‘I will do the tea, Grace. I’ve been home brewing my own tea leaves for the three of us to have with our breakfast. Why don’t you go sit in the conservatory with your Grandad, I know he is keen to see you and how well you’ve recovered.’
I smiled and nodded at Gran and headed to join Grandad. As I entered the conservatory I saw he was sitting cross-legged on his old fashioned arm chair. The room received the morning sun and was lovely and warm and cosy. Grandad smiled as he saw me come in.
‘Good morning Sunshine! Are you feeling better?’
‘Yes, much better now thanks. I must say, I’m famished.’
‘Oh I bet you are,’ he smiled.
My stomach growled again as if to agree and in anticipating the food I was about to put in it. I sat on a cushion next to my Grandad’s chair snuggling myself in my dressing gown whilst I waited for my Gran to come through. The sound of dry, rustling leaves blowing outside brought thoughts of this time of the year. I loved Autumn when the weather changed from being so warm to the milder temperatures. Loved how the leaves on the trees that were once green deepened to shades of red, orange and brown and then sadly fell to the ground. Grandad patted me on the head. I guessed he still saw me as his little granddaughter, but I was not so little anymore. Just like the seasons, I had also changed from a child into a young adult. Still, it warmed me in that moment, that he could see in me, the child I once was.
Bless Grandma for bringing in my sandwich and tea first. I felt a bit bad for Grandad, having to wait, but when I protested, he signalled to Gran that I should indeed start first. The homesickness disappeared as I indulged in the delicious food. The taste of the salty, smoked bacon coated in brown sauce between two slices of the bread felt just like heaven to me. I had never eaten anything so quickly in all my life and was pretty much finished by the time Gran came through with her and Grandad’s.
‘Wow, Sunshine, you don’t have to eat it so fast. You’re not on peace work,’ laughed Grandad.
‘I didn’t realise I was! Gran, your bacon sandwiches are always so amazing.’
‘Would you like another one Grace?’ she asked me
‘Oh, thanks, Gran. But you have yours first. And I’d best let this one settle in my tummy! I don’t want to have it repeat on me, especially if I am going to be dancing all day.’
My throat felt dry. Of course, the bacon had left a salty but delicious taste in my mouth and the best thing to smooth it down with was the tea Grandma had made for me. I lifted up the mug to my chapped lips, feeling the warm air from the drink reaching closer to my mouth and took a mouthful of the sweet tea. As always, Grandma puts two teaspoons of sugar in my tea. my Mum would always give me one, as she thought she was helping my teeth out by doing this. Her own blend of tea was lovely and the tea leaves had brewed nicely.
‘Right, I am going to start getting ready for my long day ahead.’
I took the remainder of the tea upstairs with me. Looking out of my bedroom window, I could see some of the overgrown walkway, at the back of the house. Through the trees I thought I had saw someone sitting on the branches but trying to hide behind the remaining leaves that were still clinging on. The person looked as if they could be Ben but as our eyes met the figure leapt out of the tree and were gone before I could tell for sure. I closed my eyes, shook my head and then took a glance again in the same spot and the surrounding area, but there was no one there. I whispered to myself, ‘Come Back if that is you, Ben.’ Still nobody was there. I shut the curtains because if someone was watching me, I didn’t want them to see me get dressed.
There was a buzzing sound, my phone but I couldn’t recall the last time I had it or where it might be. Following the buzz I spotted my phone on the floor, under the bed, connected to my charger. I must have put it on charge before I collapsed onto my bed, without remembering doing so. That was the only logical explanation but I had no clue how many things had happened lately. The text was from an unknown number.
‘Glad to see you are feeling better x’
I felt sick. This confirmed my fears: someone was stalking me and this was from the person who had been in the tree, looking into my bedroom window. I was very tempted to text the number back. But I would not give them the satisfaction by focusing my time on anything like this. My mind had to be on going to college today and spending the day with Miss Hogg. Out of anger and spite I deleted the message; whoever it was would not be distracting me this weekend. I was half tempted to block the number but at the back of my mind I wanted to see if they would have the guts to come clean
