by Dilys Xavier
Katie looked up at him, thankful that he was there to help and comfort her. He was like a rock to her, and she felt that whatever her worries were, she could tell Pat about them. ‘I’m just so glad you’re here,’ she said, returning his smile, ‘but I’m all right. Don’t worry.’
Before he left, Pat’s bright blue eyes gave her a searching look. It seemed to her that he was truly anxious about her state of health. She made the phone call, but all she got was the usual, ‘comfortable’ She leaned back in her chair with a deep sigh, and within minutes she was catching up on the sleep she had missed last night. It must have been over an hour before she opened her eyes at the sound of crockery in the kitchen. It was Pat making coffee for them both.
‘You’re a saint, and so thoughtful,’ she said. ‘Bring yours in here and sit down beside me. I’d like your company.’
Pat had slipped off his gumboots and outer garment, and sat on the little cane stool at her side.
‘I saw Jack from the garage driving your car away just as I drove in,’ Pat said. ‘I presume it’s having a road safety check and service, so how will you get to the hospital today? Will someone be able to drive you there?’
‘Yes. I almost forgot about that, but I’m sure Sam will take me.’ She shrugged. ‘I haven’t had any definite news from the hospital yet, though. When I last asked about Aunt Bertha, what they told me was vague. Still, I think I’ll ring again now to ask when she’s having the operation.’
Katie lifted the phone and dialled the hospital, and asked for information. She gave Pat a glum look as she listened to the reply. ‘Nothing further, other than being told once more that the patient is satisfactory and comfortable,’ she said. ‘That’s the usual reply. They’ll never give more over the phone.’
Pat gave a little cough. ‘Look here,’ he said, hesitating a little, ‘it’s, er… my day for finishing early, so I could take you to the hospital straight after lunch. You’d be independent of your daughters then, and I could wait in the car park while you’re with your aunt.’ He waited for a second or two, then went on. ‘Would you like me to do that? It’s no problem, Mrs. Turner.’
‘Thank you, Pat, I’d be delighted if you’ll do that for me. You really are one of the most thoughtful people I’ve met in a long while.’
Pat grinned broadly. ‘That settles it then. I don’t need anything to eat, but shall I get you something before we go?’
Katie shook her head. ‘No thanks. There’s enough quiche, and other bits and pieces left over from yesterday to feed us both twice over. In fact there’s a lot likely to waste.’
She pondered for only a few seconds. ‘Now this is only a suggestion, so say what you honestly feel about it and I won’t mind one bit. What would you say to packing up the rest of the left-over food, and making a picnic of it somewhere? Then we could make more plans for my garden. We haven’t had much opportunity to talk.’
Immediately, the idea brought a smile to his face. ‘What a great idea. It’s years since I had a picnic. It would be fun to eat out in the countryside.’
Katie watched Pat’s eyes glow with pleasure as he nodded with enthusiastic approval. ‘Okay, Mrs. Turner. I’ll put the garden tools back in the shed right now.’
After he went out, feeling a lot more comfortable, Katie closed her eyes again. She must have fallen asleep once more, because it seemed only minutes before Pat was at her side, saying that he was going to slip home for a shower, and would be back for her within the hour.
She stirred herself and quickly packed the picnic lunch. As she placed it in the hamper, she felt happy, envisaging a snack under a shady tree in the nearest woods they could find. Tanya and Margie were both at work, so she phoned Sam and explained what was happening.
It seemed no time at all before Pat had returned, and they set off. Katie noticed what a good driver he was, and she felt safe with him, relaxing into the comfortable Volvo seat, and gazing dreamily around as he drove carefully through the narrow country lanes.
‘After you’ve seen your Aunt Bertha, maybe we could have our picnic in those woods over there,’ he said, pointing.’
‘Wherever you say,’ Katie said. ‘It’s such a lovely area that just about anywhere here would do on such a beautiful day.’ Then she sighed. ‘I’m so worried about Aunt Bertha, and this is giving me something else to think about, thankfully.’
Within a short time they were parked in the hospital lot, and Katie gathered up her handbag. ‘You’re sure you’ll be okay sitting out here?’ she asked, suddenly feeling bad about leaving him in his car to wait for her.
‘Don’t worry about me Mrs. Turner.’ He reached for a rose catalog off the back seat, ‘I’ll be fine. You take all the time you want with your aunt.’
When Katie walked into the ward, Aunt Bertha was sitting up in bed, but looking miserable. As Katie approached her, the old lady’s face broke into a smile and she reached out a hand.
‘How lovely to see you, my dear. I’m so glad you’ve come,’ she said, and leaned forward to whisper, ‘They won’t tell me when my operation is. Perhaps they’ll tell you, so will you ask?’
‘Of course I will,’ Katie said, glancing around the four-bed ward to see if the Sister was about. For the next ten minutes, Katie kept her aunt’s spirits up by telling stories about her little grandchildren. Just then, a nurse appeared, and apologized that she had to take Aunt Bertha to another part of the hospital for some more tests. ‘When is the surgery scheduled?’ Katie asked.
‘Maybe tomorrow,’ the nurse said, ‘but Sister would be able to tell you more.’
Aunt Bertha looked crestfallen as she was wheeled away. ‘You’ll come again, soon?’ she whispered.
‘Tomorrow,’ Katie answered, and left, none the wiser about what was to happen, because Sister had been called away to an emergency in the next ward. Rather than wait for her to reappear, Katie decided it was wiser to leave the issue for the time being, and left. She found Pat reclining in the driver seat with his eyes closed, obviously expecting a long wait.
‘You didn’t take long,’ he said, looking surprised when Katie opened the door. ‘Is your aunt okay?’
‘Comfortable,’ Katie replied. ‘They’re running more tests right now, and taking every precaution. I really shouldn’t worry so much; it doesn’t help.’
Pat put the vehicle into gear, and drove onto the main road. ‘First I want you to take a good look as we pass the garden of the house right at the end of this road. I’ve done a lot of work there, and ‘tis my guess that you’ll probably want a few blooms like the ones you’ll see in the front.’ He slowed down.
Katie gasped. ‘They are simply gorgeous. You’re right; I’d love my garden full of colour like that one. Tell me where I can buy some.’
Pat gave her a quick sideways glance, and smiled. ‘I thought you’d like them… they’re camellias, pink, and red ones. Right, after our picnic, we’ll visit the centre where they stock them, and you can pick out what you fancy. And your rose trees.’
Katie sighed and relaxed again, feeling quite happy. Although the concern about Aunt Bertha lay heavily at the back of her mind, there was little she could do about it.’
‘Our picnic first,’ Katie reminded him.
Pat nodded, and left the main road for a leafy country lane that wound up to the local woods. He parked the car and lifted out the basket of food that Katie had packed. ‘Come on, follow me,’ he said, grinning as he made his way up a path. ‘Ah, it’s still there — see? A rustic table and two bench seats only a few yards off the pathway. I spotted them when I came up here for a walk one day last summer.’ He placed the basket on the table and, with a flourishing gesture, invited Katie to be seated.
There was no sound except the twitter of birds. Squirrels boldly scrabbled up and down trees and darted in and out of the shrubbery, seemingly quite tame. One even jumped onto the table and pushed its little paws inside the bag to rummage around for a tasty morsel.
‘It looks like he’s done that b
efore,’ Pat said, flicking the creature off the table. ‘The trouble is, people fill a bag with squirrel goodies, and have a bit of fun watching them. I’ve seen it so many times, so you can’t blame the creatures, and they learn to do tricks for food quite quickly.’
The other woodland creatures kept their distance. Birds watched from the safety of the trees, probably noting where crumbs dropped so that they could be retrieved later. As they ate, the warm afternoon sun peeped in and out through the leafy trees, dancing around on the grass like ballerinas of nature.
A delicate breeze ruffled the foliage, and Katie breathed in the healthy smell of woodland air. ‘This is idyllic,’ she whispered. ‘I could stay here forever, and never have a care in the world.’
‘Well, it’s good to know you feel so contented,’ Pat, said. ‘It’s always like this in Ireland, y’know; always quiet, always tranquil, barely any cars on the roads and, as you say, idyllic. Have you been there?’
Katie shook her head. ‘Greg and I often thought about going, but we never got round to it. Maybe one day I’ll go there on a bus tour.’
‘Oh, you should take a look at the Emerald Isle, for sure,’ Pat said. Then he sighed and remained silent for a moment or two. ‘The house I live in here is tied to the job on the Poulton Estate, just two miles down the road from your home,’ he said.
‘The Poulton Estate? Oh, I know that place, but I had no idea you worked there. I’ve wondered on times what your main occupation was,’ Katie commented. ‘Exactly what do you do on the estate?
‘Do?’ he asked, giving a wry smile. ‘Did, is the more likely word. I managed it. I hold a degree in horticulture and my dream was to open my own garden centre and landscaping service one day, but to do that I’d need a sizeable piece of land… and a lot of capital.’ He shrugged. ‘I had neither of those, but I was fortunate to secure the manager’s job on the estate on the strength of my degree. At least it was well-paid, and a house came with the job, just like there are on estates and large farms.’
Pat seemed to be deep in thought. ‘Now that they’ve made me redundant, I can no longer expect to have use of the house.’ He gave a quick shrug. ‘They’ve indicated they need it for other purposes, so I have to move out as soon as possible. I’m currently looking for somewhere else to live. In the meantime, my gardening jobs give me pocket money and keep me busy.’ He shook his head slowly from side to side. ‘But this isn’t what I want for the rest of my life.’ He cast her a quick glance. ‘For heaven’s sake, I’m not finished at my age.’ He lifted his brows. ‘I’d like to carve out a new life for myself. In Ireland.’
Katie’s heart gave a jerk. ‘Surely, you’re not leaving Berkeley?’ She looked upset. ‘Pat, I hope you won’t go off suddenly to live in Ireland… not until you’ve put my garden right, anyway. And when you do go, who on earth is going to help me out?’ She pulled a face. ‘I forbid you to go.’
‘Yes, Madam,’ Pat said, entering into the spirit. ‘Your wish is my command.’ He cleared away the scraps and litter. Then he held out his hand to help Katie out of the confining grip of the bench seat, and draped her jacket over her shoulders. ‘I think we should go now, because you’ll probably need a lot of time to choose your plants.’
Chapter Five
As they drove to the garden centre, the thought that Pat had notions about going to live in Ireland bothered her. Did he really mean it? How on earth would she manage that huge garden without him? It would soon become as wild as it was before he appeared, and that worried her. Between her concern over Aunt Bertha and the disappointing possibility that Pat had just given her, the happy feeling she had enjoyed in the woods earlier that afternoon had faded.
While Pat quietly drove, Katie began to wonder why she should feel so concerned about his going away. There must be other gardeners around, she thought, but they would be unlikely to be happy souls like Pat. Silently acknowledging that he was a delightful personality to have about the place, she realized that it was selfish to want him to stay, when his greatest wish was to return to his homeland.
‘Here we are,’ Pat said, breaking into her thoughts as he drove into the garden centre. He parked the car as near as possible to the entrance, and escorted Katie through the main building and out to the display of plants at the back.
‘I’m spoilt for choice,’ Katie said, looking around, ‘but I don’t have a clue what to buy, so I’ll rely on you to point out what I saw in that garden.’
He smiled with the patient look she had come to know so well, and began to push the huge trolley he had collected on the way in.
Katie pointed to the rhododendrons. ‘I love these,’ she said. ‘I’d like a deep mauve one, and a pinky mauve.’
‘This one’s all right, it grows to shrub size, but that one will be huge,’ Pat cautioned. ‘You don’t want your garden taken over by this kind of giant.’
‘Okay. You pick them out, then.’ Katie said. ‘I don’t mind which they are, as long as they’re rhododendrons; I’ve always fancied them… they make a lovely evergreen hedge, and the blooms are gorgeous.’
The trolley began to fill up as they walked around. They had picked up two magnolia trees, a white one, and a pink one, and a pink camellia and a red one, some azaleas, and some hellebores for a show of blooms in January.
It was then that Pat frowned and spoke more firmly. ‘You’ve selected some large specimens, but you haven’t looked at all of the roses on display yet. I’d say you’ve bought enough for the time being, so let’s get these into the garden first, eh?’
Katie frowned. ‘I’d love some peonies, too, and a couple of blue eucalyptus trees as well; they have such pretty greenery through the winter months, and I could pick some branches for my flower arrangements.’ She paused, then lifted a finger as she thought of something else. ‘Oh, and an oak tree; I have wanted an evergreen oak tree forever.’
‘And now why would you be wanting an oak tree?’
‘No particular reason, but it’s such a beautiful giant and I’ve read that oaks are host to lots of insects, which encourages birds to visit, and I want as many birds as my garden will hold.’ She took a deep breath and waited for his response. ‘It is said that fairies dance around female oak trees,’ she said, giving a wink and a smile.
Pat rubbed his nose, and lowered his head close to hers to confide. ‘Yes, and of course, coming from Ireland, I’d know all about the fairies, wouldn’t I now?’ Then his expression became serious. ‘Now would you be knowing that an oak tree will grow to a hundred feet ?’
‘A hundred?’ Katie said, looking surprised.
‘Yes, but don’t worry yourself too much over it, because that won’t happen for the next hundred years. You can have your oak tree.’
Katie flipped his arm. ‘Great, but stop teasing me, Pat O’Reilly.’
When she pointed to some hollyhock, and foxglove plants, Pat shook his head. ‘Oh no, Mrs. Turner. I’ll grow the likes of those from seed for you.’
Katie shook her head. ‘I can’t wait that long. I want instant colour.’
‘You’re behaving like a spoilt child,’ he said, laughingly, ‘wanting this and that.’ He gave a sigh. ‘All right, just a couple then, and that’s it. There’s enough here to keep me busy for a while, and you’ve only bought a few rose bushes yet. I think we should go now. Come on.’ He turned away and pushed the trolley towards the cash desk, giving Katie no option but to follow.
Katie paid for the plants, and after Pat had stacked them in the car, he turned to her with a tolerant expression. ‘Don’t worry, it pleases me to spoil you. I’ll take you to another centre soon, but next time, please see that you buy the rose trees you want so badly. There are empty places crying out for them.’
Katie nodded, and rode home feeling quite exhilarated. While Pat unloaded the plants onto the patio, she slipped inside to get some refreshments. Within minutes, she reappeared with a tray of tea and cake. ‘I made this carrot cake last night,’ she said, ‘or there are biscuits in the tin.’
In a most relaxed manner, they discussed exactly where to put the plants they had brought home, and what else could be fitted in.
‘Tell you what,’ Katie announced, ‘What if you arrange to have blocks of color, red and yellow, blue and yellow, with tall plants at the back, dropping in size to tiny ones in front.’ She positioned her face to look straight into Pat’s twinkling eyes.
He laughed at her playfulness. ‘Yes, Madam, I have already thought about that, and you shall have it, but let me water the poor things now, or you’ll have nothing at all from this lot.’ He rose to his feet. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed today and we’ll do it again, but next time, it’s exclusively for roses.’
Katie looked at him as he fetched the hose, appreciating how kind he was. How many other men, she wondered, would give up their afternoon off, as he had done today. He really was so kind and helpful… a real gem. The fact he might leave one day, didn’t bear thinking about. Then she scolded herself again for her selfish thoughts…after all, he had every right to choose his own way of life. I’ll forget he ever said he’s going, until he does, she thought. Maybe he never will take off, so let’s wait and see what happens.
Pat watered the plants and Katie picked up the tea tray and carried it inside. It wasn’t long after that she heard him call his goodbyes through the back door.
‘Bye, Pat,’ she called back, feeling his departure was a bit of an anticlimax after such a lovely day. She wished she’d thought of inviting him to stay for a proper meal, then she’d have had his company longer. Stupid… she told herself… he has things to do other than spend his evening with you.
After dinner, Sam called and arranged to take Katie to see Aunt Bertha. As they entered the ward, Sister was there, and Katie asked about Aunt Bertha’s operation.
‘All being well, first thing tomorrow,’ the woman said with a pleasant smile.