Characters
American Man
As Julie labors to bring new life into the world, Debbie is conspicuously absent, breaking her promise to be there. Instead, she finds herself extending a stay with an intriguing American television producer—a potential beacon of opportunity. Debbie has long yearned for stability, someone consistent; "just one regular customer" or maybe "just one man."
Anne
Anne, the maternal figure in Julie's life, opens her arms once more to her daughter, welcoming her back after a mysterious five-month estrangement. With her husband, Len, Anne silently agrees to avoid probing into Julie’s past wanderings. Anne embodies a quiet suppression of feelings; she and Len occupy separate beds, their home a realm of restraint. Reserved in her affections and spare with resources, Anne's muted existence is a stark contrast to the vibrant, albeit tumultuous, warmth of Debbie. To Julie, raised by a mother who bore her later in life, Anne seems lacking in vitality—an "empty and sad" presence compared to the nurturing Debbie.
The Baby
The infant, christened Rosie by the nurses, enters the world amid dramatic circumstances—discovered alone in a telephone booth, then rushed to the hospital. Julie's heart is a battlefield of emotions towards her child; she steels herself against attachment but falters in the baby's embrace, a surge of pride and fleeting happiness taking hold. Yet, envisioning a life together remains an elusive dream for Julie.
Uncle Bob
Uncle Bob stands as Auntie Jessie's partner, having wed her despite the societal stigma of her past—a child born from another man. To Julie, Bob is unimposing, a mere "shadow" in Auntie Jessie's life, offering insight into her aunt's choice to marry him.
Debbie
Debbie, a call girl of notable repute, dances through life without a puppet master, managing her affairs from the apartment she shares with Julie. To Julie, Debbie embodies independence and authority, unfettered by her unmet desires. A seasoned figure with a history she guards closely, Debbie is worldly-wise, teaching Julie the cost of things—material and human. Though enveloped in a savvy exterior, Debbie's warmth and generosity shine, expecting nothing back from Julie.
Debbie’s absence during Julie's labor speaks volumes, a commitment broken for a client’s allure. Though Julie feels the sting of solitude, she comprehends Debbie’s priorities. In the throes of labor and the cold embrace of her family home, Julie misses Debbie profoundly. Debbie’s unorthodox maternal role contrasts sharply with Julie’s own emotionally distant mother, her imparted wisdom leaving a lasting impact on Julie.
Derek
Derek, not one of Debbie’s clients but her "real" boyfriend, earns Julie's approval as a person, though she deems him unworthy of Debbie’s affections.
Freda
Freda, Julie’s cousin, is revealed to be a "love child," a product of Aunt Jessie’s youthful indiscretion. Her story illuminates a path Julie has yet to travel.
Billy Jayson
Billy Jayson, the young man who shares a fleeting encounter with Julie in their school's cloakroom, inadvertently changes her life forever. Unaware of the consequences, he remains in the dark about the child he fathered.
Auntie Jessie
Auntie Jessie, Julie’s aunt, emerges as a poignant figure when her father reveals Jessie’s past—a daughter born out of wedlock at seventeen. This revelation comes with understanding of Jessie’s limited choices, her marriage a quick response to her predicament. Jessie's bustling home is a vibrant echo of Debbie's world, offering Julie a glimpse of a path not yet taken.
Julie
Julie, the heart of this story, is a suburban teenager who flees her home, driven by fear of familial scorn and her father's anger, seeking refuge with Debbie in London. Julie's journey from innocence to self-awareness is marked by...
(This entire section contains 953 words.)
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solitude in an abandoned shed during childbirth and a transformative return to her family, now with a deeper understanding of herself and her kin.
From her conservative origins, Julie embarks on a path diverging sharply from expectation—finding sanctuary with a prostitute, bearing a child alone. Though Debbie is never physically present, her influence over Julie is profound, instilling values of self-reliance and emotional depth. Raised in a household devoid of warmth, Julie’s first tryst lacks significance. Debbie’s emotional connection with Julie empowers her to navigate her own life’s course, recognizing the frailties and constraints of her parents.
Lebanese Man
Among the enigmatic figures haunting Debbie's apartment is a Lebanese man, a peddler of narcotics, oblivious to Julie's condition. He witnesses her departure, labor pains gripping her as she leaves to give birth away from the shadows of her current life. Once, he sought Julie’s company through Debbie, who steadfastly resisted his proposition. To Julie, he is a figure to be feared.
Len
Len stands as the formidable figure of Julie's father. She traces her initial urge to flee back to him, convinced that the revelation of her pregnancy would inevitably lead to her being cast out. In her eyes, he radiates authority and strength, a perception that shatters upon her return home after giving birth. The man she once feared now appears frail and aged, his once vibrant presence dimmed. For the first time, she glimpses his vulnerability. He sheds tears, and through them, Julie realizes the depth of the pain she inflicted. She senses his dread of her falling into moral decay, and she tactfully dispels this fear by reassuring him that her absence was spent with a female friend, not a romantic partner. Yielding to his wife's insistence, Len refrains from probing Julie with uncomfortable inquiries. In the story's final moments, he unveils a startling family secret—that Julie’s aunt Jessie had faced a similar predicament, becoming pregnant as an unmarried teenager.
Rosie
See The Baby
