Page 47 of Christmas at Hollybush Farm
‘A queue?’ says Mae, in disbelief.
‘They want jacket potatoes,’ I say. ‘Your jacket potatoes!’
‘How?’
Owen opens the door, wider this time.
‘And there’s people asking if there’s any cawl left. Like the one they saw on the post this morning,’ he calls back.
‘Who? What people?’ asks Evie.
‘People who’ve seen the post! The one I just put up. The live feed. It’s like building a community, but online.’
‘But we can’t just serve food from the back door,’ Mae says.
‘Can’t we?’ I say. ‘We’ve come this far. It shows that people are talking. Voting with their feet! Maybe now the new bosses will listen. We can serve them from here, earn you some of the money you’re missing out on.’
Evie puts down her knitting. ‘I’ve got a break until my next appointment. I can help.’
‘It’s just a few jacket potatoes and cawl,’ I say. ‘Why not? They’ll make a donation for it.’
‘Shows the owners what they’re missing out on. This is the food people want, not plastic burgers and microwave chips. Might change their minds,’ Dad joins in.
‘Let’s get serving then!’ Mae says, excited. We open the back door to a line of people and begin to take orders.
We move a table in front of the door and Owen sets up the generator.
We’re busy loading jacket potatoes. ‘Another beans and cheese!’ I call to Mae. Evie is pulling them out of the oven and Dad is cutting them and creating the well. Mae is doing the toppings, I’m taking the orders, and Owen is on lookout for the return of Josh, the corporate guy.
‘Last few jackets now,’ calls Evie. ‘Then we’re sold out.’
I look up. Everything inside me leaps like lambs in the field come spring. ‘Oh hello. What can I get you?’ I say, looking at Llew Griffiths.
‘Someone told me about the cawl here. Said it was the best around.’
I take a deep breath and try to calm the lambs in my stomach. ‘As long as that’s all you want,’ I say tersely.
He nods, gazing at me steadily. ‘It is.’
‘Llew,’ says Dad, holding up a hand from his seat behind the counter.
‘Edwin.’ He raises a hand back. ‘Good to see you on your feet, so to speak.’
‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you,’ Dad calls from his chair.
I turn to him. ‘Not now, Dad. Can’t it wait?’ Dread washes over me. I know that Dad is going to agree to the solar panels.
‘Come in, come in.’ Dad waves to Llew, who looks at me. I want to shout, ‘No, not yet,’ but I let him in through the back door.
‘You’re not to sign anything without me, Dad!’ I call over my shoulder.
‘Jem,’ calls Owen from the front of the café, ‘don’t look now, but you’ve got visitors. Or maybe we should look now.’
A car is pulling up outside the café. ‘Quick! Shut the back door!’ I shout to Mae.
‘Lock it!’ Mae says to Evie, tossing her the keys.
‘Sorry, we’re closed for today,’ says Evie, slamming the door, locking it and putting the table in front of it.
