by H P Steven
as Hannah and I made the slow walk up the hill, feeling a little worse for wear.
“Hey Grumpy get up and come into work with me,” Hannah remarked.
“Why don’t you ask to borrow some wheels and call in sick and let’s head down to see Margaret,” I replied.
Yawning till Hannah walked off back to her room.
“Hey you have a coffee on the bench,” Hannah yelled.
As she made a quick call from her room and walked back into the kitchen smiling as I was taking a sip of coffee.
“That was Audrey, she’s gonna loan us her spare car and work, I’ll ring them from the road,” Hannah remarked.
“Oh sweet, do we need to go and pick it up?” I asked.
“Yeah Meredith will be there most of the morning so she said to just pop over when we’re sorted,” Hannah replied.
“Oh sweet, I’ll finish this then jump in the shower,”
“Well, hurry up, I might have a quick shower now,” Hannah replied, laughing as she walked off to her room.
Placing my empty mug into the sink, walking off to get some clothes sorted. We were at Audrey and Meredith in no time, book in hand, joking and laughing with Meredith while Rupert hid behind his mum’s legs.
“Must be having a shy day?” I asked Meredith.
“No scared of you possibly after all the stories we’ve been telling him about you,” Meredith said, winking at me.
I looked down at Rupert,
“Don’t listen to them, unless it’s about working hard and dreaming big,” I said to Rupert.
Meredith turned to him, “See I told you didn’t I.”
“Yes Mummy,” Rupert replied, then walked off to his room,
Meredith just shrugged at us and handed us the keys to her Porsche. Both Hannah and I were shocked.
“We can’t take this,” I declared.
“Hey don’t be silly, the way your books going, I might sell it to you,” Meredith replied.
“Oh okay then I should take it out for a test drive then.”
Hannah and Meredith just laughed.
“Make sure you let Hannah drive if you get tired okay,” Meredith mentioned.
“Yeah I reckon,” Hannah laughed, as we weren’t there much longer and heading down to pop into Ian and Margaret’s unannounced.
It didn’t take us that long as I had a bit of a led foot heading down. Margaret saw a Porsche heading up the drive way to her place looking really-confused till she saw who was driving and who was next to me, her eyes lit up, as we stopped outside and had massive smiles on our faces when she opened the door.
“Oh if it isn’t the best writer of our time and his lawyer the great Hannah,” Margaret declared.
“Oh Lady Margaret, please you’ll make us blush,” I joked,
Hannah and Margaret lost it with those words and wouldn’t stop laughing as I walked around the car and walked up to Margaret kissing her on the cheek.
“You two are just in time, the tea is settling and I’ve made some scones with jam and cream,” Margaret commented.
“Who dobbed us in?” Hannah asked.
“Audrey might have mentioned you’d be down this way soon with something for me,” Margaret replied.
I noticed the book on the kitchen counter and the pen on top and totally forgot Audrey had sent her one already.
“Oh well you can give this one to Scott,” I commented.
“Yeah you guys can, he’ll be here soon, another one that likes scones,” Margaret laughed.
Just as the words were coming out of her mouth I heard the front door open and close.
“Hey mum, who’s car is in the drive way?” Scott asked.
Walking in to the see the both of us.
“Oh hey guys, I see you’re here to steal some scones as well,” Scott joked, walking around and shaking my hand and giving Hannah a kiss on the cheek, lingering which wasn’t lost on Margaret or myself.
Walking over I opened-up both books, and asked the both of them what I should write.
“Oh wow, there’s one for me as well?” Scott asked.
“Yeah Phil bought another one along for the drive for fun,” Hannah said.
I just smiled and wrote what I thought was pretty-nice.
“Well that deserves a scone,” Margaret said, reading both messages with Scott agreeing.
“So what did he write in your copy Hannah?” Margaret asked.
“Oh he hasn’t written in mine yet,” Hannah replied.
“She won’t let me use my foot either,” I joked, as both Margaret and Scott started laughing.
“Yeah that’s not happening,” Hannah replied, as we all started laughing.
It was a great afternoon it was harder to leave than we all thought, only because we were full of scones and tea and had been laughing so hard our sides hurt, I probably laughed a little harder when I noticed Scott hand Hannah a piece of paper, I think Margaret noticed the laugh and had an idea what caused it.
Just as we were leaving we had a chance to catch up with Ian who tried to convince us to stay the night and head back when the roads are a little bit clearer. He did a great job, luckily they had room and Hannah was happy to ring work again the following morning to tell them she was still sick, it was lucky that Meredith didn’t mind. Margaret was stoked and I moved the car under one of the carports next to the garage. As Ian decided to let Scott drive us into town for dinner. We had a great night and ended up sleeping in the guest room on two single beds, Hannah disappeared during the night, but I thought she might have gone to use the toilet, so went back to sleep. It was great to see them all again in the morning, feeling pretty-good after last night, just before, Ian headed off to work, we never actually asked Susan or Ian himself what he actually did, we guessed it had something to do with law as well but never got around to asking. Not that we didn’t think up a few possibilities. We hung around till Scott had to go to work, and Margaret ran out of scones to try and weigh us down with, so giving her a massive hug we were out the door and heading back up to London. To drop off Meredith’s car, filled up with gas and heading back home. Waiting to hear from Audrey.
23
The Phone Call
“Hey that was great, I really needed that,” Hannah mentioned, as we walked back through the front door.
“Yeah, it’s always a mixed feeling catching up with them though, such great people they remind me a lot about Susan,” I replied.
“Yeah I felt that as well,” Hannah commented, as we both stood in the hallway trying to decide what to do today.
“Damn it I should have possibly gone into work,” Hannah laughed.
“Well why don’t we head out for a run and then a coffee, that should take up a bit of the day,” I declared.
“When do you have to head off?” Hannah asked.
“I’ll probably hear from Audrey later and I need to burn off some of those scones, man they were good, I might have to visit to get some more,” I commented.
Hannah just laughed.
“I think that was Margaret’s plan all along.”
“So run, then?” I asked.
“Yeah, let’s get changed and head off,” Hannah replied.
Both of us walking into our rooms to get ready and meeting out in the lounge and quickly switching the TV on, I noticed it was going to rain later.
“Oh no it looks like rain,” Hannah said, laughing.
“No let’s go,” I declared.
Getting out and running around the park in no time, I noticed the lollipop kid again, sitting on the fence of someone’s house across the road from the park. I wondered where the hell this kid fit into everything, I wondered if I should thanked him for dropping his lollipop that day at the tube station. Hannah just told me to hurry up and keep up, as she put the foot down and we ended up sprinting for a while. It was neck and neck and for the record I let her win, I’d tell Audrey later.
Making our way into the coffee shop.
“Hey, Phil, Hannah you two look
like you’ve been for a run,” the barista declared.
Hannah and I just looked at each other, as even though we’d been coming into the coffee shop for ages, neither of us knew any of the baristas on a first name basis.
“Oh thanks and yeah we have been, how’s your day going?” Hannah asked.
It was a good question I thought, we got away without knowing this blokes name and we didn’t feel bad when we left and headed up the road.
“Wow, can’t believe you didn’t know that guy’s name,” I remarked.
“Yeah, I know we might have to find another coffee shop,” Hannah joked.
“Yeah or we could learn their names, so we won’t have too,” I laughed.
As we both started laughing heading up the hill, getting inside and showering and trying to decide what to eat before heading off.
“Hey Phil, I’m gonna head back down and do some shopping, can you think of anything we might need?” Hannah asked.
“Yeah,” I said, poking my head out of the door.
“We need cheese cake,” I added, smiling at Hannah.
As Hannah turned her pad around and showed me at the top of the list in capital letters was cheese cake from Waitrose.
“That’s awesome, thanks Hannah. Do you need some money?” I asked.
“No its all good, I’ll be back soon,” Hannah replied, walking towards the door as I ducked back into my room and got some clothes sorted for later, before sitting back down at the computer and loading up some new book files.
It wasn’t a few seconds later I noticed Cam’s laptop, I had placed it on top of my draws and forgotten all about it. I moved my keyboard a little closer and noticed the envelope, with all of his passwords in it.
Why not, I thought to myself and grabbed the laptop, opening it up and with the help of the passwords had an opportunity to go through it, I immediately looked through a few photos, finding plenty of Cam and Susan, knowing full well I’d have to send them to Margaret at some point, and without much else I only hesitated for a second before I opened his email address. I sat there still and silently as I found the correspondence between Cam and Anna, from a few months before we went to Croatia, it was all a little surreal as I read how he spoke of Susan and how Anna didn’t want to let things go, how he told her he had a friend, while she laughed and thought nothing of it, but would make the trip and they both decided she should be on another boat, how she thanked him, before her brother had an accident and how I could never know of all of this. It was weird to read, but clarified so much. We were mates and the whole thing needed an ending, it wasn’t meant to be and I had to have the chance to walk away and I guess this was enough. She couldn’t make it back to New Zealand and I was lost when I got back but this was what I needed to read. I was whole again and found the closure I was looking for. Still the math didn’t weigh up as to how Cam had impregnated Anna and the whole thing seemed so eerie. Surely I should have asked for a DNA test. though I kept reading, finding a few messages between Cam and Margaret and Ian, which was helpful as I couldn’t remember where I put Margaret’s details. Opening up, the Susan and Cam file and sending it to them both. With a small message.
Margaret and Ian
Sorry it has taken so long and thank you for the scones, Hannah and I went for a run earlier they were so good.
Phil.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading through it all, joined by Hannah when she got back from the shops, and wanted to know if I wanted a piece of cheesecake. Obviously I did and it was awesome.
“Have you heard from Audrey yet?” Hannah asked.
“No not yet but it’s still early, sent these files to Margaret and Ian,” I said.
“Even the one of Cam doing that?” Hannah asked, pointing at a rather dodgy looking photo.
“Ha, Oops I might have,” I said.
As Hannah laughed at me.
“I hope that’s Susan,” Hannah commented.
“Yeah me too,” I replied.
Just as my phone started ringing.
Picking it up after Hannah threw it at me and I dropped it onto my bed.
“Nice catch Phil,” Hannah joked, laughing and taking the plates out to the kitchen.
“Hi Audrey How’s it going?” I answered.
“Hey I’m outside the coffee place, I know how you two are addicts, but I thought I’d check first,” Audrey declared.
“You know us two well,” I replied.
Audrey just laughed and said she’ll see us soon, then hung up.
As I walked out into the hall way and open the door up just a little bit.
“Ha, was that Audrey?” Hannah asked.
“Yeah she’s just getting us a coffee down the road,” I replied.
“Far out she’s good.”
“Yeah great to drag along for a night out as well,” I declared.
“Yeah her and Meredith,” Hannah laughed.
“Should try and get Greg and Linda around sometime soon,” I suggested, thinking out loud.
“Yeah, invite them over then,” Hannah laughed.
“Yeah I’m a bit useless with all of that aren’t I,” I commented.
As Hannah just laughed and I walked into my room to grab my mandolin.
“What the hell are you doing with that?” Hannah asked.
“I’ve learnt a song for Karen” I replied, smiling back at Hannah.
“Oh wow, do you think I could come along?” Hannah asked.
“Yeah that shouldn’t be a problem, you might have to change though.”
As Hannah quickly went to her room and got changed, heading out as Audrey just got to the door and let herself in.
“Hey guys, coffees here,” Audrey declared.
“Oh you’re a champion Audrey,” I replied.
“Yeah I know,” Audrey laughed.
“Do you think it’ll be okay for Hannah could come along?” I asked Audrey.
“I thought she always was,” Audrey replied.
“Yeah thanks Audrey,” Hannah commented, walking back out and helping herself to a coffee.
“Has Phil told you,” Hannah added.
“No told me what Hannah?” Audrey asked.
“Show her Phil,” Hannah said smiling at me.
As I lifted the mandolin up off the couch and both of them started laughing at me.
“I can see why you want to come along Hannah,” Audrey said, hiding her smile terribly.
“Yeah, also to pay my respects and to help Phil out,” Hannah declared.
“Yeah thanks Hannah,” I replied.
Taking the last sip of coffee and throwing my cup in the trash bag. Walking over to my mandolin and making sure it was in tune, finding it a little bit hard to hear as the both of them were still laughing a little harder than what I thought was appropriate.
“I hope you’re not going to be like this at the memorial,” I declared.
“Yeah we’ll be good, we promise,” Hannah replied.
“Nope I promise nothing,” Audrey added, as they both started laughing again.
“Anyway, are you ready?” Audrey asked, the both of us.
Still laughing as we said ‘yes’ and I carried my mandolin out to Audrey’s car.
“So, I got the address so should be able to find the street but you know the house, aye Phil?” Audrey asked.
“Yeah should be able to point it out Audrey,” I replied, from the back seat.
I think even Hannah was thinking I should have taken the front seat. Even though we were only going down the road to Shepard’s Bush, it took us a fair of time to get through the traffic and when we pulled up I pointed out the house even though we had to park a few streets away as it seemed like quite a few people were there to pay their respects.
“Did you think there would be this many people here?” Hannah asked.
“No, not at all,” I replied.
“Well they’ll be told who you are?” Audrey asked, smiling just so I could catch it in the rear-view mirror.
Once we found a park and started to walk back a few people heading our way were talking quite loudly about some guy she went away with and were wondering if he would be there today, unfortunately Hannah heard this as well.
“Are you guys going to Karen Arkos’s memorial?” Hannah asked them.
“Yeah we went to school with her back in Australia and wanted to pay our respects,” one of them replied.
“What’s the story about this guy she went away with?” Audrey asked them, while Hannah smiled.
Even though I was listening intently I wasn’t sure that question should have been asked.
One of the other ladies walking along mentioned,
“I went to school with Tara and she was saying it was the best trip of her life and she finally met up with what we all thought was her imaginary friend,” this person commented.
“Oh I wonder who it was,” Audrey replied.
“Yeah me too, should be interesting,” I added.
One of the guys asked me if I knew how to play the mandolin.
“No unfortunately, only the one song,” I mentioned, while Audrey and Hannah held back their sniggers, not lost open the others.
While the seven of us crossed the road, Georgia noticed me and a few of the people we were walking with.
“Oh cool, Georgia will be able to tell us if he’s here,” the woman remarked.
Hannah and Audrey just looked at me and mouthed, ‘unlucky’.
“Hi, Georgia so sorry for your loss,” the woman declared,
“Is he here?” the woman asked.
“Is who here?” Georgia asked.
“You know, this Phil guy?” The woman asked.
“Phil did you not tell these people who you were?” Georgia asked me.
“Wha? You mean we were walking along with the invisible friend the whole time?” Audrey declared, not lost on Georgia who had only met Audrey a day ago.
The guys we were walking with waited to hug Georgia, as I saw Nick and Jeff looking my way.
“Hey guys I’m just gonna say hello to a few people can you hold on to my mandolin?” I asked Hannah.
“Yeah sure, do what you have to do,” Hannah added.
As I went to walk over to Jeff and Nick, Georgia quickly jumped me and gave me a hug.