by Naomi Davies
Anne made the Colonel wait for ten minutes, before walking slowly down the stairs to meet him.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Colonel. I’ve had a very busy morning.” Anne lied to him for the second time that morning.
“Hello Miss Richardson, I’m grateful that you have found the time to see me.”
Anne thought to herself resentfully, ‘You didn’t give me much choice!’ .
The Colonel opened the front door and they made their way to the staff car awaiting them. He opened the door for Anne and helped her in. Then he walked around the car to sit in the back with her. Anne was beginning to realise that she had no idea what the Colonel wanted to say or the full reason for his unwanted visit.
“I hope The Dorchester suits you, Miss Richardson?” The Colonel asked.
“I don’t mind where we go. It won’t take too long will it?” Anne was not a happy bunny!
Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up to The Dorchester Hotel and Anne was guided into the grand reception by the Colonel.
“Good afternoon, Colonel.” The Maître d’ said to him, as they walked through reception towards the restaurant.
“Good afternoon, Arthur.” Returned the Colonel.
“You’ve been here before, Colonel.” Anne said.
“Yes I have. Arthur is one of my success stories.” The Colonel said with unhidden pride.
“One of your success stories?” Asked Anne with suspicion.
“Yes, Arthur was discharged two years ago. The Manager here was good enough to employ him.”
They turned towards a side table, that was slightly more private than the others, and the waiter sat them down. He handed out menus and took their drinks order. The Colonel turned towards Anne and got straight to the point.
“I need to catch up with you about Sergeant Edward Makin. How has it been going?”
“It had been going very well, I think, until yesterday. The fight was terrifying to witness.” Said Anne. The pace of their conversation was painfully slow and mundane.
“I was informed of it, immediately Sergeant Makin returned to Stoke Mandeville last night. I have seen him in the casualty ward this morning. He in is a sorry state and very concerned about you.”
“Well he didn’t want to get into a fight then did he?” Anne’s frustration came out badly.
“Can I tell you a bit about Sergeant Makin? I have his permission to do so. You can make of it, what you will.” The Colonel had a speech all prepared. Anne didn’t really want to hear it but she had little choice. Their drinks arrived and they placed their order for food.
“Sergeant Makin will not want me to tell you this first part, but I must, to give you the complete picture. He is something of a legend in his platoon. He will say nothing about it but he has personally saved the lives of more fellow officers than anyone else in his unit. No one else even comes close. Eventually, his luck ran out and he was blown up on a road side patrol, in Helmand. All his colleagues on that patrol were killed instantly. He managed to persuade some local kids to pull him into a hut until help came a day later. He doesn’t see himself as a hero, but he is.
On his return to the UK he was awarded two top medals for bravery. The problem for him, is that his injuries have changed him. A man can only take so much. Sergeant Makin cannot reconcile himself with the limitations of his body as it is now. He has refused all help offered to find him a job, or even a life, outside Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The music sessions with you, have been the first time that he has responded to the efforts my team and I have made to help him. In fact we had nothing to do with it, other than arrange the concert. He sorted out his own therapy with you after the concert.”
“I could guess most of what you have just told me simply by looking at him. What did he say about the fight yesterday?” Anne was getting a little impatient.
“I was coming to that. Sergeant Makin was very much a difficult patient for us. He would bring everyone down with him when we had group discussions. Instead of trying to help others he would go out of his way to destroy them. So other patients would make some good progress and he would then tell them they were useless and no good to society.
When you started your music sessions with him, there was an immediate change in his attitude to the future. He started building people up and helping them. He started seeing his own life in a different way. The two officers he brought with him yesterday were men he was helping out, following them being medically discharged from the army. Yesterday they started teasing Sergeant Makin that there was more to your relationship than just music. After you left he snapped and started laying into them, but you saw that for yourself anyway. It’s not a good reason, but that is why the fight happened. He lives his life on a very short fuse.”
“I understand all that. Thank you for letting me know some of the reasons. But why are we here today having dinner and talking about him? You can’t expect me to see him again.” As she said it she realised that this was exactly the reason that she was having dinner with the Colonel.
The Colonel looked at her directly.
“Most of our men have highs and lows. Sergeant Makin’s highs and lows are just much further apart. He is an extreme sort of man, who feels things deeply. Yes I am asking you, on his behalf, to continue with his music therapy sessions.”
Their food arrived and they lightened up their conversation for the meal. The Colonel was a family man who had two very young children. He spoke fondly of his wife and their home life. Anne had little to tell and spoke about her work. She talked about how she got involved with the Kovergirls and how much she enjoyed playing music in front of an audience. After two courses, Anne noticed that she had been away from work for two hours.
“I have to get back to work. I had no idea what the time was.” Anne said urgently.
“Do not worry. I have cleared you for the afternoon with your boss.” The Colonel replied.
“The only problem with that, is that I didn’t know it!” Anne retorted angrily.
“I’ll skip dessert all the same Colonel and just have a coffee if that’s alright with you.” Said Anne.
“Of course.” They ordered their coffees and Anne took control of the conversation.
“I will see Ed, I mean Sergeant Makin, again. But that will only be to hear what you have said directly from his lips. If he is prepared to be honest and open with me, then I will think about it.” Anne wanted to meet Ed again, she realised this now. Beyond that she was very uncertain. She had enjoyed their sessions together. It was like their own private world and she realised she would miss them. She was surprised to realise the there was a part of her that wanted to spend a lot more time with Sergeant Ed Makin.
The Colonel smiled openly and thanked Anne.
Chapter Four
In the end, it was six weeks before Anne heard anything from Ed. The Kovergirls were continuing their rise in reputation in the south of England. They had played as support band for an Abba tribute act at the Croydon Hall one particular Saturday night. All had gone well and the girls were packing away their stage outfits during the interval.
There was a sharp knock on the door. A security guard popped his head in.
“Which one of your girls is Anne? You’ve got a fan who wants to see you. Shall I get rid of him?”
“It’s me!” Anne stood up guessing who the fan would be and went out with the guard. She had begun to think that she would never hear from Ed again. Six whole weeks, with no communication whatsoever, meant that she had been trying to forget him and his music therapy sessions.
“He’s in the bar, at the far end.”
Anne went into the bar, which was almost half empty. The interval was coming to a close and people were making their way back to their seats. A few people recognised Anne from the first half performance, and said well done. There were a couple of teenagers kissing and cuddling like it was an Olympic sport. There were also a few people standing at the bar trying to get a second drink down them, before the
Abba tribute band started playing. Anne walked around to the far end. She couldn’t see him anywhere. She pushed the exit door at the far end of the bar to check for sure that Ed was not there. Having built herself up mentally to meet him again, she was a little frustrated to be stood up in this way.
“Well that’s your lot, Sergeant Makin.” She said out loud to herself.
A man standing at the bar turned around to face Anne.
“Are you talking about me?” Ed was wearing a full three piece suit and tie. He looked like he had just walked in off a television makeover show. His hair was groomed and cut. His face was no longer full of unsightly stubble. The deep scars on his face seemed less noticeable today. He had used some cologne and smelt really good. He also looked like he had lost weight. His jaw line was lacking its second chin. He still carried his frame like a true military man does, but he looked stunning and he was very tall. Anne had not noticed until now, how tall he was, because he was normally in his wheelchair. But he stood taller than Anne who was five foot ten.
Her heart skipped a beat; she was knocked out by Ed’s appearance. He was barely recognisable from the thug she had encountered six weeks ago.
“Where is your wheelchair?” Anne hated herself as soon as she said it.
“That’s all you have got from seeing me in the last few seconds. Where is your wheelchair?” Ed was teasing, but there was a part of him that wished she had said something else. Almost anything else would have been better, in truth.
“I have my new custom made leg. I can stand and get around pretty well on it. Do you want me to show it to you?” Ed made out he was going to pull his trouser leg up and remove his leg.
“No, stop messing with me. You look amazing Ed. I can’t believe it is you.”
“Well thanks, I tried.” Ed couldn’t hide his pleasure at the compliment.
Anne couldn’t stop looking at Ed. For the first time she saw him as a real man, not someone she was helping out with her music.
The bar tannoy system announced that the bar would be closing in two minutes.
“Are you an Abba fan?” Asked Ed.
“Not today.” Replied Anne, she was still completely in awe of the new look Ed.
“Good, let me take you somewhere and see if I can patch things up between us. I owe you a massive apology at the very least.” Ed was always so direct with his words that Anne still couldn’t get used to it. Most men would never admit they were in the wrong, let alone offer an unequivocal apology up front. Mind you, knocking the living daylights out of someone, was a very obvious event that needed an apology.
Gail came into the bar having convinced a stupid security man that it was alright and that she was a big music star.
“Wooow, Helloooo, Mr. Guitar man. Look at you! What are you doing here? No don’t tell me! I can guess.” Gail was being obvious and that sometimes sounded all wrong.
“Hello Miss Lead singer and guitarist. You did well tonight.” Ed was being as nice as he could be.
“Well thanks. Can I call you Ed?”
“Sure thing, Gail. We were thinking of going somewhere else and missing the second half of the concert.” Ed said this as if he might need permission from Gail to take Anne out.
“Well don’t go far. We are all in the same van to get home.” Gail looked at Anne for guidance.
“We’ll grab a coffee and meet up in an hour or so.” Anne replied to Gail’s look.
Ed and Anne found a Costa Coffee house in the reception lobby of the theatre, and set themselves up with an espresso for Ed and a skinny latte for Anne. Anne could not stop herself looking at how well Ed was walking. She was like an immature child, part of her brain was saying ‘stop staring’ and the other part was making her ogle.
“I don’t do so bad with one leg, do I?” Ed said
Anne blushed and apologised for being so thoughtless.
“Don’t worry, if you had only one leg I would want to see how you walked as well. But I like the way you walk with two legs. Very nice actually.” The familiar, slightly creepy sounding Ed had returned.
“You left this behind last time.” Ed handed Anne the folder of music she had dropped on the floor when she had seen him fighting.
‘I don’t’ think we will need that again.’ Anne thought to herself.
Over the hour they had together Ed explained exactly what had happened to make him attack his two friends. The truth of it was that he did fancy Anne and that he had been bragging to his mates about how good looking she was. He was furious that they had hinted at this to her at the last music session.
So he had snapped and gone all out to teach them a lesson they would not forget.
All this truthful explanation from Ed left Anne with a problem.
“You can’t fancy me. I am only helping you out as a favour. Where do you get the idea that you can fancy me?” Anne was surprised and troubled.
“I think most guys I know would fancy you. But when we play together there is a real connection between us. You must have felt it.” Ed was scrupulously accurate in this.
“Well yes, I suppose so, but that was just a musical connection. It’s nothing more than that. I was only trying to help you out.” Anne was exasperated at Ed for being so forward in his conversation. Most men would have hidden the events behind a wall of excuses and lies. Ed had insisted on telling the truth and Anne didn’t know how to react. She wasn’t used to such a level of honesty.
“I can’t go out with you, Ed. I can’t be a special person to you. I just can’t. We had better stop our sessions. I can’t have you thinking about me in the wrong way.” Anne was confused and afraid of hurting Ed any more than she was at this moment. Ed nodded and accepted quietly what Anne had been saying.
“After all this time, it has been refreshing to actually have some real, solid and positive feelings of any sort at all. So I thank you for that.” Ed said.
“Please don’t say that. You must have family and friends you have feelings for.” Anne was shocked at Ed’s statement. Her heart went out to him at the same time as she was avoiding getting close to him. It was very confusing and distressing.
Their conversation was interrupted by Gail and Kate popping their heads around the door.
“Are you coming? We are all loaded up ready.”
“Just coming.” Anne replied.
Ed stood up with Anne and they walked out to the van which was waiting outside.
“I like your new legs, Ed.” Gail said as sophisticated as ever.
“Are you coming to watch us next Friday?” asked Gail as Anne climbed into the front of the van.
“Where is that going to be?” asked Ed.
“We are playing in Guildford somewhere. Look it up on the internet.”
“I might just be there.” Said Ed.
Carlos drove off before Anne and Ed had said a proper goodbye. It had been a long, tough hour for Anne. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, exhausted.
Chapter Five
It turned out that Anne had not only copied the office nerd, Stanley, in on her email to Sandy the previous week. She must have clicked ‘copy to all contacts’ before she sent it. Jayne welcomed her on Monday to see if she was going round to Sandy’s that night. Gemma, who sat next to her, wanted to know exactly who Ed was, and when the next email installment would be written. Stanley came over and helpfully offered to change the settings on her Gmail account, before she gave away any more state secrets.
Sure enough, Sandy had replied to Anne’s somewhat private email and everyone in her office had also, somehow received a copy of the reply. Anne read through the short email and felt her face turn red as she did so. The email read as follows.
‘Wow, this Ed of yours sounds hot. A real musician and he’s got proper injuries from the battle front. Come round on Monday and tell me all about him. My own hunk, Paulo, is lecturing and won’t be home until later on. You’ll have to go home when he comes back, you know why!!?? We can compare notes on the two of them if you like.
Oh, bring a bottle!’
Sandy had her own special views on men, as can be seen by the vocabulary used in the email. She was a very close friend and Anne loved her to bits, but Sandy was never subtle, or sophisticated.
Anne somehow got through her day trying to avoid everyone and having to explain her mistake. It could have happened to anyone. But it had happened to Anne. She was very embarrassed.
She replied to Sandy by email, making sure she copied no one else.
‘See you later, have bottle. Anne’
There was so much more she could say in reply to Sandy, and indeed a lot she should say, but Sandy was a simple girl and she wouldn’t understand Anne’s mortification at her life being paraded around the office through their emails.
Anne spent her lunch break sitting in a nearby café, dreaming about Ed. She hadn’t meant to dream about him in particular. It just happened. She could see him in her mind dressed in his wonderful three piece suit being the perfect gentleman. In her mind they were together somewhere, it was all actually a bit blurry on details, but they were together having a good time.