Changing Seasons. Summer III, part 1

Summer III, part 1 “So, yes, I’m learning to drive and Marcus says I’m good at it – but I can’t really get anywhere until I’ve got a proper address. Will you come with me and look at this place?”
I know Old Tench is my friend (never thought the day would come when I’d be saying that about anyone), but I also put on my nicest tee shirt and made sure my hair was clean and combed! Looking smart always helps when you want something from someone. “This one’s for sale. I want to know how I can buy it. I can earn – Marcus and Annette will employ me – and this house can’t be all that expensive.
“Well now, I ain’t so sure of you bein’ able to do that.”
I could feel my hackles rising and my determination growing. But Old Tench knows me pretty well by now.
“Now it ain’t no use you gettin’ your dander up with me. You try buyin’ property, no matter how cheap, there’s a whole load of questions goin’ to be asked about you. But I might have a solution. You just hold your hosses for a moment, an’ follow me.” I followed him round the corner and along Rose Avenue (named after another of Frederick Arbuthnot’s daughters) down to The Wabash.
“Iffen you’re wanting a house,” he said over his shoulder, “how ‘bout this one?” “This one? This one’s not for sale.” I was still miffed. “And actually, the church is a more comfortable squat, now that I’ve got it cleaned up.” “Nope. It ain’t for sale. But I could give it to you. This place was mine – still is, all legal an’ everythin’. When everyone started leavin’ I moved into my fishin’ hut. Didn’t feel so lonely there. But iffen you wanted a home, I’d make this over to you. Ain't no-one to leave it to – an’ I reckon you’ve earned it, you need it, and you’d make good use of it.” I think I surprised Old Tench as much as I surprised myself when I hugged him. It felt like fireworks going off inside me. My own home!
Big question though – what will Addie say? Not that I’m going to let myself be bossed around by a ghost (well, not much!) but I’m sort of fond of the old bat in a funny kind of way. “I’ll talk to those Hunter boys. I reckon they’ll know who to get in touch with – them smarty-phones of theirs will work in Newborough – and how to do it and make it all legal-like. But I don’t see why you can’t start fixin’ it up before then. I’ll find me the keys an’ you can have them. My Mary would have got on with you real well. She liked spunky girls. She’d have been real pleased ‘bout this.” My spring and summer seem to have featured a lot of reassuring Annette that life will return to normal!
“Will I ever fit into my dungarees again? Will I ever Not Be Pregnant? Is this baby ever going to come out? I have already been pregnant for a million years!”
And then she’d look at me, waiting for those pearls of wisdom to drop from between my rosebud lips. “Current research does suggest that pregnancies do have a natural finishing point…” I began and heard her giggle already. I mean, actually, I do have some sympathy for her. She’s huge, hot and tired – and Marcus, who is the other half of the baby-starting equation is prancing around totally unchanged. I sat down and looked deep into her eyes and got serious for once.
“This is tough. I can see that. I know it’s tough. But: You. Will. Be. Okay. You will get through this, and this baby will be a joy to you both.”
People say that Annette and I look like sisters – well, at that moment, I felt like we were sisters. And so did Annette. I could tell. Another day, another dollar, as the song goes. Marcus said I’d find Annette in the office – I like to check up on her before I hit the planting. Just to make sure she’s okay. Emotionally, I mean. Marcus does his best, but I think he’s been a bit perplexed by the changes in her. But I quizzed Patience and Marianna both, and they told me their (both very different) stories and gave me some good advice. And as for Old Fishbucket Charlie over there, well! He wouldn’t really have a clue about how to empathise with a pregnant woman. He’s in his own little world half the time. And I can’t believe he decided to swap what was probably going to be quite a decent inheritance for an unseen farm. I mean, what planet’s he on? “How’s it going then?" You have to brace for explosions when you ask this, but actually this was one of Annette’s better days.
“Not bad. I’ve actually got all the book-keeping up to date, all the letters ready for the post – gosh, we’re so old-fashioned! But we call it traditional and make it a marketing feature. Traditional is a good word with wine. And I feel like I’m doing something useful. And when it gets too hot, I go and read in the cellar. It’s cooler down there!” I should have known that all that serenity was too good to be true. Half an hour into some serious work, and there’s a loud yell from Annette’s direction. A very loud yell! Honestly, am I the only person round here who can keep their head in a crisis?
“Marcus. Quit panicking and get the keys for the truck. You have to drive Annette to the hospital. You or Blake – choose! Annette. Breathe. You can do this. Breathe.” I was fast asleep on the settee when a tired but happy Marcus came home and announced that Annette had given birth to a healthy baby girl.
“They’ll both be coming home tomorrow,” he said, punch-drunk with disbelief. “I have a daughter! How amazing is that?” Old Tench came over a few days later, to drop off the keys of his house for me. My house soon! And to meet the baby.
“So what you plannin’ on callin’ her?” he asked. I didn’t know either – much to Minnie’s sorrow when I’d gone shopping for Annette. “They haven’t said yet,” I’d had to tell her.
“Well,” Annette said. “If she’d been a boy, we were going to call him Thomas. But it’s a girl. How would you feel about Mary as a name? And will you be an honorary grandfather to her?”
Old Tench looked at Annette like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.” I hung around to hear his answer – and see his reactions!
“Well. Well, I’m danged. I ain’t felt so honoured since …since my Mary said she’d marry me. I’d be right proud to be like a grandpop to your little one. And you namin’ her Mary…well, that’s just the nicest thing ever.”
Yep, he liked the idea. So did I. And now I got why they hadn’t told anyone yet – they’d wanted to check that Old Tench was okay with it. Right. I was off to see my house. My house. Well, not yet, but it will be. Let’s see what it’s like inside. And outside. I could work on the outside no problem. It’d make a nice change from being up scaffolding, cleaning stonework. But I need to have a talk with Addie. I’ve barely seen her while I’ve been working for Marcus and Annette so much. And I do value her advice…even if it’s probably going to be along the lines of, you need to get back to your studies. Nice living room, complete with fireplace for those couple of chilly months. This house has a nice feel to it: it fells happy. Shabby, but happy. And then the kitchen, where you can be suitably undisturbed by visitors entering the house! I guess you might not want a horde of children charging through here all the time. Old Tench did reassure me that it had a bathroom. Everyone put one in, he said. At least, in all these houses. And mostly in the same way – lose a bit of bedroom and some built-in cupboard space, and you could fit one in nicely. It’s got two bedrooms. One for him and Mary “at the back, where it was a bit quieter, like.” And one at the front, for the children they’d hoped to have, but never did. I hope becoming an honorary grandpop will – sort of – fill that gap. Or something like that. It’s not like me, but I feel like we should sort of look after him. Him and his town and his memories. Mary used to have a nice little garden here, Old Tench said. Well, I can start remaking the garden without it costing me a penny. Clearing, digging – that’s all free. And I can scrounge seeds from people as well. Paint, now, I do have to pay for that, which means I need to earn some money, so Addie’ll have to hold back on the full-time study kick. I bartered all my labour for Marcus and Annette. Come and see what I got for it though. Look how amazing this looks now! I mean, I’d got up to the roof level all the way round by myself, but no-one was letting me do the tower on my own! But with three of us on it, after a site inspection for safety – all thanks to Minnie’s son-in-law, Dan – we got it finished way quicker than I’d have thought possible.
I’m kind of proud about what I’ve achieved here in these last two years. I reckon this isn’t bad at all. Yes, this is me entrusting my life and limbs to Blake. The tractor’s arrived! Marcus says I can’t drive it yet – I haven’t even got my car driving licence – but he will teach me one day. He says I’m a natural driver and a really safe one.
But driving’s just like life, really – be alert for danger, for the unpredictable and always be ready to change tack. Never let down your guard, always be watchful. But you know what? This is kind of old-fashioned fun. I might suggest to Marianna and Annette that we do this together one day. Just for a laugh.

The desk clutter in the office is by Sandy at ATS3 and Cyclone Sue at TSR

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