Morning came with sunshine, June loved the spring.
The door was open as she approached Matt’s house, she knocked and waited.
“Oh my goodness,” Matt’s mother had a towel in her hand as she came to the door.
“Come in my dear, I have the door open for a bit of fresh air, you know yourself when you have someone bedridden, toileting and all that. Sure they can’t help it. Sit down I’ll put the kettle on. It’s good to see you.”
She was just as Matt had described, fussing and fumbling around.
She remembered the softness in Matt’s eyes as he spoke about his mother.
“There you are, I know it’s hard. Sure you’d want to be made of stone. It’s lovely to see you again, lovely.”
As she handed June the letter, Matt’s mother took a hankie out of her apron pocket and wiped her worn face of tears.
June’s heart missed a beat as she saw Matt’s handwriting, would she open it now or wait until she got back to the B&B.
She opened the letter.
Chapter Forty-Six
My dear June, I have found a place to stay, sharing with another lad. We get on well and I have found a job. I hope things have worked out for you at the post office, I do miss you. I will always love you, be happy.
Matt xx
“I’m sorry,” she knew this would happen, why did she open the letter, upsetting Matt’s mother.
“That’s okay dear, I know.”
They sat in silence for a while and June asked how Matt’s dad was, seems he had deteriorated further, slept a lot of the time now, it was lonely she said.
Ready for the road, June placed the letter safely in the side of her purse, there was a piece of paper already there, it was Valerie’s phone number.
She checked out of the B&B and thanked the lady for the lovely comfortable stay, knowing she would never be back. “Good weekend?” Mac looked shattered.
“Okay and you?” The look was enough to tell it was a rough one.
Walter was the first customer, not in for any other reason, June thought, but to check to see if she was okay, such a sweetheart. “I’m doing shepherd’s pie for dinner, will drop some over later,” Walter seemed pleased to see she was okay.
“Thanks June, look forward to that,” and he was off.
Mrs Sheridan had found her keys in the garden, as June walked home she called her to the gate, she reckoned the cat had taken them into the garden.
“Cheeky is right, the name suits him to the ground. Can’t leave anything out of your hand but it’s gone,” she cuddled the cat affectionately as she spoke.
June had to laugh, “I’ll tell Mac to take the sign out of the window then.”
The shepherd’s pie smelled delicious as she walked to Walter’s house, she was starving and couldn’t wait to get her feet off the ground.
Stuffed and feet up she fell into a deep sleep on the chair, everywhere was in darkness when she awoke, straight into bed clothes and all she was wrecked. She awoke in the early hours, Matt came into her thoughts, she jumped out of the bed to the wardrobe and took out the oil cloth covered sign that Matt had given her from the ‘Mary Ellen’ the smell brought back such memories. She cried herself back to sleep.
Walter had gone to join Lily, she had thought he looked tired the day before when she left him over the shepherd’s pie but he seemed his usual self, grateful and cheery.
A passer-by had noticed the curtains were closed at lunchtime, which was very unusual, he had passed in his sleep in the very chair that Lily had passed away in her sleep a few years earlier. The guards were called and he was pronounced dead since the early hours, Mac had brought the news to June at the post office. It was a sad day. There would never be another Walter, she would never get to chat to him again about the old days and Lily. She had to console herself in knowing they were together again now, Lily was the love of his life. He had struggled to be without her these past few years. A letter was found on the mantelpiece, addressed to June.
He knew his time wasn’t long and he wanted his wishes to be known should he pass suddenly.
June was in no state to comment as Father Mulcahy read the letter at the wake, she was heartbroken to lose her dear friend she never thought of life without Walter, nothing would ever be the same.
Chapter Forty-Seven
My dearest June, you were the daughter I never had.
Father Mulcahy went on to read Walter’s letter:
If you are reading this letter, I have gone to be with my lovely Lily. I hope not to burden you but my solicitors name and details are enclosed. If you wouldn’t mind, he has my will and last wishes. Of course, I will be buried alongside Lily, the love of my life. Be well my dear friend, you have been good to me.
June cried for days; she’d never felt so alone.
Walters’s house had been locked up, a council house, soon there would be a new family there, all the memories the walls laced with photographs! All left behind.
Father Mulcahy came into the post office, “I saw you visit Walter’s grave on Sunday. Goodness, it’s hard to believe he’s gone. He was like a part of the community you think would be there forever, ya know? June, I’m a long time wearing this collar and I’ve seen all sorts of tragedies, celebrations, you name it, but I will always remember the day Walter buried Lily.”
He turned and walked away with tears in his eyes.
June had known Walter was lost without Lily and he was only biding his time, she’d stood at the graveside flowers still fresh, it was a cloudy day.
“One day at a time,” she’d always remember Walter’s old saying. “One day at a time.”
As she walked on the beach, June thought to herself, it hadn’t been that long since Walter had shouted to her that there was a storm brewing, they’d walked together up the pier that day. Mac had been very understanding in giving her time off, he didn’t know Walter very well just had the odd chat with him, found him to be a very kind sort he had said.
Nancy came to the post office with her lovely daffodils,
“Must be a wedding today, Father Mulcahy is standing outside in his robes, don’t hear of anyone getting married in these parts, did you June?”
June smiled to herself, she’d not heard of anyone getting married but she knew for sure Nancy wouldn’t be long finding out!
“I see there’s a man going round Walter’s old place too, looks like an engineer maybe, he has a clipboard looking over the place. Poor Walter, not yet cold in the grave. That’s life isn’t it, girl.”
As Nancy closed the door behind her, June couldn’t hold back the tears, she’d lock up and go home, Mac was away on business, he wouldn’t have minded anyway.
She walked past Walter’s as usual on the way home, all cleared out now ready for the next tenants, as if he never existed. She would always remember Walter.
June wondered how Matt’s mother was, she’d told herself she would never return there after her last visit but she had been on her mind now for a while, she would go to visit her.
Matt’s dad was now totally bedridden. “Had to get home help in,” his mother looked distraught as she sat opposite June clasping her frail little hands twisted with arthritis, “Another cup of tea?” her hand shook as she poured. Liam was a male nurse who called every morning to dress a bedsore on Matt’s dad’s back and the home help called at lunchtime and bedtime. “Don’t know what I’d do without them, sure I’d never manage. Poor Matt, could do with him around now, the house is falling asunder.”
June gave her the phone number of the post office and she was to ring if she ever needed to talk or ever needed anything.
Mac had organised a trip to visit his brother in America, June wasn’t aware he’d had a brother, there was never any mention of it before.
Hearing the mention of the word America made her cringe. Lots of water under the bridge but still did something to her. “Sure I have a sister too, she’s sort of the reason I am going. She’s ill, very ill. Needs a kidney tran
splant. Thought I might have been able to donate but not compatible. Let’s hope Pete can help, not exactly something to be discussed over the phone though.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
No wonder, June thought, Mac seemed away in a world of his own sometimes, no one knows what other people are going through, she felt for him.
He’d be gone for ten days, hopefully come home with good news. June was just closing up, it had been a long week with Mac away and having to do the wholesalers herself she’d felt exhausted, the phone rang and she went back to her desk to answer it, Mac sounded very downhearted, his brother too was non compatible with his sister.
He would return with disappointment for his mother and his sister.
June reassured him that everything was going smoothly at her end and to try not to worry too much, she would have them in her prayers.
He was back and into the run of things again within the week, often sitting looking into space and looking shattered.
“Why don’t you come to mine for a bit to eat tonight?” June wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do but she felt he needed to talk and there was never ten minutes past without the door opening at the post office, was a busy little place, no time to talk.
“That would be nice, I’ll bring the wine,” Mac had a lovely smile, wasn’t very often she saw it these days with all he’d had on his mind but it would melt butter.
Now, what would she cook, as she passed the eggs counter at the local grocery shop she thought of Matt.
It was as if another lifetime, Matt, Walter, Nan, Pop, Lily, time had a way of moving on even when you felt it stood still.
With the chicken roasting in the oven and the potatoes boiling away, June thought a quick shower and then put the vegetables on, it felt good to have company around again it had been a while.
“That hit the spot,” Mac had cleaned his plate, “more wine,” he topped up her glass and then his own, “To good friends and good cooks,” they both laughed as their glasses touched.
“How did your sister take the news?” she had to ask.
“Aw sure, ever the hero my sister, took it okay. She won’t give up hope, I don’t know where to turn next, time is running out. She can’t take another setback. Doctors don’t know how she keeps going, she’s amazing.”
“I need to find out more about Roger Atkins, my mother came from round here. Married a man from these parts, Roger, he’d been carrying on with a local girl, was ripping off the business at the same time. Got her pregnant seemingly, did himself in, couldn’t take the pressure apparently. She sold the family business and moved on, unaware that she too was pregnant with Roger, my sister is really my half-sister, my brother and I came along after her second marriage years later. We were only young when our dad was lost at sea. We did okay, Mam was great. Told you my life was complicated. If I could find out more about Roger and his lady friend, I might be able to get in touch with his other child, might be a match it’s a long shot.”
June felt sick, this was too much of a coincidence not to be connected, why hadn’t the penny dropped, he had asked her ages ago if she’d known any Roger from around these parts, but she hadn’t thought. Listening to Mac talk about his mother and her husband carrying on with a local girl and doing away with himself, ripping off the business, it all came together all of a sudden!
“Are you okay June?” Mac seemed concerned, “You look very pale.”
“I’m fine, just tired I guess.”
“How thoughtless of me,” Mac got up to go.
“You’ve been holding the fort, you must be all tuckered out.”
Chapter Forty Nine
With a friendly peck on the cheek and a big thank you for the lovely meal Mac was on his way oblivious to what was going through June’s head.
It was an awful state of affairs altogether, none of her own doing but she was filled with guilt, shame, she wasn’t sure what.
How could she face Mac again.
At the same time, how could she ignore the fact that she could be a match for Mac’s sister, her half-sister too, it had just occurred to her.
She would offer to be tested for the donation of a kidney, Mac was shocked.
“You’d do that? For a complete stranger?”
“Well let’s see first if it’s a match, never know,” and she wasn’t sure if he could ever know the reason why, time would tell and at least if it wasn’t a match she could lose the guilt, if it was well she would worry about that then!
Tests complete. June waited anxiously for the results, she hated hospitals, doctors and white coats, the lot. She wasn’t sure how she would go through with it if she was a suitable candidate, this was a nightmare!
It all happened very quickly in the end, Mac went on to tell June how he’d gotten a call early that morning to say that his sister’s condition had weakened and it was only a matter of hours, he was devastated.
She had passed peacefully, it was too little too late. June felt a sudden sadness.
She couldn’t even grieve openly for her new found half-sister, didn’t get the chance to offer her a chance to save her life, had the test proved her to be suitable, results of which she hadn’t received yet and had no further interest in receiving now.
Didn’t even get the chance to meet.
How would she continue to work beside Mac knowing now what she knew, it would be impossible.
As it happened, she didn’t have to worry. Mac’s mother wasn’t coping very well and he had decided to sell up and move home, run the business for her.
He hoped to sell up as a going concern and assured June that her job would be safe, ever the gentleman, concerned about everybody. What would he say if he knew the truth about his loyal employee!
At least, now they would part on friendly terms, the issue could be avoided, he had no further interest in pursuing the Roger scenario!
The post office had changed hands yet again, June would go for dinner with Mac and meet her new employer, A very fancy way of doing things, she thought, but Mac always went out of his way to do things right.
A very pleasant looking elderly man sat with Mac as she entered the restaurant, Mac had picked her up but she had excused herself to go to the bathroom before she sat down, the man got up and shook her hand, a very firm handshake.
He was a businessman with a string of shops around the country, would be putting a manager in place and hoped that June would remain with them considering her experience, according to Mac, with both the business of running the post office and its clientele.
He would be delighted if she would stay.
June reassured him that she had no immediate plans to move on and would be delighted to keep her job there.
That sorted, they went on to have a lovely meal with really pleasant conversations, but June had been doing a lot of thinking throughout, she had become really good friends with Mac and would miss him terribly, and couldn’t let him go not knowing that her results had come back to say that she was an ideal candidate for a transplant for his sister, and why.
She was going to tell him every gory detail of her past. She owed him that much. Sitting in his car outside her gate June told Mac her story, as much as she herself knew about her past, she’d never met nor heard anything about Roger Atkins, only that her mother had mentioned his name when she had asked her that day so long ago now, nor had her mother discussed her past with her on their short encounter, but she apologised for not telling him at the time she realised she was who he was looking for, she’d just panicked, she told him about her results and how she would have loved to have had a sister, she sympathised with him for his dreadful loss and she reached for the door.
“Wait,” Mac put his hand over hers to stop her leaving the car. “Let’s not part like this.”
June looked at the tears rolling down his face,
“I did wonder, when you offered, but, just thought it would be too much of a coincidence. Goodness, what were the chances of that eh! Thanks for telling me June,
I wish you well.”
June opened her door with a shaking hand, she felt relief, but nothing could relieve her of the sadness she felt, for Mac’s sister, for Mac, for herself, for all she had missed out on, and for Matt.
As she listened to the ring tone on the other side, June wasn’t sure if she wanted to get an answer!
“Valerie, it’s June.”
One Chance Page 10