Page 22 of Escape to the Country

My mind wandered back to the red tin box that I’d stumbled across in the attic and I wondered whether it held the answers to a million questions that I’d had stored up for years.

Mum smiled at me through shimmering eyes and I’d never loved her more than I did right now. It was only when I was driving home that night that I realised I still didn’t even know my father’s name.

* * *

Saturday soon came round. Parking up outside the palatial-looking building, which looked more like a hotel than a care home, and taking a deep breath and a huge swig of Rescue Remedy for my nerves, I headed for the double front doors with my arms full of kit. Walking in backwards, pushing open the first set of doors with my considerable arse, which was getting increasingly lardy now I wasn’t working and was eating all the time, I pressed the bell with my nose and announced my arrival on the door system. God, I hoped they didn’t have cameras and weren’t all watching me on CCTV. They’d wonder who on earth was visiting them.

Hayley came to meet me and helped me with my baggage and showed me through to the communal area, where they’d very kindly arranged for a beautiful old upright piano to be wheeled through for me to play, alongside a table where I could put my computer, amplifier and microphone. With fumbling fingers, I set everything up and decided to take a moment to see how the piano sounded so I could decide which I’d rather do.

The sweet, mellow tone of the piano was just beautiful and I knew that I had to do as much as I could on that, so I bent the microphone accordingly so that I could still be heard. I didn’t want it so loud that I might blow up hearing aids, but I did want the hard-of-hearing to be able to enjoy the words and music too. I played the intro to ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ and when I stopped, there was a round of applause and I noticed that there were three care workers standing in the doorway, listening. A little embarrassed, I began tidying up my music and fumbling in my handbag. Hayley came over and said that she’d heard me from her office and couldn’t wait for me to get started.

My audience was arriving and there were lots of people. Shit!Lots of people!Was I really doing this?Beth Millington,I muttered under my breath,if this doesn’t work out, I might have to kill you.

The next time I looked up, more than sixty faces were staring at me, and you could have heard a pin drop. Hayley introduced me as that afternoon’s entertainment and explained that I’d sing for a while, then we’d have tea and cake and then I’d sing for a little bit longer, then they could all go and have a lie down to recover. There were a few polite laughs around the room but I thought for the first time that they could be quite a tough audience. This was so bloody scary. How on earth had I managed to let Beth talk me into this?

For my first song, I channelled my inner Audrey Hepburn and chose ‘Moon River’, something gentle to ease them in, and I practically hid behind the piano. I spent the first verse looking at the keys, nervous but lost in the melody. When I had the courage to look up, there were smiles all around me. Two of the ladies who were sat at the front were humming and swaying along with me, and then a few more joined in along the way. One little old lady was making up her own words and singing, but she was still joining in and enjoying herself and that was all that mattered. My heart lifted and filled with joy to know that I had made these people smile. When I finished the last note, there was a gentle clap from most of the audience, but my posse in the front row gave me a rapturous applause. I was thrilled to bits.

I was feeling a little more confident now so I decided to go with ‘Unforgettable’. I noticed that another of the ladies from the front row had got up, I presumed because she didn’t like it and was leaving the room, and I was horrified, but then to my surprise she sauntered over to one of the gentlemen who was sitting by the window and whispered to him. He got up to join her and to my great surprise, they started to waltz on the carpet beside where I was playing. Others started to applaud them, and another couple got up and joined them. This was delightful. Their faces were an absolute picture; they looked so happy. This was better than an evening watchingStrictlyanytime! I relaxed and could feel my voice sounding more confident and stronger. I was really getting into my stride.

‘Getting to Know You’ was my next choice for something a little more upbeat, and this time there was foot-tapping aplenty, and the sounds of hands clapping along warmed the cockles of my heart. Seeing something pink and white heading towards my face, I reached out and realised, to my absolute horror, that I had caught a pair of false teeth in my hands. I looked over and one of the old ladies in the front row was laughing her head off! I screamed and dropped them, which made her cackle some more. Hayley came over and apologised, saying that she should perhaps have warned me that Betty had a habit of laughing so much that her teeth flew out.

There was so much laughter in the room at this point that was a pure delight to hear. We decided to calm ourselves down with another more mellow song, so I introduced ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and thought that might do the trick. I should have known better really when one of the residents came in swinging a brolly around and started doing what I can only describe as twerking. I could not stop laughing. I thought I was going to have a coronary, let alone these old folks. They clearly knew how to enjoy themselves. Tears of laughter streamed down my face as I tried so very hard to compose myself and carry on singing.

Hayley announced that it was definitely time for a cup of tea and I went round the room talking to the residents in the break, balancing my cup and saucer while chatting. It was so lovely to be thanked by them and told they were having such a lovely time.

I didn’t realise how much of myself I’d lost over the years of working at Ronington’s. Work was all I’d got into the habit of doing. When I was younger, singing used to be like a drug to me. If I didn’t sing, I missed it. I felt so light and happy singing again and I’d almost forgotten just how much I loved it and how it made me feel. Beth had been right all along. She knew me so well.

The ringing of the dinner bell signified that the second half was about to start and I prepared myself as the residents took their seats. Ethel and Beryl from the front row, who I’d met properly in the interval, got up and danced along to ‘Twist and Shout’, even though we had to help Beryl back up again when she twisted down and only shouted because she couldn’t get back up again and roared hilariously. We shared the microphone for the chorus of ‘Que Sera, Sera’ when they became my backing singers.

I’m sure Abba wouldn’t have been too insulted when my backing singers sang ‘Fandango’ instead of ‘Fernando’, and Lord only knew what they were singing when we did ‘Jambalaya’ by The Carpenters, but what they lacked in tone and the correct words they made up for in enthusiasm and volume.

At least half of the residents were out of their seats and having a dance, and the others who could raise their arms up in the air were waving along when I sang ‘Sweet Caroline’, which was my pièce de résistance, and totally brought the house down with nearly everyone singing along. They loved the choices I’d made to the playlist and I was so happy that they were the right ones for the occasion. Their joy was intoxicating. My face literally ached from smiling so much. Who would have thought that I, who hadn’t sung publicly for literally years, would have spent one of the most enjoyable afternoons of my life entertaining old folks in this way?

Cries of ‘More! More!’ came from my audience. I looked to Hayley and she held two fingers up at me. As she was smiling, I hoped she meant that I could play another two songs rather than anything else, so I fired up ‘Daydream Believer’ and we ended with ‘Love Changes Everything’, which I played on the piano to rapturous applause. I thought I’d better calm them all down a bit before I buggered off leaving the care workers with a whole load of people with high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats.

‘Oh, Maddy, what a joy to see my darlings having so much fun. You picked exactly the right type of tracks. Everyone knew them all and even though they got a tad over excited, you seemed to know when to tone it down a bit. And I thought I was going to wet myself when Betty’s teeth flew out at you. I really should have warned you that might happen.’

‘I’m so happy that you’re so pleased. It’s meant the world to me to come and do this today. I was really nervous but when I saw those smiles, I knew it was the right thing to do.’

I couldn’t stop grinning as the residents came and took my hands in theirs and thanked me for a wonderful time, and they sang and kicked their legs and danced their way back down the corridors to their rooms with the carers. Whata picture to treasure in my mind. Whatmemories I’d made this afternoon.

‘Will you come back, Maddy, please? We’ll have you anytime. It has truly been a wonderful afternoon. You’d be doing us a huge favour. We don’t have a huge budget for entertainment, but if you could come back some time, I know they’d love it. And perhaps we can invite their families along too so they can see the pleasure they got. In fact, I’d definitely like to book you for our Summer Fayre. We’ll be doing a family day and it would be wonderful to have you at that. Now, let me get you your payment. I’m sorry it’s not much.’

‘Me doingyoua favour, Hayley? Seriously, experiencing this afternoon has donemethe biggest favour ever. It’s beendelightful. I’d come just for the fun of it, I don’t want payment. Thank you so much for having me. I’ll give you a call when I’ve got my diary and put another date and your summer event in. After this afternoon, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

As I drove away from Meadow View Care Home, the sun came out from behind a fluffy cotton wool cloud and I realised that this afternoon had given me another one of the most uplifting experiences of my life. It made me think that the life I’d been living had been one of having the best of possessions, and I wanted to be a better person in the future, making memories that filled my heart with joy. My whole thought process had changed and I just wanted to be the best that I could be.

10

On Sunday morning, I was lying in bed contemplating life, when a ping signified the arrival of a text and my heart annoyingly skipped a beat when I saw who it was from.

Morning, Mad. On the farm, there are a number of allotment plots that we rent out. The couple who left the barn on Friday had one and Beth has allocated it to you to keep it ticking over. She asked me to tell you so you wouldn’t kill her and to tell you that it needs a bit of tender loving care. Please come and pick up keys when you can. Alexx

An allotment! What the flipping heck was I supposed to do with an allotment? I wouldn’t even know where to start.

The sound of another text pinged through.

P.S. Beth said that you wouldn’t know where to start so has got you some books to help you and said that Ivan Jenkins in the village is your man if you get stuck.

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