by Lucy Daniels
‘Are you looking forward to seeing where he’s going to live?’ Mandy asked.
They both nodded, their faces solemn. They were obviously taking Jimmy very seriously. He must be very proud of them, she thought.
‘It doesn’t look very nice.’ Max was obviously trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but he didn’t quite manage it. The trailer had come to a standstill outside a smallish enclosure surrounded by a high fence. There was nothing in the pen, though beyond it there was a huge building that looked a bit like a modern cattle shed. It had a gently sloping roof and wooden slatted sides.
Polly Cormac strode towards them. ‘Glad to see you got here safely,’ she said. ‘He had a good journey. We’re going to unload him now. Tony’s arrived too,’ she added.
‘Is he going to live in there?’ Abi asked Polly, pointing at the shed.
‘No, he isn’t.’ Polly smiled. ‘This is where Tony is going to take Ganesh’s bad tooth out. His enclosure is over there.’ Mandy looked over to where she was pointing. There was a large grassy area filled with trees and bushes. Tyres hung from the trees on ropes. It looked lovely. Polly was speaking again. ‘We’re going to take him inside,’ she explained, ‘then Tony’ll anaesthetise him, then take his tooth out. There’s a viewing area. Do you want to watch?’
There was a collective intake of breath from Abi and Max. Mandy felt quite breathless herself. It would be fascinating to see Tony at work. Working with Ganesh was very different from anything she did, even with her ‘large’ animal work.
‘That would be wonderful,’ Jimmy said, ‘wouldn’t it, you two?’ His eyes were sparkling. He was just as excited as they were, Mandy thought.
‘Well then, if you can stay back for the moment, we’ll take him inside. Tony will get him sedated and then someone will come to fetch you once it’s safe,’ Polly told them. She nodded as if satisfied. With a quick grin, she left them standing beside the car and began to unlock the heavy metal gates of the pen. Another two park wardens appeared. Between them, they opened up the gates and bolted them to the sides of the trailer. It all looked very sturdy, Mandy thought. Polly did a final check that everything was secure, then between them, they opened the large side door of the truck. Mandy, Jimmy and the twins stood and watched as Ganesh slowly appeared, first his trunk, as if feeling his way, then his head and then he was making his way down the ramp with a warden at each side.
He stopped halfway down, then reached out with his trunk to examine the bars at the side of the ramp. The wardens stood at his elbows. How still they were, Mandy thought. She half expected them to urge him, but they let the huge creature explore. When he began to move his feet again, they moved with him. There was no hurry. It was as if they had all the time in the world. Once he was in the pen, they closed the big gates behind him. Without haste, they opened the huge sliding door that led into the shed. Step by slow step, they guided the elephant inside and then the door slid closed.
The viewing room was painted blue. The walls on either side went most of the way up to the roof, but straight ahead there was a chest-high wall. Beyond it, there was a brightly lit area. Mandy walked to the viewing wall and looked over. Ganesh lay asleep on the ground. There were even more people around him than there had been earlier. She watched as they began to ready Ganesh for his operation. Tony directed one of the helpers to pull open his bottom jaw, while another held his head in place. Another still was handed a flat metal hook to hold the side of Ganesh’s mouth out of the way.
Mandy looked round to see how the twins were. Though she and Jimmy were tall enough to look over the wall easily, Abi and Max were having to scrabble upwards. Even standing on their toes, they could only just see over.
‘I’ll lift you so you can see,’ Jimmy promised, ‘but I can only manage one at a time. Abi, you were first on the trampoline last week, so now it’s Max’s turn.’
Abi made no objection. She seemed to have taken Jimmy’s instructions about being quiet very seriously indeed. Mandy smiled at her. To her surprise, after a moment’s hesitation, Abi came over and looked straight up. ‘Mandy,’ she said. ‘Please could you lift me, so I can see too?’
Mandy felt a glow of happiness rising inside her. Only a few days ago, she had been worried that Abi and Max would never forgive her, and here they were all together. Not only that, but Abi trusted her enough to ask for help. ‘Of course I will,’ she replied. She lifted Abi and joined Jimmy and Max and they looked over the wall in a row. Mandy risked a glance across at Jimmy as Tony wielded the largest dental drill she had ever seen. Jimmy grinned at her, nodding towards Abi, who was clinging to Mandy’s neck, utterly engrossed. Mandy grinned back. Maybe everything was going to work out after all.
Chapter Twenty-Six
‘So that’s it then?’ Helen had been there when Mandy’s phone rang, and Mandy had made no attempt to stop her overhearing.
Mandy couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. She had hoped for good news, and now here it was. ‘Plaster, heating, plumbing, electrics, all complete!’ Wildacre was finished at last. She glanced at the clock. It was almost lunchtime. ‘Can you manage without me for a few minutes?’ she asked. ‘I’ll be back before afternoon surgery. I’ve got my mobile.’
‘Of course we can.’ Helen’s smile was almost as wide as Mandy’s. She knew how long Mandy had been waiting for this moment. ‘Lucy,’ she called to her beloved flatcoat retriever. ‘I’ll just pop Lucy out and then I’m all yours,’ she said.
Mandy was still beaming as she walked up the garden path to her new home fifteen minutes later. There had been wildflowers growing all the way up the lane. There were flowers in the garden too, tall blue irises and vibrant garden pinks. Butterflies fluttered on a patch of round-headed allium flowers. It was still half wild, but so different from the mossy dereliction of a few months ago.
She pushed open the newly painted front door and stepped inside. The hallway was bright and welcoming. The Yorkshire stone floor had been scrubbed. The plaster was smooth under the cream paint. She flicked the light switch. The bulb came on and she flicked it off again. It still felt like a miracle that everything was ready and working. She started in the sitting room with its rosy brick fireplace, then made her way back to the little bathroom at the back of the house, all tiled in white. Upstairs, both bedrooms were perfect. She had bought a double bed for the master bedroom and two singles for the smaller room in case of visitors.
My own home!
She made her way back down to the kitchen. She would have lunch here today, she decided. She had brought up a few things already. There was soup in the cupboard and the scrubbed oak table and chairs were good as new. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She wanted to share this moment with Jimmy.
She glanced round the kitchen twenty minutes later when she heard his car arriving. There was a pan of soup bubbling on the fully functioning stove. She had asked Jimmy to bring rolls and butter. She had been out in the garden and had cut a few flowers. They stood in a washed-out coffee jar in the middle of the table. The sun was shining in at the window. Everything was perfect.
He was standing on the doorstep when she opened the door, wearing a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and open at the neck. He was getting quite tanned, she thought. No wonder when he worked outside every day. In each hand he held a blue plastic bag, but as soon as he saw her, he dropped them on the step, opened his arms and wrapped them around her. Fresh air and the scent of flowers mingled with his aftershave. His stubble felt rough against her cheek as she held him tight against her body.
‘Congratulations,’ he whispered.
She sighed as they pulled apart. ‘Come in,’ she said. ‘The soup’s ready.’
He lifted the bags again and walked inside, putting them on the table in the kitchen. ‘Smells good,’ he said, sniffing appreciatively.
He pulled out a bag of mini-baguettes, put them on the oven shelf then straightened with a smile. ‘I brought a housewarming cake,’ he said. He reached in
to the second of the blue bags. It was a delicious-looking chocolate cake and he set it on the table next to some butter and a chunk of cheese. Bags emptied, he walked towards her. ‘Going to take me on the grand tour?’ he asked.
Mandy went from room to room again. It was even better with Jimmy there to admire the clean walls, the new-painted window frames and even the carpets. He took her in his arms as they arrived back in the kitchen. ‘It’s lovely,’ he said. ‘Almost as lovely as you.’ He paused for a moment as his eyes roved the room, taking in the beautifully painted cupboards and the bubbling soup on the stove. ‘There’s just one problem.’
Mandy stiffened. He still had his arms around her, but she leaned away slightly to look at him. Was there really something wrong? ‘What is it?’ she asked.
Jimmy grinned. He looked almost sheepish. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I’d planned to ask you to move into Mistletoe Cottage with me until this place was ready.’ He glanced round the kitchen again. ‘And now,’ he said, ‘it seems I’ve left it too late. I must remember not to drag my heels next time.’
Mandy felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. He’d wanted her to move in with him? That would have been wonderful.
It could still be, she thought. ‘Maybe … one day, not tomorrow, but if you want to, in the future … you could move in here instead,’ she suggested. ‘You know, there’s a spare room I haven’t really touched yet, so there’d be room for Abi and Max, if you did. They could decorate it however they like. And there’s more room for the dogs,’ she added, with a slightly nervous grin.
Jimmy looked at her, his face serious at first, then breaking into a warm smile that lit up his eyes. ‘I’ll have to check with Abi and Max,’ he said, ‘but so long as they’re happy, I’d love to.’
Mandy wrapped her arms even more tightly round his waist. She could feel his slow, steady heart, beating against hers. It had been a long time since she had felt this happy.
They sat down at the table to eat. The crusty rolls and cheese were perfect with the tomato soup she’d prepared.
‘Abi and Max would love this,’ Jimmy told her. ‘Tomato soup’s one of their favourite things.’
Mandy smiled, surprised to find it was quite easy to imagine the twins sitting at the Wildacre kitchen table, playing with the dogs. She paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. ‘How are they?’ she asked. She hadn’t seen them since they had watched Ganesh having his tooth taken out, just over a week ago. ‘No nightmares about enormous dental drills or anything?’
Jimmy laughed. ‘Luckily no,’ he said.
‘He’s doing well by the way. Ganesh, I mean,’ Mandy said. Polly Cormac had called to say the elephant had settled in well and was eating again without having to have painkillers.
‘That’s great,’ he said, ‘and the twins are fine.’ He paused for a moment with his eyes on her. He looked pleased, she thought. It was lovely to be able to talk about Abi and Max and for them both to feel completely relaxed.
They finished lunch, then parted at the front door with a kiss.
‘I’ll call you tomorrow,’ Jimmy said. ‘When would be a good time?’
‘I’m going to release Frank in the evening,’ Mandy told him. ‘Would you like to come? James is coming over with Raj.’ She was looking forward to setting the owl free. He appeared to have made a full recovery. She had removed the stitches and had been watching him closely for the past two days. It would be lovely to see him fly out in the open.
Jimmy sighed. ‘I’m afraid I’ve a group coming for an evening ramble,’ he said, ‘but good luck. I’ll try to catch you before you go.’ He waved as he drove off and a few minutes later, Mandy set off back to Animal Ark.
Adam and Mandy tackled the early afternoon surgery together. Though Mandy had been working harder than ever since Emily had been taken ill, she was still nervous that something would go wrong after her awful mistake with Zoe. Adam had been very patient with her, encouraging her to take things on alone, but she still felt more confident when he was there.
She hadn’t told him about Wildacre yet. She wanted to tell her mum and dad together. She had sworn Helen to secrecy, hugging the secret to herself. If they finished early, it would be the ideal opportunity, she thought.
Adam came to her, just as the last client closed the door. ‘All done?’ he said.
‘Yes,’ Mandy replied. She took a deep breath. ‘Dad, I’ve something to tell you and Mum. Have you got time?’
Adam stood very still for a moment. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘but actually I wanted you to come in for a cup of tea. There’s something we need to discuss. All of us together.’ Mandy felt her breathing quicken. What did they want to talk about? Though they often sat down together, it was rare for Dad to ask like this. Was it bad or good? She tried to read his expression, but there was nothing in his face to indicate. There was a pulse beating in her throat.
‘What is it? Is it about Mum?’
‘Come into the house and we’ll talk there,’ he told her, and set off for the door. There was nothing Mandy could do but follow.
She was startled to find not only Mum, but Gran and Grandad sitting around the table in the kitchen. There was a cake on the table and cups and saucers and her heart slowed a little. It couldn’t be anything desperately urgent if there had been time to prepare cake and tea.
Grandad smiled up at her. She could see from his expression that he didn’t know what was coming either, but he seemed happy enough. He patted the seat beside him. ‘You come and sit here, love,’ he said. Gran lifted the teapot and began to pour the tea.
Mandy sat down beside her grandfather and Adam took the chair beside Emily. It was hard to take her eyes off her parents. It had to be something important for them to gather everyone like this. All the colours in the kitchen suddenly seemed too bright: the blue of Emily’s favourite mug, the orange glaze on the pots hanging above the stove.
Mum looked across the table straight at Mandy, then glanced at Gran and Grandad. ‘I’ve some news I want to tell you all,’ she said. She smiled, glancing down at her tea, then back up. ‘You all know I’ve not been well for a while. Now I have a diagnosis.’
Mandy’s heart was racing again. She pushed her shoulders back and breathed slowly in and out. She needed to be calm for Emily’s sake.
‘Apparently, I have multiple sclerosis,’ Emily said. She paused to look around. There was a small gasp from Gran. Mandy’s fingers were shaking. Grandad reached out a hand and grasped her hand under the table. ‘I can see you’re all shocked,’ Emily went on, ‘but I’ve known for a few days and it’s actually a relief to know what’s happening.’
How can it be a relief?
Mandy tried to think of what she knew about multiple sclerosis, but her mind was blank and fuzzy. All she could think was why was this happening to Mum? She had always been the healthy one: the one who looked after everyone else and would admit no weakness. She wanted to speak, but how? She couldn’t think of a single reassuring thing to say.
Emily sent a gentle smile across the table to Mandy, as if offering comfort. This was the wrong way round, Mandy thought. She should be the one offering support. ‘I know it’s a shock,’ Emily said, ‘but I’ve read a lot in the last few days. It’s not as bad as I thought when they first told me. They think I have what’s called the relapsing remitting form, so with treatment, I might be almost as good as new for quite a while. I’ve looked it up and most people who have it live almost as long as those without.’
Under the table, Grandad gripped Mandy’s hand more tightly. His touch was reassuring. Was Emily just making light of things? she wondered. Mandy knew so little about MS that she couldn’t tell. ‘I’ve seen a specialist and have an MS nurse,’ Emily went on. ‘They say that for now I can continue to work a bit. But they also said I had to try to sleep at regular times, so I won’t be able to do on-call. I also don’t want you two …’ she glanced from Adam to Mandy, ‘… to find yourselves overloaded every time I’m feeling under the weather. W
e’ve discussed it …’ She reached for Adam’s hand and he smiled, ‘and we want to take on a new vet. I’ll become practice manager. I might continue to help out a bit. They seem to have no idea how fast it’ll progress, but whatever happens, we want to plan ahead.’ She stopped speaking and gazed round the table as if waiting for questions. Mandy still couldn’t think of anything to say. Neither, it seemed, could Gran and Grandad.
‘Is that okay with you, Mandy?’ Dad was still gripping Emily’s hand. ‘A new vet and your mum as practice manager.’
‘Of course it is,’ Mandy said. How could her mum be taking this so calmly? she thought. She had known her mum was resilient, but if she, Mandy, felt so frightened, how come Mum was so serene? She was sure it wasn’t an act. Mum really seemed to be taking it in her stride.
‘Would anyone like some more tea?’ Emily looked round the table.
Grandad pushed his cup towards her. ‘I’ll have another cup, please,’ he said.
‘And please do have some cake,’ Emily said. ‘I know it’s a lot to take in, but I want to try to carry on as normal for as long as I can.’ Was that it? Mandy wondered. Well, if Mum wanted to pretend everything could be normal, Mandy would just have to do her best.
Gran nodded, finding her smile. ‘I’ll have a small piece, please,’ she said.
Adam frowned as if remembering something. He looked across at Mandy, his head on one side. ‘You said you’d something to tell me and Mum,’ he said. ‘Is it something you can share with all of us?’
Somehow, Mandy found a smile. ‘I found out this morning that Wildacre is finished,’ she said.
Emily clapped her hands together. ‘So is it all ready for you to move in?’ she asked.
‘Not quite,’ Mandy said. ‘There’s still some furniture to come, but it is just about there.’ She paused for a moment, feeling sad, trying to hide it. ‘There’s no rush now, though.’
‘What do you mean?’ Adam asked.
‘Well, I’ll be staying here of course,’ Mandy said. ‘I came back to help you. I can’t move out just now when you need me the most.’