The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts

by Alison Sherlock

  Josh had spent a lot of time muttering about the petty cash going missing, but he was definitely smiling a bit more. It was hard to stay grumpy with Cathy so cheerful and the excitement about the holiday all around them.

  On the day of her departure, as Josh placed the suitcases inside the van, Cathy took a long look around the shop before smiling at Amber.

  ‘I’ll miss the old place, of course. But I feel like I’m coming alive again,’ said Cathy, drawing her into a hug. ‘Like I’ve been stuck on pause for the past few years.’

  Amber nodded. ‘Have an amazing holiday. You deserve it.’

  She felt somewhat homesick for her parents, but she knew that she would be heading out to New Zealand to join them in a month’s time so she knew it wouldn’t be for long.

  ‘I’m sure I’ve forgotten something,’ said Cathy. ‘I’ll just check one last time.’

  As she rushed upstairs, Amber went to where Josh was standing with Grandma Tilly next to the van.

  ‘Where’s she gone now?’ asked Grandma Tilly, a little impatiently.

  ‘Just double-checking that she hasn’t forgotten anything,’ Amber told her.

  Grandma Tilly sighed. ‘I’ll go and hurry her up. It would be a fine to-do if she missed her flight after all this fuss!’

  Amber stood next to Josh as they waited outside on their own. It would be awkward, to be sure, to be left alone with Josh. But there was a tiny bit of excitement deep within as she wondered what on earth they could achieve between them.

  ‘Your mum’s going to have a wonderful time,’ she said.

  He nodded. ‘Yeah. She deserves a break.’

  ‘Absolutely. You never thought about maybe heading out to see your brother in Singapore?’

  He blew out a sigh as he turned to face her. ‘Can’t afford it,’ he said. ‘Besides, there was no one to help run the shop with Mum if I went away.’

  ‘Of course,’ she said, then hesitated before saying, ‘it’s a good thing I’m here then.’

  He looked up at her in surprise and smiled. ‘Maybe it is.’

  ‘I guess the pay is invisible, right?’ she joked.

  ‘Free bed and board though,’ he added, before his smiled faded. ‘Is this all OK with you? I get the feeling that Mum kind of railroaded you into staying.’

  ‘I need somewhere to stay,’ she told him. ‘And your mum wants me to decorate the shop before she gets back.’

  ‘If you can find a clear surface somewhere in there,’ he said, turning his head as his mum and Grandma Tilly finally came out of the shop.

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be all right here on your own?’ Cathy asked Josh for the twentieth time as she came up to them.

  Josh rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, Mum.’

  ‘I know! I know!’ she said, smiling. ‘You won’t miss my nagging, will you?’ She then stepped forward to give her son a hug. ‘You know you’ve been my rock these past few years,’ she murmured. ‘Thank you.’

  Amber watched as Josh remained quiet for a moment but squeezed her back in return.

  Finally they straightened up. ‘Anyway, I won’t be on my own, will I?’ said Josh. ‘Grandma’s told me that she’s going to keep an eye on us.’

  ‘I’ll keep an eye on them both,’ said Grandma Tilly, with a wink. ‘Don’t fret.’

  So it was a happy round of teary goodbyes, bear hugs and ‘I’ll text you when I land’ from Cathy.

  Grandma Tilly was also beaming and looking excited for her daughter. ‘First stop, duty free!’ she said, laughing as Cathy got into the van.

  Then with a final wave and shout of ‘goodbye’, Josh started up the van engine and off they went around the corner, disappearing from sight.

  Amber stood in the chilly autumnal air and wondered just what she’d let herself in for. The future of Cranbridge Stores had been left in her and Josh’s hands. She just hoped she was up to the job.

  13

  It had been a slightly awkward evening with Amber, thought Josh. They had made a bit of small talk when he had arrived back from dropping his mum off at the airport before they had both gone to their separate bedrooms.

  Luckily Cathy’s plane took off only ten minutes late and he had woken up that morning relieved to find that it had landed safely in Singapore.

  He had already received a number of texts and photos with his mum and brother grinning in some kind of tropical garden.

  He was pleased. They were safe and happy.

  He was also slightly envious of the blue skies and change of scenery. After all, he was still stuck in Cranbridge with the shop.

  But at least he could finally change the inside. So he found himself feeling slightly more optimistic than he had done for a while. Staring around the shop, he tried to imagine how different it could look. For a start, there was too much clutter in the space. Boxes definitely needed to be removed, but where to put them? The back room was just as full as the shop itself.

  He had no idea what to do next and was almost grateful when Grandma Tilly came into the shop.

  ‘How are you getting on?’ she asked.

  ‘I honestly don’t know where to start,’ Josh told her.

  Grandma Tilly nodded as she looked around the crowded space. ‘It’s certainly a bit busy in here. Of course, it never used to look like this.’

  ‘How did it look?’ asked Amber, coming in from the back room.

  ‘Oh, it was quite different,’ said Tilly. ‘My father-in law ran a tight ship. Of course, it was all loose goods and branded items on the shelves come the 1950s. Myself and my mother-in law weren’t even allowed on the shop floor. Anyway, it’s best we’ve got equality these days. Women’s lib and all that. I hated being stuck upstairs. I used to sneak out to go to the dance hall in Aldwych.’

  ‘Such a rebel,’ said Amber, with a soft smile.

  Grandma Tilly’s smile grew wider. ‘I really was.’

  ‘So, it didn’t look like this?’ said Josh, waving his arm around.

  ‘It was far emptier in those days,’ said Grandma Tilly. ‘Thanks to the rationing after the war. There wasn’t much food about. Or money either, to be honest. My father-in law would sell things on credit. Folks weren’t getting paid so they had to borrow.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound like very good business,’ said Josh.

  Grandma Tilly shook her head. ‘We were a community in those days. We knew everyone and they knew us. It was a matter of trust. They were Cranbridge families. We knew every name and person who came through that door.’

  ‘Times change,’ said Josh, feeling almost sad that he didn’t have that kind of connection with the village.

  ‘As long as kindness doesn’t,’ said Grandma Tilly.

  ‘So, when did the shop become more full?’ asked Amber. ‘After rationing had stopped?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Grandma Tilly, nodding. ‘It was all so exciting in the sixties when I was growing up. Your grandfather had changed the shop. We lost the big downstairs kitchen and moved everything upstairs. Then all the little kiddies would come in for their sweets.’ Grandma Tilly smacked her gums together in memory. ‘It felt like a proper corner shop with tubs of sweets behind the till.’

  Josh had a sudden memory of Grandma Tilly giving him and his brother a paper bag full of sweets. He could remember the excitement even now. How had he forgotten?

  Grandma Tilly picked up her handbag. ‘Right. I’d best get off. My morning soap starts in half an hour.’

  After she had left, Josh couldn’t help but smile and raise his eyebrows at Amber. ‘Are you sure you haven’t changed your mind about staying? My grandmother will want to tell you all of her stories.’

  ‘I think she’s a little lonely,’ Amber told him.

  Josh nodded. ‘Village life can be pretty quiet.’

  ‘I’m sure it can be,’ she said, looking at him for a longer moment before looking away.

  Did she mean him? Josh wasn’t sure. He wasn’t lonely, as such. He was just a bit restless. That was all.


  But doing up the shop would at least keep that at bay for another month whilst they updated the place.

  He dragged his hand through his hair, somewhat overwhelmed. He had dreamed of this day for so long when he had free rein to sort out and clear the shop. But now he was coming up with a complete blank, as if frightened that he would make things even worse.

  He looked at Amber. ‘So, what do you think?’ he asked. ‘I mean, where do you think we should start in sorting out all of this?’

  Amber sighed as she looked around the space. ‘It’s so hard because it’s so, er…’ Her voice trailed off.

  ‘Busy? Packed? Completely overcrowded?’ he said.

  She smiled. ‘Just a little bit,’ she told him. ‘If you look past all this stuff in the middle of the shop, it’s actually quite wide. In fact, when Tilly showed me the empty shop next door, which is the same layout, I was amazed at the actual amount of space that you really have in here.’

  ‘Come and show me then,’ he said, leading the way out of the shop.

  They walked to the empty place next door and peered in through the windows.

  ‘It’s big,’ he said, surprised as he stared at the space. ‘Really big.’

  ‘There’s actually plenty of space,’ said Amber, as she straightened up. ‘You’ve got tall ceilings, so there’s plenty of room at the sides of the shop for some high shelves. It’s just the rest of the room is so cluttered. It feels pretty oppressive in there.’ She stopped and blushed, as if she had gone too far with her words. ‘But that’s just my opinion,’ she added quickly.

  ‘Good job that I agree with you,’ he told her, causing a smile to light up her pretty face. ‘So, where do we begin?’

  ‘Let’s head back,’ she said and they went back inside Cranbridge Stores.

  It looked even worse than usual, with the damp dreary weather outside not giving any extra light.

  Amber sighed. ‘It’s so hard when everything is in the way,’ she said.

  ‘I think we should just start from scratch,’ he said. It was an idea that he had often dreamt about. ‘Clear everything out from in here.’

  Amber looked startled. ‘The whole shop? You mean giving it a total overhaul?’

  ‘I think we should start with a blank canvas.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘It could certainly do with a lick of paint in here and I can’t do that until everything’s out. We could move it to the back room and just operate out of there.’

  Amber frowned. ‘But won’t it be a bit tight for space in there with the tractor. It’s already pretty crowded back there.’

  Josh blew out a sigh. ‘Yeah.’

  Amber hesitated before speaking. ‘Look, I hope you don’t mind, but I had a look online at the value of this kind of tractor. Being a classic vehicle and all that. It could be worth quite a bit of money. You know, a couple of thousand pounds.’

  Josh looked up at her in surprise. ‘Really?’

  Amber nodded. ‘That could pay for the renovations that you want to do around here.’

  The silence stretched out for a beat whilst Josh struggled with his inner turmoil. Finally he sighed. ‘Maybe it’s time it went.’

  ‘But I understand that it has huge sentimental value to both you and your mum?’ said Amber.

  ‘More to me than Mum, to be honest,’ he lied, his heart feeling heavy. ‘But we can’t move back there. I thought I could get it dragged out the front of the shop.’

  ‘What’s wrong with the back door?’ said Amber, looking a little alarmed.

  ‘When I replaced the doors back there, I thought we could do with a single one. So we’ve blocked up the rest of it with the bricks.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I didn’t think about the tractor at the time.’ He looked at the front door. ‘So that’s the only entrance with double doors and the only way we’ll be able to get it out of here.’

  ‘And then what will you do with it?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ he said, in all honesty. ‘Drive it around the shop and leave it outside in the back lane until Mum gets home. Perhaps I can persuade her to sell it.’

  Amber bit her lip, frowning in worry. ‘It seems a bit drastic,’ she told him.

  ‘It’s like you said,’ he told her. ‘We need the space. We’ll have to clear a bit in here first, of course. There’s some stuff that we’ll need to get rid of to make space. It’s like some kind of puzzle, but we’ll work it out.’

  He had been semi-joking, but his heart almost broke with the thought of his dad’s beloved tractor being sold. It wasn’t much, but it had been such a big part of their lives for so long. But he had to be honest with himself. It was in the way and, anyway, if the shop was going to get repossessed by the bank, it would still need to be moved out.

  The sooner the better, he thought. Like a plaster needing to be ripped off, the tractor had to go. He just hoped the remaining scar left behind on his heart wouldn’t be too deep.

  14

  Keeping her promise to Cathy to look out for Grandma Tilly, Amber walked up Riverside Lane to visit her.

  She was anxious to keep out of Josh’s way whilst he worked out what could be done with the shop anyway. After all, it was his responsibility and she would probably just get in the way.

  The weather had turned a little and Amber was glad that her suitcases had arrived as she was able to pull on her black parka coat to keep out the rain and cold wind.

  As she walked, she noted that nobody was around. Stanley and Frank had been the only customers in the shop so far that day.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, as Tilly opened the front door.

  ‘There’s a welcome face,’ said Tilly beaming. ‘Good morning to you too. Come on in.’

  Amber followed Tilly into the bungalow. To her surprise, the kitchen table was piled up with boxes.

  ‘What’s all this?’ asked Amber, as she took off her coat.

  ‘I’m still sorting out from my move,’ said Tilly, flicking on the kettle. ‘Those boxes had been piled up in the corner of the bedroom and I nearly tripped over them this morning. I thought perhaps you could put them on top of the wardrobe for me.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Amber, peering inside one of the open boxes. ‘Are they all photo albums?’

  Tilly nodded. ‘Oh yes. Some are years old. Would you like to have a look at a couple? If you have the time, of course. I know you and my grandson are busy in the shop.’

  Amber heard Tilly’s soft sigh as she poured out their coffee.

  ‘I’ve got plenty of time,’ Amber told her. ‘Shall I pick out a couple of albums and take them into the lounge?’

  Tilly smiled again. ‘That sounds like a plan. I’ll find some biscuits.’

  Once they had settled down on the armchairs in the lounge, Amber opened up the first photo album. It was full of photographs from when Josh and his brother were young boys.

  ‘How sweet,’ said Amber, showing Tilly a photograph of the boys paddling in the river. ‘Is that Cranbridge?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Tilly. ‘They always used to visit us every summer. Then when my husband passed away, they all moved in.’ She smiled to herself. ‘The flat was suddenly full of life, shouting and laughter. I do miss those times.’

  Amber thought that the bungalow was perhaps even quieter than the shop these days.

  ‘There’s Todd,’ said Amber, looking at a photograph of him playing his guitar. ‘I barely remember him, I’m afraid. Except that he was fun and sort of animated all the time.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ said Tilly, nodding. ‘He had such an enthusiasm for life. He had a big hearty laugh that you could hear three doors away. He was so gifted as well. He used to sit on the veranda on my husband’s rocking chair and play his guitar. Such a talent.’

  ‘Have the boys inherited his gift for music?’ asked Amber.

  ‘Pete has,’ said Tilly. ‘He’s really good, although I haven’t heard him play for years. Not Josh, I don’t think. I mean, he’s a good lad but not particularly creative in that way.’

/>   ‘But he was good at his job,’ said Amber.

  ‘Oh yes,’ Tilly told her. ‘Earned quite a bit of money as well, from what I heard. He was always going on about climate change and trying to be greener.’ She frowned. ‘He doesn’t do that so much these days.’

  ‘I guess he’s had a lot on his mind,’ said Amber.

  ‘I suppose.’

  The next album they looked at was much further back in time.

  ‘This was Bill’s,’ said Tilly, as Amber peered at the faded black and white photograph dated 1900.

  ‘How amazing,’ said Amber. She looked more closely at the photograph. ‘And that’s the shop?’

  Tilly nodded. ‘Those were the days,’ she said. ‘They sold black twist tobacco by the inch.’

  Amber couldn’t believe how different it looked. ‘So much of the food was loose produce,’ she said, studying the crates and baskets full of fresh fruit and vegetables.

  ‘Even the flour and butter had to be measured out. Nothing was in tins or plastic in those days,’ said Tilly. ‘Not until later on, before the Second World War. Then it all changed again.’ She flicked through a few of the pages to a photograph that read 1938. ‘There, you see? How everything is more mass-produced?’

  Amber peered at the photograph. The shop had definitely changed.

  ‘Only the bell above the door is the same,’ she said.

  ‘And me,’ said Tilly before frowning. ‘Or rather not when I think about my grey hair. And that I’m not part of it any more.’

  Amber saw that Tilly was looking upset. ‘I’m sure you could come and help out whenever you wanted to in the shop,’ she said quickly.

  Tilly shook her head. ‘I tripped and almost broke my wrist last year. Cathy and Josh don’t want me hurting myself, so they said.’

  ‘Then perhaps once we’ve tidied the place up a bit you could come in,’ said Amber.

  ‘Perhaps,’ Tilly replied, with a small smile. ‘It would be nice to feel useful again.’ She sighed. ‘Otherwise I’m just sitting here with the television on. I haven’t even got anything to knit at the moment.’

  She pointed to what appeared to be a bag full of knitting needles and balls of wool.