“No, he doesn’t seem to have plans in that direction at the moment.”
“Not heard anything of Jansy either.” He placed a packet of biscuits on the tray. “I thought she might pop in to see Laura more often, with her being based at the hospital, but apart from the very first week of Laura’s admittance we’ve hardly seen anything of her.”
Adam carried the tray of tea from the kitchen and the two men relaxed in the sitting area of the family room. Ben felt the best way to approach the topic he’d been assigned was to plunge straight in.
“You have a lovely home, Adam, but how do you envisage using the space when Laura comes home?”
Surprised, Adam raised his eyebrows, “You in to reading thoughts now, Ben?”
Ben smiled and shook his head. “No, just wondered how you plan to cope with the inevitable changes.”
“That very thing has been tossing about in my mind for the last few days until I don’t know whether we’ll be living upstairs and sleeping downstairs or vice versa, putting up walls or taking others down. It’s a mighty headache, mate.”
Ben placed a hand on his friend’s arm. “Before you continue, Adam, as you see, I’ve brought along my laptop this evening. On it I have a computer program onto which we can put your ideas, juggle around with them and, maybe, come up with a workable solution.”
After a thoughtful moment Adam stroked his chin then said dubiously, “Sounds a great idea but what about cost?”
“Let’s look at what’s required then see what’s feasible.”
“Right,” Adam leaned forward to view the screen.
“Where do we start?”
“With what you’ve got.”
“Measurements and such, you mean?”
“Yes, and facilities, for instance bath, shower and toilet. Then we’ll consider obstacles such as steps or stairs, walls, doorway too narrow, opening the wrong way or even in the wrong place. We’ll look at where to put a bed and whatever else Laura may need to be comfortable and mobile.”
Adam nodded his understanding as Ben switched on his machine.
Ben had a blueprint of plans he believed would be ideal for this lovely old family home but he wanted his friend’s input so that Adam would feel he was the one making the vital decisions for the necessary alterations to the house.
“I’ll just take a few measurements so we’ll have everything accurately to scale.”
Thoughtfully, Adam watched as Ben walked around his home, measured walls, windows and doorways. After making notes he sat down and sipped his tea.
“All set?”Adam enquired.
Ben nodded, and prompted his friend to share ideas. He listened attentively to Adam’s random observations and then, with the keyboard, built up 3D pictures on the screen with some of his suggestions.
“If we have Laura’s bed downstairs, so she’s part of family life, it would restrict either the sitting or dining areas or where the children play.” Adam shrugged his shoulders and sighed, “It’s not easy, is it? We’ve often spoken of having a conservatory but never got around to it. Now I wish we had.”
Ben’s nimble fingers danced across the keys. He swivelled the laptop to face Adam. “Something like this, you mean?”
Adam leaned forward. “Mmm, ye…s…s, but would there be room for a bed?”
Ben drew in a bed, to scale, as well as a cabinet. “And there’s also sufficient space for a small table and a couple of chairs.”
“Mmm! But where could we put in a shower room?”
“Aah, the all important necessity.” Ben moved the cursor round again. “What do you think of this?”
Adam gazed intently at the screen. Lines appeared others disappeared as Ben drew the floor plan of the Catton home.
“Oh, you’ve put it alongside the kitchen wall jutting out on to the patio!”
“Yes.”
“Won’t it be a bit small?” Adam shuffled to the edge of his seat and looked again.
“You’ve moved the kitchen window and…”
“So the shower room will be longer.”
Adam’s finger traced the image as he peered more closely, “…and also the back door is in a different place.”
“For easier access.”
“I see, the kitchen wall has gone that divides it from the dining area and… there’s a new one here, cutting it off from the sitting area.”
“Kitchen diner?”
“Uhmm!”
Both men were quiet for a time then Adam got up from the sofa and paced the area where the proposed new wall would be built. He purposefully strode to open the French windows and, although dusk was rapidly enveloping all within its path, he stepped outside and looked intently at the lawn and patio that could become his wife’s new living quarters.
Ben followed him out and counted, in steps, the measurements so Adam could get an idea of the eventual size of the room.
Ben quietly put spoken words to the layout of the plan, “Patio doors here into Laura’s conservatory room, th…”
“But Laura loves these French windows.”
“We could adapt them, but sliding means greater flexibility and consequently, more room.”
“Right,” Adam hesitantly replied.
“Not convinced?”
“No, I know how much Laura enjoyed pushing open those French doors, “to bring the fragrance and beauty of the garden into our living space,” she frequently said.”
“I’m sure it’s not impossible to reach a compromise so that Laura doesn’t lose what is important to her.”
“That will be good, Ben.” Adam walked thoughtfully towards the outside wall of the house. “The extension you plan is going to be quite a size, isn’t it?”
“Yes, with an en suite shower, toilet and washbasin, or in modern parlance a ‘wet room’, to the right adjoining the present kitchen wall. The conservatory can be separate allowing quiet and privacy, or having glass doors of some description, open and all-embracing into a family kitchen cum dining room, extending at the far end onto the back of the front door porch as the utility area of the kitchen. Dep…”
“Not sure you could do that.”
“Why?”
“Old property, conservation and all that.”
“I see. Is it listed?”
“Don’t think so but I seem to remember when Dad had the internal alterations and modernization done for my Mother, there were restrictions on changing the external appearance.”
“Could someone in your office check the legal situation for us?”
“I’ll attend to that in the morning. The deeds are lodged there, too, should we need them to verify the situation.”
“Good! Now, depending where you want to place the kitchen units the access door into the kitchen from the hall can be changed.”
“I like the idea of a separate lounge but am not sure about the hallway.”
“Why?”
“That wall jutting out looks odd.”
“There could be a door at the end, like this.”
“Mmm,” Adam pensively stroked his chin. “I’d like to keep the toilet under the stairs for the children’s use.”
“If that’s the case, we could take 6ft by 3ft off the lounge next to it, just so.” Ben indicated the changes on the screen. “It could then be used as a storage area for shoes and school bags or hanging room for coats. The hallway wall could be shortened as long as it isn’t a weight bearing wall.”
“Aah! I see.”
Ben showed the existing house plan in blue then superimposed Adam’s suggestions in red over the top, along with some alterations of his own. Then illustrated each room in 3D with the ideas they had spoken of.
“Oh my!” Adam’s finger hovered over the screen as Ben drew the modifications.
“There’s a good space behind that proposed new wall that encloses the stairs, cloakroom and loo, isn’t there?”
“Yes. So, what about developing it as the children’s new play area with built in cupboards along the far wall fo
r their toys and there would also be a slot for your computer desk under the window here?” This time Ben took Adam on a virtual tour of the proposed alterations to the house so that he could get a feel for the projected changes.
“Mmm, that’s a possibility. Must keep the toilet for the children’s use, though.”
Adam clapped his arm along Ben’s shoulders. “You’ve done wonders, ole boy, and given me much to think about.”
Ben grinned. “I’ll print this out when I get home so that you can mull the plans over and share the proposals with Laura.”
“Thanks, mate.”
“Nothing will be changed that doesn’t meet with your approval. Upstairs will remain intact, too.”
“That’s good.”
Ben saved the program, closed down his laptop and rose to go home. “I’ll let you have this in the morning.” He walked towards the front door. “See you, Adam. Thanks for the tea. Love to Laura.”
“But we haven’t discussed the cost.”
Ben turned and smiled at his friend, then quietly said, “Philippians chapter 4 verse 19, Adam.”
“But…”
“No buts!”
Before settling down for the night Adam looked up the Bible reference Ben had quoted as he left, “…my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Tears welled up in the eyes of the intensely resilient man.
Finances had become tight, since Laura’s illness, but he hadn’t said a word to anyone. He felt the wellbeing of the children was of paramount importance so willingly dipped into his savings to pay RK to care for them, but with Laura in hospital, they also had to manage without her salary. Daily trips to the hospital and parking fees were also proving quite an expense. Alterations to the house, on the scale that Ben proposed, were certainly beyond their means at the moment. With a heavy heart he bowed to rest his aching head into his hands. Thankyou, Lord! I don’t know how you’re going to do it, just teach me to trust that you have it all in hand and know the answer.
Adam’s prolonged discussions with Ben had resulted in judicious renovations to the house with the proviso that further adaptations could be made as and when the need arose. When Adam had sought advice from Doctor John he, too, had suggested that hand rails and ramps might be required at some stage to aid Laura’s recovery. “Decisions about where to place them might be best left until Laura’s in situ.”
The explanation Ben had given him of the PCC’s community discretionary fund award, to help meet the cost of the house renovations, left Adam flabbergasted.
“I can’t take that.”
“You’re not being asked to take it. It’s being offered, with no strings attached, to meet Laura’s needs to enable her to cope with living in this community, all you have to do is graciously accept it on her behalf.”
“That is incredibly generous of the PCC.”
“If, at any time in the future you are in a position to make a donation to the fund I’m sure it would be gladly received to enable this discreet helping hand scheme to continue in the village.”
So, the Catton’s beautiful home had been thoughtfully adapted by Ben Durrant and his workers at Durrant’s Master Builders to accommodate Laura’s disability, predominantly paid for by the special fund set up by Lord Edmund with Adam’s full agreement.
“Lord Edmund’s foresight and feeling for our village is tremendous. Look at the renovation and modernization he’s instigated on the old estate cottages.”
“Yes, but it’s not just about bricks and mortar. He genuinely cares for the well-being of the people in our community. He believes everyone is entitled to, not only a decent home but also a reasonable life-style, and does his utmost to ensure each person has that opportunity.”
“I’m so very grateful for his generosity to us. It will make such a difference to Laura and our family.”
“He’s always taken his responsibility to the villagers seriously…”
“Yes, I feel he still behaves like the feudal Lord of the Manor.”
“…but since the tragic death of his son followed by the loss of his wife he’s viewed us more like his extended family and passionately wants to show that he cares about us all.”
“And I suppose the discretionary fund is one way he can do that.”
“Yes, it is. When he sets his heart on a cause he fights for all he’s worth until it is accomplished.”
“I guess he put forward the cash for the discretionary fund in the first place.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
It was towards the end of the summer that Laura was finally discharged. She had been in hospital for four and a half months and latterly spent nearly five weeks in the special rehabilitation stroke unit in preparation for her return home. Adam was overjoyed that at long last they could be reunited as a family. As Laura had begun to make progress he had taken Daniel and Kirsten separately over to the hospital to spend time with her. When she transferred to the stroke unit Laura had a private room so Adam took all three children to see her.
Daniel and Kirsten took it all in their stride chatting to Laura about the building work that was going on at home and describing the changes that were taking place. When they realised she couldn’t always respond to them they simply gesticulated with their arms and got animated about activities they were involved in at Church and school while Laura nodded in all the right places and spoke words that were becoming easier for her to pronounce. Daniel or Kirsten readily jumped in to finish off words that proved too difficult to enunciate. But for Poppy it was a bewildering experience. The surroundings were unfamiliar and although her brother and sister called the lady in the bed ‘Mummy’ she didn’t look or sound like her Mummy. So she clung to Adam.
“On the day Laura comes home, Adam,” Dr John advised, “I think it might be less traumatic if the children were not in the house when the ambulance brings Laura home.”
So, RK arranged to take Daniel, Kirsten and Poppy to Jenner’s Mill for the afternoon where they could play with Lily, Pansy and Keir, see the animals and help to collect the eggs.
Trixie offered to prepare a meal for the family so that when Laura was settled, and RK and the children returned home, they could share a meal together. “They’ve watched the workmen making changes and they’ve known the building works were to enable Mummy to come and live at home, but it hasn’t seemed real.”
“Good idea, it’s been hard for them to picture Laura in this new style home. She’s been in hospital for such a long time. This way, they’ll see her in place, in her room when they walk into the house.”
However, whilst Adam and the children were thrilled to have Laura home it took some while for them to adjust to an inactive and inarticulate mother. Laura, too, at times struggled with the changes to her status within her own home and wavered over the smallest of issues. Adam was worried by the lack of confidence in his wife and endeavoured to encourage her in the slightest achievement in order to boost her self-assurance and regain her poise.
RK appeared to be a permanent fixture in the house and the village looking after the Catton children and supporting Laura in her rehabilitation. Her daily presence in their home helped them all to cope with the changes more smoothly. Although she enjoyed her work, at the end of each day, she looked forward to making her way to the retreat on the beach. She was unreservedly content with life in Ferry Cottage having put the unpleasant experiences behind her.
Most of the children in Newton Westerby found her a fun person to be with and usually gravitated towards the little group when they were out at the play-park, on the beach, taking walks down by the quay or exploring the heath, so that frequently RK had an entourage following her like the Pied Piper of Hamlyn. She took Daniel and Kirsten to all their activities, and to Church, but saw no need for a personal commitment herself. She was amazed at Adam and Laura’s firm faith in view of their circumstances and the poor prognosis regarding Laura’s ill-health.
“I really don’t know how you can continue to believe in God,” RK said to Laura on a day that had been particularly trying. With great effort Laura reached out her hand and touched RK’s arm and smiled, “Y-you w-will.”
RK shook her head, “Never!” In the silence that followed RK recalled her father’s words, “Religion’s a crutch for people with no back bone. Show your mettle, work hard and you’ll succeed.” But Adam and Laura’s approach to God and religion is quite different. He’s someone real to them and part of their daily life. They don’t treat Him like a crutch, more like a dependable friend; speaking as though He was actually sitting in the room with them. Quite often Laura’s words came back to her and RK puzzled over who was right, her father or her new friends.
As time passed a disciplined routine was established. Laura went regularly to physiotherapy at the hospital and Adam worked patiently with her at home when he got back from work each evening. They were both determined she would succeed.
Roger Cooper’s return to the village was a joy to Emma but also proved a blessing to many of the Newton Westerby residents and the Catton family in particular. As the junior partner of his father’s practice he became Laura’s GP and he was a great encouragement to them both. RK found, too, that Doctor Roger, as the villagers began to call him, (apart from his brother Stephen and his cohorts who dubbed him, Rog the Doc) not only had a listening ear but came out to visit when he was needed and was only a phone call away with advice when she required it for Laura or the children.
The older young people and young marrieds also enjoyed RK’s quirky sense of humour and most delighted in her company particularly Dan Prettyman, though he continued to guard his heart. He frequently extended invitations to barbeque evenings, youth fellowship activities and house group Bible studies. She didn’t readily accept the invites but on the occasions she had gone along RK was amazed at the warmth proffered to her and the pleasant manner in which the evening passed. No one preached at her, condemned her for not attending church or criticized her decision to have nothing to do with Christianity. Instead, she found that with good grace they listened to her views and encouraged her to enter into the lively debates and discussions with animated confidence.
Out of My Depth Page 17