by Louise James
‘Aren’t they great?’ Olwen held out a cabbage leaf to each in turn. ‘The alpine is very pretty, so well dressed in black and white.’
‘Yes! well on in kid too’ Bronwyn leant on the door of the shelter eyeing them both with consternation. ‘You’ll soon have your hands full or Megan will, she seems to be goat woman here.’
“Megan thought it would be soon. The person we had them from just said sometime in late spring. I wonder when, it will be lovely to have babies about the place when mine is born.’
‘They won’t stay babies long though, will they? Then what will you do with them?’
‘If it’s only one we will keep it.’ Olwen replied with a fine disregard for the fact that there were two goats both in kid with a strong suspicion of twins on the Alpine’s side. ‘We have called them Heather and Magpie because of their colours.
‘Oh well!’ Bronwyn turned back to the house. ‘How are the builders getting on’
‘Come and have a look.’ Olwen urged. ‘We think its too small but the builders laughed and said it was huge’
The walls were up and roof rafters on. It appeared to be a warren of tiny rooms and passages but in reality it would be a building of some size. Len had brought in more men to get the roof on quickly so they could begin work inside. The days were filled with the sound of hammering, whistling and sounds of laughter from the big grey, structure with its many windows which looked so out of place at this stage in its construction. Everyone found it difficult to believe so much had been done in so short a time, yet it didn’t seem possible it would be ready to open in July.
Ray to everyone’s amusement was now working on a project of his own in the orchard, two pigsties ready for his own contribution to the menagerie. He and Greg had promised themselves a visit to a rare breed farm to purchase some pigs, he had in mind a pair of Gloucester Old Spot and a pair of pot- bellied pigs that children love so much, so was rushing to build really comfortable homes for them, easy to clean, for contrary to belief pigs like their bedding to be clean and dry. Ray had discovered he really liked pigs and had begun reading everything about them he could lay hands on. He was also hurrying because he felt Greg would be unable to make the short trip to the centre and he knew it would upset him if he couldn’t go with him. Greg was far from well, the deep worry they all felt was fast becoming a nightmare as they watched him daily leaning on something to get his breath, his inhaler almost useless, attacks of pain were frequent although not severe, there was always the ever present fear of a really bad attack. Ray watched him like a hawk. Doctor Davies dropped in almost every other day begging him to go into hospital for a rest telling Olwen to call him any time of day or night if he worsened in the slightest. Greg refused to go anywhere until the baby was born. Greg’s parents phoned daily and came up most weekends. The unspoken grew heavier on them all.
Olwen grew big and clumsy. Her worry over Greg sending her blood pressure up until the doctor threatened to send both of them into hospital unless she rested more, knowing it was not the lack of rest that was the problem. Bronwyn dropped in most days, watching both, her sharp eyes noting every change. She dosed Olwen with raspberry tea and set her diet. She organised anti natal classes of her own, devising and watching her carry them out properly. She also began helping Megan with the enormous task of writing thank you letters to sponsors, banking cheques, paying the bills and making lists of jobs which became urgent as the building progressed. They were all thankful for her help in this. It would have been mainly Olwen’s job to book keep in the scheme of things but with the shadow that loomed she stayed close to Greg and watched for him and her baby. Greg’s bleeper remained silent. Mr McLoughlin sent a letter which sent hopes soaring, but it was only to tell Greg that a bed was still available and the search was still on, also asking him to consider a bed rest on his doctor’s recommendation and maybe some more tests to ascertain how his condition was at the moment. Greg flung it down in despair.
‘I am not leaving here with the baby so near, my time is so precious, imagine being trapped in hospital, our baby comes and I die anyway. I would rather die in my own home thanks.’ He turned to Olwen.
‘I told you how it would be, you wouldn’t listen. You will be left on your own to cope with all of this. I should never have started this farm thing. We should not have a baby coming. It’s all far, far too much.’ He hurled a cup across the room. It hit the wall but bounced onto the carpet unbroken. Ray, Megan and Olwen stood stunned at the sudden out-burst.
‘Come on old chap. You know it’s not like that.’ Ray stepped forward.
‘Don’t patronise me Ray. It’s exactly like that. We are all living in fantasy land dreaming it’s all going to come right. Well! we are bloody well fooling ourselves and it’s not bloody well going to come right. It might be for you lot but I won’t be fucking here to see it, will I?’ He slammed out of the room
‘Greg’ Olwen turned to run after him. Ray and Megan looked at each other helplessly. There was simply no answer. Olwen came back in slowly, tears pouring down her cheeks.
‘He’s gone, jumped in the Land rover and gone up the mountain road. Oh! Ray I am so frightened.
‘Sit down, stay with her Megan I’ll fetch him back.’ Ray took off at a run for the Pick-up.
It was an hour before Ray came back alone, no sight of Greg.
‘I’m sure he won’t do anything silly.’ He reassured a frantic Olwen. ‘He has too much to fight for. He would have done it last year when he first knew and all those weeks here on his own.’
‘That doesn’t help, Ray, what if he has an attack now when he is all stressed out and driving. You know he has had his licence taken off him until he’s had the op.’
.I knew he left it to us but I never gave it a thought, I am going back out, I won’t come back until I find him or you give me a call if he’s back.’
Before Ray could get in the truck, ‘Patience came slowly back on the yard and a dejected Greg got out. Ray rushed forward.
‘Are you alright? Where did you go? I drove all over the place.’ Greg walked slowly with him back to the house where Olwen went into his arms the tears pouring down her face. ‘Are you alright darling? You frightened me.’
‘Sweetheart I’m a selfish sod. This thing is getting on top of me. I’m sorry folks for worrying you all to death. I just wanted to run away from myself. I’ll get over it. Olwen you needed rest not worry. Come upstairs and talk to me about our baby. I need a lot of that right now.’
Ray caught his wife’s hand and hurried her up to their flat where he closed the door and frightened her to death by bursting into tears and crying his heart out, tangling his fingers in her hair, hot tears running down her neck. His sobs finally subsiding she led him into their bedroom where she took him to bed.
The next day Ray finished the pig sties and Magpie produced triplets with ease tiny replicas of herself. The girls were ecstatic but the men exchanged glances of concern. Heather had yet to produce and the sudden increase of goats was alarming. Heather promptly adopted one of the triplets which ever after became hers which caused a major problem as a day later she had twins rejecting one in favour of her adopted daughter resisting Megan’s efforts to right the situation. Finally she had to bottle feed the one. It became a daily battle until the kids were three months old when Megan phoned the goat woman who collected all the kids bar one which been bottle fed which Ray named Tubby because of the amount of food it ate.
The day after the kids were born, Ray decided to go for the pigs. Making sure Greg was up to it and had his bleeper and inhaler they set off early in Patience with a borrowed horsebox. Olwen and Megan were busy sorting a huge delivery of wellingtons and rain coats which arrived that morning half an hour after the men had left. Forbidding Olwen to do anything except check them off on the delivery sheet while she loaded them into the Pick-up and the jeep. After a call to Mrs Fred taking up her offer of a room where t
hey could be stored for a time
As well as macs of every size and colour they found a box of mittens, thick woolly socks and several waterproof sheets. The list appeared endless and even when the vehicles were loaded there still seemed to be a lot over.
‘I don’t understand this list at all’ Olwen held a hand to her aching back. ‘There seems to be double to what the note says.’
‘Oh Lord! Let’s take a look.’ Megan pondered the pages. ‘I think I can see what’s happened. There are two different firms here from the same industrial estate, see they are two different dispatch notes, it looks as if two firms got together with the transport. Seems odd but something like that has happened but what are we do do with all this stuff? We can’t send it back.’
‘Don’t worry about it we’ll just thank them both. We’ll store it at least we won’t have to ask for more when the things wear out. This will last us for years. We don’t intend to have more than six children at one time and about three adults so it should last a long time.’
‘Never mind.’ Olwen struggled to her feet off the parcel she had been sitting on. ‘I’m not going to worry about it and they will all be different sizes anyway but we can’t send all this to Mrs Fred. We’ll get Ray or Fred to put it in the attic until the store room here is ready. Mrs Fred has already taken in kitchen stuff and bedding, we can’t just send all of this as well.’
‘Fine’ Megan sat firmly in the Pickup driving seat. ‘I always wanted a job where you had to do the same thing over and over again. I’ve packed both vehicles so carefully, but don’t mind me I’m just a robot’ Olwen began to laugh.
‘If only you could see your face. You look just like Ray when he’s had enough’
‘I know.’ Megan murmured. ‘It’s catching.’ She paused. ‘Wait a moment Ray won’t be able to lift this great box into the attic, it’s too much for one and Greg can’t. why don’t we pack it into the garden shed? Take the tools into the stables and put it in the shed. It’s dry.’
‘I can’t do much carrying.’ Olwen protested.
‘Not you silly, wait here.’ With a wicked glint in her eye she walked over to where the builders were busy unloading cement. She soon returned with a satisfied grin on her pretty face. ‘Done’ she said. ‘Off you go for a rest although you can make some bacon butties and a jug of tea before you lie down.’
‘Charming. And what may I ask are you going to do?’
‘Clear the shed and when the men break for lunch they will carry it in for us but it will cost tea and bacon butties this morning, tea and your fruit cake this afternoon. And a can of beer all round.’ She called after Olwen who turned at the door with a thumb up sign.
By two all was clear and the parcels had disappeared into the garden shed which Megan then padlocked hanging the key in the kitchen. Looking for Olwen after giving the builders their tea and cake at four o’clock, she found her under the stairs. ‘Whatever are you doing?’
‘I’m cleaning.’ Came the reply. ‘It’s filthy and room for a lot more stuff if it comes.’
‘You be careful,’ Megan pulled on her apron to start the evening meal. An hour later everything prepared she was horrified to find Olwen on a stepladder taking down the landing curtains.
‘Now what are you doing? Come down off that ladder at once. Give them to me I’ll put them in the machine but please go and sit down.’ Presently the noise of the hoover drifted down the stairs. ‘Oh God! I can’t bear this.’ Megan rushed up the stairs to find Olwen turning out the guest rooms. She looked up from the drawer she was lining ‘Sorry Megan, I know you did all the bedrooms a couple of days ago, but I thought that the drawers needed some of that scented paper, I’ve made a bit of a mess so I had to clean it up.’
‘That baby is coming, isn’t it and you are making your nest.’
‘I do feel all strung up and energetic. I must do something.’
‘Save it you will need it soon enough.’ Megan put the hoover away. ‘Come on down, the men will be back anytime now then it’s dinner then bed for you’Shoo.’
‘Alright Mum’ Olwen giggling headed off to the bathroom. Running her bath she sank into the scented water, the baby leaping as if it too felt the warm silken water. She lay her hand on the bump feeling the tiny limbs moving.
‘Hi Babe, Can you feel me? She whispered. Love you so much. When are you coming out for a cuddle, please come in time for your Daddy to see and hold you. We may be on our own soon baby. I’ll break my heart but you will never know what you have missed. I’ll make sure of that and that you know every single thing about him. I have an album in my drawer with photos and little mementos
‘We will keep him alive for you, Sweetheart but please God we won’t need to. Please God, give him a new heart and let him stay with us until at least you are old yourself.’ Her thoughts drifted as she dozed in the cooling water. The call of a cuckoo floated through the open window. She smiled; a spring baby coming with cherry blossom and floods of bluebells. How many more springs would Greg see? She closed her eyes forcing her thoughts into more pleasant channels, thinking of the pigs and how soon they would be here. She lay half asleep.
The sound of an engine roused her. Quickly drying herself and wrapping in a fluffy robe, she leant from the bedroom window, not able to see properly she hurried downstairs.
‘Don’t shout or you’ll alarm her.’ Ray was trying to keep a straight face. Olwen looked from one to the other. ‘What have you done now?’ She demanded. A shriek from Megan sent her outside.
‘Come quick, it’s a Llama.’
‘A Llama?’ echoed Olwen. ‘What the hell are you doing with a Llama? You went for pigs.’ There was an ominous silence as Olwen rushed out to the trailer. Greg was just leading the animal out. The Llama stepped daintily over to Megan and thoughtfully nibbled her blouse. Megan drew back too stunned to speak. Ray tugged the Llama away and tied her to the fence.’
‘She is very quiet and friendly’ he said in a subdued tone. Greg said nothing but watched Olwen’s face with a grin on his own. Olwen began to laugh but Megan looked at her in dismay. The men both looked at Olwen hopefully.
‘This reminds me of Saunders-Smiles and the peacocks’ she choked. Greg gave a shout of laughter and Ray’s face cleared in relief. Megan immediately pounced on him.
‘This is your doing, isn’t it? You put Greg up to it, I can tell. What on earth possessed you? Where did it come from and where are the pigs?’
‘Hang on I’ll put her in with the goats then tell you all about it. Give me a hand woman and don’t stand there asking so many questions all at once.’
‘It’s not Ray’s fault it’s mine. Olwen love, we could murder a cup of tea.’
‘Of course but you had better come clean.’
‘I don’t believe you Ray.’ Megan followed Ray and the Llama up the meadow. ‘You are unreal. How much did she cost? What are we going to do with it and where are the pigs? Didn’t you get any?’
‘Yes we did. They are coming on the weekend, a pair of Gloucester Old spot and two Tamworth year old both females. We couldn’t get them in the trailer because of Natalie, so they are delivering them on Saturday’
‘Right.’ Olwen poured the tea and sat down. ‘Now both of you come clean. Where does Natalie come into the picture?’
‘Well! Greg leant back and started. ‘We had reached Tenbury and found the road for the farm but although we had the flask we were hungry. Not fancying a main road pub we cut down a lane and found a real old English village, duck pond and all. We’ll take you there one day. There was a huge oak tree in the middle of the green where three old men were sitting on a bench having a smoke. All around were little cottages with thatched roofs’ He paused.
‘Go on’ the girls shouted in unison.
‘Alright I am going on. Well! The pub was next to the church as it should be in all the best villages, so in we went, the food was exce
llent. We really must take you there sometime.’
‘Greg?’ warned Olwen picking up her folk.
‘Okay, okay. We had a ploughman’s each and half of cider, just about to leave when this Llama comes across the yard and into the bar. Everyone laughs (the pub was quite full) but the landlord comes rushing across cursing the animal. We follow him out and he leads it back to a small field. Ray shouts something about the joys of farming, when he turns around shouting ‘Do you want her? She is a bloody nuisance, always getting out, going to cause an accident on the road one day.’ Mind we weren’t surprised that she had got out as the fence was useless, he obviously thought that a few sticks and a roll of wire would stop her, the idiot. So then Ray opens his mouth and say’s ‘How much?’
‘Motor mouth’ muttered Ray with a glance at Megan. Greg grinned ‘This fellow then say’s how much and how old is she?’
‘She is two by the way.’ Ray interrupted. ‘Now the good bit, the man say’s ‘Give me twenty –five quid and you can have her, she is nothing but a nuisance here and I don’t have time to see to her or mess about advertising. Apparently his wife had bought her from somewhere as an attraction but he had never liked her but she is so tame and friendly’ Waving his arms around Ray knocked over his tea.
‘Who the wife or the Llama?’ Olwen remarked dryly. Greg glanced at her but Megan began to laugh. Ignoring the comment Ray rushed on while mopping his tea with his sleeve as well as his napkin. ‘So we did all the asking and paying and here she is.’ There was silence for a moment. Olwen passing around the apple pie remarked. ‘She is here now. I suppose as we are having sheep and goats it’s not a problem but we don’t know a thing about Llamas. We must go to Hay and get a book. I want to go shopping tomorrow, it’s our turn and I need things for the baby. Megan and I are going in early.’