Gran's House
by Kit
Chapter 9
As I was about to set off to the university at just after nine o'clock on Tuesday, I got an email with my exam results. To my slight surprise and major delight, I'd got a First. As I'd promised, I sent a text to my godparents to let them know. However, although I knew my result, I still had to go to university to collect the last of my belongings from the flat, and I also had an appointment to see Dr Baker.
Another advantage of going to the university was that I could look at the relevant departmental noticeboards to see the exam results of friends and of the other people on my course. As it turned out, my First was the only one on my course that year. Stephane had obtained an Upper Second, and, as I'd expected, Mai Li had obtained a First. There was plenty of time for lunch before going to see my former tutor.
Dr Baker was a tall, well-built man in his late thirties with receding black hair and a booming voice, and as usual, he was dressed very casually. He stood to greet me as I entered his office, thanked me for coming, and congratulated me on my degree.
"I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to see me," he said. "Well, I was impressed with your project, and I wondered what your plans for your career might be."
"At the moment, I've no definite plans at all," I replied.
"Have you considered the possibility of postgraduate research? The department currently has funding for two studentships, one of which would follow on nicely from your project."
Of course I was very flattered, but the idea of continuing at university wasn't appealing to me, and I didn't know how much time I would need to dedicate to my brothers. On the other hand, I felt that it would've been rude to simply decline the offer without explanation. So I told him about my newly found and newly orphaned brothers and explained that I wanted to spend time getting to know them and seeing how I could help them.
"So I gather you're not interested in a postgrad studentship?" he interrupted in a disappointed and slightly annoyed tone before I could finish.
"I really can't commit myself to anything long-term just now," I said, mildly irritated by his attitude. "When I do start work, I may want to work from home if my brothers need me to be around for them."
"Of course you must do what you think best. However, I'm sure that you are aware that this is a rapidly developing area. New techniques, new threats, and new defences are evolving all the time," he said and gave me a pitying look before continuing, "You have excellent qualifications now, but if you fall too far behind, potential employers will no longer be interested. If you choose to delay starting your career, you should at least keep up with what's going on."
Hiding my increasing irritation at what I considered to be a patronising lecture, I stood up and thanked him for his advice. He seemed surprised by my reaction, and for a moment he didn't respond, so I said goodbye and turned to leave.
"Mr Cooper," he said, "I really do understand that choosing between career and personal life can be very difficult, but we all have to deal with the consequences of our decisions. In any case, I wish you the best for the future."
"Thanks," I replied, feeling less annoyed.
"As you may know, I'm a consultant for a few organisations, and I believe that one of them may have offices not far from where you live. If you do wish to find employment, then feel free to get in touch, and I'll try to provide you with a suitable contact."
"Thank you, Dr Baker," I said with genuine gratitude.
After saying our goodbyes and parting on good terms, I went to the flat to collect the last batch of my belongings. The place was deserted, and all the rooms except mine were completely empty apart from the furniture provided by Student Accommodation. When I went into what had been Stephane's room, there wasn't even a hint of his scent, and although the memories of that room were happy, my mood became very melancholy.
There was more than enough space in the Merc for my belongings, and it took less than half an hour to load everything into the car. After handing in my keys to the Student Accommodation office, I drove home, arriving there shortly before six o'clock. By the time I'd unloaded the car and had a shower, I was hungry and ready to eat. However, before I could prepare food, I had a phone call from Aunt Anne.
"Paul, sweetie! Congratulations! Geoffrey's here with me and says he's so proud of you."
"Thanks," I replied, feeling a little embarrassed by the fuss.
"We're so sorry we couldn't have you round tonight," she continued, "but as I mentioned, this church meeting is important for arranging the autumn events, so we have to be there. But you must come round on Friday evening, and we can celebrate then."
"Actually, I've had a tiring day, so Friday is much better for me," I said. "Tonight I'll probably go to bed early."
"When's your graduation?" she asked. "If you let us know the date, we can make sure to take the day off work. And if you've not booked our tickets yet, make sure you do it as soon as possible."
"It's the second Wednesday in July. And I'll check online tomorrow to see how soon I can book tickets."
"Lovely! We must dash now. Bye!"
Just before she ended the call, I heard Uncle Geoffrey faintly in the background saying, "Bye, Paul."
After a quick meal, I started a video call with my brothers. Connor immediately appeared on the screen, and from the background I could tell that he was in their bedroom. Almost immediately, Liam appeared beside him.
"We were waiting for you," Connor said once the initial greetings were done.
"Sorry. It's been a busy day, and I've just finished eating."
"We had tea ages ago," Liam said, "and it'll soon be time for a bedtime snack."
"Did you get your results?" Connor asked. "I bet they were good."
"Yes, they were very good. I got a First."
"What does that mean?" the younger boy asked.
"It means, like, he's top of the class," his brother said.
Although he wasn't completely accurate, I had got the only First in my class, so in this case he was accurate enough, and I didn't correct him.
"So you'll never go back to uni again?" Liam asked hopefully.
"Just one more trip," I replied. "It's for my graduation ceremony. I probably wouldn't bother going, and I'll feel embarrassed wearing the silly robes, but Aunt Anne and Uncle Geoffrey really want to see me graduate, so I'll do it for them."
"I want to see you in silly robes," Connor said, apparently relishing the thought of me being publicly embarrassed. "Can we come?"
"I think you'll still be in school. When's the end of term?"
"Middle of July," he replied quickly, as if the date was etched into his mind.
"The ceremony is a before that," I said.
"We can take a day off school," he suggested.
"I don't think that Social Services would like that," I pointed out, "and in any case, I don't know if I could get four tickets."
Both boys looked disappointed, and Liam immediately asked if I could take pictures. I told him that my godparents would certainly be taking photos and almost certainly be making a video. I promised that I'd bring them with me the first time that I saw them after the ceremony.
"Are you both still happy with having a video chat with Aunt Anne and Uncle Geoffrey?" I asked. "If so, I'll need to be there for the first few chats, just like Rose, David and Sarah were there for my first few chats with you."
"Yeah," the older boy replied, "we'd like to talk to them, and it'd be nice for you to be there."
"So maybe we can do it while I'm there on Sunday," I suggested.
Connor was obviously unhappy with that idea, and his little brother looked horrified.
"No, not then," the older boy said emphatically.
"We don't want to use up our Paul time for that," Liam said.
"Okay then, shall I arrange something for when I'm visiting Aunt Anne and Uncle Geoffrey?"
Both boys smiled and nodded their agreement.
Before we said our goodbyes, Liam reminded me of some of the things that I'd promised to bring on my next visit. So after the call ended and before I went to bed, I made a to-do list, at the top of which was to scan in the photos from their box. Also, I decided that I'd buy a couple of albums so that they could keep the photos protected.
Next on my list was to scan in more of the hard-copy photos of their mum when she was growing up. In order to save time, I decided that instead of sorting through the photos of me growing up, I'd simply copy all of those that were on the backup drive from Gran's laptop. After that, I'd make the video tour of the house. Then, last but not least, I'd bake a couple of cakes.
Before making the video, I decided it would be a good idea to make sure the house was tidy. In the course of doing that, I was reminded that there was no bed in my old room, so I immediately placed an order for a new one. Also, I discovered that the basement was very messy and dusty. It wasn't one of the rooms that Mrs T took care of, and I'd not been down there since Gran died.
While giving it a quick dusting and tidying, I saw that on some shelves in the far corner were stacks of jars. Then I remembered that was where Gran had kept the jams and chutneys that she'd made. The most recent dates on the jars were about 3 months before she died. That meant they were only about twenty months old and should still be good to eat for at least another couple of years.
Feeling a little hungry, I grabbed a handful of jars and took them upstairs to test their contents. The seals on the jars were intact, and when opened, they looked and smelled good. I began with one of the tomato chutneys and had some with bread and cheese. Then I tried first the plum jam and then the quince jam with some more bread.
The contents of all three jars tasted just as good as I remembered, and the smells evoked memories of Gran. I immediately thought that my brothers should be able to share these treats, and I decided to include sample jars among the items I planned to take on my next visit. Even in the unlikely event that the boys wouldn't enjoy them, at least they could experience part of what it had been like for me growing up.
As well as working my way through the to-do list, I managed to coordinate a mutually convenient time for my Aunt Anne and Uncle Geoffrey to talk with the boys. It was arranged that I'd go to my godparents' home on Saturday late afternoon and start the video link. Then at the end of the call I'd stay to help them prepare and eat dinner.
My godparents were sitting side by side at the dining table when I started the call on my phone. Once the connection was made, I saw that Liam was half-hidden behind his brother. Although everyone already knew who the others were, I thought that making introductions might help the boys to feel at ease. Then I handed the phone to Aunt Anne and sat in a nearby chair.
At first, as expected, she did most of the talking, with her husband occasionally contributing and my brothers just giving brief responses. However, as the conversation progressed, the boys became more confident and took a more active part. Much of the conversation, and the part that Connor and Liam seemed most interested in, involved their mum when she was growing up.
I was relieved that my godmother didn't mention what she'd previously told me about Mary's change in behaviour after her sixteenth birthday. If the boys wondered why the clever and well-behaved Mary described by Aunt Anne would run away from home and leave behind her baby, they never asked.
What surprised me most was the fact that it was Aunt Anne and not my brothers who decided that it was time to end the connection by saying she needed to go and make dinner. She and Uncle Geoffrey said they hoped to speak with the boys again soon and said goodbye. When she handed the phone to me, I thought I saw tears beginning to appear in her eyes.
Looking at the screen, I could see that both my brothers seemed a little worn out, from which I gathered that the experience had been quite emotionally intense for them. Despite that, I was pleased to see that they didn't seem unhappy. In any case, I would be able to assess their reaction the following day.
"Liam," I said, "you'll be pleased to know that I've obeyed all of your instructions, and everything is ready for me to bring tomorrow."
"What are you bringing for our sweet after lunch?" Connor asked while his brother beamed a huge smile at me.
"That's one of the surprises." I teased.
"One? What are the others?" the older boy asked eagerly.
"They wouldn't be surprises if I told you," I pointed out. "Anyway, now I should go and help Aunt Anne."
"Awwwww!" they both complained.
"See you tomorrow for lunch," I said.
After closing the connection, I went to join my godparents. Aunt Anne was sitting at the kitchen table dabbing her eyes with a tissue, and her husband was standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. She wasn't actually crying, but she was upset. Her reaction to talking with my brothers confused and troubled me.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Those poor boys," she said. "They're so sweet, and they're stuck in a foster home with strangers."
"You say 'foster home' as if it's a bad thing," I replied. "Maybe you're thinking of some old Victorian orphanage from a Charles Dickens story. But the boys are living in a large modern house, and it's a home, not just a place to live, eat and sleep. And they've known their foster carers longer than they've known me, so they aren't with strangers."
She looked at me, possibly wondering if I was just saying that to make her feel better.
"For Sarah and David, caring for kids isn't a job," I continued. "They do it because they love children. They're good at what they do, and they've created a family for the children in their care. They do more than many parents do for their real kids.
"They spent large amounts of their time setting up the phone and laptop so the boys can talk with me. David spends time in the garden with Liam because he knows that my brother loves gardening. He gave money to Liam so that he could buy Connor a new football for his birthday, and he said the money was a reward for helping in the garden.
"They welcomed me into their home and gave me a great lunch because they knew it would make my brothers happy," I continued. "Honestly, I think my brothers probably have a better life where they are now than they had with Mary."
They both looked at me as if they weren't sure who I was, and I suddenly felt embarrassed and a little guilty.
"Sorry for ranting," I said.
"That's something you've tended to do since you were just a boy," Uncle Geoffrey said with a smile.
"Tend to rant?" I said, feeling a little hurt.
"Not really ranting," he replied, "but when you feel strongly about something, you do tend to go on a bit."
"There's nothing wrong with that," his wife said, coming to my defence. "At least he's prepared to say what he means, and in this case I'm glad that he did. It's made me feel much better. Anyway, I'm getting hungry, so let's get started making dinner."
After we'd eaten, Aunt Anne again brought up the subject of my brothers.
"So what are your long-term plans for the boys?" she asked. "I know that they're well cared for in the foster home, but surely you're not going to leave them there forever. They should be with family."
"Of course, at some stage I'd like them to live with me, but Social Services would have to agree."
"It depends on what exactly you mean by living with you, " Uncle Geoffrey pointed out. "For short-term visits or fostering, it's up to Social Services, and they have their own rules to follow. Anything more long-term than that could be more legally complicated."
"Why can't he adopt them?" his wife asked. "Then they'd be legally part of his family, and he can decide where they live. That way, he can make sure they're not moved around in the care system."
"Adoption is a much more complex process," he replied, frowning in apparent disapproval, "and Social Services would also have a big say in that."
Although I'd had the vague and generalised intention of having my brothers come to stay with me, I hadn't given any thought to details or practical matters. Uncle Geoffrey's mention of the legal aspects and his wife's mention of the possibility of adoptions suddenly felt quite scary.
"But surely Social Services would support the idea of the boys living with their brother," Aunt Anne protested.
"They may have a few reservations," he replied. "The first thing that comes to mind is that he's young and single. In an emergency, if he were ill or had an accident, there would be no one to look after the boys."
"I could do that," she responded quickly.
Uncle Geoffrey was clearly unhappy, and he gave his wife a look of disapproval. This was one of those very rare occasions when he seemed to be at a loss for words, but eventually, he addressed me directly.
"Paul, because Liam and Connor are your brothers, I'd be happy to have them stay here in an emergency and on a temporary basis," he said. Then he looked at his wife and continued in an even more serious tone, "Anne, we discussed this years ago. Taking on any long-term responsibility for a stranger's child is not an option."
In my whole life I'd never witnessed any animosity between them, or even any strong disagreement, so the tension I felt now was both surprising and uncomfortable. Feeling guilty that this situation was my fault, I decided to beat a hasty retreat. I stood up, thanked them for the meal, said my goodbyes, and went home.
The next morning, I got up early so that I could make sure that I didn't forget anything when I loaded up the car. As I now knew my way to the foster home and knew that there was plenty of parking space, I decided that it would be good to take the Merc for a run. Because rain was predicted for later, I set off early, and I took an umbrella just in case it might be needed.
I arrived a little earlier than on my previous visit, and my brothers weren't waiting outside for me when I drove into the parking area. However, they must have been looking out for me because the door opened and they appeared while I was still getting out of the car.
"Paaauuuullll!" Liam shouted as he ran toward me.
Before I could respond, he launched himself up toward my chest, and I was forced to catch him and hold onto him as he wrapped his arms round my neck.
"I'm happy to see you, too," I greeted him.
Connor was hanging back a little and was clearly amused by his little brother's antics. After several seconds, I whispered into Liam's ear that maybe he should give his brother a chance to say hello. As he relaxed his grip, I put him down and held my arms out for Connor. He approached and hugged me round the waist, and I couldn't resist the temptation to pick him up for a hug.
"You said you wouldn't pick me up," he accused, but he spoke gently, resting his head on my shoulder, and made no attempt to pull away.
"Sorry," I replied, "I just wanted to see if I was strong enough to lift you up. But if you don't like it, I promise not to do it again."
"S'okay," he mumbled into my shoulder.
"You've got a new car," Liam commented.
"It's not new," I said as I lowered Connor to the ground. "It's older than my other one."
"You've got two cars?" the older boy asked.
"Yes, like David and Sarah have a minibus and a car," I pointed out.
"But there's two of them and only one of you."
"There may be just one of me, but there are three of us."
Connor knew that what I said was totally illogical, and his only response was to roll his eyes.
"This one's bigger and posher," his little brother said, "but the other has a nicer colour."
Personally, I preferred the Midnight Blue of the Merc to the Tornado Red of the Golf, but colour hadn't been a high priority when I bought the car.
"So are you going to help me unload all the stuff, or are you going to make me do all the work myself?" I said with a pretend pout.
"I'll help!" Liam volunteered.
I handed Liam the bag with the box of photos and the albums, telling him that it was for his bedroom. Then I divided the rest of the things between myself and the older boy and told him these were to go to the kitchen. When we entered the house, I was a little relieved that Liam didn't yell out an announcement of my arrival. However, instead of taking his bag upstairs, he dumped it by the living room door and came into the kitchen with us.
Sarah was standing by the sink, and David was at a counter trimming some French beans. Both greeted me with a 'Hi, Paul'. Then I heard a little 'I Paw' and noticed Susie under the table, playing with some plastic toys. After returning their greetings, I put the bags down near an empty counter, and Connor followed my example.
"I thought you were just bringing dessert, not a week's shopping," Sarah said, apparently amused as well as a little puzzled.
"Here's part of dessert," I responded, taking a big tub of vanilla ice cream from the cooler bag and offering it to her. "I hope you can find some space in your freezer."
From the top of another bag, I took a large brown paper bag and put it on the counter. "As it's the start of the cherry season, I brought some fresh cherries. They're my favourite fruit."
Connor was looking at me with a worried frown, possibly wondering if my promised dessert was going to be just cherries and ice cream. Just in case the others were sharing his concerns, I removed two large cake tins from the same bag and put them on the counter. After removing the lid of one tin, I carefully pushed up the movable bottom to reveal the contents.
"This is the main dessert. It's a chocolate and cherry cake, " I said. " Don't worry; I cut the cherries in half and made sure there were no stones."
The bottom layer of the cake was covered with cherry jam, the middle was filled with cherries and cream, and the top was covered with more jam, cherries, and curls of chocolate.
"Just in case someone doesn't like chocolate," I continued, noticing that Connor looked at me as if my words were heresy, "I also made this."
After removing the lid from the second tin, I pushed up the bottom to reveal a Victoria sponge. By that time, Sarah, David, my brothers, and even Susie were watching me as if I'd been a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. At that point, I began to feel a little embarrassed at putting on such a performance.
"I'm sure that you have some already, but I got these just in case," I said, taking a cake cutting and serving set from the bottom of that bag. "They can be cleaned in a dishwasher."
From the next bag I took out a box containing small tins of three exotic types of tea.
"This is for you," I said to Sarah and David. "I noticed you had some different types of tea on your shelf, so I thought you might like to try these."
"You don't need to bring us gifts," Sarah protested.
"Gran and Grandad always said that it's polite to take a little gift for your hosts," I said. Feeling a little self-conscious, I added, "Or is that old-fashioned nowadays?"
"Even if it's old-fashioned, it' s a thoughtful gesture," David said. "But I'm sure it doesn't apply to every visit to the same people or to family."
"That's very kind of you," I replied, blushing. "I'll try to remember not to bring a gift next time."
My brothers, who weren't really paying much attention to the adult chatter, were more interested in what was at the bottom of the bag from which I'd removed the box of teas.
"Last but not least," I announced as I removed three medium-sized jars from that bag and put them on the countertop, "here's something that I brought for Liam and Connor, though I expect them to share it with everyone in the house. These are from the last batch of jams and chutneys that Gran made. The plum jam and the quince jam were made with fruits from our garden, and the tomato chutney was made from tomatoes she grew in the conservatory."
Both my brothers, and especially Liam, looked amazed and delighted. Once I stopped producing items from the bags, Susie lost interest and returned to playing with her toys. David and Sarah approached, and each picked up a jar and examined the labels.
"As you can see from the labels, it's only been about twenty months since they were made, and in the past they've still been good after more than three years, " I said. "I already tested others from those batches, and they're good. After you open them, you can keep them in the fridge for up to about three weeks."
"I've never had quince jam," Sarah said, and her husband agreed that it was also new to him.
"Can we try them now?" Liam asked eagerly.
"We don't want to spoil your appetites for lunch," David said.
"And they're the sort of things that are better for teatime, anyway," I pointed out. "Oh, something just occurred to me. There's garlic in the chutney, so Mike might not want to try that."
" Lunch will be in about twenty minutes," Sarah said, looking at the wall clock.
"Can I do anything to help?" I volunteered.
"No, thanks," she replied and then smiled. "Well, maybe just remove the bags from my kitchen floor."
I picked up the empty bags and took them to the car, with my brothers following close behind. They were talking together so quietly, almost whispering, so I couldn't hear what they were saying. As soon as the bags were stashed away in the boot, Connor spoke.
"Can we have a ride in the car?"
"Yes, of course. Sometime soon," I said, "but not just now."
"Can we just sit in it, then?" Liam asked.
I opened the driver's door, and both boys tried to get into the seat.
"Me first," the older boy insisted.
His little brother looked very unhappy and protested strongly.
"It's a big seat," I said. "I'm sure both of you can sit in it if you try."
They did try, and after much wriggling and a little elbowing, they succeeded. I got into the front passenger seat and showed them what the controls were for. Within a few minutes, I noticed a few drops of rain on the windscreen.
"It's starting to rain. Let's go inside," I said. As they were a little reluctant to move, I added, "And we still need to take your mum's photos up to your room."
Apparently, they'd forgotten all about that, and when they were reminded, they happily went indoors while I locked the car. Back in their room, I handed back their box of precious photos and gave them the two albums.
"You can put the photos in these, so you can look at them while they're still safe and protected under the clear plastic."
"You didn't already put the pictures in the books?" Liam said, making it part statement and part question.
"They're your photos, so you and Connor should decide what order to put them in the albums."
From a side pocket in the bag, I took out three USB sticks and showed them to the boys.
"You know what these are and how to use them?" I asked, and the older boy nodded. "This blue one has photos from your box, plus a separate folder with photos scanned from hard copy pictures that Gran had. The green one has the photos that Gran had stored on her computer. The yellow one has the video tour of where I live."
The boys were undecided which USB stick to start with, but fortunately, before any disagreements could start, Katie appeared in the doorway. She announced that lunch was ready and that we should wash our hands and go down straight away.
Sitting in the same positions as the previous week, we had a delicious meal of roast chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, French beans, and sweetcorn, served with the best chicken gravy I'd tasted since Gran died. Once the main course was finished, David brought out the chocolate cake, which proved to be very popular. Despite its popularity, there was still about a third of the cake left when everyone declared that they were full.
Bearing in mind that there was plenty of chocolate cake left over, it had been a wise decision by Sarah and David to keep the ice cream and Victoria sponge in reserve. Connor announced proudly that I'd made it, but everyone apart from Mike and Katie already knew that. From the expression on Mike's face, I got the feeling that he didn't believe Connor.
After the meal, David declared that it was the turn of my brothers to clear up and load the dishwasher. I was surprised that they looked unhappy about that, but I guessed that it wasn't the task itself but the prospect of less time with me that bothered them. So I said that I'd give them a hand, and they immediately cheered up.
"You don't need to do that, Paul," Sarah chided gently. "You're a guest."
"David said earlier that I was like family," I teased, "and anyway, by helping out, I get to spend more time with Liam and Connor."
Having completed our task, my brothers and I went up to their room. They were eager to look at the photos and the video that I'd brought, and in any case, the rain prevented any outdoor activities. I was keen to get feedback on their chat with Aunt Anne, but I decided it would be best not to get into that immediately or too directly in case they felt like they were being subjected to an inquisition. The boys quickly decided that the first thing they wanted to do was to watch the video tour of the house.
"It's not as dark as I expected," Connor commented within seconds of the start of the video. "It looks normal."
"Why did you expect it to be dark?" I asked.
"On TV and films, old houses are gloomy and have wood on the walls."
"Well, it has been decorated a few times since it was built," I pointed out gently, then with a hint of sarcasm, I added, "and we even have electric lights."
"I didn't think it was so big," Liam said even before the tour had proceeded upstairs. "I don't think I'd like to live there all on my own like you do."
"I've lived there all my life, so for me it's a friendly home," I said. "I've only been alone there for a few months, and most of that I was away at uni. Maybe I'll feel lonely eventually, but I'm fine now."
After seeing the bedrooms and being told which room had been mine until recently, the older boy asked why there was no bed in that room. I told him that my bed had been moved to the biggest bedroom and that a new bed was being delivered soon. At the end of the video, Liam complained that I hadn't shown the garden or the outside of the house.
"It was raining hard that day," I explained, "but I promise that I'll make a video of the garden as soon as I can."
"Alright," he said, indicating that I was forgiven. Then after a brief pause, he smiled shyly and added, "But it'd be even better if I could go and see it."
"Yeah!" Connor agreed enthusiastically. "You've visited us twice, but we've not visited you. And we'd get to ride in your car."
"Okay, I'll see what David and Sarah think of the idea." Both of them smiled, but after a few seconds, their smiles turned to frowns, so I asked, "What's the matter?"
"You said you were going to see David and Sarah," the older boy accused.
"I was going to do that before I went home."
"Why can't you go now?" he asked.
"Please?" Liam begged, tilting his head to one side. He was already learning how to twist me around his little finger.
When I went downstairs, Sarah was in the living room playing with Susie, and when the toddler saw me, she lifted her hand and said, 'I Paw'.
I smiled, waved back at her and said, "Hi, Susie."
"I see that you've got another fan already," her mother commented, nodding at the little girl. "I'm surprised the boys have let you out of their sight."
"That's only because they send me on an errand to speak with you and David."
She raised an eyebrow and said, "He's in the office. Why don't you go through? I'll bring us all some tea."
Through the open office door I could see David at the computer and busily typing, so I tapped on the door and waited. After a few seconds, he stopped what he was doing and looked up.
"Just catching up on paperwork," he said apologetically. "Is everything okay? Where are the boys?"
"Everything's fine. They're in their room and asked me to speak with you and Sarah," I said. "She's just making us some tea."
"In that case," he said as he stood up, "let's go through to the kitchen. I need a break, anyway."
In the kitchen, Susie was back under the table playing with a teddy bear and some other toys, and Sarah was just waiting for the tea to brew. Looking out of the large windows, I noticed that the sky had brightened up and the rain had stopped.
"Would you like anything to eat with your tea?" she asked.
"No, thanks," I replied, patting my stomach. "I'm still full from lunch."
"You know what I'd like," her husband said with the sort of mischievous smile that I might expect from one of my brothers, "is to try a small spoonful of quince jam. I've never had it before, and I'm very curious."
"Good idea. I can't wait to try it, either. But I'm still full, too, so just a little taste," Sarah agreed, then addressing her husband, she added, " Tea's ready to pour."
While David took care of our drinks, she took down one of the jars from a shelf, and after a little effort, she managed to open it. After peeling off the wax paper, she sniffed the contents and smiled.
"That's unusual. Aromatic and almost a little floral, " she commented, and looking at me, she added , " Are there any floral ingredients?"
"I don't really know," I confessed. "I never got involved in making jam, but I think it's just quinces, sugar, and maybe a little lemon juice."
She got a container from a cupboard, took out a couple of water biscuits, spooned a little jam on each, and handed one to her husband. They both took tentative tastes, then smiled and put the rest into their mouths. While she chewed and savoured the food, she put the lid back on the jar and put it in the fridge.
"That's really lovely, but quite subtle," she said, and her husband smiled and agreed.
"Now, I'll put on my mind-reading act and guess what it is you wanted to talk about," David said as we sat at the table and sipped our tea.
He closed his eyes, made a strange face and wobbled his head, making me laugh.
"Your brothers want to visit your home," he said.
"How did you know?" I asked in amazement.
"They've been talking about it ever since your first visit, so it was only a matter of time until they suggested it directly to you. Frankly, I'm surprised that it took them this long to do it."
"So what do you think?" I asked.
"That's fine if you give us notice and get them back at a reasonable time," Sarah said, "but there can't be any overnight stays unless Rose gives permission. And for that, a social worker would need to visit you at your house and make sure it's suitable."
"Your brothers say you live on your own," David said, and I nodded a 'yes', "but if anyone else lived there or starts to live there in the future, they would also need to be interviewed."
"Of course," I agreed. "Would next weekend be too soon?"
"That would be okay," he said. "What arrangements would you like to make?"
"Well," I said, thinking quickly, "maybe Saturday would be better because I'd like to pick them up before lunch, and I know how important the family lunch is on Sundays."
"Would you intend to bring them back by teatime?" Sarah asked and paused when Susie decided to climb onto her lap, then added, "In any case, they must be back here before eight o'clock."
"Do you have a preference?" I asked.
"Teatime," she replied, "at least for a first visit."
"Right," I said, "and on Saturday teatime is five o'clock?"
"Yes, but they should be back at least fifteen minutes before that, and of course you're welcome to stay for tea ," she said. " Speaking of which, would you like to have tea with us today?"
"If you're sure it's okay with you."
"Of course," David said with a smile, "after all, some of what we'll be eating will be what you brought."
Back in my brothers' room, I found them sitting at the desk with the laptop, looking through some of the photos that I'd copied from Gran's computer. As I appeared in the doorway, they looked up expectantly.
"Do you want the bad news or the even worse news?" I asked.
At first they looked disappointed, then they saw the grin that I was unable to suppress. When their smiles returned, Connor's eyes narrowed, and he stared at me.
"You're evil," he accused.
"Does that mean you don't like me anymore?" I teased.
"Maybe," the older boy replied.
"I still like you," his little brother said earnestly.
"Okay, first the bad news is that I'm staying for tea today," I said, "and the even worse news is that next Saturday you can visit my house."
Liam jumped up, ran to me and hugged me so hard that his glasses almost fell off. Connor rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his happiness.
"You seem to be accepting the bad news very well," I said with mock seriousness. "Now, if it's okay with you two, my plan is to pick you up around mid-morning on Saturday. After you look around, we can have some lunch, and if you want, we can go to a fast-food place. Then we can do whatever you like until around four o'clock, when we'll need to set off to bring you home."
"I want to see the garden," the younger boy said as he released his grip around my waist and readjusted his glasses.
"I want to explore," Connor said almost simultaneously, "and see all the places Mum was growing up."
"What we can do probably depends on the weather, but I'm sure this won't be your only visit, so there'll be lots of time to fit in whatever you want to do," I said. "When Aunt Anne finds out that you're coming, she'll want to see you, but depending on how you feel, we don't have to spend a lot of time with her."
"I don't mind," Liam said noncommittally. "She seems nice."
"She really is very nice," I said emphatically. "It's just that you need to know how to deal with her. Think of it like a big friendly dog who just wants to play but can accidentally knock you over."
"I don't like dogs," the little boy said firmly.
Although I was curious and a little surprised by his statement, it seemed best to leave that topic for another time.
"What do you mean, how we feel?" the older boy said cautiously. "You sound like our counsellor."
"Maybe I do, but that's because I care about you and want what's best for you. So how did you feel after your chat with Aunt Anne and Uncle Geoffrey?"
"Tired," the little boy said immediately.
"Uncle Geoffrey didn't say much," Connor said. "And it was embarrassing when she kept saying we were 'adorable'. I think that's worse than being 'cute'."
"It was nice that she knew all about Mum as a little girl," Liam said.
"But the little girl didn't seem like our mum," his older brother added.
"Probably in twenty years from now you won't seem like the person you are now," I pointed out.
"Why did Aunt Anne keep saying 'fish'?" Liam asked.
"I think she was probably saying ' Pish ' , " I said.
"Pish?" the older boy said. "What's that?"
"I don't exactly know," I admitted. "She uses it when she disagrees with what you say but can't be bothered to argue. It probably means something like 'nonsense' or 'rubbish'."
Connor was frowning, and poor Liam looked confused.
"Anyway," I said, "maybe we can just visit her for a few minutes before we set off back."
The boys nodded their agreement, and we spent the rest of the afternoon going through some of the photos from Gran's computer. At various points that afternoon I regretted my laziness in bringing all of them instead of spending time to select or deselect some of them. That was because the boys made many comments and asked many questions, some of which were difficult for me to answer.
"Look, Liam," Connor said when he saw a photo of me as a baby. "Doesn't Baby Paul look adorable?"
"Yes, very, very cute!" his little brother agreed, and both started laughing.
"Who's that?" Liam asked when he saw a photo of me and Philip in our swimsuits. "He's in other pictures, like that one with the bikes."
"His name's Philip. He was in my class, and we both enjoyed swimming," I said. "We liked to go cycling together. I think that we were fourteen in that photo."
"Was Philip a special friend like Stephane?" Connor asked.
"He was my best friend at school," I said, feeling a little flustered.
Later still, they saw a couple of photos of me and Jenny, the girl I went out with when we were in Year 11 and Year 12. One of the photos showed the two of us in formal dress just before a school dance.
"You look very posh dressed up like that," Liam observed. "What's her name?"
"She's Jenny. There were a couple of formal dances for older kids every year at school, and we were expected to dress up," I said, "but I always felt uncomfortable dressed like that."
"Was she your girlfriend?" Connor asked.
"Sort of. We were only kids, so it wasn't anything serious. I think we liked the idea of being in a relationship more than we actually liked being with each other," I said and smiled a little wistfully.
It was clear from Liam's puzzled expression that he had no idea what I was talking about but wasn't interested enough to ask questions. The older boy's expression was blank, and I assumed that he, too, didn't understand what I'd meant.
Fortunately, before any other photos could give rise to potentially embarrassing questions, Katie announced that we should go down for tea. The evening meal was a little bit like a buffet, with foods in the centre of the table and people helping themselves. There was bread and butter, slices of ham and a little leftover chicken, cheese, plus the jams and chutney that I'd brought.
Everyone except Susie tasted both of the jams and the chutney, and as predicted, Mike didn't like the chutney. However, I was interested to see that he actually tried it, even though he'd been warned in advance that the recipe included garlic. The others said they liked the contents of all three jars.
After eating, I spent another hour or so with my brothers, but all three of us were tired of looking at photos, and we mostly discussed our plans for the week. When I left, the boys were obviously weary and looking forward to their evening bath and bedtime. On reaching my car, I saw that mud was smeared along the driver's door, just under the handle, and I was sure that it hadn't been there when I'd arrived.
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