‘Pleased to hear it, but make sure you tell me if you change your mind.’ A yawn pulled his handsome features into a totally different expression.
‘Tough night?’ Veronica often loved to sit down and talk shop. She missed working at a hospital with so much to think about and keep you on your toes. It was when you had too much time alone with your thoughts that it became a problem. She managed to fill her time with the few visitors she had, a lot of television, she read a lot and kept up her activities like baking and knitting. But there was nothing like hearing about the rush of dealing with patients, being the saviour in an emergency, interacting with people who needed you the most.
‘Very tough, I’ll tell you the details another time.’
Veronica put a hand to his arm. ‘Sleep well, and let me know if you need me to mind Layla.’
‘What would I do without you?’
Veronica smiled before she noticed Audrey watching them from her position leaning against the kitchen door frame, as she ate a chunk of cheese. Her granddaughter didn’t always talk but Veronica had no doubt she was taking everything in as she went along.
‘Good to meet you, Audrey,’ Charlie said her way.
Charlie had only just left when Veronica saw Trevor coming up the garden path. With a big grin he handed her a bulging carrier bag that was so heavy she had to put it straight down. ‘Whatever is all this?’ she asked, peering in the top.
‘China.’
Audrey had a look for herself. ‘You’re giving Gran all your rejects?’
Trevor took his cap off to let the breeze run through white hair that was always cut so neatly. Veronica wondered whether his wife made sure he was presentable at all times. Even when he was gardening, the only signs he’d been working with dirt was the odd muddy trouser leg or elbow. ‘When we talked the other day, you mentioned the mosaic wall,’ he said to Veronica, ‘and you seemed enamoured with the idea. It’s not my thing at all, I prefer genuine flowers rather than mosaics, but we’ve been meaning to get rid of some of this for ages, it just sits in the cupboard taking up space. There are all sorts of colours in there.’ He nodded to the bag.
‘I’ll say,’ enthused Audrey, taking out a grape-coloured tea pot and a sunflower yellow mug.
‘Do with it what you will,’ said Trevor before suggesting, ‘perhaps your granddaughter here might like to be a part of the community project.’ Even though he knew what Veronica was like, he wasn’t giving up on her and it was the little acts of kindness like this that kept her going on some days.
Veronica watched Audrey rummage through the bag as though it was filled with little treasures rather than someone’s unwanted items. ‘Well thank you, it’s much appreciated.’ And if Audrey didn’t want it, Layla would.
Trevor roared with laughter and when Veronica looked again at Audrey, she was wearing a pair of plastic goggles held tight against her face with an elastic strap that ran around the back of her head. ‘Whatever have you got on?’
Audrey giggled away, her head turning to Trevor who shared the amusement. Each time she moved, the ends of the elastic strap flapped around the enormous goggles.
‘I added in three pairs of those,’ Trevor explained. ‘If you’re going to smash china, you need to protect your eyes.’
‘All I need is a hammer!’ Audrey announced.
‘God help me,’ said Veronica with a shake of her head.
‘You’ve got your hands full with that one,’ Trevor winked. ‘Good luck.’
Trevor went on his way and before Veronica had a chance to shut the door after Audrey took the bag of china inside and admired her own reflection in the hallway mirror, a Tesco delivery truck pulled up outside. Without complaint, Audrey helped her bring everything through to the kitchen once it arrived on the doorstep from the delivery man who seemed most amused by Audrey’s face accessory.
Audrey helped refill the cupboards and the fridge, finally took off the goggles and poured a glass of lemonade.
‘You can take that upstairs with you if you like,’ said Veronica. But when Veronica shut the fridge door after putting the lemonade away, Audrey was still standing in the doorway. ‘Would you like something else to eat?’ she asked her, anxious to do the right thing and make her feel welcome. ‘We have raspberries. I was going to make muffins, but I can use an alternative, chocolate chips perhaps.’
‘Raspberry muffins sound good.’ She still wasn’t leaving. ‘Gran, I’ve been wondering…the supermarket deliveries, the fresh produce from your neighbours, your visits from people…’
‘What about them?’
‘Don’t you ever go out to bowls, or bingo or something?’
‘Bowls and bingo?’ Veronica chuckled. ‘That’s stereotyping of the elderly. You’ll be suggesting I ride around on a bus next, just because I’ve got a free bus pass.’
But Veronica’s sense of humour didn’t deter her granddaughter who sipped her lemonade and watched her gran closely. ‘Seriously, you’ve not been out since I arrived and I’ve been here over a week. Did Mum tell you I was so bad you can’t leave me alone? I’m not going to burn the house down or have a party you know.’
‘I know.’ She washed the fresh raspberries in a colander.
‘Then why don’t you do something for yourself – go over to the shops?’
‘I don’t need anything.’ Veronica emptied the raspberries onto kitchen towel to rid them of most of the water so they’d be ready for muffin-making.
‘That day you asked me to get toilet rolls and I forgot, you lost your temper at me.’
‘I apologise, it was unnecessary.’
‘I deserved telling off – you’d asked me to do it. But why didn’t you go to the shops? You had all day to yourself.’
‘Audrey, really, why all the questions? I hope you’re this inquisitive at school, it’s good to have an inquiring mind.’ She hoped her rambling might deter Audrey but her wish fell flat
