The Harbinger Read online

It didn’t really matter how he had arrived here—he just had, and that was the most important thing. “How are you, my little one?” she asked, crooning with true feeling, although speech juddered with the rattle of her vocal chords. She looked around her, and the park was deserted. No children rushing around, racing up and down the paths. No teenagers, neither in groups or the pairs holding hands, flashing V-signs as they were ribbed by their friends Not even friendly dog-walkers with unfriendly dogs. Nothing.

  Ellie’s tears began to flow as the sluices opened, her cheeks awash in seconds. While she retrieved a tissue from her pocket, she spoke to the little bird. “Oh, Alex,” she asked in desperation, “what am I going to do? Everything is in pieces.”

  The little robin hopped down onto the bench and sidled up beside her. She sat stock-still, locking every muscle in place, not wanting to scare him off. She really needed the little chap today. Sue was upset, Holly was no doubt upset with Ellie’s behaviour, her mother would be fuming with embarrassment, but worst of all… Ellie was upset and disappointed with herself.

  “I tried to be reasonable, Alex,” she said. “But you know Grandma, mouth always running away with itself.” The little bird tilted his head forward and backwards as though nodding in agreement. As if by magic, her tears began to clear and a smile crossed her face. “You always make me feel so much better,” Ellie said, knowing it was the truth. “It doesn’t matter how you dress up, the feeling you bring with you is the same. I love you, my little one.”

  Ellie was stunned as the little creature took a big hop onto her leg. She continued to sit motionless with her sinews straining, not wanting to disturb him in any way. He craned his neck and looked up at her. As she gazed down and looked on the bird’s face, its features began to morph into that of her son. She wanted to scream, shout, and jump for joy knowing for sure she wasn’t imagining things. This was her boy, who brought her joy whenever he was around her. She needed to feel him. As she reached out to stroke the top of the robin’s head, he took off and headed for a nearby tree. She watched him as he effortlessly glided to a sturdy branch overlooking the bench.

  She stood and waved at the bird. “See you soon, son,” she said loudly as she walked in the direction of the exit. “At least, I hope so,” Ellie muttered under her breath as the sky began to darken above her.

  23

  The ringing of her phone roused Ellie from a dreamless sleep. She blinked hard as she reached for it. It was Holly. Ellie wasn’t in the right frame of mind to talk to her right now, her brain foggy, so she let it go to voicemail. She scrubbed at her eyes in an effort to remove the last remnants of sleep then placed the hibernating laptop on the pouffee where her feet had rested. Her knees ached with being stuck in one position so long, pushing back too far in their flex. She felt wrecked. She glanced down at the phone beside her. Six-thirty p.m. She remembered getting the laptop out to work on something but couldn’t remember what it was. She must have fallen asleep almost immediately. Now her mind felt numb and distant somehow.

  Once she’d had a drink of tea, she felt human again and phoned Holly back.

  “Sorry I missed your call,” she said when Holly answered. “I fell asleep.”

  “Ah,” she said with understanding. “The reason I’m calling is to invite you over for supper if you haven’t eaten already. I have nibbly stuff to use up, but it’s too much for one. Leah made herself some kind of an omelette for her tea, and now she’s having an early night. She has a presentation to give tomorrow, so she needs her wits about her. In addition, I have some news to share. What do you think? Will you come?” Holly’s eagerness was apparent.

  Ellie nodded to herself. It would give her chance to apologise in person for being rude today. “Just give me half an hour. I’ll be there with bells on.” She muttered her thanks for the invitation and closed the call. The world suddenly looked a brighter place, the woes of the day removed temporarily from her shoulders. After a quick wash and brush up, she was on her way to the only place that seemed to hold any respite for her at the moment and to the woman who was the source of it. Ellie didn’t want it to be long before they moved to the next level in this tenuous relationship, but she also knew there should be no forcing the situation. Holly meant too much to her. They would both know when the time was right.

  Ellie rang the bell on Hollie’s front door and waited for a reply.

  “It’s open, Ellie! Come on in!” Holly’s voice answered cheerily.

  Before she was fully through the door, she heard what sounded like a herd of bull elephants running down the flight of stairs. Leah, already dressed in her pyjamas, met her at the bottom. Ellie noticed she had a different look about her, as though she was cannoning towards adulthood at a great rate of knots. The scar was history, barely a blemish on her face and her features were now morphing into a younger version of Holly.

  “I spoke to my dad tonight,” she garbled breathlessly. “He said it’s okay for me to go to the allotment… as long as I’m not left on my own,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

  Ellie was pleased for her. She slipped her arm around Leah’s shoulders and pulled her into a quick hug. “That’s great news,” she said with a grin. “Now you’ll know the vegetable food chain from the beginning,” she said taking off her coat and hanging it on a hook.

  Leah nodded enthusiastically. “As soon as I get the environmental project over with, I can start looking things up. Our team is presenting it tomorrow, and then I should have some time before the next one. Better go, I suppose. I have more homework before I can go to sleep. Have a good time with mum. She’s been fussing over the food.” Leah laughed, gave her a quick hug, and then ran back up the stairs taking them two at a time.

  For a moment, Ellie was envious. She couldn’t remember the last time she was as carefree and in love with life as much as Leah seemed to be. It still stupefied her how the education of children had changed so radically. Gone were the days of learning by rote and singsong times-tables. The teaching seemed analytical and problem-solving—even at Leah’s age. This would have been a sixth-form approach, not so many years ago.

  When she popped her head around the kitchen door, she found Holly wrestling with a fresh pineapple—trying to gouge out the crown, much like hulling a strawberry.

  Ellie furrowed her eyes. “What are you up to,” she asked, making Holly jump.

  Holly dropped the sharp knife with a loud clatter onto the worktop. She let out a heavy sigh as she puckered up her face in a scowl. “I have no bloody idea!” she cried. Her frustration was palpable.

  “Well, you won’t do it like that,” said Ellie with a grin. “Here, let me show you,” she said, grabbing a large knife from the block.

  Holly moved to one side, allowing Ellie room. “I wished I’d opened a tin instead,” she muttered. “This is one of Leah’s good ideas, but it needs to be used up now.”

  “She’s only trying to be adventurous. It probably slipped her mind. If you watch me, you’ll be able to buy another, and then show her what to do with it.”

  Holly nodded in appreciation. “I’ll do my best,” she said, but she didn’t sound confident.

  She watched intently as Ellie slid the knife effortlessly through the top and tail of the fruit then winced as Ellie pared off the outer skin.

  “Looks nothing like pineapple from a tin,” laughed Holly.

  “Tastes nothing like it, either.” Ellie smiled, knowing the real thing was far superior. “Here, this is the last bit.” Ellie swapped over to the smaller knife Holly had used, explaining the V-shaped cuts making up the spiral.

  “Well, I never,” said Holly when the task was completed, obviously taken aback. “I always wondered why those from the tin had scalloped edges. Now I know.”

  Soon there were neat quarter slices arranged on a plate with other assorted soft fruits. They ferried all the plates through to the dining room, just using up a small area at one end. They’d both agreed on cups of tea, now steaming away on coasters.

&
nbsp; “So what’s the news?” asked Ellie, hoping it was something to gladden her day.

  Holly cut off a piece of blue cheese and placed it on top of a pear slice. “I finally spoke to Phil properly this afternoon. Actually, Leah got in first with the allotment question. He said it was okay with him as long as there was constant supervision. Which is fair enough, I suppose, with all the equipment there is around.” She popped in the food and watched as Ellie nodded.

  “Quite right,” answered Ellie, filling a slice of French bread with salami, topped off with a couple of cornichons. “I do trust my dad to look after her, but you can’t be too careful. What about Paris?” she asked, surprisingly fearful of a negative response.

  “Fine,” was all Holly said, raising one eyebrow.

  “Pardon,” questioned Ellie, “that was his only answer… fine?” She stared in disbelief.

  Holly nodded with a giggle, repeating her actions with the cheese. “Right before he told me he was taking his latest squeeze to Africa on a photo safari.” Holly’s eyes flashed quickly with anger.

  Ellie raised her eyebrows and sighed slowly. “At least a trade-off was reached, I suppose. He didn’t mention about wanting to take Leah with him?”

  Holly swallowed her food quickly. “Of course not. I played straight into his hands. He didn’t mention paying for Leah to go to Disneyland either, which surprised me.” She put the food in her hand down on the side plate. “We’ll have to come to some kind of arrangement.”

  Ellie took a large gulp of her tea, and then looked Holly square in the eye. “Which bit of ‘treat’ don’t you understand? Family deals are available and very reasonable. A bit of spending money if you must, but that’s all.”

  Holly shook her head. “I’m not happy about that, Ellie. Perhaps we better call a halt on the planning now before it’s too late.”

  Ellie was crestfallen. “This is for Leah, not for us. Although I do expect us to enjoy it, too.”

  Holly looked pensive, staring off into space for what seemed to Ellie like forever. “Okay. I don’t suppose I should deprive her of an experience I’m sure she’d like. Between that and the gardening, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

  Ellie smiled with relief, picked up her empty mug and waggled it. “Another cup of tea will do for a start.”

  They settled in the lounge after eating, soul music playing low in the background. Holly sat on the floor, one elbow resting on the settee cushion. Ellie sat on the other settee with legs raised and back leaning against the arm. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed, and Ellie could feel herself sinking deeper into it.

  “So what happened with your mother today, or shouldn’t I ask? You can talk about it if you want to.” Holly gazed intently at Ellie.

  Ellie pursed her lips as she felt the tension rising up her back, her neck straining against it. She shrugged her shoulders. “My mother has a big mouth,” she said matter-of-factly, “and she’s not content unless she’s dragging me into her deceptions. I drew the line last night. I’ve had enough.” Ellie explained what happened when Michael Devlin called the previous evening.

  Holly looked at her sadly. She knew how much it hurt being let down by a parent. “I certainly heard the end of the conversation in the library, even behind the counter. You really did let rip. I didn’t know you had it in you. Are you okay now though?” she asked with a wary smile on her face.

  “I probably will be, when I’ve heard from Sue. When I told my mother not to get in touch, I meant it. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate on the job at hand when she’s conniving all the time in the background. If I don’t hear her voice, it will be a plus. I’ll arrange with my dad direct to take Leah down to the allotment on Saturday morning if that’s okay with you and Leah.”

  A slow smile breached Holly’s face. “Fine by me. Will you be staying over this weekend or do you have too much to do? It will be your last chance, I suppose. No doubt next weekend will be all your last minute jobs.” Her smile had morphed into sadness. Holly’s eyes gave away her true feelings. Her emotions were teetering on the brink.

  Ellie nodded slowly. “It doesn’t stop you coming over and helping me though, does it? I assume Leah will be at her dad’s.”

  Holly shook her head. “No, she’s going away with her friend’s family to the lakes for the weekend, cruising about on their boat. She’ll be safe, and Phil knows the dad very well, so there was never a chance he would say no to the offer.”

  “So this weekend is the last I’ll see of her for a few weeks. We better make the most of it.” Ellie’s heart sank at the thought of not seeing Leah and experiencing her vivaciousness. She wondered whether it was safe for her to get so close to Leah. She wasn’t her child, after all, and didn’t want Phil or Holly to have to point it out to her. She warned herself to be wary.

  Holly couldn’t help the sadness showing on her face or the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Any idea when your first weekend at home will be?”

  Ellie stared ahead before blinking hard, the first seeds of doubt infiltrating its way into her brain. “I won’t know until I’ve spoken to Mick, and we have a work schedule sorted out. Until then, I have no idea when I’ll be able to get back. When the job’s nearing the end, I’ll book Paris. In the meantime, I promised to help with the organisation for the fayre if I can, although it may just be on the day. Leaflet drops and posters might be outside my remit this time.”

  “Leah and I are doing that, plus a bric-a-brac stall. You could help us if you wanted. You’d only have to turn up.”

  “Sounds good to me. Getting one day off shouldn’t be a problem, especially at the weekend.” Ellie suddenly felt cheered. She could help without her mother’s organisation, although she would have to explain to Sue.

  The rain poured as Ellie dashed to her car, but she hoped it wouldn’t wash away the feel of Holly’s kiss on the side of her mouth. “See you both tomorrow,” she called behind her, waving as she bleeped her car unlocked. She smiled at herself in the rear-view mirror. Even a cloudburst couldn’t dampen her spirits.

  When she was clearing her breakfast dishes away the following morning, Ellie’s phone rang. The caller display read Sue.

  “Hi, Sue,” she said more cheerily than she actually felt. “It’s nice to hear from you.” Ellie didn’t add anything to the conversation, waiting for Sue to say what she needed to.

  “I thought I’d let you be the first to know the news. I’m giving up the café.”

  Ellie’s stomach dropped. “Oh, no,” she said ruefully. She had hoped Sue would tell them where to shove their offer. “I’m really sorry to hear that, Sue.”

  “Don’t be,” she answered brightly. “I’m going to be laughing all the way to the bank. I made Devlin work hard for it though, you’ll be glad to hear.”

  “Very glad! I was hoping you were going to tell him to bugger off. I’ll miss seeing you though.”

  Sue laughed. “No, that would make me stupid, and I’m not. The compensation is staggering, and I have an idea Michael Devlin was on my side when the previous negotiations were taking place with the big S. Good job he knows the fella concerned.”

  “Oh,” said Ellie, “is that who’s taking over. It’s a good job I won’t be going in every week then. Their coffee is awful. It’s like drinking dishwater.”

  Sue gave a belly laugh. “The idea of retirement was in my head anyway. I’m not sure how long I could have put up with the committee without showing my true colours. Meetings were often arranged when I couldn’t attend. Additionally, my age is against me. This way, I’ll be able to put up my feet for a bit. Just do some private catering now and then. With Tony’s retirement money and his bit of dabbling in the mechanics, we should have a good standard of living and other good pensions to look forward to.”

  She could hear Sue smiling on the other end. Ellie still couldn’t hide the sadness in her voice. “Well, I suppose if you’re happy with the arrangement, we can’t ask for more.”

  “Dev
lin is gutted he dragged you into it, genuinely horrified by your reaction, but he only wanted to know if I’d mentioned anything. He wasn’t going to ask you to exert any pressure for him,” Sue said in Michael’s defence.

  “All right for him to say that now. How did I know what he was going to suggest next?”

  Sue waited for a few seconds before answering. “True, but for what it’s worth… I believe him. I think he was a little miffed at your mother if it’s any consolation because otherwise, he wouldn’t have known we were friends and would have asked me himself.” Sue laughed aloud and added, “But I think you already guessed that much.”

  “Hmm,” replied Ellie but didn’t add to it. She was trying to keep calm and be happy for her friend, but any discussion about her mother wouldn’t aid her.

  Sue filled the silence. “Before I go, Devlin also said something else. He would rather have you as a friend than an enemy, and after your performance yesterday, I’m inclined to agree with him. I didn’t know you had it in you.” Sue laughed again. “I do want to thank you for having my back, though. Lots of people would have coughed up the information just to get into Michael Devlin’s good books.”

  Warmth came into Ellie’s voice. “You’re more than welcome, and I’m glad everything worked out for you. When will you be leaving?”

  “Not quite sure yet. Goodness knows how long the paperwork will take. I’ll text you with the news if you’re still away. Just a week to go, isn’t it? You must be really excited.”

  “Getting there,” answered Ellie. “Before you go, I want to apologise for leaving you in the lurch with the fete organisation for our stall. I really won’t have time to give the usual help. Sorry. I have more or less promised to attend on the day if I can, but I said I’d give Holly and Leah a hand if you don’t mind.”

  Sue tittered at the other end. “Don’t you worry yourself, kid. I’ll drag my other half into doing some work. You get on the right side of the little lady—that’s the most important thing.”