It was decided once Samantha turned five that, seeing as kindergarten had blissfully passed without incident thanks to a truly vengeful dose of tranquilizers prescribed by the newly neutered Doctor Albright, she should attend a normal school. As head of the household, this decision should have been left up to Bill, but when he raised the possibility of home education, Anne pitted her will against his and won for the first time in their marriage.
‘I will not be left alone with that thing all day.’
‘I’ve given this a lot of thought, Anne. Children can be very cruel, and there’s always the danger that one of them might go too far…’
‘Oh, for Christ’s sake! She’s so doped up it’s a wonder she can blink. A turnip would pose a bigger threat!’
‘Now listen Anne…’
‘No, you listen. You did the right thing after you got me pregnant and for that reason I’ve been a good wife to you. I have deferred to you in thought, word and deed with no questions, arguments or complaints for the most part but I’m telling you, if you take away the precious few hours a day of peace I have coming to me I will go upstairs this instant, pack my bags and go back to my parents. Is that what you want, Bill?’
Despite appearances to the contrary, Bill had never been particularly secure in his manhood. The gentle authority with which he ran his personal life was largely a result of unintentional conditioning by his own father, a dyed in the wool misogynist who was now mercifully deceased. Bill tried to imagine what his father would do in this situation. Nothing came to mind, because he would never have let it progress this far. Bill would sooner cut off his hand than raise it to his wife in anger.
‘No dear.’
ns 15.158.61.20da2
