by S J Crabb
Jack snorts beside me. “Trust you, Ariadne. I’m not sure this is what Aunt Alice had in mind when she set you this challenge.”
Shrugging, she plugs in her earbuds and says smugly, “Just making the most of a bad situation. To be honest, I’m quite enjoying myself.”
By now we’ve reached the motorway and James shouts, “Bloody M25! Look, the traffic’s only going about 10mph. It will be Monday before we get there.”
Amanda sighs. “It will soon start moving. Just stay in the same lane and we’ll get there.”
James shouts, “Stop telling me how to drive.”
He starts dodging the traffic by changing lanes and every time he slams on the brakes; we fall forward to many loud angry horns behind us.
Amanda yells, “James, I told you to stay in the same lane. You won’t get there any faster. That lorry was behind us a minute ago and now it’s five in front.”
James tightens his lips and starts banging the steering wheel. “Whose idea was this, anyway? The last thing I want to do is spend my Sunday on the M25.”
Jack groans. “Same here.”
Amanda says angrily, “Stop moaning. You know why we’re going. Anyway, there’s a service station ahead, we can stop and grab a coffee to go and some flowers for Aunt Alice.”
James yells. “We’ve only just left home, why do you want to stop now?”
Amanda says slightly guiltily, “Because we need petrol, anyway.”
The silence is tense as we wait for James to blow his very short fuse and he says in a calm, controlled, voice, laced with steel, “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
Amanda sighs. “You’ve got eyes, haven’t you? Why didn’t you notice when you started the engine? Goodness James, must I think of everything?”
I think I’m losing the will to live as James pulls the car angrily across three lanes to reach the slip road to the service station. Nobody dares speak as he screeches into a space and says tightly, “Go and get your coffees, magazines, sweets, take a natural break and do what the bloody hell you want to because this is the freaking last time I’m stopping until we get there.”
Quickly, we all hurry inside the services, grateful for some fresh air. By the time we get to the car and then fill up with petrol, we have only gone a few miles in one hour. As James starts the car to pull back out onto the motorway, Godfrey shouts, “Are we there yet?”
Five voices shout back angrily, “Shut up Godfrey.”
23
One hour and thirty minutes later, after the most excruciating journey, we pull up outside a house that I can only describe as belonging in Midsomer Murders. Crumbling bricks are decorated with trailing ivy holding them together and a garden that was once great wraps around the property. There is no sound other than birds singing beautifully in the old oak trees that dominate a garden that has seen better days. Briefly, I wonder why Aunt Alice doesn’t spend her money on herself because this house needs a complete overhaul.
We all pile out of the car and I’m just grateful to stretch my legs because even though there was a lot of room in the back of the car, I feel as if I was born there due to the interminable length of that journey.
I watch with amusement as Ariadne takes a selfie of herself and Godfrey and hashtags the life out of the picture for Instagram. #familydaysout #mylove #familymatters #lovemyman #memories are now plastered over cyberspace reminding the rest of the world what life’s all about.
James and Amanda lead us forward and knock on the large wooden door that hides under a crumbling porch.
However, the lady who answers the door is nothing like I imagined. Standing before us, beaming happily, is possibly the healthiest pensioner I have ever met.
Aunt Alice is tall and willowy and appears to be dressed in fitness gear. She is wearing lycra leggings with an oversized sweatshirt and her grey hair is held back by an Alice band. Her eyes shine with excitement and I find myself smiling with genuine warmth as she beams around at us all. “Welcome, come in, come in, don’t stand on ceremony.”
She ushers us inside and I look around with interest. Bare wooden floors, hold in place antique furniture that was probably once considered chic and designer. Now, however, it could use a good coat of Annie Sloan paint to bring it up to speed with the modern world. Dark panelling creates a gloomy entrance and the rest of the house isn’t much better.
As we follow her into her living room, I can smell the mustiness that comes with age as I take in the large tapestries on the walls and the silver polished candlesticks and photo frames set around the room. The settee is woven with intricate bird and flower designs and looks as if it holds all the dust of the past in its cushions. I wish I’d taken an antihistamine because this much dust is sure to bring out my allergies.
There are none of the modern conveniences we take for granted here. Old wall lights hug the walls, looking as if they are on their last legs, under their yellowing shades with fringing around them. The ancient TV that sits on a side table looks at us apologetically from the corner of the room and I wonder if it’s even a colour one. French doors lead to an impressive garden that looks as if it went to seed years ago and I can see the crumbling walls holding the lawn back from the stone patio that has weeds growing up between the slabs.
Ariadne wrinkles up her nose and briefly dusts a cushion off before perching on the edge of the sofa. Amanda looks at Aunt Alice and smiles. “Let me help you with the refreshments.”
Aunt Alice waves her away and looks across at me and smiles. “You must be Nelly. Jack told me you would be here. Let me look at you.”
I can feel the attention shift in the room onto me and feel like shrivelling up in a ball of embarrassment as I stand quivering under her razor-sharp stare. “Lovely my dear, why don’t you come and help me bring in the tea things?”
Nodding, I bypass an irritated Amanda and follow Aunt Alice towards a kitchen that should be in a museum. Formica must have been the height of luxury once because this kitchen is fashioned entirely from it. However, I instantly fall in love with Aunt Alice because as soon as we get inside the room, she closes the door and rolls her eyes. “There, that should keep the nutters out.”
As I look at her in surprise, she giggles adorably. “They may be my family, Nelly but they are an acquired taste. You look fairly normal so I thought I’d rescue you for a bit. That journey must have driven you to drink.”
Shaking my head, I wonder if this is a test and murmur, “No, it was fine. Thank you for inviting me, you are very kind.”
She waves my comment away and her eyes flash mischievously. “It’s ok, dear, you can drop the act. I know my family and they’re the reason I hide out here in the sticks. Amanda may be my sister’s daughter, God rest her soul, but she’s always been a spoilt little bitch and as for that idiot she married, well, let’s just say she could have done better. It’s no wonder their children turned out the way they did, although…” She winks and grins. “I do have hope for them. Maybe it’s not too late and they will redeem themselves. I’m certainly hoping, anyway.”
She starts to gather the drinks onto a tray and I say politely. “You have a lovely home.”
Laughing, she fixes me with the look of a woman who can smell a lie from another county. “It’s a hovel, darling. To be honest, I try not to come home much at all. Most of the time I live in Miami in a modern apartment by the sea. Much more my thing but occasionally I have to come home to settle my affairs as they say.”
I look at her with interest. “You live in Miami. That’s amazing.”
She nods. “It is. When my husband died, I couldn’t get on the plane quickly enough. I’ve always loved it there. So alive and vibrant and full of interesting people. To be honest, I want to live there full time but circumstances dictate I should spend some time here. So, I suffer my punishment and just use the time to catch up with old friends and indulge my hobbies when I do.”
Grinning, I acknowledge her clothing. “So, you work out then.”
She
nods enthusiastically. “Yes, every day. My favourite is body pump but I also recognise the need for Yoga and the odd session of spinning.”
Picturing Aunt Alice in a spinning class brings a smile to my lips, and she laughs. “Not quite the image you had of me I’m guessing.”
“Not really but then again, it’s a pleasant surprise.”
She looks at me with a shrewd look and says with interest. “Jack tells me you have a shop. I want to hear all about it because I’m not sure if you know but that’s always been a dream of mine.”
Nodding, I say curiously, “Why didn’t you open one?”
She shrugs. “I followed my husband around the world with his job. In my youth, women were expected to do that. There was none of the independence your generation take for granted. It didn’t matter because I loved my life, anyway. My husband was very successful and provided us with a comfortable life. We went to many exotic places and opening a shop would have been an inconvenience. However, you must be living the dream because I understand you sell chocolate.”
Reaching into my bag, I draw out a little box that I gift wrapped for her and say, “I brought you some to try. These are my favourites so I hope you like them. Chocolate pralines with a truffle centre.”
Her eyes gleam as she takes the box from my shaking hands and she smiles with genuine delight. “Thank you, my dear. I really appreciate the gesture. So, tell me about Jack, how long have you two been dating.”
I feel the nerves shaking me inside as I say lightly, “Only a few weeks. We met when he opened up in direct competition to me and I recognised him from school.”
She laughs and says with a gleam in her eye, “Direct competition. That’s tough.”
Nodding, I feel the anger return and say icily, “I can tell you, Aunt Alice, I was not impressed. I told him in no uncertain terms that he should remove every trace of chocolate from his shop but he wouldn’t. Can you believe that? Opening opposite an established business and selling the same product. Business suicide if you ask me.”
She says in a thoughtful voice, “For which business though?”
I nod gloomily. “If I were a betting woman, which I’m not, I would say mine because Jack is the local girl magnet and they flock to his shop, just grateful for the excuse to hang out in his presence.”
She looks at me keenly. “So, why did you go out with him? Was it that keep your enemy’s close kind of thing?”
Lowering my voice, I whisper, “The thing is Aunt Alice, what you don’t know is I went to school with Jack. I was in his class and he never once spoke to me. I was that awkward girl in the corner who everyone hated. It didn’t help that my father was the headmaster, but it didn’t stop me dreaming. Jack was that dream and when he asked me out, I couldn’t agree quickly enough. Sad really, despite everything, I’m still that awkward girl looking for acceptance.”
Reaching out, Aunt Alice takes my hand and smiles sweetly. “Why do you think he asked you, Nelly?”
Feeling ashamed to admit the truth, I almost can’t look at her. She is being so kind and here we are deceiving her. It’s too much for me and I can’t lie to a person I am fast gaining respect for, so I say sadly, “Probably because I have something he wants and he’s using me to get it.”
She looks at me sharply and says in a tight voice, “Explain.”
I shrug miserably. “I’m not silly, Aunt Alice. Jack could have his pick of any girl in the county but for some reason, he asked me. I think it has something to do with my business. Maybe I give him respectability and something he’s never had before.”
She raises her eyes, “What?”
I grin. “A challenge. I’m not the sort who will give into him. I call him out when he annoys me and I don’t think the sun shines from his backside.”
Lowering my voice, I say conspiratorially, “Don’t tell him this but when I was in that class at school, I really fancied him. You know, like obsessive. He never knew I existed and so it’s that girl who said yes, even though the grown-up part of me should have said no.”
Her eyes soften and she squeezes my shoulder, saying kindly, “We’ve all been that girl, Nelly. In his defence, Jack’s a kind boy at heart. I’m pretty sure he’s not as shallow as you think he is. Give it time and you may be surprised. Life has a habit of making the extraordinary reality. I should know. My life has been charmed and I want that for my family. You may know that I set them all challenges.”
I tense as I feel the flush taking over my face but she either doesn’t notice or ignores it. She whispers, “Amanda and James need to reconnect. They have grown apart and nothing brings a couple closer than dancing. Well, outside of sex, of course.”
She winks and I grin as she rolls her eyes. “Ariadne needs to learn humility and to learn that there are people with amazing stories to tell. She doesn’t see real life and is dismissive of people who she considers beneath her. The care home was my way of placing her outside her comfort zone.”
She smiles and I say nervously, “Why are you telling me this?”
She grins. “Because I like you. I knew as soon as laid eyes on you that you weren’t the usual girl Jack dated. There’s something about you that reminds me of myself and I want you to know why I have done this. Jack’s business was his idea. He always knew I wanted a shop of my own and maybe he thought it would make me look more favourably on him as a result. Maybe he asked you out for the same reason but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. However, when I saw the look he gave you when you left that room, I saw something I haven’t seen before which is why I’m telling you this.”
My heart starts beating madly and I say shakily, “What did you see?”
She grins. “I saw the look. You know, the one when a man realises he has found something so precious he can’t quite believe it. The one where a man is wondering what’s going on because he’s feeling something he never has before. An awakening, a realisation, who knows what it is, but it’s there, Nelly. You may question his motives and I’m not surprised by them but one thing I can guarantee, is that Jack is learning a valuable lesson here and that’s all down to you.”
She looks at the tray and smiles. “Now, we should be getting back and I can have my fun. Don’t worry about the rest of them because underneath it all they’re good people. Life has a habit of making us forget what’s important and hopefully, by the end of all this, they will find it again.”
As I follow Aunt Alice back to the others, the only comment I can focus on is the one about the look in Jack’s eyes. Surely not, she must be mistaken because Jack Mason has made no secret of the fact that this is a brief moment when our lives cross paths. She’s delusional if she thinks it’s anything more than that.
Later, after dinner, we all sit around in the living room and Aunt Alice says to Amanda, “Tell me about the salsa lessons, are they going well?”
Amanda smiles politely, “Yes, they seem to be going ok but we still have quite a way to go before we’re ready to enter the competition.”
Aunt Alice grins. “Why don’t you show us how it’s done?”
Amanda and James look uncomfortable but the look in Aunt Alice’s eyes makes them stand and demonstrate a few dance moves. It all seems a little odd because they have no music to follow and it feels strange watching them holding each other stiffly as they go through the motions. Jack and Ariadne look bored and I see a thoughtful look on Aunt Alice’s face as they move around the room trying not to look annoyed. When they finish, Amanda says brightly, “As you can see, we need lots of practice but it’s still early days.”
Suddenly, she looks across to me and says loudly, “I forgot to say, Nelly, we met a couple last week who said they know you.”
I stare at them with apprehension as James says, “Yes, that’s right, a strange couple.”
Amanda nods. “Yes, the guy was ok, but that woman was weird.”
Jack looks at me nervously and I feel myself blushing as they describe what must be my parents. Amanda shares a look with James.
“It was a bit awkward when that woman grabbed you during the lady’s choice period. I must say, she wasn’t very subtle about it. Her partner looked as embarrassed as you did.”
James pulls a face. “She was a bit too keen. I felt sorry for her partner. She even asked if I could help her outside of the class. She tried to take my mobile number saying we should meet up.”
I can feel my face burning as Jack says in surprise, “Do you know their names?”
Amanda looks thoughtful. “I think she was called Vicky or something.”
James interrupts, “No, it was Violet. That’s it, Violet and I think the man was called Ken.”
Suddenly, they have my full attention and I say quickly, “Ken’s my landlord. How did they know that I knew you?”
James shrugs. “She mentioned she lived above the chocolate shop in town and I asked if they knew you.”
Feeling glad it wasn’t my parents, I cringe as I think of Ken with Violet. I don’t know why but there is something I don’t like about her. Luckily, they change the subject as Aunt Alice wants to hear about the care home and I tune out as Ariadne fills her in.
Jack whispers, “Are you ok? You’ve gone quiet.”
Lowering my voice, I say firmly, “There’s something weird going on with Ken. He’s left his long-standing girlfriend to go out with Violet. He’s even asked her to marry him after just a couple of weeks of dating. It’s all happened too quickly, and is unlike him.”
Jack nods. “Maybe it’s what happens when you find the one. From what you say, he’s older and maybe he’s determined not to waste a minute. It could have been love at first sight.”
I don’t respond because I still don’t believe it. Something isn’t adding up and I’m determined to find out what it is.
