The Wishing Tree Beside the Shore by Jaimie Admans

Author:Jaimie Admans [Admans, Jaimie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2021-04-19T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

‘I’ll see you in a bit, my class is coming to your strawberry patch this morning,’ Cheryl calls as she leaves the bedroom the next morning, leaving me half-asleep on my mostly deflated bed, and wondering if I should see about getting something more permanent, but that would be guaranteed to jinx Harrison into calling me back to the office, and I’m not ready to face that yet.

I toss and turn for a while longer before I finally persuade myself to go downstairs, surprised to find Dad feather dusting around the living room with music on in the background.

‘You’re enthusiastic?’

‘Thought I’d get an early start. The sun’s shining, the birds are singing … well, technically the birds are pooing all over my laurel hedgerow as they queue up for the neighbour’s bird feeder, but we can’t win ’em all. Are you off to see Ryan?’

Is it that obvious? ‘Well, I thought I might get some breakfast first.’ I start heading towards the kitchen and then stop. ‘And I’m not going to see Ryan, I’m going to the strawberry patch to help the protest. There’s a difference.’

He ignores me. ‘Thought I might stop by later myself. Cynthia said she had some old photos to show me from the good ol’ days at work.’

‘You always did like her …’

‘It’s always nice to reconnect with an old friend. Isn’t it?’

‘It’s certainly been an eye-opening experience.’ I look pointedly at the corner of the curtain rail he’s dusting. This is the first time it’s had so much as a sniff of a feather duster for months. That is not the influence of an old “friend”. ‘It would be good to see you. We need all the help we can get, and you’re brilliant at gardening.’ I nod out the window towards his pristine front yard full of fancy planters bearing rainbows of flowers and not a weed in sight.

‘It would be nice to know I’m doing something to help the community. I keep our garden nice because your mother always did, but it’s only myself and random passers-by who appreciate it. I’m told you’re uncovering strawberry plants?’

‘And who would’ve told you that, I wonder …’ I leave nothing out of my voice, my tone clearly telling him I know exactly who told him that.

‘I may have had a little conversation with Cynthia on the phone last night.’ It’s really something when even your seventy-year-old dad goes the colour of a Parcelforce van.

‘It’s okay if you like her, Dad. Mum’s been gone for nearly twenty years. She wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life as alone and unhappy as you’ve been until now if there’s someone out there who you deserve a second chance with.’

‘You and your sister are just the same. I’ve already had this conversation with Cher this morning. I don’t know where you’re both getting these ideas from.’

‘And I guess that big grin you can’t get off your face wouldn’t have tipped us off at all, would it?

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