Composing Love

by Ronni Meyrick

  Sarah pointed to the closest recycling bin. “Thanks, love, I was going to do that before I left. I always make sure she’s tidy.”

  Billy plodded over to the bin and deposited the wilted debris. I wonder exactly how many days a week she comes here? She returned to her aunt’s side and sat down on the small patch of grass with her.

  Sarah leaned her head on Billy’s arm and patted her knee. “I know we talked about how to handle your grief earlier. This is one of my ways, and believe it or not. it helps. I know she can’t answer back, but it’s nice to think she’s listening.”

  “Perhaps I should try it before I leave.”

  “She’d like that.” Sarah kissed her fingers and placed them to the headstone. “See you in a couple of days, Kate. I need to get over to Jim and Diane’s for this barbecue. Lord, I hope none of us get food poisoning again.”

  “It had nothing to do with Mum’s cooking. It was the butcher’s fault.” Billy rose and held a hand out to her aunt and pulled her up. “He supplied the whole village with dodgy meat that weekend, and there were a lot of other people as miserable as you were.” She followed Sarah’s example and placed a kiss on the stone. “See you in a few days, Kate.”

  As they walked out of the cemetery, Sarah slipped her arm through Billy’s. “I know it wasn’t Di’s fault we all got sick. But I still like to tease her about it.”

  “You and Dad both. I just thank the stars above I was in Italy at the time. I couldn’t afford a week down with salmonella poisoning.” She shuddered in revulsion at the memory of the phone calls back home and how utterly unhappy her family was.

  “I’ll follow you to Di and Jim’s,” Sarah announced and stepped up onto the foot rail of her big truck.

  Billy jumped into her car and drove off, leaving her aunt behind. When she pulled into the driveway a few minutes later, her mother was waiting for her. Her foot tapped impatiently and she pointed to her wristwatch.

  “I know I’m late. I’m sorry!” She scrambled from the car and handed her mother the keys when she raced past her. “There are some presents in the boot for Lou and Brandon. Can you ask Dad to get them out and start putting them together while I take a shower?”

  “You spoil them!” Diane shook her head as she walked through the house and handed the keys to her husband with their daughter’s instructions.

  Billy took the fastest shower in history. Wrapped in a towel, she hurried back into the bedroom to find clean clothes. Once she was dressed in fresh jeans and a clean black sports bra, she took a towel to her unruly mop of short black curls and rubbed them vigorously.

  A knock rapped against the door a second before it opened.

  “Billy, Natalia call—” Diane walked into the room and stopped dead.

  She saw where her mother’s eyes were directed: the tattoo on her shoulder. “Mum, what’s wrong?”

  “I didn’t realise you had so many tattoos.” She took a step toward her daughter and turned her back around to get a closer look at the one she’d had done for Katie. “Oh, Bill, this is beautiful.” Her eyes widened as Billy turned in a small circle. “Jesus, exactly how many tattoos have you got?”

  Billy did a rough count-up. “Six. But they’re really tasteful.”

  Diane’s right eyebrow rose and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Show me.”

  “I have my anklet.” She lifted her foot and pointed to the black and grey barbed wire chain that wrapped around her leg. “I had it done while I was at the Royal Academy of Music.” She moved her arm and pointed to the black and grey Celtic cross. “That was my final year at RAM; it was my graduation present to myself.” She pulled the back of her jeans lower to reveal the intricate Celtic healing band. It stretched from the middle of her back, in between her hips, to the top of her butt checks. The basic colours were black and green.

  The show and tell of her tattoos continued for another ten minutes. But she saved the best for last. She stretched her right arm above her head and revealed the art on her side. It ran from under her right armpit down her body and ended on the top of her thigh.

  “This one is special to me. I was presented with the design from a Kaumatua, a Maori elder, who was there with family to see a show I conducted in Wellington, New Zealand. Each piece, even though it seems to be only one, means something different. They designed this for me. It represents harmony, prosperity, the joining together of my family to theirs, good luck, talent, achievement, and a spiritual guardian.” Billy ran her fingertips down the black design. Some of the pink of her skin tone could be seen through the elaborate motif and added depth.

  “It must have been quite an honour.” Diane bent closer to study it in more detail. “What possessed you to get so many?” She laughed and slapped Billy’s toned abs. “This reminds me of the time I had to scrub you for near on two weeks to remove the permanent marker you and Katie deemed ‘a good idea’ to plaster all over your body. It would’ve been okay, but you had to choose the week your school portraits were being taken.”

  Billy’s gaze landed on the photo in question on the bookcase. They’d refused to sit for singular shots and demanded they be taken together. In the picture they had their cheeks pressed together. One half of a black heart was on Katie’s left cheek, the other on Billy’s right. A single tear escaped down her face as she stared at the photograph.

  “We had a wonderful childhood. I know we caused a little aggravation and worry, but I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I wish Katie was here to remember things with me.” She slipped her t-shirt over her head and wiped her face with the discarded towel she’d left on the bed.

  Diane stepped up to her and put her hands on Billy’s cheeks. “I know she’s not here to share them, but you know she’d be roaring with laughter. You have your memories of her, love. Cherish those and live each day with her memory in your heart.”

  “You’re right. Thanks, Mum.” She hugged and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, we need to prepare for the whirling dervishes to arrive.”

  She followed her mother down the stairs. They were near the bottom when the front door flew open and her excited niece and nephew ran through it. Louise’s hair had come loose from her ponytail in places and blonde curly ringlets hung from the back. They sprinted through the house yelling Billy’s name. The tall frame of her brother filled the doorway and he grinned at her.

  “They obviously didn’t see me standing here.” She jumped down the three remaining stairs and flung herself into her brother’s arms. “Hey, big brother, it’s good to see you.”

  “You look good, Bill.” Tim patted his sister hard on the back twice as he desperately clung to her. “Brandon’s been driving me nuts since yesterday. He wanted to come over as soon as you got here. I knew Mum and Dad had made plans with you, so I had to persuade him to wait another day.”

  Another set of arms went around Billy’s middle, causing her to flinch. The arms tightened and she felt the breath being squeezed out of her. Natalia always did squeeze like a python when she was hugging.

  “Nat, I need to breathe,” she spluttered as she coughed out the words. The hold on her weakened and she could finally draw in some much-needed oxygen.

  “I know I get over-excited, but I didn’t want you to start a family hug without your baby sister. I guess I need to work on a softer touch.” Natalia took a step back and grasped her sister’s arms with her hands, her gaze wandering up and down Billy’s body. “You’ve lost weight. And Lou’s been bugging me, too. I think the two little monkeys have been conspiring against us and hatched some kind of plan to get us here earlier.”

  Her siblings had raised amazing children, even though it had not always been easy for them. Tim and Natalia regretted the day their partners April and Dean were introduced to one another. It had taken them six months to leave them for each other. Natalia was left with a newborn to look after and Tim had a six-month-old to raise. Brandon and Lou were so close, people thought they were siblings. She had to admit she’d never met two
closer cousins. They were fiercely protective of each other but could also fight like cat and dog at the drop of a hat.

  The strong aroma of charcoal burning in the grill filled the house. Billy led them through to the kitchen. She hadn’t take one step out the backdoor before she was knocked backwards as Louise and Brandon flew into her, taking her down in a tackle that any rugby player would be proud of.

  When she looked up, she saw the concerned face of her mother.

  “Louise! Brandon! That is no way to treat your aunt. You need to be car—” She stopped when she received a death glare from her daughter.

  “Mum! I’m fine. I think they’re pleased to see me and couldn’t put the brakes on fast enough. Nobody is hurt. No harm, no foul.”

  Louise snuggled closer and laid her head on Billy’s chest. “We missed you!”

  Reaching forward, she kissed each of their foreheads and patted their backs. “I missed you guys, too. Now, if you’ll let me up, we can go into the garden to see what Gramps is working on. I think you’re going to like it!”

  As she passed her brother and sister, she motioned with her head to the door. Each of her hands was occupied with smaller ones as they tugged her out to the side of the house and towards the back of the garage.

  “Oh, Billy, what have you done?” Natalia’s words came out on a sigh when she saw the frame their father was working on.

  Dual screams and squeals echoed in the closed in space as Lou and Brandon saw what their gramps was doing. They danced around chanting thank you and we love you while she melted into a puddle. She stopped their antics with a hand on the top of their heads and made them stand still.

  “I love you both. Try not to lose these or trade them for something stupid.” Her last comment was directed at Brandon, who turned a cute shade of red up to the tips of his ears.

  Another squeal, comparable to Lou’s, sounded from behind her. She turned and saw Natalia running to Aunt Sarah.

  “I’ll get us some drinks.” Diane put her hand on Billy’s back and directed her towards the glass-top table and rattan chairs.

  Sarah, Natalia, and Tim joined her. Soon she was holding a bottle of non-alcoholic beer. She narrowed her eyes at her mother. “What’s this?”

  “With your blood pressure problem, I thought you’d want to stay away from the booze.”

  Before she could reply, her phone vibrated in her pocket, which halted the few choice words that were on the tip of her tongue. She peeked at the screen and accepted the call.

  “Hi, Vanessa, how are you?” She sat and listened with rapt attention to her manager. “I need another week on the film score. I’ll send it to the producer as soon as it’s done.”

  “Good. They want you in New York soon after so you can work with an orchestra to record it.”

  She glanced up at her mum and made a scrawling motion in the air with her hand and then down at the table, indicating she needed a pen and paper. “We knew that was coming, and I can’t wait.”

  “Excellent! I’ve already taken care of your travel arrangements. You leave in nine days for a ten-day cruise. There’s a quick stop in Lisbon, Portugal, to pick up some more passengers. Then there’s nothing but the sun and open sea. There’ll be nothing to do but enjoy the rays and atmosphere around you.”

  “Oh wow, that sounds good. What else can you tell me about it?” She wrote some notes on the paper that had been thrust at her. She’d use the notes to research the cruise when she got off the phone. “Thanks, Ness.” On the top of the paper, underlined, was the name of the ship: The Princess Royal.

  “You sound more relaxed already. Being home is good for you. What have you been up to today?”

  She described her morning. The thought of Claret filled her heart once more. Riding was so peaceful it was almost spiritual. A high-pitched squeal made her cringe and she shielded the phone from the noise Lou was making. “We’re having a family barbecue tonight and it’s going to get a little rowdy, I suspect.” Billy leaned back in her chair and picked her beer bottle up. The sound of her friend’s laughter made Billy smile.

  “I’ll leave you to get on with that.”

  “Oh, before you go, there’s one thing you can do for me. I wish I’d thought of it earlier, but I got carried away at the stables.” She stood and walked away from the table and the prying eyes and ears of her family and headed to the bottom of the garden for some privacy. “Can you please order a large bouquet of mixed-coloured roses and have them delivered to Elizabeth Knight? Include this message:

  Thank you for cheering me up yesterday morning with the newspaper. It made my day. Also, thanks for your concern after the performance. I’m recovering at home in Sussex with my family and I’m getting back to my old self.

  I look forward to working with you again.

  Best Wishes,

  Billy C.

  XXX”

  A few seconds of silence filled the air. “Did you get that, Ness?”

  “Erm, yeah. Are you sure about this, Billy?”

  “Yes, it’s a little thank you. Please, send the flowers and don’t harass me about it.” She could feel the heat in her face and knew her cheeks were turning from a healthy pink to a blotchy crimson colour.

  Without further comment about Elizabeth Knight, they finished their call.

  Before she returned to the others, she went back inside to retrieve her iPad from her briefcase. When she sat back down, she typed the details into the search engine and found the holiday she was going on.

  Tim went to help his father assemble the bikes she’d bought the children. Natalia, Sarah, and her mother peered over her shoulders as she scrolled through the pages of information.

  The virtual tour of the ship was impressive. Lavish and luxurious were the two words that sprang to mind. The carpets for each of the decks were different colours, but definitely of high quality. The walls were a myriad of colours with different pieces of artwork adorning them. There were two swimming pools, one inside and one out. A casino, cabaret lounge, gym, and cinema were also on board. It also boasted several different restaurants, a couple of bars, and a nightclub.

  This looks like just the thing I need.

  “I can see a girly shopping trip in our futures!” Natalia bounced in her chair.

  Diane picked the iPad up and pressed a few links on the screen. “Please tell me you leave in nine days.”

  “Yes, I do. Why?” She stretched up and tried to get a sneak peek at the screen.

  “It’s an LGBT cruise! You might meet someone on board.”

  She held her hands up and shook her head. “I’ve told you all before! My ideal woman will come into my life when she sees fit, and I’ll know who she is when it happens. Until then, please don’t go on about it!” Her raised voice drew looks from the children, her brother, and her father.

  I need a quick change of topic. She surged upwards from her chair and walked back inside to collect her rucksack. She rummaged around in the back compartment and produced two envelopes. “I got these for you and Dad. All you need to do is collect them when you’re next there.”

  Diane took the card with her name on and opened it. She covered her mouth and her eyes sparkled as she let out a muffled yelp of joy. “Oh, Billy, I can’t believe it. Thank you!” She rounded the table and hugged her daughter. “Your dad will be so envious when he finds out.”

  Billy chuckled and patted the second envelope on the table. “He shouldn’t be. He has the exact same gift.”

  Diane stood tall and looked at her husband. “Jim! Our daughter has bought us both a gift. I think you’re going to want to stop what you’re doing and come check this out!”

  When he arrived at the table he was wiping his hands on a greasy rag. Billy handed him his gift, picked her beer bottle up, and saluted them both with it.

  Jim opened his envelope. When he read the card, he hollered and danced a small jig with Diane around the garden, but he still mildly protested. “This is too expensive, Billy.”

  “N
o, it isn’t. I know how you and Mum have been eyeing up the full sets of Ping clubs, so I thought I’d take the decision out of your hands. William at the golf course is holding them for you and told me which ones you’ve been salivating over.” She yelped as her father hugged her. He seized her face in his hands and left a loud, sloppy kiss on her cheek.

  “Thank you so much!”

  Diane grabbed the back of his shirt as he pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “Oh no you don’t, old man! There are two hyperactive seven-year-olds over there waiting for you to finish their bikes. Our golf clubs will still be there tomorrow. We can pick them up and take them onto the driving range and course to try them out.”

  Billy, Sarah, and Natalia doubled over with laughter at the wounded little-boy expression on his face.

  Within the hour, the garden was full of excited giggles from the children, the air was perfumed with the aroma of charcoal and cooking meat, and Billy sat watching her family while enjoying another drink. A smile of contentment fell over her lips and she laid her head back on the lawn chair and sighed. “Oh, this is the life. If only I could find a woman who would love this part of the country, the horses, and my family as much as I do.”

  ***

  The soundproof room Elizabeth had built into her apartment was an excellent idea. It meant that while she was doing her vocal exercises, she wouldn’t bother any of her neighbours. It would be a different matter if she lived in the middle of nowhere. Then she’d be able to train whenever she wanted anywhere in the house without worrying about disturbing anyone.

  A light on the wall flashed, indicating that the front doorbell had been pressed. She stepped out of the room as its final chime rang loudly through the hallway, but Jane had beat her to it. She was already out of her study and was on her way to answer it.

  Elizabeth walked back into the room to complete the last phase of the scale she was singing. The single rule she had was that if the door was shut then she wasn’t to be disturbed. She opened her mouth to let her first note out when the door banged open.