The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

by Alison Sherlock

  Late in the afternoon, just as he was bringing in the last of the purchases from his van, Amber came into the back room, where his mum was pouring herself yet another cup of tea. What else was there to do with little or no customers?

  ‘Well, the windows are done,’ said Amber, blushing and wringing her hands together with nerves. ‘I hope it’s OK.’

  Cathy clapped her hands in glee. ‘Oh, I’ve been so desperate to take a peek, but I promised you I wouldn’t! I can’t wait to see what you’ve done.’

  Josh followed them somewhat less enthusiastically. They headed through the shop, weaving their way through the muddle and out to the veranda before turning to face the bay windows.

  But what Josh saw made his mouth drop open in surprise. For a start, he’d had no idea how big the windows really were. They seemed enormous now that they were clutter-free and decorated. And how!

  Inside, the windowsill was covered by the gingham red and white checked cloth, on top of which were placed various wooden crates, vases, the wicker baskets and even some conkers and acorns. Bare branches had been wrapped in pale fairy lights bringing an almost festive feel to the whole display. Amber also appeared to have glued many different-coloured dried leaves and strung them across the tops of the window. Both windows were a mirror image of the other.

  Even better, he noticed that inside the wicker baskets, Amber had placed some of the biscuits and tinned food that he was desperate to sell. He was impressed that she knew about the power of product placement.

  The whole arrangement was excellent, he had to concede. It looked warm, full of countryside charm. Pretty but sophisticated as well, although he couldn’t for the life of himself think how she had achieved that with such simple items.

  ‘Hasn’t she done well?’ said Grandma Tilly, beaming with what appeared to be pride.

  ‘Oh, Amber!’ cried his mum. ‘It looks wonderful! I knew you could do it!’

  She stepped forward to give a clearly embarrassed Amber a hug.

  Then his mum stepped back to give Josh a stern look as if to prompt him to say something nice.

  ‘It’s pretty good,’ he finally said, with a nod. He looked back at the windows once more. ‘Remarkable, in fact.’

  Amber shrugged her shoulders, still embarrassed. ‘It’s easy when you know how,’ she told them.

  ‘But we don’t, if you haven’t already realised,’ he told her, grinning. ‘So take the compliment and run with it.’

  Her smile faltered for a second before she was swept inside with his mum and Grandma Tilly.

  Amber was obviously talented but the complete lack of confidence in herself was something else altogether. The question was why? What had happened to her to make her think that her obvious talents were so lowly?

  Later on, Amber went with his mum to watch a girly film at Grandma Tilly’s bungalow. Josh left them to it. In a way, it was nice that his mum had some female company. She didn’t get out much since recovering from her illness, which worried him. She had always been so full of life. It was a stark contrast to the almost angry woman that she had become.

  Once he had closed up the shop, Josh stayed in the back room to tinker with the tractor’s engine. But it brought him no pleasure.

  He could still remember the first time that his dad had appeared with the small red tractor in the lane behind the shop.

  ‘What’s that for?’ his mum had asked, looking horrified at yet another one of Todd’s wild ideas.

  His dad was beaming from ear to ear. ‘I dunno what we’re going to do with it,’ he’d said, grinning. ‘But isn’t it a beauty? It’s a David Brown 25! Do you know how much these things are worth?’

  The family had stared as one at the faded bodywork, riddled with rust and with various pieces almost hanging off.

  ‘Does it work?’ Pete had asked, his ten-year-old eyes wide with excitement.

  Josh, hitting his cynical stride early in his teens, had drawled, ‘It’s arrived on the back of a trailer,’ to his younger brother. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘Listen, it’s about the opportunity, the dream!’ their dad had said, his eyes gleaming.

  His mum had sighed. ‘That’s what you said when we all moved here from London.’

  ‘And that worked out for the best, didn’t it?’ his dad had replied, with a wink to his sons.

  Back in the present, Josh’s sigh was remarkably similar to the one his mum had all those years ago.

  In one way, it had worked out, moving the family out of London and into the village when Josh had been in his early teens. For a start, the pressure of modern life was well away from them, as well as the temptations that the bright lights of the city had also brought. His dad had remained clean of alcohol for the remainder of his life once they had moved to Cranbridge. He had embraced living in the country, taking the boys fishing and visiting the local pub for a Diet Coke. Best of all, he had taken up playing his guitar again. On a Sunday, when the shop was shut, he would sit on the veranda in the front and play. If Josh closed his eyes, he could still hear that sweet music.

  The rest of the time, there was always music playing somewhere. On a radio or the record player. But the shop and the flat were quiet now. Too quiet.

  With his dad gone and Pete having moved abroad to work, it felt as if the spark had gone out of their lives. And Josh couldn’t see how it was ever going to return.

  He turned the key in the ignition and waited for the tractor to splutter to life. Once it had got going for only the briefest and loudest of moments, the engine cut out almost immediately.

  He flung down the old rag he was holding in despair. The tractor needed a major overhaul, but he just couldn’t afford the expensive parts. It would cost hundreds, maybe even thousands, to get it going once more. Maybe that was the point. Maybe it should be left and sold for scrap. After all, it had been his dad’s dream, not his, to repair the tractor.

  But getting rid of it would mean another piece of their lives going and he just couldn’t face any more heartache at the moment. All he could face was his pint of beer in the pub. So he shrugged on his leather jacket and wandered through the dark shop, bumping into various boxes as he went. If he got rid of the tractor then there would be more space for stock at the back of the shop. But what was the point without any customers?

  Drawn to the light in the front of the shop, he realised that the fairy lights were still switched on in Amber’s window display. Intrigued, he went out through the front door and, after locking up, headed out into the lane before turning around to face the shop.

  He was startled to see how different it appeared to normal. Rather than dark and somewhat uninviting, he had to admit that the windows were attractive, pretty even. They drew the eye in with their autumnal display. It was cosy without looking too twee.

  She certainly had a gift. Of course, Amber was used to drawing in the crowds in fancy department stores in the city. Josh glanced around. As usual, there were no crowds in Cranbridge. Her window display would certainly appeal to anyone who was passing. The trouble was that nobody ever did.

  Although the thought of losing the shop to bankruptcy upset him, he wasn’t perhaps as sad as he should be. It just felt like a terrible burden that he wanted to be rid of. He wanted his old life back. He wanted freedom to make his own decisions. But the thought of abandoning his mum and Grandma Tilly to face the music reaped by his dad was too much to bear. It would break their hearts to know that Todd had possibly bankrupted the shop and home that the family had kept for so many years.

  He wanted his whole family to move on from the pain of the past. He just didn’t know whether saving the shop was a big enough deal to ensure their future happiness as well.

  10

  Amber woke up the following morning with a spring in her step.

  Her jet lag had faded after another good night’s sleep and, wonder of wonders, the airline had sent her an email to say that her luggage had been found and would finally be arriving that day.

&nb
sp; So she was feeling more cheerful than she had done since arriving in the village. Also, she had found that working on the windows of the shop the previous day had given her an incredible sense of satisfaction. Design had always been her favourite pastime and to make a career out of it had been a dream come true.

  To her surprise, a greater joy had come from the couple of customers who actually came in the shop later that morning and commented on the window displays.

  Yes, it was only Cranbridge, but still, she had never had feedback from actual real-life customers before. Hidden away in the depths of huge department stores, the only reviews she had ever received had been from her managers. And she had always felt they were barbed.

  So she felt a small burst of confidence from the praise that she received.

  Frank was particularly complimentary. ‘I spotted the new window when I headed past last night. It looks really super.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Amber, blushing as she helped to pack his pint of milk into a bag. Cathy had gone to check on Grandma Tilly, so Amber had offered to help out in the shop as she had no other plans.

  ‘That should draw in a few more people anyway,’ he added to Josh, who was standing nearby.

  ‘Let’s hope so, eh?’ said Josh, fixing a smile on his face.

  ‘Speaking of new customers, have you heard the latest?’ carried on Frank. ‘As you know, I own the Cranbridge News. Well, the building they’re currently leasing for their offices has just been sold off to be converted into flats.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘As if we need any more of those. Anyway, I’ve leased the empty shop next door. It should work, I think.’

  ‘What was it before?’ asked Amber, trying to remember what Tilly had told her.

  ‘A haberdashery. Not that my editor Tom needs to know that,’ said Frank, laughing. ‘Anyway, it’ll be company for you all. There’s half a dozen staff coming, so at least we’ll start to get a bit of young life in the village, eh?’

  But after he left, Amber thought Josh looked more depressed than before. ‘Not sure six people are going to make that much of a difference,’ he muttered, almost to himself.

  It was as she had suspected. The shop was definitely in trouble. ‘Does your mum know how bad it is?’ she asked.

  He shook his head. ‘Not really. If she’s guessed, then she really doesn’t want to know the truth. She’s had enough bad news these past two years.’

  ‘Was the business failing before you lost your dad?’ she asked.

  Josh nodded. ‘You know what he was like. He wasn’t much of a businessman. He just liked buying stuff and chatting to the customers. When we had some, that is.’ Josh sighed. ‘I think I’ve just made everything worse these past two years.’

  Amber frowned. ‘How?’

  ‘Because she’s unhappy,’ he told her.

  Amber shook her head. ‘She’s unhappy because she lost her husband. You can’t do anything to change that.’

  He looked at her with bleak eyes. ‘But I’m failing him too. I can’t save the shop.’

  Amber felt so sad for him and looked around at the place, trying to think of something positive to say. ‘It’s still the prettiest shop I’ve ever seen,’ she told him. ‘Somewhere under all this stuff, I mean.’

  ‘That’s not enough,’ said Josh, his voice hoarse with emotion.

  ‘But it’s a start,’ she told him. ‘We’ll try and think of something, OK?’

  He nodded. ‘Thanks,’ he said, blowing out a sigh. ‘Sorry. I guess Mum’s appointment at the hospital this afternoon is rattling me more than I thought.’

  ‘Are you going with her to get the results?’ asked Amber.

  Josh shook his head. ‘She always says it’s better if she goes on her own.’ He looked at her, his blue eyes filled with sadness. ‘She never got over losing dad so fast. And then we never had time to grieve because we went straight from that into the cancer treatment. It’s been hard for her.’

  Stuck in the crowded, almost claustrophobic shop probably didn’t help her mood either, thought Amber.

  ‘Maybe she could get away at some point,’ she said. ‘Take a break away from everything.’

  ‘Pete says he’s invited her to Singapore for a holiday, but she refuses to leave.’

  ‘Maybe I can have a word,’ said Amber.

  ‘I’m not sure how far you’ll get, but thanks,’ said Josh, smiling gratefully at her.

  At that moment, a courier arrived with both of Amber’s suitcases. Amber was so relieved to see them that she didn’t even mind that the delivery driver had managed to knock over stacks of boxes and goods when he had dragged them inside.

  ‘I’ll take them upstairs,’ said Josh, grabbing one suitcase. ‘I’d better do one at a time, otherwise the whole shop will end up on the floor.’

  Amber giggled, just pleased to finally have all her clothes and possessions back.

  ‘What’s this?’ asked Cathy, who had just returned from visiting Tilly.

  ‘My suitcases have finally arrived,’ Amber told her, beaming.

  ‘About time!’ said Cathy. ‘That is good news.’

  She seemed to wait until Josh had disappeared upstairs with the first suitcase.

  ‘Perhaps it’ll be a good-news day for all of us,’ she added, almost to herself.

  She looked so frightened suddenly that Amber found herself hurtling across to give her a hug.

  ‘Thank you, love,’ said Cathy, leaning on her for a moment before straightening up once more. ‘I needed that.’

  ‘Perhaps I could come to the hospital with you?’ Amber suggested. ‘For a bit of company.’

  ‘You don’t want to do that,’ said Cathy, shaking her head.

  ‘I wouldn’t have offered otherwise,’ Amber told her. ‘And I’ve got nothing else to do today.’

  Cathy squeezed her arm. ‘That’s kind of you, but I don’t want to upset Josh.’

  ‘Upset me how?’

  They both jumped at the male voice behind them and turned around to find Josh standing there.

  ‘I was offering to go with your mum this afternoon,’ Amber told him, getting her words in before Cathy could speak.

  ‘I think that’s a good idea,’ he said quickly.

  ‘You do?’ Cathy looked amazed.

  ‘Of course,’ he told his mum.

  Cathy looked at Amber. ‘Are you sure? The idea was for you to come for a bit of a break. Not work on windows and go to miserable hospital appointments.’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ said Amber.

  If anything, Cathy was even more nervous on the way to the hospital. So Amber found herself chatting more than she had ever done before to fill the silence. She talked about New York, her clothes and the work she had displayed in the windows.

  Thankfully she was only just running out of things to say when they arrived for Cathy’s appointment.

  Amber respected Cathy’s wishes to be left alone and therefore sat on the chairs outside the consultant’s room whilst she met with the doctor. She kept everything crossed as she waited for Cathy to reappear.

  In the meantime, she saw many patients in the Oncology wing who weren’t looking half as healthy as Cathy. It was hard to see so many people who were so obviously unwell. For the first time, Amber thought how difficult it must have been for Josh to go through that as a son, as well as Cathy herself.

  Finally, after what felt like a very long time, Cathy left the consultant’s room. To Amber’s horror, her aunt’s face was shiny with tears.

  She was just thinking of something, anything, to say, when Cathy broke into a wide smile. ‘It’s OK,’ she said, laughing and crying at the same time. ‘They’re happy tears. The consultant doesn’t want to see me for a whole year.’

  Then they were both laughing and crying with relief as they hugged each other.

  ‘I’ll ring Josh and then shall we have a cup of tea in the café before we head home?’ said Cathy. ‘And a piece of cake to celebrate. I don’t want to go back yet.’

  Once they
had bought their lemon drizzle cake and tea, they sat down on the edge of the busy café in the hospital.

  ‘Cheers,’ said Amber, holding up her cup to chink it against Cathy’s.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Cathy, still beaming from ear to ear. ‘I think I’m in shock. I’ve worried about this appointment for weeks.’

  ‘Well, now you can relax and not worry about it for a whole twelve months,’ said Amber.

  ‘They said they’ll sign me off for good after that,’ said Cathy, leaning back in her chair and sighing with relief. ‘It’s felt like my whole life has been on hold for so long.’

  Amber nodded as she glanced around the café. ‘Me too,’ she found herself blurting out. Being in the hospital and seeing so many ill people had made her realise that she ought to be making the most of her life and not just let it slip by.

  Cathy was startled. ‘You too?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Amber, instantly regretting her words. ‘Today is all about you. Not me.’

  ‘Tell me,’ urged Cathy.

  Amber took a deep breath. ‘My whole life seems to have stagnated. I really wasn’t that happy in London or New York, to be honest.’

  ‘A lot of people find a city overwhelming. Especially if they’re a little shy.’

  Amber nodded. ‘I just don’t know what to do next.’

  Cathy leant forward to take a bite of cake. ‘So why don’t you stay in Cranbridge until you work out what it is you want?’ she said, wiping the icing from her lips.

  Amber smiled at her godmother. ‘I think Mum might have something to say about that.’

  ‘Well, I’ve been thinking about her as well,’ said Cathy with a sheepish grin. ‘Maybe I can offer your mum an alternative.’

  ‘A different daughter?’ said Amber, laughing.

  ‘A different visitor,’ said Cathy with a gleam in her eyes. ‘Me.’

  Amber was stunned as she remembered Josh’s words from earlier. ‘You want to go and see Mum?’

  ‘I miss her so much. And Pete too. I thought I could go to Singapore and then on to New Zealand. What do you think? I feel the need to spread my wings a bit.’