Page 37 of Christmas at Hollybush Farm
‘I can pick up the kids, if you like,’ says Evie. ‘If you let them know.’
‘Can you take them to my mum’s?’
‘Of course. I’m licensed to drive passengers around.’
‘Mum doesn’t really go out, but the kids will be safe at hers.’
I look at the time, feeling I’m deserting Mae and Evie but I need to check on Dad.
‘You go,’ Mae says. ‘I’ll be here.’ She’s in the kitchen, opening cupboards and closing them.
‘I’ll be back. I promise. We won’t leave you to do this on your own. Enough is enough!’ I hear myself say, and suddenly feel more like me than I have in a long time.
‘Phffff…’ Mae says. ‘Nothing to eat!’ She shuts the cupboards. ‘They must have cancelled today’s delivery and I didn’t do jacket potatoes, in case Beti’s son was still hanging around.’
‘Looks like he’s taken the money and run,’ I say, glancing around the empty café. ‘I’ll sort something when I’m out. Bring something back for you to eat. And more potatoes.’
‘If your mum needs a break,’ says Evie, ‘the children can stay with me. I have the room.’
‘No children of your own?’ I ask. She shakes her head and, for a moment, I think she won’t say any more, until she does.
‘My husband … died suddenly. We didn’t know, until it was too late. He didn’t say he was feeling unwell.’
At first neither of us says anything … and it all falls into place, the knitting, the being in the here and now. ‘I’m sorry,’ I say.
‘Yes, and me,’ adds Mae.
Evie gives a sniffly laugh. ‘I never know what to say when people say that. It wasn’t their fault.’
‘What should we say?’ asks Mae.
‘I’m not sure. But saying anything is better than being embarrassed and crossing the road. Some people are just too scared to do or say anything.’
‘Actions count,’ I say, and then to Mae, ‘Is this really what you want to do? Stage a sit-in? You don’t have to go through with it. We could just say it was a moment of madness.’
‘I don’t want to, no.’ Mae takes a deep breath. ‘But it’s all I can think to do at the moment. And I have to. My kids need me to have this job. I’m fed up of being hung out to dry.’
‘Then I’m here to help,’ I say.
‘Me too,’ says Evie.
‘And me.’ We turn to the kitchen and Owen is standing there. ‘I don’t know who paid my bill yesterday but I owe them one. I can help.’
We smile at him, then frown.
‘How did you get in?’ I ask.
He points over his shoulder. ‘Back door.’
Mae grabs the keys. ‘Quick, lock it!’ she says. ‘And put a chair in front of it, just in case.’
‘Right. Let’s work out a rota so someone’s always here,’ I say. ‘But we don’t all have to be here at the same time.’ We sit at a table and I grab my iPad from my bag.
We’re plunged into darkness as the lights go out.
‘Looks like they’ve pulled the plug on us already,’ says Mae.
The one person I have to explain things to is Matthew. I just hope he understands that this is something I need to do. If I mean anything to him, he will.
