Page 50 of Seashells at The Summer Hotel Lovely Bay
Nina blinked and then coughed. ‘No, I’m fine. I don’t really have much appetite. In fact, everything I put in my mouth is making me feel sick. They said I might get a second wind, didn’t they?’
‘Yes,’ Robby leaned forward, ‘are you sure you're okay, though? We don’t have to leave now. We could completely change the flights if you’re not up to it.’
‘No, no, I’m good. Travelling takes it out of you, though. I was fine just sitting by the pool.’ Nina coughed. ‘I’m so tired. It’s ridiculous how much the flu has taken out of me.’
Robby leaned forward and squeezed Nina’s arm. She could tell that he didn’t believe that she was fine. She wasn’t really fine. She felt leaps and bounds better, but the exhaustion was getting to her every which way it could and had completely taken her by surprise. She’d thought that once back in the hotel, she’d bounce back pretty quickly and be done with it. That didn’t look as if it was going to happen. She was clearly going to have to rein herself in and really take time to recuperate properly. So much for getting home, putting it behind her, and cracking on with getting back to normal and work.
‘I’m concerned,’ Robby stated seriously.
‘I think I just need to get home, to be quite honest.’
‘Yeah. Your own bed will make a world of difference.’
Nina thought about their attic bedroom, the beautiful views over the harbour, her lovely big bed with the sumptuous mattress and being at home. It had never looked so good. ‘I hope so.’
‘The hotel was lovely, but there’s nothing like being in your own bed.’
‘True.’
‘Only a small twelve-hour flight to get through and then we’ll be there,’ Robby joked.
‘Let’s just hope we don’t get stuck in traffic on the way home.’
‘I think you should almost certainly tell yourself that traffic will be part of us getting home.’ Robby added.
Nina sighed and nodded that Robby was probably right. ‘Hmm, it’s normally the case.’
Robby patted Nina’s leg. ‘Once we’re home, you’ll feel better.’
As Nina gazed out over the runway and continued to sip her coffee, she hoped that Robby was correct. There was somethingin the back of her mind telling her that she still wasn’t quite right, the problem was she didn’t know what. She kept it to herself and decided that Robby was probably along the right lines and once she got back to Lovely Bay, she’d start to feel back to her old self again. Time would tell.
Nina was so pleased to get home, it wasn’t even true. The flight from Bangkok to London had been long, turbulent and arduous. As she’d sat with her eyes closed drifting in and out of sleep, part of her had wondered if she was trying to run before she could walk.
Despite what they’d discussed about the traffic and how long the journey would take, the flight had been on time, and they’d sailed through the traffic with hardly a queue all the way home. Once they’d arrived back in Lovely Bay, Nina felt that perhaps she was imagining the feeling that someone had taken the bag of bricks she’d had sitting on her shoulders and flung them into the harbour. As she’d walked into the house and dragged herself up to the attic room, to say she’d been pleased to be home was more than an understatement. As her mum had said on the phone and Robby had reiterated at the airport, there was just something about being home and in your own bed.
That evening, Nina showered, went to bed, and slept like a log. The next day, she stayed cosied up and planned how she was going to make herself feel better. She ordered a few supplements from Birdie at the chemist and decided that long afternoon naps were necessary to get her back on her feet again. She spent way too long scrolling the benefits or not of a regime of green drinks and vitamin infusions. She was well acquainted with the declarations of various social media influencers that organickale, spirulina, honey, and spinach did wonders for anybody’s health.
As she was sitting at the back of the yard on one of the outdoor chairs she’d got from Marketplace, her phone rang with a call from Ella, the estate agent.
‘Hi, Neens. I’ve heard you’re back! How are you feeling now?’
‘Yes, I’m actually well on the way to being better, just can’t seem to keep the tiredness at bay, but yeah, I’m good. How are you?’
‘Yeah, good, thanks. Ahh, that’s great. How was the flight?’
‘Not too bad. Let me just say I amveryglad to be home.’
‘I bet you are. There’s nothing worse than being ill on holiday.’
‘No, I know. At least I’m back now.’
‘I hear you’ve had lots of chowder deliveries.’
Nina laughed. ‘I’ve got it coming out of my ears!’
Ella chuckled. ‘Ahh, the restorative powers of a good Lovely chowder, eh?’
‘Yup. I’ve so much of it I could set up a shop.’
