Looking for Love

by Kathy Bosman

  Chapter Nine

  “We’re all together again, I can’t believe it!”

  Ella turned around to peer at Andrea and Pauline at the back of Carol’s car. The journey to Bethal in Mpumalanga would prove to be a blast with the Famous Four. Spurts of gratefulness eased the tension in her body at their willingness to join her on her journey to visit Gran. At least her gran loved people around and had promised them two rooms to share in her home for the duration of their stay.

  “Did you bring The Album with?” Carol said tensely.

  “Of course. It’s in my handbag right here.”

  “What if it gets stolen?” Andrea asked. “You should have put it in the picnic basket or something.”

  “What, and spill melted chocolate on it? I have to preserve the antique for as long as possible.”

  Why she was so defensive over one of the sources of her confusion, she had no idea. Maybe because she felt responsible for it, having been entrusted with the artefact.

  “I wonder how old it actually is,” Carol wondered aloud while turning onto the N2 freeway leading north out of their home town.

  Ella stared at the road which didn’t appear as endless as it would be. They had a minimum of six hours of traveling to get through. At least, they would pass through the Mtubatuba and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve areas and see some pretty scenery on the way. She intended to read one or more of the green romance books because she hadn’t had a moment since preparing for her trip a week ago.

  “Did you tell Dirk you were going away?” Andrea asked with a yawn, settling back into her seat to watch the view out the window.

  Ella looked at her reflection on the flap-down make-up mirror in front of her.

  “I did, sort of. Well, I’ve actually told him I’m very busy at the moment and once I get my life back into line again, we can get together.”

  “It’s not working out, is it?” Carol asked.

  She glanced at Pauline in the mirror; her friend politely kept her gaze averted. But of course, Pauline didn’t really know how she felt about Ross. She only knew how Ross felt about her. Her own feelings were a slushy blob of confusion floating around in her head and heart.

  “I can’t have a relationship when I can barely think straight.”

  “I know what you mean.” Andrea picked up her loose hair and made it into a ponytail at the back with deft fingers. She fiddled with the tufts on the end. “Just getting through the day to day is hard enough.”

  Ella sighed. So much for The Album helping her friends find love. Seemed like the same old story. Even Pauline hadn’t found Ross. She glanced at her friend quickly in the reflection and wondered how disappointed she was about Ross and whether it had actually broken her heart. Two heartbreaks in the space of a couple of months couldn’t be easy to deal with. Finally, the only one of the four who’d been protected from pain by not dating much at all had experienced plenty. And part of it was her fault.

  She would permanently resign from matchmaking. She’d facilitate The Album for now but never again would she instigate a couple to come together by her own will.

  “Did you tell Ross about our trip?” Carol questioned.

  “Nah, what for? We’re not talking so much anymore.”

  “He doesn’t really approve of your business, does he?” Andrea asked.

  Ella shrugged. She didn’t feel the freedom to share the whole confusing mangle of Ross happenings and thoughts with her friends. For once, she didn’t want them to know how she felt about a man. Usually, she told them everything—she’d always been a bit of a blabber-mouth, but this, she couldn’t. They would tell her to go for it. Even Pauline would. And she couldn’t. As much as a part of her really, really wanted to taste his lips again and find out if it stirred something in her once more, she could not have a relationship with Ross. She had to hang onto the tiny thread of friendship she still had with him. It was better than losing it all.

  “Tell me about your promotion, Carol.” She looked at her friend, intent on the road. “You must be over the moon.”

  The conversation promptly turned toward a much more positive and less-stressful direction. After chatting for half an hour and catching up on all their latest news, the girls settled down into a lazy rhythm with the road. Ella picked up one of the green books lying by her feet and began to read the tiny print on the yellowed pages with much difficulty. Soon, it became very easy to read and she got annoyed at any interruptions.

  Six long, leg-stiffening and bum-numbing hours later, they arrived in Bethal, and with the help of the GPS, found her Gran’s house. Ella went ahead to make sure Gran was in and knocked on the door while the others cleaned up their chocolate bar wrappers and crumbs in the car and gathered their belongings together.

  Gran opened the door with a big smile and a sweeping gesture to come inside. “Lovely to see you again, Ella. It’s been years.”

  “Gran, you look great. My friends are coming. They’re fetching the suitcases.”

  Twenty minutes later, the five females gathered around the large, wooden kitchen table complete with worn grain and stains and a vase of colourful flowers and greenery picked from her garden. A bowl of fruit sent a citrusy fragrance to them from the counter.

  Ella opened up The Album. “Gran, this is The Album.”

  Gran looked at it and smiled.

  “So you know about it?”

  “Very well.”

  Ella stared at her, trying to read her face to pick up how she felt about it. Seemed like a positive response.

  “We’re all ears,” Andrea said.

  “You all want to hear my boring family stories?” Gran filled a teapot with teabags and set out some pretty china teacups and saucers and a sponge cake with jam in the middle and cream on top.

  “Of course we do,” Carol added.

  Once the kettle was boiled, the teapot filled, and their plates made pretty with sponge cake, Gran spoke.

  “The Album belonged to my grandmother. She passed it down to my dad and he passed it down to Uncle Stan. They chose to give it to the oldest sibling each time, not very selective on who would take it. I was a little peeved, to put it lightly, that Uncle Stan inherited the antique instead of me.”

  Ella took a bite of the sponge and savoured the coloured sugar crystals on top of the cream. The contrast of textures and sweetness packed a punch. She took a sip of tea to wash it down. Perfect combination. Perfect Gran. The elderly lady still looked good—she had a healthy complexion and wore the prettiest clothes. Even though she wasn’t the slimmest, she held herself with strength and lots of spunk.

  Her friends watched the woman share her story with what seemed like full focus.

  “It sat at the top of his wardrobe for years, never got used. I used to ask him about it every time I went there to visit. Well, almost every time. Started to forget over the years. He always told me he intended to sell it one day and buy himself a famous oil painting instead.”

  “Oh, that would have been terrible,” Carol said.

  Ella tried to push out thoughts that maybe it would have been better if she’d never inherited the thing. Maybe then, the whole thing with Ross wouldn’t have happened, either. And she’d be less confused, not so exhausted.

  “Well, one day, he called me over. He told me he’d taken the thing down and had read through the letter for the first time. He wanted to try it but thought I should see it first. He suggested I call your aunt because she was having problems finding a man to marry. I refused to bring her with because I didn’t really believe it was magic. The only reason I wanted The Album was because I liked the way it looked. I wanted to set it in my display cabinet in the dining room.”

  “Oh, so you didn’t know what it could do?”

  Gran shook her head. “Uncle Stan never assumed ownership of it so I didn’t get to see it. When he passed it on to me, I found my gran’s story about it and that convinced me it may have some powers. I haven’t seen it at work but I eventually read through the green
books and have always dreamed of watching the magic. Did you get it to work, Ella?”

  Gran’s eyes shone with curiosity and excitement and she placed her teacup down, as if waiting for the answer with great hope.

  Ella nodded, feeling almost like she wasn’t worthy of having used the magic. “I’m helping people with it. We started a little business.”

  “Oh, my word. I’m astounded.”

  Ella smiled and tried to hide the emotional roller-coaster inside her. “Why did Uncle Stan give it to me, Gran?”

  “He didn’t. I did.”

  “Oh, that explains it,” Pauline said.

  “Why me?”

  “Well, you’re the grandchild I’ve formed the closest bond with.”

  Ella’s heart squeezed with love toward her granny. “But you know I’m not the most talented or responsible.”

  “I’ve always known you to be careful and gentle with people’s hearts. And doesn’t The Album need someone like that to take over it? I’m so glad you actually assumed ownership of the artefact. I would have been most disappointed if you’d stashed it away in a cupboard or set it on display as I always stupidly dreamed of doing.”

  “It works wonders.” Carol sighed. “Many people have found true love. Well, it’s too soon to see the full effect but we’ve had one happy customer write about their story in the local newspaper in Richards Bay.”

  Ella cringed. Her friends still saw all the positives and none of the concerns she had. Should she share them now or wait until she had time alone with Gran? When would she ever get time alone with her? She truly appreciated her friends accompanying her so she shouldn’t get all selfish on them. Maybe she should just let it all out. Well, about The Album, not Ross.

  “The Album is great.” Ella sucked in a breath.

  “But?” Gran raised an eyebrow at her.

  “It’s confusing. It’s like playing god and I don’t like it. I liked matchmaking when I was younger, but this is so real, it’s affecting people’s lives. It’s like the one client—she matches with every single guy on file except for Frankenstein.”

  Her friends laughed.

  “I call him that because his name’s Frank and he’s a monster. Can’t match him with a single woman. Anyway, Jane, my one client, she’s amazing. She seems to have successful relationships with every single guy. How do I choose which one? I’ve tried to study their lives and see which life each guy would offer her would be the best. They all look happy in different ways. Who am I to judge which is best for her? And…” She looked down and moved cake crumbs around her plate with the genuine silver cake fork. “What of the children? It’s like I’m going to cause certain children to be born on this planet. What if I orchestrate the next serial killer or instigator of World War III?”

  “But you’re not the only one choosing that kid,” Pauline said. “I mean, every man produces millions of sperm. It’s the exact time that the couple choose to have sex that decides what that child is going to turn out to be.”

  “There are dozens of factors that work towards it,” Carol added.

  “I suppose. But I’d be a big push toward one or the other.”

  “You can’t think of it like that,” Andrea added. “I mean, didn’t I tell you that you’re helping these couples be happy? It’s a good thing.”

  “When you look at it that way, how on Earth can The Album predict the future? There are thousands of choices made each day and thousands of factors that affect what happen in a person’s life. Is The Album seeing into the future, or is it just making a prediction?” Ella looked at Gran.

  The woman gave her a soft smile. “You think too deeply about it. And besides, who said you have to keep The Album? You can pass it on at any time.”

  She nodded. Was she ready to do that? Not quite yet.

  “And it promised good things to come to me. I haven’t really seen that yet.”

  “It’s only been two months.” Pauline cocked an eyebrow.

  Gran got up to put the kettle on again. “Do you know that my gran used it and she found love during that time?”

  Everyone glanced at Gran. The way she spoke about the past made Ella yearn to know more.

  “She worked from her parents’ farmhouse in the Transkei and the local people used to come to her. They loved it—thought she was some type of sangoma—tribal witchdoctor. She found my grandpa during that time. He came to work on the farm and they fell in love. She never used The Album on herself or anyone close to her.”

  Ella nodded. “Yes, I couldn’t use it on Carol. Pauline, I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have tried it with your picture.”

  “Why? It was a good thing to be rid of the jerk.”

  Carol shook her head vigorously. “Ella could have seen my future, like when I would die or any difficult times in my life. She didn’t want that.”

  Andrea, Pauline, and her gran gasped.

  “Of course.” Gran reached out and squeezed Ella’s hand. “A wise decision.”

  They continued to talk about The Album and love, easing out of the topic into general things. Although her questions hadn’t been addressed directly, Ella felt more at peace about using the gift given to her. If her gran believed in it and had given it to her, she must be the right person to use it. She just had to let go and believe in herself. Yeah, she’d been unable to find love for herself or her friends, but maybe The Album could teach her a thing or two about life and people.

  She rested into the chair and delighted in the easy conversation between her best friends and one of her favourite relatives.