Lessons

by Ian McEwan

Roland thought his son had poor judgement in his women friends. Lawrence would deny it but he preferred danger, rawness, instability, emotional extremes. Some were single mothers with complicated stories. Like Lawrence, like Roland for that matter, they had no profession (Roland did not think of himself as a musician), no tradeable skills, no money. Lawrence’s affairs often terminated in an explosion, each starburst with its own spectacular quality. His ex-lovers did not remain in his life as friends. There, at least, he differed from Roland. Everyone said that Lawrence would make a wonderful father. But each affair as it ended looked like a lucky escape for both. Lucky too that so far no child was left behind.