‘I realised afterwards that I kinda invited myself along this evening and that might have been out of order. I can come back another time just to take a look, if it’s inconvenient.’
‘Hey, you are doing me a huge favour and I would have suggested the same thing if you hadn’t. Come in, please.’
‘Maya, when will you be finished?’ I call out, leaving Luke to wrestle with the laces on his boots. Silence reigns.
‘Do you mind if I wash my face and hands? I have a towel, so I’m not going to leave mortar everywhere, promise.’ He indicates a backpack slung from one shoulder.
‘That’s fine, of course. There’s a cloakroom leading off the utility room. Help yourself.’
Maya still hasn’t answered me.
‘Maya, are you on your iPad?’
I’m expecting her to shout down, but she’s in her bedroom and from the dull thumping, she probably has her Disney CD playing. When I go up to check, popping my head around the door discreetly, she’s at her desk writing. I back out slowly, not wanting to disturb her, and creep back downstairs.
Luke has changed his trousers and shirt, which surprises me, and I look at him with a smile.
‘I always carry something a bit tidy in the van, just in case. I’ve also had the odd occasion when I’ve worked until late on an empty property and ended up sleeping on the floor. A change of clothes is essential in this business.’ As he smiles his eyes twinkle and I hadn’t noticed that before. He seems more relaxed this evening, maybe enjoying the fact that the working day is over at last.
‘It can’t be easy working up so high all the time, in all weathers. Please, take a seat. What would you like to drink? Hot, cold or something alcoholic? I have wine and beer.’
Instead of pulling out a chair he stands there looking at the table and clears his throat.
‘Um, where would you prefer me to sit?’
At that precise moment Maya appears, letter in hand. It’s one of those split seconds where everything and nothing happens all at once. No one moves but I glance at Maya, who glances across at Luke, whose eyes nervously seek out my own, before we both return our gaze to Maya.
‘You can sit in my chair if you like and I’ll sit in Daddy’s chair. Mum, I have my letter.’
She walks past us both, placing the hand-written envelope on the table. Then she slides one of the place settings around in front of Niall’s seat and hoists herself up onto the chair.
‘Is it nearly ready, because I’m starving?’ she states, quite casually, unaware of the way Luke and I are watching in amazement.
With that, I give Luke an encouraging nod and he walks across to sit down next to Maya.
‘What are you hoping Santa will bring you this year, then, Maya?’
It’s not a straightforward question and, with a lot of seriousness, Maya begins to explain that she’s between toys; too old for dolls and too young for her own real computer. The look on Luke’s face is priceless. I’m sure he was just being polite, but what follows is a critique of the most popular toys and why Maya wouldn’t be pleased to find them under the tree on Christmas Day.
Out of Maya’s line of sight I hold up a beer in one hand and a bottle of white wine in the other. Luke nods in the direction of the beer and I carry two across to the table, together with an apple juice for Maya.
‘It’s serious stuff, then,’ Luke says in earnest to Maya. ‘What if he gets it wrong?’
‘Oh, he won’t. He brought me my iPad last year and I didn’t make up my mind about that until Christmas Eve. I nearly had a bike, but Mummy said it was a bit difficult to have one here because of the hill.’
‘Sensible decision. Anyway, what’s the final verdict, then, for this year?’
‘A piano.’
I look at Maya, stunned. A piano? Where on earth did that come from? She doesn’t know how to play the piano and, unless they’ve been doing it at school, I wasn’t aware she’d ever seen one up close. Luke can see I’m speechless and begins to laugh.
‘Well, I’m sure whatever Santa brings you will be the right thing. Don’t you agree, Elana?’
I nod enthusiastically, wondering how on earth I’m going to talk her out of this idea. Besides, I have other plans for her Christmas present.
It’s funny how with children you worry about the things that you perceive are likely to upset them. Then they totally surprise you. Maya chattered away quite easily, as did Luke, and the meal passed very pleasantly. It was actually nice having some company. Usually we only get that when we’re away from home, as I still shy away from inviting people here. Who wants to eat surrounded by a hollow room with bare floors and a thin layer of powdery dust covering everything you touch?
Fortunately, Luke takes it all in his stride and he even distracts Maya when I slip Santa’s envelope off the table and onto my lap.
Chapter 10
Luke
A Working Arrangement
Kids are funny at times, and I don’t mean in a humorous way. Clearly, Elana and Maya don’t have many dinner guests and I’m sure there are several reasons for that. But Maya was so relaxed over dinner earlier on, as if it was the most natural thing in the world for me to be here. In truth, I’d spent most of the day on the roof being mad at myself for making such a stupid suggestion. I only said it because it’s easier to help Elana out if I do it in my own time – not that Dad would mind, I’m sure, but I’d feel better about it. There didn’t seem any point in driving all the way back to the flat, only to return later, but even I was surprised when I casually invited myself for dinner.
I’d been mulling it over all afternoon and ended up thinking that I had made a big mistake. Two, in fact. First of all Elana might think I fancy her, or something, hence the inappropriate suggestion. Secondly, either Maya, or Elana, could have had a meltdown if I was the first male to sit down at the table with them since their loss. Did I need to worry? Not at all.
In fact, Maya has only just gone upstairs, after some coaxing from Elana, to get ready for bed. She’s going to have some iPad time instead of reading, which I gather is a treat, while we make a start down here.
I’m waiting for Elana to come back down, as I don’t want to go poking around on my own.
It’s a credit to her that although it is a work in progress there’s still a very comfortable feel to this cottage. She’s tried to soften the ugliness by painting it white throughout and the colourful rugs add a fun element. With only the side lights on, the unevenness of the walls and the fact that the windows badly need replacing isn’t quite so obvious. You don’t even notice the bare patches of concrete in between the splashes of colour. She’s a homemaker, that’s for sure. A twinge in my chest reminds me that I didn’t choose a homemaker to settle down with. Anita feels that things should be done for her, that life owes her something. I tried to explain that the deposit on the apartment took everything I had and after that we could only buy things as we could afford them. I worked a lot of overtime to get the basics, but my absence seemed to annoy her even more. And then, of course, she was disappointed that we could only afford to buy the more reasonably priced stuff. Every penny had to stretch as far as we could make it.
I guess Elana is in much the same position, although her situation is entirely different. Elana asked how soon she could get the chimney swept and start using the fire again. When I told her it takes about twenty-eight days for the mortar to cure, both of their faces fell. I’m not sure what that was about, but it didn’t go down well. It’s not as if it’s needed for extra heat, so I guess there’s a bit more to it.
‘Right, sorry about that,’ Elana traipses down the stairs, stopping on the last step to put her dusty slipper socks back on.
‘Those will be a thing of the past, soon,’ I comment and she looks up, smirking.
‘If only!’
‘Two very powerful words, there. I spend most of my days thinking the same thing.’
Damn it! Why did I say that? I’ve been sitting here letting everything get
to me again and this isn’t the time, or the place.
Elana flicks the switch on the kettle. ‘Time for coffee, I think. I know what it’s like, Luke. Don’t feel awkward.’
Our eyes meet and I nod, because we both understand it’s all about acceptance.
‘Right, I’ll grab my clipboard.’
As I walk off into the dining/study area to grab my back pack, Elana explains her dilemma.
‘I know I can only afford to get a few things done, but as I’m not sure when I’ll get another influx of spare cash, it’s going to be tough deciding what can, or should, wait. I have to make the decision with my head and not my heart, if you know what I mean.’
‘Do you have the original survey report handy, by any chance?’
‘I’ll dig it out. Here you go: coffee is on the side table.’
As Elana disappears back upstairs, I move out into the sitting room with clipboard and pencil in hand. On closer inspection most of the walls aren’t in a poor condition, exactly, they’re just not totally smooth as in a new property. All of the wood seems to be sound, although there’s a little woodworm in one of the overhead beams, but none of it is active. There doesn’t appear to be any damp, but the window frames are rotten and they all need replacing. The fireplace isn’t original and is in good condition. As I walk around I continue making notes.
By the time I walk back through into the open-plan area, Elana is sitting at the table with the report.
‘Great, let’s have a look.’
I take the seat next to her and we both lean over the document, scanning the pages for anything that jumps out.
‘Ah, the woodworm.’ I point to the paragraph and Elana nods.
‘Yes, we had the wood treated before we moved in, just in case anything was still live.’
‘Good, even if it’s old stuff it’s always best in a property of this age.’
By the end of the document, I only have two concerns.
‘There are some blown areas of plaster under the stairs. I noticed it when I turned the outside tap valve on and it’s mentioned in here. It also talks about similar areas across that back wall. Let’s take a closer look.’
I drain my coffee mug and then grab the clipboard, heading off to take a look at the under- stairs cupboard.
Crouching down with the door open, there’s no smell of damp. I turn on my small pocket light and train it on the back wall.
‘Elana, if you look over there you can see that there’s no visible signs of mould, or anything that indicates water ingress. This hollow plaster will need to be hacked away, I’m afraid. But let’s check further along the wall.’ I stand up and walk her over to the bottom of the staircase.
‘If we pull out this unit I think you’ll find similar problems along the entire run. I had a look at the ground levels outside this morning and I’d say that in the past the level outside has been lowered to cure a persistent damp problem. The exterior wall was then treated, but over time the moisture left in the wall has affected the bonding of the plaster in a few places.’
Sure enough, as I ease the cabinet forward and begin tapping the wall, I demonstrate the difference in sound between plaster that is firmly attached, and the hollow sound where the moisture has forced the plaster away from it.
Elana gives me a grimace.
‘I had no idea there was even a problem. Is it difficult to fix?’
‘Don’t panic. This is minor stuff and there are people who will ignore the problem until it spreads, cracks, and eventually a chunk of plaster falls off. It’s a messy job hacking off the blown areas, but once it’s been patched you’d have a sound surface to re-paint.’
The worry line on her forehead deepens.
We move on into the kitchen, which is the easiest room. The newly fitted units are fine. The areas that need tiling above the work tops are sound and the ceilings throughout have been replaced. It then takes about twenty minutes to measure up the downstairs to get the square meterage for the flooring. And then we’re done.
‘The good news is that there are no really nasty surprises here. And the survey report confirms that. Shall we take a seat and start making that list so you can prioritise the work?’
***
An hour and a half later Elana seems relieved that although she’s only going to get a few things done within her five thousand pound budget, she has a good grasp of the outstanding jobs.
‘Thank you for explaining things in detail, Luke. It really helps. I didn’t know where to start, if I’m being honest.’
‘Hey, it’s my job. If you are happy to accept that the plaster has to be remedied first, then it will probably take about a week in total, with drying time, before you can paint over it. However, that won’t stop me from laying the flooring, assuming you pick something that is a stock item. It’s a pity you don’t have enough money to replace the downstairs windows, too, as that will be quite a messy job at some point in the future. But it’s a costly one.’
‘I think I need a strong coffee, will you join me?’ She’s frowning again, but maybe she has a headache. It’s been a lot to take in.
‘That would be great, thanks.’
‘I’ll just pop up to check on Maya – can you carry these biscuits through to the sitting room? We might as well make ourselves comfortable. Back in a couple of minutes.’
I watch her walk across to the staircase, stooping to take off those dusty socks, and then taking each step carefully to move soundlessly up to check on her daughter.
Even though they are two instead of three, this is still a good life for them both. It’s not perfect, but Elana is clearly a survivor.
I head off to the sitting room, put the small tray on the coffee table and then make my way out to the downstairs cloakroom, phone in hand.
‘Dad, it’s me. I’m at Bay Tree still, so I’ll be quick. The lady asked me to price up the outstanding work. She only has a small budget, so she can’t afford to have all of it done immediately. Is there anything we can do for her?’
‘This is the widow lady, right?’
‘Yep.’
‘Up to you, my son. There’s always flexibility in the price if you’re prepared to do it yourself, or I can help out. If it requires Andy or Greg’s involvement, then obviously it has to be the going rate. It’s the extra petrol, pulling them off other jobs, etc. You know the score.’
‘Thanks, Dad. I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.’
When I return to the sitting room Elana is curled up on the sofa, having changed into leggings and an over-sized jumper. I don’t make a comment because it’s not my place, but she looks very different. Amazing, even.
‘She’s sound asleep. I needed to get out of my work clothes, too. I hope you don’t mind. It’s time to relax.’
‘It’s a long day when you have a kiddie around. That had never crossed my mind before Joe came along.’
I lower myself onto the sofa opposite her, taking the mug of coffee she’s holding out to me.
‘Here’s to an action plan,’ she says, raising her own mug in the air and I do the same.
‘Look, I’ll be straight with you. Most of the work here is stuff I can do without any help. Labour is costly and usually the only way to save money is on the materials. Like you have cheaper flooring, or things are made good rather than being replaced. I think we can help each other out a little here.’
I hope that didn’t come across as sounding dodgy. Her reaction is merely a blink, she’s still curled up and hugging the coffee mug in her hands as if to warm them.
‘Sounds interesting. Tell me more.’
I lean forward, placing my mug back onto the tray and clear my throat.
‘I have a lot of free time, except for Saturdays. Being able to earn a little money on the side would be very helpful at this moment in time. You’ll get more for your money because I won’t have to charge you the firm’s usual hourly rate IF you’re prepared for me to work outside of normal hours.’
Elana is watching me,
her eyes scanning my face.
‘But it’s a family business you work in, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, and that presents another problem. We’re committed right through until early March. Admittedly, after that we could then have two people working here, but it’s still a wait.’
‘Ah, and you’ve just been kind enough to sort my other issues, which have, no doubt, put you behind on the jobs you should have been attending to instead. Luke, I’m really sorry I didn’t think this through and I don’t want to cause any problems for you with the family business.’
‘Hey, I said we could help each other. Dad’s more than happy for me to do work on the side, because we actually turn a lot of work away. But I can’t do it in the firm’s time, as obviously we have wages to pay and overheads. What I do in my own time I can charge you for at a very reasonable hourly rate. We can see how far we can make that budget of yours stretch.’
Elana’s eyes are wide open and I can almost hear her thoughts churning away inside her head.
‘And this is of mutual benefit? You don’t mind spending your relaxation time doing more of the same?’
‘I don’t exactly have much to do outside of work these days and, if I’m being honest, I need every penny I can get. Are we on?’
‘It looks like we have a deal, then.’ Once again she raises her mug in a toast and as our eyes meet what I see reflected back at me is a genuine smile. I realise a weight has just been lifted from her shoulders. As our mugs chink, it’s good to see the sense of relief reflected in her body language as she begins to relax.
Chapter 11
Luke
The Best-Laid Plans
‘Luke, I’ll put you on Hillside View’s conservatory job in January, alongside Greg. I’ve scheduled it to start the first day back after the Christmas holidays. You’ll be there for two weeks, so at least it will mean no additional travelling if you are still sorting out Bay Tree.’
‘Thanks, Dad. It just seemed like the right thing to do and the money will come in handy.’
‘I thought you had that software thing to test? Have you gone cold on the idea?’
Christmas at Bay Tree Cottage Page 6
