Читать книгу: «Something Like Happy», страница 2
That night he considered the experience. Not great, he thought, but not a disaster. He found himself suddenly looking forward to the next walk. It was a bit of an eclectic group, but they were all very nice. Even Bill and Tony had just made an honest mistake. He reached for his phone. He would just see if anyone had posted any pictures yet.
But for some reason, he couldn’t get into the group. He could see it, but he no longer seemed to be a member. He sank back on the couch in bewilderment. It must be Bill and Tony.
A message to the website support returned the information two days later that he had been blocked from the group for ‘inappropriate behaviour’. The email that he received gave the impression that he had been lucky not to have been blocked from the entire site, so heinous was the nature of his supposed crimes. When he saw the email, he felt a surge of anger and his hands clenched. He started putting together an angry reply to the site moderator. But then the anger died away, and he felt a wave of sadness wash over him. If they didn’t want him, then he would just move on. Find something else to do with his time.
He did have a look for other walking groups online, but there didn’t seem to be anything else that was really what he was looking for. His experience with the first one had made him cautious of anything that seemed even vaguely competitive. And as the winter blew in then it didn’t really seem to be something that anyone wanted to do anyway.
* * *
The thought of meeting Jade sustained Nick through work all week. When Saturday came he was so desperate not to be late that he took an earlier train and got there twenty-five minutes ahead of time. A bitter wind forced him into a cafe not far from the station, where he kept repeatedly checking his watch, paranoid that he would miss her.
He needn’t have worried. At precisely one minute to ten she strolled up, dressed in her usual red coat. There was still no hat, but her hair was tamed into a beautiful long plait that ran half-way down her back. The sparkly green flashed in and out of the braid at surprising intervals.
‘Wow, you look half-presentable,’ he joked, suddenly feeling nervous. ‘Are we going somewhere special?’
Jade gestured in the direction that she wanted them to go and linked her arm through his as they walked, a move that surprised him. She had seemed so remote the day when they first met. Almost alien.
‘Lily likes to see my hair like this.’ She looked up at him with a smile, touching it with her other hand.
It was the first time he had seen her properly smile, he realised, and he was completely blown away. He knew it was a cliché, but it really did transform her face. She did look better than when they first met, he thought, sneaking a glance at her when she wasn’t looking. The dark smudges under her eyes were less prominent, and there was a bit of a glow in her cheeks. Although she could just be wearing makeup. Was that a hint of gloss on her lips?
‘So who’s Lily?’ he asked, suddenly remembering what Jade had said.
Jade smiled again. ‘You’ll meet her. Today. We’re going to see them all.’
‘Them?’ Nick couldn’t help feeling a bit lost. Or was he just distracted by the woman walking along beside him?
She just laughed, squeezed his arm and increased her pace, dragging him across a junction and down a side street. She stopped in front of a large two-storey brick-built building.
‘Sunnyside Retirement Home,’ Nick read off the sign.
‘I started coming here a couple of years ago. It started just as a way to give a bit back to the community. And then I met Lily.’
‘She must be someone pretty special.’ Nick could see the faint smile that played over her mouth and made his deductions from that. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting her.’
‘Oh, you will.’ Jade took his elbow and steered him through the double doors. ‘But I also want you to meet Archie.’
‘I think I’m just going to go with it and not ask any more questions.’ Nick couldn’t help a smile starting on his own face.
A friendly woman dressed in pink hospital scrubs greeted them from behind the reception desk. Nick noticed that she was wearing fluffy pink earrings to match. Despite her clothes the entrance hall looked nothing like a hospital. Two big blue comfy chairs stood ready for anyone who was waiting, and there were modern-looking photos of Glasgow landmarks around the walls. It smelled clean and fresh, and there was no hint of disinfectant.
‘Hi Sandra, this is Nick,’ Jade said. ‘I’ve brought him along to help out today.’
The woman looked him up and down in an appraising manner, but not unkindly. ‘Hope you have big muscles,’ she said. ‘Clive’s just called to say he’s got the flu, so we’ll be needing someone to push Archie.’
Nick was really starting to wonder what kind of crazy scheme he had got himself in for. ‘Just what is it we’re supposed to be doing today?’
‘Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you.’ Jade was unrepentant. ‘We’re taking a group of these people to the Riverside Museum.’
‘And just how are we going to do that?’ Nick had a crazy vision of trying to get a big group of wheelchairs onto the train while other passengers cursed the delays they were making.
Jade laughed, her eyes lighting up. ‘Just relax and go with the flow. Loosen up. It’s all been planned.’
They turned down the corridor into what was obviously some type of lounge. About fifteen people sat around on dark grey sofas and comfy chairs. But, just like the entrance hall, this was no depressing beigey communal living space. Bright pictures decorated the walls, and hand-made cushions were scattered on the sofas. Lovely arrangements of fresh flowers were dotted around, giving off beautiful scents.
‘That’s Sandra’s work,’ Jade said, seeing him looking. ‘She was a florist before she came here.’
Jade seemed to know everyone, and she introduced him, although Nick quickly lost track of all the names. Two of them she kept for last, though, and Nick knew this must be Lily and Archie.
Archie was sitting in a wheelchair beside Lily, hunched over slightly. He had a massive hooked nose and chin under a large mop of messy white hair, and his face looked like someone who had spent a lot of time outside in his life. He reminded Nick of his grandfather actually. What he could remember of him.
‘This is Archie,’ Jade made a gesture with her hand, ‘and this is Lily.’ She smiled at the older woman and gave her a warm hug in greeting. ‘They’re not married, although you could be forgiven for thinking that.’
‘Never have been, and never will be.’ Archie’s tone was gruff, but looking closer Nick could see his eyes were twinkling.
Nick was surprised to see that Archie was smartly dressed in shirt and tie with a bright red jumper.
Archie must have seen his expression, because the old man reached out and put a hand on Jade’s arm. ‘Your young man there seems to be surprised that we’re all spruced up for today. What did you expect? A group of lolling, drooling imbeciles?’ He waved an arm in the air and made a face that was clearly meant to be an imitation of his words.
‘Oh hush, Archie.’ Lily spoke for the first time. ‘Stop with your antics and be kind to the young man. Otherwise they’ll leave you here without anyone to push you around. And you know how much you’re looking forward to that new tram they’ve bought recently.’
Nick was just about to say something when a group of other people entered the lounge. Most appeared to be retirement age themselves, and although there were a couple of other people who looked like they were a bit closer to his age, he and Jade were clearly the youngest by far in the room. All the newcomers sat themselves wherever there were free spaces, and a chatter started up in the room as people greeted each other and started catching up.
‘What are we waiting for?’ Nick wanted to know.
‘Keith,’ Jade said. ‘He drives the minibus.’
‘Ah,’ Nick said. He perched himself on the edge of a seat, suddenly unsure of himself and feeling very self-conscious.
Lily patted him on the arm. ‘So, young man, what do you do with your time?’
He turned towards her, looking at her properly for the first time. Her white hair was elegantly swept up in a carefully sculpted style, and the wrinkles on her face only made her look more beautiful, not less so. He suddenly wondered what she had looked like when she was younger.
‘I work as a programmer. For a consultancy. We mainly work for banks.’ He realised he didn’t sound very forthcoming and hurried to add some more. ‘You know, internet security and that sort of thing.’
‘Ah.’ Lily seemed to absorb this information for a minute. ‘Sounds like a very important job.’
Of all the things Nick had heard his job called, important wasn’t one of them. He was just a graduate, on the bottom rung of the ladder. ‘Sorry? How do you mean?’ He couldn’t help the question slipping out.
Lily nodded slowly. ‘Well, if you’re in security, you’re keeping people’s money safe, isn’t that right?’
Nick paused to think about this, rubbing his chin while he did so. ‘I guess so. I’d never thought about it like that. But I only started less than a year ago. I’m just a minion for my boss.’
Archie cracked a laugh, startling Nick. ‘The minions always do the most important work, lad. Forget the bosses who swan around drinking coffee all day.’
Which was pretty much what his boss did most of the time, Nick reflected. He was saved from having to reply by the arrival of Keith, and shortly after that found himself pushing Archie out of the building and up a steep metal ramp into the slightly faded minibus. Jade and Lily followed slowly, with Lily leaning on Jade’s arm. The minibus was full by the time they set off. As they eased away from the kerb someone struck up a version of ‘Pack up your troubles’, and soon half of the bus was singing, with varying levels of tunefulness. Nick couldn’t help grinning. Whatever he had thought he would be doing this morning, this hadn’t been it.
Jade, sitting across the aisle from him, leaned over and nudged his arm. ‘Not going to join in?’ She was smiling again, he noticed, and he wished that she would do it all the time.
Nick shrugged. ‘I don’t know all the words.’
Jade gave a shrug to match his own and laughed. ‘I don’t think that really matters for most of the choir.’
A small thread of warmth crept through him. Nick smiled back at her, took a deep breath and opened his mouth to sing.
Chapter 2
It wasn’t far to the museum, for which Nick was grateful. He couldn’t claim to be a great singer, but he was musical enough that by the time they had done ten verses of ‘Tipperary’ and been through ‘Imagine’ at least three times it was starting to wear him down just a little. They got out right in front of the building. The wind had dropped, and the spring sunshine was making the river sparkle. It was pretty warm for the time of year.
Nick had seen the museum from the train a few times, but only from a distance. Up close it was much more impressive. The silver metal exterior gleamed in the sunlight, and the massive glass frontage seemed to be drawing people in towards the entrance doors in the middle.
Jade saw where he was looking. ‘Award-winning, apparently.’ Her tone made it clear that she was in no way impressed by the grand design.
She looked at her watch. ‘Normally everyone goes off and sees what they want to see, and then we get back together for lunch. Everybody? Midday at the café?’
There was a chorus of assent, and everyone started to filter off. Nick looked expectantly at Jade, but she shook her head. ‘You’re here for Archie. You need to ask him what he wants to see.’ She looked at them both. ‘Normally we wouldn’t let the two of you go off on your own, but …’
Archie sat himself up straight in the wheelchair. ‘This is where you try to tell me I’m classed as a vulnerable adult, eh?’
Jade’s face turned pink, and Nick nearly laughed out loud.
‘You know that officially the law might say yes, Archie, but practically I don’t believe it for a second.’ Jade wagged a finger at him. ‘So go on, both of you. Get out of my sight before I end up keeping an eye on you both for other reasons.’
Nick took the back of the old man’s wheelchair and went to push him inside, but the old man shook his head. ‘Take me round for a turn outside the building, lad. I need a bit of fresh air in my lungs.’
Nick gratefully steered him round the side of the building and down towards the river. He too thought that it was a pity to be inside on such a glorious day. Archie stood unsteadily, pulling himself up using the railing, and they both stood in silence for a while, watching the sunlight playing on the water.
‘I used to be outside all the time, you know,’ Arche said suddenly. ‘A mountain guide, I was. There isn’t a Munroe in the Highlands that I haven’t climbed.’
Nick couldn’t work out whether to be impressed for Archie’s achievements, or sad at the condition the man was in now.
‘Oh, don’t be sorry for me, young lad,’ Archie said, patting him on the arm. ‘I’ve had a good life. Ninety-two I am now. It’s my time to rest.’
‘Ninety-two?’ Nick could hardly believe it. They stood in silence for a few more minutes, then Archie sat back down in the wheelchair.
‘I wanted to be a mountain guide,’ Nick found himself saying.
Archie looked up at him. ‘Really? What happened?’
‘I worked for a friend for a year. When I left school. His dad died about that time and it took the two of us just to keep the family business going. It was one of the best times of my life. But when the recession really hit, he said he had to let me go. I had plans to start up on my own, but all the training and equipment and insurance and everything was just too expensive, and I had to finally admit that it just wasn’t going to happen …’ Nick trailed off, then collected himself. ‘My parents said I should go to college and get some proper qualifications. So I did something boring and predictable that would always get me a job.’
Archie nodded, as if he understood, but Nick went further, trying to explain why he had sold out on his dreams. ‘My parents … they own a B&B up in Fort William, and barely have enough money to make ends meet themselves. I just didn’t want to be a burden on them.’
Archie nodded again, taking everything in. ‘Life never works out the way you expect. It’s full of surprises. Look at me. I never thought I’d end up in Glasgow. I was sure I’d be killed falling off a cliff or something.’
Nick did have to laugh at that. ‘What made you come here?’
‘I’ve got a niece here. With grandkids of her own. The family persuaded me to move down here, and to be honest, I’m not sorry. Glasgow is a great city. Lots going on. And it’s great to see more of my family.’
‘Yeah.’ Nick thought of his parents. ‘Family is special.’
They stayed in silence for a few more minutes, the quiet settling around them like a comfortable blanket.
‘Fort William!’ Archie laughed, as if suddenly remembering something. ‘Now there’s a good place for walking. I should tell you about the time I went up Ben Nevis and had to rescue a man who got stuck in a snowstorm in his shirt sleeves! Wheel me inside, lad. I want to go and look at this new tram there’s been such a hoo-ha about.’
Jade and Lily walked slowly through the front doors of the museum, Lily leaning heavily on her stick and relying on Jade’s arm for balance. ‘What do you want to see?’ Jade asked, as they paused for a second to have a look around.
‘I heard they’ve revamped the shops along that nineteenth century street they have.’ Lily gestured with her stick in the general direction. ‘Let’s go see those.’
They browsed the shops, pointing out things of interest to each other. As they sat for a minute in a dentist’s waiting room, just to let Lily have a rest, she nudged Jade gently. ‘What about this young man of yours? Where did you find him?’
‘He’s not my young man.’ Jade was quick to defend herself. ‘We only met last Saturday. I found him on the bridge.’
‘Ah.’ Lily’s gaze seemed suddenly sharper, but Jade didn’t shrink from it. She had already shared a good deal of her history with the older woman and had found more love and acceptance than she could possibly have ever hoped for.
‘Yes.’ Jade kept her eyes steady. ‘I don’t think he’s very happy. So I brought him here, knowing how you helped me, and I was hoping that you would be able to help him too.’
The older lady pursed her lips. ‘I don’t help people, you silly muffin.’ She slipped an arm around Jade’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. ‘You were the one who helped yourself.’ She gave a sigh. ‘And Nick has to help himself. All we can do is give him the opportunity.’ She chuckled suddenly. ‘But I’m mighty curious how he’s getting on with that crusty old codger.’
Jade’s eyes danced. ‘Should we go and see if he’s pushed him in the river by now?’
Lily shook her head. ‘No, my dear, let’s leave them to it. I want to go and see the dressmaker’s across the way.’
And, of course, they had to go and sit in the old-fashioned Subway carriage for a bit, even though they had both done it many times before. While they were sitting, waiting for the sound effects that would make them feel that they were rushing through a tunnel, Lily nudged Jade again. ‘But tell me, don’t you think that he is quite a handsome man?’
‘Who, Archie?’ Jade said, wilfully misunderstanding.
Lily snorted, poking Jade with her stick. ‘As if! You know who I mean.’
Jade considered Nick for a while. Thinking about how she had seen him on the bridge, all pale and tired with his hat jammed down over his ears. Then the transformation she had seen today, wavy brown hair flopped untidily over his forehead as he sang lustily at the top of his voice. And the flash in his bright blue eyes when he had grinned at her.
‘Well,’ she said reluctantly, ‘I guess you could maybe say that. Just a little!’ she amended, as the older woman gave a crow of victory. ‘And that doesn’t mean I’m going to start dating him. I couldn’t cope with dating someone like that. It would just be too much to worry about.’
Lily looked at her with a knowing look. ‘I hear you. But then again, isn’t it worthwhile sometimes taking a chance in life?’ She heaved herself off her seat, gathering her stick up in one small feathery hand. ‘Now, get me to that café. I’m parched for a cuppa.’
The four of them sat at a square table in the café. Archie abandoned his wheelchair in favour of a proper chair. Three of them had soup, and Nick went for a massive cheese and pickle sandwich. The place was busy, with people chattering all around them. A couple of children ran around the room, laughing as they dashed in and out of the tables. The smell of fresh coffee made it seem warm and cosy.
‘I can’t believe how much stuff they have crammed in here.’ Nick waved his arms around to illustrate his point. Even the café had small displays littered around the edge of the room. ‘They have cars stuck up on the walls! And a whole steam train! I don’t know why I’ve never thought to come here before.’
‘That new tram looks very spangly,’ Jade remarked, knowing Archie had been keen to see it.
Archie sighed happily. ‘Ah yes. Brings back a lot of happy memories. Now, I remember the time I jumped off the roof of one, just to avoid the ticket inspector …’ And he was off, waving his arms around as he told them what had happened. Jade didn’t mind. All of his stories were interesting ones, and she loved hearing about how things used to be.
‘So how did you start doing these trips?’ She realised Nick was speaking to her and drew her attention back to him, blushing slightly as she remembered her earlier conversation with Lily.
‘You mean how, or why?’ Jade wasn’t sure exactly what he meant.
Nick had just taken a bite of his sandwich and took a moment to swallow before answering. ‘I mean, what got you into it. How did you think about doing this stuff? You know, giving up your free time just to take other people out.’
From the pause in his voice she knew he had almost been going to say old people. She winked at him, just to make him aware that she had caught his almost-mistake, and the back of his neck tinged slightly with pink. Intelligent, though, with Lily and Archie sitting right there. Her eyes twinkled, thinking of how the conversation would have gone if Nick had said the word old. Maybe not though. Lily and Archie were chatting away on the other side of the table, completely engrossed in a discussion about different models of trams.
‘My gran died a couple of years ago. I miss her a lot.’
Nick’s eyebrows rose. This obviously wasn’t what he had been expecting her to say, but Jade carried on. ‘I used to mope around the house. It was my mum who got me into this.’
She indicated one of the younger grey-haired helpers, sitting a couple of tables away. ‘Connie over there is friends with her. So I started coming down to the home to help out, just to get out of the house. And then I met Lily.’
Lily looked over at the sound of her name. ‘What was that, dearie?’
She put emphasis on the dearie, and Jade laughed, knowing it was on purpose. ‘I was just telling Nick how much of a burden you are and how I hate taking you out.’
Lily reached over and gave Jade’s hand a quick squeeze. ‘Gripe away, dearie. I’m used to it. Especially living in the same place as this old codger.’
Archie drew in a breath, pretending to be offended.
‘Sorry.’ Lily’s eyes twinkled. ‘I should have said, living in the same place as this fine gentleman.’
‘It doesn’t make your complaint any better, you know, wrapping it up in such fine words,’ Archie grumbled.
Nick lust looked at them all, and then burst out laughing. Creaky laughs, as if they were a little rusty with lack of use, but laughter all the same. And Jade just had to follow suit. She was so happy to be here, and Nick being around just made things better. She suspected he and Archie might be good for each other. If only she could persuade Nick to come back again. If she knew he had someone else keeping an eye on him, then she could leave him alone, happy in the knowledge that he had some kind of support network to keep him going.
They finished their lunch and Jade caught the attention of some of the other helpers, whose nods of agreement showed that they were also ready to go. By the time they were gathered back at the front of the museum it was past one and Keith was waiting with the minibus. The piled in, Jade sitting next to Nick again.
She touched his arm gently. ‘Enjoyed yourself?’
Nick turned his face towards hers, and she could see he was grinning again. ‘Very much so. Far more than I expected to, actually.’
‘Good.’ Jade decided to just say what was in her head. ‘Because I was hoping you’d come back when we go again in two weeks.’ Nick was silent, and Jade wondered if she’d misjudged him. ‘Of course, if you’d rather not, then—’
‘No!’ Nick interrupted her. ‘It’s just – well – won’t that other guy be back next week? I wouldn’t want to trample on his patch.’
Jade laughed. ‘Oh, we always need people. There’s always someone who can’t make it each week. And we can only take as many people out as we have helpers. So you’d be very welcome.’
Nick ducked his head, obviously embarrassed and happy at being wanted. And Jade suddenly wondered exactly what he had gone through, to drive him to stand on that bridge and have those kinds of thoughts. Maybe she would get to the bottom of things. And if not, then at least she could try to provide him with some sort of community to love and support him while he was here.
‘I’ll walk you to the station,’ Jade said, when everyone was safely back and they had said their goodbyes.
Nick looked like he was about to protest, but then he seemed to change his mind. ‘That would be great. And you really should give me your number too.’
‘OK, OK.’ Jade pretended to reluctantly give in, smiling at him again. She recited the number, while he typed it into his phone.
‘I promise I won’t stalk you.’ The grin was back. Jade couldn’t help smiling again in response.
They walked companionably side by side, not really talking much, through the streets that by now were bustling with people, out for Saturday shopping. Jade stopped at the entrance to the station.
‘So, what’s the plan for next weekend?’ Nick wanted to know. ‘You know. The next thing on the list.’
Jade had been lost in thought, wondering about Nick and what his story was. ‘Oh. Yeah.’ She thought for a minute. If he wouldn’t laugh at her, she could take him …
Screw it, she thought. Nothing to lose. ‘Kelvin Hall. Quarter to eleven. Wear something comfortable. Sweatpants or something.’
‘Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?’ Nick looked sideways at her.
‘Nope. That’s part of the fun.’ Jade winked at him.
‘Oh.’ Nick seemed to suddenly remember something. ‘Today was all about the second thing on the list. But you never actually told me what it was.’
Jade smiled. ‘Do a kindness for someone else. Feels good, doesn’t it?’
Nick didn’t reply for a second, then he unexpectedly leaned over suddenly and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Before she could say anything, he gave her a little wave and disappeared up the stairs. Jade put a hand to her cheek and stared after him for a minute, unsure of the meaning of what had just happened. Then she turned and walked slowly home.
‘You look very thoughtful,’ her mother remarked later that evening while they were both sitting in the living room after dinner. ‘Something on your mind?’
‘Just this guy I met. I took him to see Lily today.’
‘Ah.’ Her mother, never one for excessive speech, could convey a thousand messages with one word. ‘So what is he like, this man?’
Jade considered, the images of Nick flitting through her mind. ‘Nice. He seems nice.’ She snuggled up on the sofa in her blanket, content just to spend some time alone with her mother tonight. ‘Let’s watch some of your favourite programme, Mum.’
Her mother’s raised eyebrows indicated surprise, but she didn’t say anything, just reached for the remote. And as the familiar theme music started, Jade felt a strange feeling of contentment, which was something she hadn’t felt for a long time.
