The Narrative: Two Women, Two Lives, One Ending by PJ Kelly

Author:PJ Kelly [Kelly, PJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: drama, justice, Australia, child-abuse, ethics
Publisher: PJ Publishing
Published: 2023-05-26T16:00:00+00:00

5

8.45am, Friday, 31 July 2018

Port de Soller

The wheels on the trolley flitted from side to side. Amy was getting frustrated with its irksome mechanics as she manoeuvred it up the supermarket aisle. The morning run had taken everything from her and a quick visit to the shops was proving harder than expected.

She scanned the shelves, reading the labels, translating the names of each product. She had taken to her new language like snow to a mountain, and it continued to be a dance between two cultures that she revelled in.

She cajoled the trolley down towards the end of the aisle, where a young woman perused the laundry powder. Amy smiled, the shopper’s attire and backpack reminiscent of her own arrival here in Port de Soller. It had been a time of great passion, and the memories alone made her feel grateful. She moved up beside the young woman, the aisle too narrow to pass.

‘Perdoneme,’ said Amy. Excuse me.

The young woman turned, ready to respond. ‘Miss Hansen? Is that really you?’

‘Si,’ said Amy, a heavy dose of surprise and confusion almost overwhelming her. Her adopted tongue both a habit and an instinct. ‘Are you Australian?’

‘I am.’

‘Do I know you?’

‘Yes. I grew up in Kilgarry.’

Amy was shocked.

‘Room Three,’ added the young woman.

Her feelings of surprise turned quickly to fear. ‘Yes.’ Amy paused, recognising something in the young woman — a posture, the upturn of her smile. A name blew from between her lips. ‘Leah?’

‘You remembered.’ Marianne grinned, a quiver of emotion.

Her smile pierced a hole straight through Amy’s heart — a sharp intake of breath, hands gripping the trolley hard. ‘It’s good to see you.’ In truth, she wasn’t sure how she felt.

‘Are you here on holidays too?’ asked Marianne.

‘No, I live here.’ Amy’s eyes welled up. ‘I can’t believe it’s actually you.’ She burst into tears, overcome with a flood of bad memories, sadness pouring from the depths of her soul. She wanted a hug, but it was all so complicated.

Marianne placed a reassuring hand on her forearm. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

Her touch bought a bout of gut-wrenching pain, an ocean of guilt. Amy’s mind raced with things to say, all of them laden with traps and triggers. She didn’t have a clue where to start, or who she even was right now. Did Leah’s arrival mean that the old Amy was back? ‘It’s just a huge surprise.’ A breath between sobs. ‘How old are you now?’

‘Twenty.’ Her teeth were so white. ‘And a lot wiser than when we last saw each other.’

‘Are you staying long?’ spluttered Amy.

‘I don’t really have a timeframe.’

‘Could you stay a while? Like a few days at least?’

‘Sure? If you’d like that.’

‘It would be great to catch up on each other’s lives. There’s so much I want to know. So many things I probably need to say.’

‘I’m staying at a hotel called Sol Port Soller, up the hill a bit. I’m sure I could add a few nights to my booking.’ Marianne smiled. ‘I can’t believe you live here.

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