Flare

Chapter 20

The next morning found me tired but full of nervous energy, waking to the faint sound of chopping wood outside. I hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning on the lounge floor as nightmares of Melody trapped in a burning house roused me every hour or so.

I looked over to where Jerry’s bedroll lay, untouched since the night before, and wondered if he was still in the yard with his telescope.

I stretched and yawned, the movement sending up a waft of stale sweat. I needed a shower, but that was something I suspected I’d be waiting a very long time for, so instead I settled for raiding Jerry’s kitbag and giving myself a quick baby-wipe bath.

The smell of coffee wafted in from the kitchen and I followed it, finding Emily and Harriet sitting at the table with their heads together, talking quietly. Dave had left the night before, reattaching his battery and roaring off into the night with the promise to return soon.

“Morning,” I said, making them both jump.

Harriet rose with a smile and poured me a cup of coffee. I took it gratefully and dumped several spoons of sugar in it. I had the feeling I’d need the extra energy today.

“Did you sleep well?” Emily asked as I sat down.

I shook my head. “Bad dreams.”

Harriet nodded towards the window. “Better than no dreams at all, Jerry’s been out there all night.”

I rose and crossed the look out, seeing him sat on the ground with an eye glued to the telescope.

“I guess I’m driving this morning then,” I said, flexing my ankle. It didn’t feel too bad, only hurting when I pushed it too far to the left. The rest of the time it just felt bruised.

“Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about,” Harriet said, her tone serious. “Sit down please Malcolm.”

I sat back down, a faint tingle of worry stirring in my stomach.

“What’s up?”

The two women glanced at each other, then Harriet spoke.

“Once you’ve made it up to Manchester, and …when you find your little girl,” I noticed the silent if but let it ride, “what are your plans then?”

I shrugged. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead. Originally I was going to take her back down to Brighton, but I reckon most of it is ash by now.”

They exchanged another glance and this time it was Emily who spoke.

“Bring her here,” she said, “there’s plenty of room and food, and there’s a spring in the next field that can give us enough water too. There’s no point you roaming around looking for somewhere safe when we’ve got everything you need.”

A lump formed in my throat. These people, only a stone’s throw from complete strangers, were offering me a place to stay, a chance to be a part of their community and somewhere safe for my daughter. I had to blink back sudden tears.

“Really? You’d do that?”

They both nodded.

“But what will Ralph say?” I asked, unable to imagine the gruff old man agreeing to having two extra mouths to feed.

Harriet laughed. “You don’t know him as well as you think you do, it was him that suggested it.”

My eyes widened at that, and I felt humbled by this wonderful family that chance had allowed us to stumble across.

“I, uh, I take it that goes for Jerry too?” I asked, realising that I couldn’t abandon him after everything he too had done for me.

“Of course, although he might have to get his hands dirty once in a while.”

I smiled as I imagined Jerry digging in the garden, his coat still buttoned up to the neck despite the heat.

“I’m sure he could be persuaded.”

Harriet looked pleased. “Well, that’s settled then. I’ll air out the spare bedroom. It’ll be cramped, but not so bad as you’d think. I’d best start making you some food for the road.”

She got up and began to bustle about the kitchen while Emily and I finished our coffee in contented silence. I sat there for a while longer, drinking up the cozy atmosphere before finally getting to my feet.

“I need to go and speak to Ralph,” I said, and Emily nodded.

“He’s out at the woodpile,” she said, “can you tell him that breakfast will be about half an hour?”

The yard was already uncomfortably hot as I stopped next to Jerry, seeing that several pages of his pad were now covered in his cramped scrawl.

“Have you moved since last night?” I asked, making him jump.

“Christ, don’t do that!” He exclaimed, pulling off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He looked exhausted, his face grey and haggard.

“You look like you could do with some sleep,” I said, squatting next to him. “Learn anything useful?”

He nodded and showed me the pad as if it would make sense, then patted the green box he’d put over the end of the telescope.

“This filter is very useful, it allows me to see light at different wavelengths,” he said as he lit a cigarette and slumped back onto the ground. “There’s a lot more activity going on up there than I thought. It works as a daylight filter too, so although I can’t look directly at the sun I can see the edge of its aura, and that’s given me a lot to work on. Is that coffee I can smell?”

I nodded. “There’s a pot on the stove, looks like you could use some. I’m going to go and speak to Ralph, I’ll see you back in the kitchen, yeah?”

He nodded and pulled himself to his feet, almost stumbling as he headed for the kitchen.

Ralph was splitting logs with his usual ease, the axe rising and falling in a steady rhythm as he split one, hooked another from the pile and set it on the block, then repeated the procedure.

He was facing the cottage and saw me coming but didn’t stop, his arms glistening with sweat where they poked out from the rolled up sleeves of his shirt.

“Gonna be another hot one,” he said as I stopped a respectful distance away.

“It is,” I agreed, “but it’s good travelling weather.”

“The girls talk to you?” He asked, never breaking his rhythm.

“They did. Wanted to say thank you.”

“No point you running around with your girl when there’s plenty here.”

“There is that.” I kept my thanks short, sensing that the old man wasn’t comfortable with outward displays of emotion, particularly between men. “Just wanted you to know how much I appreciate it.”

He nodded, splitting another log clean through, then paused, resting on the haft of the axe and looking me square in the eye.

“Won’t say this again, so listen up. You’re good folk. You could have run off yesterday but you didn’t, and you put yourself in danger for us. That’s something I won’t forget, so don’t go thinking this is charity, it’s not. Might need a man like you around if things don’t get better in a hurry, so you just make sure you come back quick as you can.”

He picked the axe up again and continued his work while I struggled to find something appropriate to say.

“I’m going to head back in,” I said eventually, finding nothing else that wouldn’t embarrass us both, “Emily says to tell you breakfast will be about half an hour.”

He nodded once and I left him to it, heading back to the cottage and all the while wondering at my good fortune. Against all the odds I had a place to stay, food on the table and a friend who was willing to travel halfway across the country with me, despite the dangers we might face. For the first time since I’d stood on that hill and watched Brighton burn, I felt that we might actually have a chance at a future, as long as we could find Melody and bring her back safe.