12:08 by Bethany Chester

Author:Bethany Chester
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, mystery, paranormal, supernatural, ghost, soldier, bomb, second world war, poltergeist, hummingbird

Chapter Sixteen

Sadly, my problems don’t evaporate overnight, but I wake up to such a nice day that I don’t really mind, at least not for the moment. I’m feeling quite cheerful as I get into the car and start the engine. I’m determined that this will be a good day.

Grandma Edna lives just outside the city, about fifteen minutes away by car. A couple of years ago, she got to the point where she could no longer cope with the stairs in her house, so my parents found her a ground-floor flat nearby. It was all they could do, really. They’re too busy to care for her full-time.

I ring the bell. It always takes her a while to get to the door, but today the wait feels even longer than usual. Maybe it’s just me, though.

When Grandma Edna opens the door, she’s beaming, as per usual. Her optimism is inspiring. It often changes my outlook on life, especially when I feel like grumbling.

To tell the truth, I don’t think she looks very well today – she’s so pale, and she looks frailer than usual. We go into the sitting room, and I help her sit down. She gives me a grateful smile.

“Thank you, Eddie,” she says. “So, tell me. What have you been doing with yourself lately?”

I start to fill her in on recent events. I don’t mention the weird stuff, obviously – I don’t want her to think I’ve lost it – but I tell her about everything else, like my uni work and the camping trip and Jamal giving up smoking.

“Jamal is your flatmate?” Grandma Edna asks.

“Yes.”

“Is that all he is?” she inquires archly. I can’t help but giggle at her knowing expression.

“Maybe,” I say.

A warm smile floods her face. “Ah, I remember it well. Before I met your grandfather, I was seeing another young man. In many ways, he and I were a better pair than John and I. Of course, his parents would never have approved, and neither would mine, most likely. But they never knew a thing about it. My sister was the only person who was in on the secret.”

As she tells the story, she has a faraway look in her eyes. I must admit, I’m intrigued – she’s never mentioned any of this before. I always assumed my Granddad John was her first love.

“What happened between you?” I ask. “If you don’t mind telling me.”

“You know I don’t keep secrets from you, Eddie,” she says, smiling sadly. “Of course I don’t mind. The truth is, he enlisted instantly when the war broke out. He thought it would be exciting, a bit of fun, and since all his friends were going, he was hardly going to stay here. Leaving me behind was his only regret.”

She sighs, her eyes a little misty. “I couldn’t even go to see him off at the station, or his family might have suspected; not that it mattered, in the long run. We went for a walk the evening before, and said our goodbyes then.

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