Page 34 of Autumn at the Cornish Garden Café

‘How come?’ Rosa asked.

‘He does odd jobs around the village and said he has a pane of glass that will fit your door perfectly. Or, if you’d prefer, a replacement door.’

‘It might be an idea to get the door replaced,’ Henry said. That one is quite old, and the wood looks like it’s seen better days.’

‘Worth thinking about,’ Pearl said. ‘But for now, let me get you some breakfast and coffee and you can take a breather. You both look beat.’ She patted Henry’s arm, then returned to the counter.

Within ten minutes, Henry, and Rosa were sitting at a table with mugs of coffee and bacon rolls in front of them. Rosa ate like she was famished and felt the coffee reviving her sip by sip. She’d swallowed her last bite when she sat upright, as if shocked by a lightning bolt. ‘Christopher! We need to take him something. I bet he hasn’t even had a cup of tea this morning.’

‘He’ll be fine,’ Henry said. ‘He has the Aga, and that was heating water and the kitchen last night. And he had the fire lit in the lounge and lots of blankets wrapped around him and Bobby.’

‘Oh … of course. I’d forgotten about those older sources of heat. Thank goodness he has them.’

‘There’s a lot to be said for not relying on mains energy.’ Henry nodded. ‘When the power goes out, we’re stranded.’

‘I think we should see him, though.’ Rosa stood up. ‘I’ll just get him some breakfast.’

After she’d bought a bacon roll for Christopher and a sausage for Bobby, she thanked Pearl and gave her number to Peter Harkness, who seemed like a pleasant man. In his fifties, with grey hair and silver framed glasses, he was a portly man with a cheerful demeanour. She’d seen him around the village wearing his navy overalls and knew he worked with his daughter, Hattie, who was currently speaking to Ellie outside the café.

Rosa and Henry made their way down to Christopher’s home and knocked on the door. He answered with Bobby in his arms and smiled.

‘There you both are. What a delight it is to see you after such a terrible night.’

They went inside to the kitchen where Christopher had made a pot of tea and sat at the kitchen table. The large rectangular oak table had some worn and faded patches and when Rosa placed a hand on the wood, she could feel indents that had been made over the years. There were scars on it from cutlery, where she suspected someone had slipped with a knife while cutting vegetables. She traced the grooves with a finger, recognising words forming a list or letter. In several places, someone had placed something hot on the surface without a protective mat. But she liked that the table had a history, that people had used and loved it, and that it had been the centre of a family kitchen for many years. It had character, just like Christopher, and she hoped that one day she would have a similar table in her kitchen that her own family could sit at while they ate, talked and worked. She’d always dreamt of having children who would do their homework while she made dinner, sharing details of their day as she listened attentively, proud of them for being such amazing human beings. It was traditional, yes, this yearning she’d had to have a family, but she was OK with that. And yet when she’d first hoped to create this dream with her ex, she’d had no idea what was going on that would prevent her dream coming true. The thought made her head hurt, and so she pushed the memories away like storm debris. This was not the time or place for feeling sad at what had gone before.

Christopher set Bobby down in his basket, then brought the pot of tea and some mugs to the table and Rosa got his bacon roll and the sausage for Bobby out of the paper bag. She set them on the table and Christopher chuckled.

‘Well, thank you very much. This looks and smells delightful. I’m guessing it’s all organic if it’s come from Pearl and Ellie.’

‘Of course.’ Rosa smiled. ‘Organic, free range and as fresh as could be.’

Christopher sat down and called Bobby over. ‘Your Aunty Rosa has a treat for you.’

While Rosa fed the sausage to Bobby, Christopher ate his bacon roll and Henry filled him in about the storm damage. Most people had only been affected by the power cut, but at the café, he’d been speaking to the former footballer, Thomas Dryden, and his partner, Lena Teller, and they’d told him that the villagers were planning a community cleanup that afternoon. They all needed to help, so they would meet in the square at noon.

Christopher nodded. ‘It’s always been the way. We’ve had some terrible storms over the years, like the one of 1962 when Cornwall took a battering from the elements. Worst affected was Penzance, but a lot of the coast was hit by high winds and heavy rain that caused damage and flooding. And then there were the storms of 2013 and 2014 that caused over 20 million pounds worth of damage to Cornwall. It’s an amazing part of the world to live but it suffers when storms come because of how exposed it is. However, at times like this, seeing the communities come together and rally around one another is uplifting.’

‘Last night was scary,’ Rosa said, cradling her mug of tea. ‘But Henry was incredible.’

‘A real hero,’ Christopher agreed. ‘Saving Bobby like that with no thought for your own safety…’ He shook his head. ‘That was an act of bravery indeed.’

Henry blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck. ‘I only did what anyone would have done.’

‘Don’t believe that, lad.’ Christopher frowned. ‘Not everyone would risk themselves for a dog. To some, they’d see Bobby asjust a dog, but he’s all I’ve got. He’s my family, and you saved him. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.’

‘I wasn’t really thinking about anything other than finding him and getting him safe.’ Henry reached down and stroked Bobby, then lifted him and sat him on his lap. ‘He’s a precious little man and there was no way I could leave him out there alone in that weather.’

Bobby turned and placed his paws on Henry’s chest then gave his cheek a lick. Henry stroked his small head, then wrapped his arms around him and Bobby settled down for a nap.

‘Thank you for my breakfast.’ Christopher picked up his mug of tea. ‘Best bacon roll I’ve ever had.’

‘You’re very welcome.’ Rosa smiled.

After they’d drunk two pots of tea, Rosa stood and stretched. ‘I should get back to the shop and assess the damage for the insurance company. Peter Harkness is coming to fit a new window or even a new door and I need to air the shop and dry what I can.’

‘Of course.’ Christopher nodded. ‘Why don’t you two let me cook you dinner this evening as a thank you?’

Rosa looked at Henry, and he nodded. ‘That would be awesome. Do you need me to pick anything up?’

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