The Garden on Sparrow Street: A heartwarming, uplifting Christmas romance

by Tilly Tennant

  The kitchen was cold – the heating had been on for a good hour or so but it didn’t seem to have made much of an impact. Perhaps she was just feeling it because she was so tired and drained. She could turn up the thermostat, but a fluffy jumper and enough brandy would probably do the same job eventually.

  Locating the bottle and blowing off the dust, she poured a measure into a mug. In the past she’d have mixed it with lemonade but she didn’t have any and desperate times, as the saying went, called for desperate measures. She had no doubt that this was just the sort of desperate time the saying was referring to. She knocked it back and then slammed the mug onto the counter before closing her eyes for a moment while the alcohol worked its magic.

  As the warmth spread through her she opened them again and took a deep breath before reaching for the bottle and a second helping.

  Sammy was in a critical condition, but he was alive and things looked hopeful for his recovery. Nina didn’t dare dwell on the idea that it might have turned out so differently but the events of the day had shaken her badly anyway. It was one thing to have nursed a husband, to have watched him slip gradually away, but quite another to witness an event so violent and sudden, one that could have killed Sammy almost instantly and certainly if he’d been there alone. Luckily the ambulance response was quick and it was they – not Nina and Robyn, as the crew had tried to insist – who’d saved him. They’d rushed Sammy off to the hospital and, after a brief discussion, Robyn and Nina had followed in Robyn’s car. They had no idea whether a broadcast of any kind had gone out in his absence – there was really only a skeleton staff on duty at the station, which hadn’t seemed to include a cover DJ, so they’d had to assume not. But even if the airtime had been filled with silence, Nina was quite sure that the residents of Wrenwick would survive somehow.

  Taking the second mug of brandy to the living room, Nina pulled a throw from the corner of the sofa and climbed beneath it. A hard lump reminded her that her phone was still in her trouser pocket and she took it out to see the missed calls from her dad. She’d meant to call him back on more than one occasion that day but for one reason or another just hadn’t got around to it. There was also a text, sent when he’d given up trying to speak to her.

  Hope you’re OK, love. Toby didn’t turn up today. Hope everything is OK with you, please call.

  Despite what she’d promised herself about peace and solitude she couldn’t leave her poor dad worrying. She was about to dial his number when the phone began to ring and Robyn’s name showed on the screen.

  ‘I just wanted to check you were OK,’ she said when Nina answered.

  ‘I’m probably about as OK as you are,’ Nina said heavily.

  ‘Yeah, I expect so. Weird day, huh?’

  ‘I’ve had less stressful ones,’ Nina agreed. ‘Why does this stuff always happen to us?’

  ‘I think we might be jinxed… at least one of us must be. Personally, my money’s on you but I won’t let that stop me from popping round for tea every now and again.’

  Nina smiled and sipped at her brandy.

  ‘Listen,’ Robyn continued, ‘I know you just got back from the hospital but have you managed to speak to your dad yet? Only I know Toby was going up there today and I wondered how they’d got on.’

  ‘What’s Toby said?’

  ‘That’s just it – he’s not here and he’s not answering his phone. I thought maybe he’s still with your dad?’

  ‘I haven’t spoken to Dad yet but I don’t think Toby went. That’s what he said when he texted.’ Nina paused, the line silent. She could imagine the look of disappointment on Robyn’s face. ‘Sorry,’ she added. ‘I would have told you earlier but I’ve only just read his message.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. I should have known that little shit would bail. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell has got into him these days.’

  ‘I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.’

  ‘There may well be but if I can’t get hold of him I’m not going to hear it, am I? I’m wondering now if he’s trying to avoid me because he knows I’m going to be pissed off – I could be waiting all bloody night for him to turn up.’

  ‘Do you think he’s OK?’

  ‘He’s fine. He’ll be ignoring my calls because he knows I’ll wipe the floor with him if he answers.’

  ‘Maybe,’ Nina said thoughtfully. ‘Maybe he genuinely felt nervous about spending the day with my dad. I mean, he barely knows him and it can be a bit daunting.’

  ‘Or maybe he’s a lazy, immature little bastard,’ Robyn said bitterly. ‘Someone offers a genuine lifeline and he throws it back in their face. There’s only so many times you can do that before people stop trying to help and I think he’s getting through his quota pretty fast right now. Listen… you don’t need to hear this after the day we’ve had. Honestly, I don’t need it either. Let me know what your dad says and I’ll keep trying to track my son down and we’ll touch base tomorrow, OK?’

  ‘If you need me again tonight call me,’ Nina said. ‘It doesn’t matter what time it is.’

  ‘I wouldn’t do that, but thank you,’ Robyn said.

  ‘Goodnight. I hope you get hold of Toby soon.’

  ‘Me too. You know, he makes me so angry when he does this but he also scares the shit out of me. They don’t tell you about all this stuff to come when you have your cute little baby, do they?’

  ‘I can only imagine how worried you are,’ Nina said. ‘Remember, call me if you need me.’

  ‘I’ll speak to you tomorrow. Get some rest.’

  ‘Bye, Robyn.’

  ‘Bye.’

  Nina ended the call and then dialled her dad’s number. It rang out for a minute and then went to the answering service, so she could only assume that he’d gone to bed or – more likely – fallen asleep in front of the TV. Either way, it looked as if she wasn’t going to be able to talk to him tonight. She sent a text to explain briefly why she’d been missing all day and that she’d speak to him tomorrow, downed the last of her brandy and, though it had only just gone 9 p.m., took herself off to bed.

  She woke the next morning to hammering on her front door. She shot up in bed, heart thudding, and then she heard Ada calling through the letterbox. She heaved a sigh of relief, not sure whether she ought to be angry at her rude awakening or happy that it wasn’t anything more sinister. But almost instantly there was an upswell of panic again. Why on earth would Ada be beating on her front door like that?

  Nina swung her legs out of bed, pulled on a dressing gown and rushed downstairs. When she opened up, Ada had Martha with her, so at least that wasn’t the problem – apart from looking visibly distressed, Nina was happy to see that they both looked well enough. Her first instinct had been to wonder if Ada’s panic was due to some catastrophe befalling her sister.

  ‘Oh, Nina!’ Ada cried.

  ‘Thank goodness you’re in,’ Martha added.

  ‘Oh yes, thank goodness.’

  ‘We thought you might not be.’

  Nina couldn’t imagine why they’d think that – it wasn’t even eight yet and they knew she didn’t work, but she let it slide.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.

  ‘Something terrible’s happened,’ Ada said.

  ‘Yes, terrible,’ Martha agreed.

  ‘We were walking.’

  ‘Getting our morning exercise.’

  ‘And we went to see the garden.’

  ‘The garden…’ Martha added in a tremulous voice. ‘Oh, the garden!’

  Ada clapped a hand to her chest. ‘Oh, Nina… it’s completely ruined!’

  Chapter Ten

  Nina let them wait in her hallway and raced to throw some clothes on. Then she joined them for the short walk down to the garden to take a look. Surely it couldn’t be as bad as they’d said?

  When they arrived, Nasser and his wife Yasmin were already there. Nasser turned to Nina, and in all the years he’d lived on Sparrow Street she’d never seen him loo
k so angry.

  ‘Why?’ he asked, unable to frame any further question. But there was no need, because Nina could see plainly what pained him and it was horrible. The same small question pinged around her own mind, the same single word that encompassed so much, and any kind of answer evaded her too. The plot of land they’d all worked so hard on, poured their own money into, given time and energy and love to, was wrecked. The pretty coloured benches were splattered with black paint and some had been daubed with offensive words and pictures, as had the potting shed. The insect hotel lay in pieces on the path and the rope swing had been cut down. Shrubs and young trees were pulled up by the roots and huge clumps of grass and earth were strewn about, making craters that looked like battlefield scars, and there was smashed beer-bottle glass in every flower bed. Bird boxes had been ripped from their branches and smashed and even the bulbs they’d planted had been dug up and thrown about.

  Nina looked at Nasser, Yasmin, Ada and Martha in turn, but she didn’t know what to say. Why would anyone do this? What kind of person came by, saw the transformation from tangled patch of weeds to beautiful community space and felt the need to destroy it? Her eyes welled up with tears. Not because she felt beaten, though she felt sorrow for the wasted hours and money, but through bitter disappointment and fury that the world contained such a person. She was filled with angry determination that this would not be allowed to set them back. They weren’t going to give up on their garden so easily.

  Without a word she turned and began to march back to her house. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a sturdy rubbish sack and sweeping brush, and she silently began work on clearing the glass from the paths. The others watched, open-mouthed, but then Yasmin kissed Nasser on the cheek before she went off too, returning shortly in much the same way as Nina had done, equipped to help the impromptu clean-up operation.

  ‘We’ll get help,’ Ada said.

  ‘Oh yes, we can do that,’ Martha agreed, and they scuttled off to begin knocking on doors. Pretty soon, despite the early hour and the fact that many had jobs to get to, half a dozen neighbours were out helping them.

  There was a range of reactions to the destruction of all their hard work, but all were in agreement that they’d come this far and they weren’t going to let a setback like this ruin everything they’d done.

  Everyone worked steadily for the next hour. A gale was blowing in, whipping up dust and soil and lifting sacks and debris into the air, and every so often there would come the threat of rain. It made the task difficult but nobody complained.

  ‘We can tidy it,’ Nasser said quietly to Nina as they took a breather, ‘but it needs more money to restore what’s damaged. We could do with some proper fencing too, something we can lock at night, otherwise this will keep happening. It’s a target now the vandals know it’s here and that someone cares about it.’

  ‘It’s horrible that someone caring about something makes it a target. I’d like to get my hands on whoever did this and give them a good slap.’

  ‘I’ve got an idea, actually. Obviously we can’t prove it.’

  ‘That gang of youths from Bluebird Street?’

  Nasser nodded. ‘We’re on the same wavelength at least. Although I’m not sure what we can do about it with no proof.’

  ‘What about calling the police? We’re going to report it, aren’t we?’

  ‘I could do that, but I’m not convinced there would be a lot of mileage in that either. You can barely get them out to anything more serious, let alone this.’

  ‘But we should call them – we can’t just let this go.’

  ‘We’ll see what people want to do. I honestly don’t think they’d want to devote much time to such a petty crime, though. We think it’s a big deal but I doubt the police will agree.’

  ‘You could be right there,’ Nina said wearily. ‘Might it be worth a visit to the parents?’

  ‘The parents are as bad as the kids as far as I can see. I doubt they’d thank me for turning up and accusing their children of this. Even if they were convinced there had been wrongdoing, I’m still not sure they’d do a lot to put a stop to any repeat. Let’s face it, they haven’t exactly been receptive to complaints in the past.’

  ‘I don’t know much about them but I’ve heard enough to know I don’t want to mess with them.’

  ‘We’ll just have to repair the best we can and hope that they find a new and more interesting thing to target.’

  ‘And if they don’t?’

  Nasser shrugged. ‘One thing at a time.’

  ‘I’ll bet there’s no money left in the kitty for any of the stuff we need to make repairs either, is there?’

  Nasser shook his head. ‘I suppose we’ll have to try and raise some more, but people have already given so much, and Christmas is coming…’

  ‘I know,’ Nina said. ‘All we can do is try.’ She looked towards the road to see a Mercedes pull up and a blonde, trim woman in her late fifties get out.

  ‘Oh God,’ Nina said in a low voice as she recognised Sammy Star’s wife. ‘What now?’

  Nasser followed her gaze. ‘Who’s that?’

  ‘Long story. To cut it short I spent the day with her at the hospital yesterday. It’s Sammy’s wife.’

  ‘Sammy Star? You know his wife?’

  ‘I do now. I’ll explain it all to you later.’

  Nasser was about to speak again when Nina greeted the woman with a tight smile.

  ‘Diana… how is he?’

  ‘Much, much better,’ Diana replied, her own smile a lot warmer and easier. Nina allowed herself to relax at the news. At least Diana hadn’t come bearing even more bad tidings because she wasn’t sure how much more of those she could take. ‘He frightened me to death yesterday.’

  ‘Me too,’ Nina said.

  ‘Anyway, I thought I’d better come to thank you properly. With all that was going on yesterday I didn’t really have time—’

  ‘You did and there’s no need. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time, that’s all. How did you know where to find me?’

  ‘Sammy told me about the garden so I thought if I headed here you wouldn’t be too far away.’

  ‘He’s awake then?’

  ‘Yes.’ Diana smiled. ‘Already fussing about who’s going to cover his show while he’s in hospital. I told him it’s not only hospital he’s got to worry about because the doctor said no work for the next few weeks and I intend to make sure he sticks to that rule. If I know him, he’s probably badgering the doctors for a phone so he can ring the station as we speak…’ Diana looked beyond Nina where everyone else was still working. ‘I thought the garden was finished?’

  ‘It was,’ Nina said. ‘We had some trouble overnight.’

  ‘Oh no…’

  ‘Vandals,’ Nasser cut in. ‘They destroyed everything.’

  ‘Well, not quite everything but it wasn’t for lack of trying,’ Nina said tightly.

  ‘Oh no…’ Diana repeated. ‘How awful. Sammy will be so upset when I tell him. Is there anything we can do to help?’

  ‘Help?’ Nina blinked.

  ‘You and your friend saved Sammy’s life – it’s the least we could do for you.’

  ‘We didn’t really—’

  ‘Of course we want to help!’ Diana interrupted. ‘Name it – what can we do?’

  Nina looked at Nasser for input. This had always been his baby more than anyone else’s and she didn’t want to step on his toes.

  ‘We’re short of funds now,’ he said, seizing on the offer of support like the true leader he was. ‘We spent everything we had the first time round. I realise it’s a big ask but…’

  ‘We can certainly put the feelers out in that regard,’ Diana said firmly. ‘Sammy will know a few people who ought to be able to help. We’re far from rich but we’d be happy to make a donation too.’

  ‘What about his listeners?’ Nasser asked. ‘Perhaps they can help?’

  ‘Of course. Though it w
ill be a few weeks before he’s back on the air, I can have a word with whoever stands in for him to see about airing an appeal.’

  ‘If we get enough, maybe we can do some of the things we didn’t manage to do the first time?’ Nina asked, looking at Nasser. ‘That extra security for a start…’

  ‘What sort of security?’ Diana asked.

  ‘We need some proper fencing and gates we can lock at night. This garden isn’t just for Sparrow Street either,’ Nina said. ‘It’s for everyone in the area to come and enjoy – you can make that known to your listeners too. The more people who use it, the more people will be invested in taking care of it – at least I’d hope so.’

  ‘I’ve just had an idea about that,’ Diana said. She’d looked thoughtful as Nina spoke and Nina was hopeful that her idea was going to be a good one. ‘I have a gardener,’ Diana continued, ‘comes in once a week to tidy ours – weed, mow the lawn… that sort of thing. How about I donate the next few days when he’d usually be in our garden so that he can come to you instead? He’s very good; he’d have you fixed up in no time.’

  ‘You’d do that?’ Nina asked, beaming.

  ‘It’d be my way of thanking you. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. I don’t suppose it makes much difference to him as long as he gets paid.’

  ‘That would be fantastic!’ Nina glanced at Nasser, who looked just as pleased as her by the suggestion.

  ‘Great!’ Diana said with a broad smile. ‘That’s settled then. I’ll phone and talk to him when I get home and we’ll get it fixed up.’

  The residents did as much as they could and called it a day when the rain finally began to come down. Diana called Nina shortly afterwards to report on Sammy’s continuing astounding recovery (thanks to Nina and Robyn, she insisted again; Nina again brushing it off and feeling embarrassed by all the praise) and to get Robyn’s phone number because she wanted to thank her again too. She also wanted to let Nina know that the gardener she’d promised to contact was happy to oblige. She told her that he had free time the following morning so he’d pop over then to take a look at what needed to be done.