's a gust of wind when you want one?'

Then doesn't she turn into Eric's house! I went hot and cold in an instant as I realised who it was.

'Oh! fuck. It's Jane!'

I didn't know what she looked like and I wasn't expecting her that day but I suddenly felt ashamed, embarrassed, guilty at what I'd wondered as I walked behind her.

As she got to the door, I stopped outside and a bit red-faced said, "Excuse me." She turned towards me, a cautious, maybe puzzled look on her face "Are you Jane, Eric's grand-daughter?" but before she answered I rambled on.

"I'm Jon, your grandad's new student lodger. Mary said you'd be coming tomorrow and that you may be a bit wary of strangers. I'm not strange, not really, maybe just a bit cookie," I said as I pulled a funny face, and thought I noticed a hint of a smile in her eyes, "but then I am a Northerner, so maybe that counts as strange. So I..."

I realised I had rambled and she'd not said a word. Looking at me a little less intensely, she said, "Show me your key."

"What?"

"Your key."

I dug it out and showed her. "Yep, that's grandad's." she answered.

I looked at the key, wondering how she'd known that. She must have seen my reaction because she said, "All grandad's keys have a coloured cover on them, yours is the green one, which he gives to the students."

She turned and opened the door and went in. I followed her in and closed the door behind me. I found myself oddly nervous, echoes of guilt maybe. Walking into the kitchen, I asked her if she wanted a drink, something cold or tea or coffee. She said tea would be fine and disappeared upstairs.

Tea made, we were sat in the kitchen and I was rambling again. Don't ask me what I was saying, but needless to say Jane hardly got a word in. Then the door opened and Mary shouted in, "Anyone home?"

Jane flew into the hall and I heard lots happy greeting, then they both came in, Jane hung on Mary's arm. Seeing the tea in my hand, "I'll have one of those," she said. So I made another cup of tea while Mary and Jane sat in the living room.

A few moments later I brought Mary's tea in and was about to leave them together when Mary said, "I hear you've been entertaining Jane."

"I don't know about entertain but he can certainly talk!" Jane said.

I stuttered, "Well, I... I didn't want to appear like some... some sex mad attacker, so I..." Then I noticed they were both smiling.

"Not the best of first impressions then?" I said with a wry contorted face.

"Think you did alright." said Mary, smiling.

I decided to shut up and watch and listen. It was obvious there was a close relationship/bond between Mary and Jane and they were very relaxed with each other. It made me wonder, though, about Mary's comments concerning Jane and her mother.

Eventually Eric came in and Jane was even more huggy with him than with Mary. Their relationship, a blood one, was obviously very close, but again I suspected it was some kind of compensation for Jane's own problems. After the meal and some more chat, Eric drove her home. I noticed the change in Jane's mood as she left.

Mary said, after they'd left, "Get used to her being here. Sometimes she'll just roll up, like today, and stay for an hour or stay the night. As much as she loves coming here and we love having her, it'll be nice for her to have some... some younger conversation. Last year, Sam didn't seem to want to engage with her at all. Jane doesn't seem to make friends easily and she may be a little reluctant but if you'd persevere, I think it might be good for her. If you don't mind, that is?"

"Fine by me. I'll try not to babble as much though." I answered. She smiled.

On the Wednesday, I returned later to find Jane and Mary already nattering away in the kitchen. I said my hellos, had a brief chat with them then retired to my room for study.

That night, after eating, Eric took Jane back home. I got a wave goodbye from her. I spent most of the evening reading and note making. At one point, Mary knocked on the door and mentioned that she tended to do the bedding and clothes washes at the weekend, and did I have enough underwear to last! I told her, if she knew my mum she wouldn't have asked that. She laughed and said, "Saturday morning then." Mary did ALL my washing!

October 1976

So over the next few weeks, every Wednesday, some odd other days and some weekends, Jane and I got to know one another. At first with Eric and/or Mary present and then just the two of us in the front room. We listened to music, talked about odd stuff and interests. One of the things she said was that she hadn't liked the previous student Sam. She thought he was a bit snobby or something and so didn't talk much with him. He also seemed to be out a lot.

I realised that I still babbled a lot and there were times that Jane smiled as I did. That shut me up, though she didn't actually complain. In hindsight I think it made her feel relaxed, that in some way it was me that was more nervous!

I found myself, at times, looking sideways at her face. Her nose had a hint of a turn up at the end, she also had the faintest of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were a greenish blue. She looked quite pretty when she smiled and I found myself smiling too.

As she did most Wednesdays, Jane arrived at the house before me. As I came in, she was just coming down the stairs. As I meant to go up and drop my things, I stood in front of the unit just before the stairs, rather than on the hall side. Maybe because she was saying hello or not paying attention, the next thing is, she's falling down the last three steps, her upper body falling towards the unit. Where I was stood! I managed to catch her but her momentum pushed my back into the corner of the unit. I yelped with the sharp jab in my back then grunted as Jane fell on top of me on the hall floor. Jumping up she appeared mortified. I was winded and unable to speak for a moment. Finally accepting her hand I got up. She held my hand and guided me to the settee.

"What happened?" I asked her, my voice strained.

"Dunno, I just stumbled," she replied.

"Was it seeing my handsome good looks that made your legs suddenly go wobbly?" I jokingly queried while the pain stung in my back.

"Yeah, right. More like I tripped over a thread of hair!" she rebutted.

"Maybe as well I was there, you could have hurt yourself if you'd hit that unit, especially the corner bit." I said.

"I know but you made for a soft landing." she smiled in reply. "Shall I make you a drink?"

So Jane made some tea, we sat and chatted as the ache in my back subsided, but didn't go. Before we knew it, Mary came in. Jane raced to her and was talking nineteen to the dozen about the fall she'd had and how I'd saved her. I tried to get a word in, finally saying that it was just good luck that I was there.

Jane said to Mary, "You know he had the nerve to say that it was his good looks that made me fall! Cheek!" but she was smiling.

"Moi!" I extorted.

Mary answered, "Mmm. Well if you're going to swoon, it's good to have someone to catch you."

When Eric came in and after Jane gave him the whole tale again, he said he'd been thinking of moving the unit anyway, so that's what happened that weekend.

Over the last weekend in October, I went home on the Friday afternoon from College for my mum's 40th birthday party. A fun weekend was had by all but I needed to hurry back late on the Sunday for College on the Monday. When I finally got in, about 9:30pm, I put my stuff away and went downstairs, Eric greeted me with,

"Nice to see you back. It's been a bit quiet this weekend. Mary thinks Jane was a little subdued when she was here yesterday. Maybe she missed your younger conversation. Anyway, I'm glad you're getting on together. It means a lot."

"No problem Eric," I said, but I could see there was a hint of some sadness there in his eyes. Then Mary came in and I was given a big hug and a 'nice to see you' whisper

November 1976

Unexpectedly, Jane was there when I got back on the Tuesday afternoon. She wanted to know the who, what, where, when and why of my weekend at home, asking almost non-stop!

"Whoa!" I started, "I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition."

"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." Jane instantly replied, smiling. "I love the Pythons," she continued, "they're just so... so"

"Outrageously funny," I finished for her.

"Yes," she replied, "Grandad doesn't seem to get it. I can watch them over and over."

After a few minutes of comparing our favourite Python sketches, Mary came home and she was surprised to see Jane there too.

In the end I told them both as much as I could about the weekend. My dad had given a sort of semi-drunk speech. So I told them how mum and dad had known one another since they were children, forever in one another's house. Dad even played with mum and her dolls if she asked. They got married when dad was 21 and mum was 19. I arrived a year later. My sister was 5 years after me.

The thing that seemed to intrigue Mary and Jane most was what he said about my mum. He told how my sister and I thought mum knew everything as kids and how she always got the truth out of us using her

'imagine game'

. This I had to explain:

As kids we always asked her stuff, especially about homework. Mum would never give the answer, if she knew it, but would ask us lots of questions about what we'd learnt or ask things like 'why', 'are you sure' and she'd tell us to slow down our thinking. We'd end up getting the answer ourselves, like a blinding flash of light. Certainly when I was older she knew nothing of the maths and physics I did, but she still managed to help me figure it out myself.

The

'imagine game'

was one she used to get to the truth of something or to teach a particular point. She'd make us imagine a boy and/or girl in a situation and ask us what we thought or how should they respond. We'd then talk it through, without feeling awkward because it was about some other boy or girl. Not us! When, in reality, it was us. We just seemed able to talk about stuff without worrying.

What dad also said was that she played it with him too. That they talked about things that affected them, helped make them stronger. And he loved the bones of her.

I told Mary and Jane that I don't ever remember angry words between them. I'm sure there must have been but never in front of us. I only ever seem to remember them being happy, just being... tender together. Little things like holding hands for no reason, snuggling up together, little kisses at the drop of a hat, a touch, all sorts of little things.

Mary said, "It's called love, Jon. True love."

I was sure there was a glint of moisture in her eyes. Jane just seemed mesmerised.

Maths and Stats lectures were quite intense now and as was my 'routine' I relieved my tensions in bed. The problem was there was no lock on the door and as Mary did the washing I wanted to be careful not to leave any unfortunate 'stains' on anything, sheets or underwear particularly. So I resorted to my standby. A pair of socks, one inside the other, acting like a condom. It did the business, though occasionally I'd still go

bareback

.

Bit by bit, talking with Jane, we shared some life experiences. Hers were far more sad than mine. Jane had been born when her mum, Linda, was barely 17, much to the dismay of Eric and Gwen. They supported Linda but she had generally been a problem child. Eric and Gwen did a lot of Jane's childcare! When Gwen died, Eric struggled with Linda's demands and subsequent relationships with a number of new partners, particularly the current one. Jane didn't like him either and his daughter was a snide of a kid, she said, always moaning and wanting attention. When Eric and Mary got together, Linda objected, which was ironic considering Eric didn't like her relationship! Also Eric had loaned Linda money a couple of times but Mary thought it was at the partner's behest! When Eric said 'no more', Linda blew up and they'd hardly spoken in the years since. She even complained about Jane visiting her grandad. It was obvious from what Jane said that she was unhappy at home and felt she got all her affection from Eric and Mary. I thought that maybe she saw Mary as the mum she would love to have.

By comparison, my story was much easier. I told her briefly about my family, my interests and stuff I like to do (except the wanking bit!) I did say I'd had an occasional girlfriend. Then it was about my A level studies and University. I told her I was disappointed my two closest friends had dropped out and I'd given up football.

We ended up laughing when we saw ourselves as 'billy no mates', though a moment later Jane said "Maybe billy one mate."

One Wednesday, Jane was a bit grumpy over some history homework she had. I'm not into history but I tried my mum's trick of talking and asking her random questions. At the end, in a slight frustration, I said,

"One thing I remember from my exams, when writing essays, was Intro, Body, Outro! An introduction of 2 sentences, telling what you're going to tell them. The body is the bulk of the text. The Outro is a summary, again 2 or 3 sentences telling them what you've told."