Take Two

The reporter dangled out of the helicopter and pointed to a clearing in the jungle. As the wind whipped through his blond hair, he clasped the headset with his right hand and swiveled back to the camera. He smiled and his white teeth sparkled in the sun. Over the chopping noise of the rotor blades, he shouted: “Colombia is already the world’s largest producer of cocaine, but now the drug cartels are ramping up their operations. And it’s down there where it all begins. In the illegal jungle labs where the raw product, coca, undergoes a sequence of chemical changes. From there…”

Susan’s phone rings making her jump. Her tea slops over the rim of the cup as she tries to pause the television show and answer the call at the same time. What an inconvenient time to ring. Just as she’s about to discover more about the manufacture of illegal narcotics. Not that she has any immediate plans to start a drug trafficking operation from her 1930s semi in Ipswich…

“… But there could be worse ways to supplement my pension,” she said out loud as she lifts the handset to her ear.

“What’s that about your pension?” asked her sister Julie, then without pausing for a reply, takes a sharp intake of breath and wails: “Something terrible has happened.”

Susan rolls her eyes and settles back in her reclining chair. After 67 years she’s accustomed to Julie’s histrionics. She leans over to her left side and clicks the lever, flipping the footrest out in front of her. She senses it’s going to be a long call so she might as well be comfortable.

She picks up the phone she’d set down on the coffee table whilst she fiddled with her seating arrangements. Julie’s still talking. She hits the mute button on the television remote before pressing play and bringing up the subtitles.

“In one of the largest drug seizures in American history, federal agents seized 16.5 tons of cocaine worth more than $1 billion from a ship in Philadelphia,” reads Susan, whistling through her teeth. No wonder drug lords always seemed to have nice houses and fancy cars.

“So, with Gemma out of action, I thought the boys could come and stay with you for the summer, well at least the first month anyway,” said Julie.

“What?” said Susan, switching off the television and cranking the chair into an upright position.

“I knew you weren’t listening! I bet you’ve been watching TV with the subtitles on this entire time. I’m surprised you don’t try and mute me!” said Julie.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, I was listening,” said Susan feeling her cheeks redden, as her older sister mutters on the other end of the phone. “You were saying something about my favorite niece Gemma.”

“She’s your only niece! Anyway, I’ve already told you. Gemma slipped on the bottom stair and broke her ankle. The A&E doctor said she’s going to be on crutches for at least six weeks,” said Julie, sighing. “Something bad always happens when Matt’s deployed. Last time it was the car that exploded on the motorway in the snow when…

Susan cuts her off before she has chance to recount a more dramatic version of the story, she’s heard umpteen times already: “So why can’t you look after the boys?”

“Because Gemma can’t do anything can she? She’s quite helpless. I’m going to move in and look after her, but she needs complete rest and she won’t get that with the boys running wild,” said Julie.

“Wild?”

“Oh, it’s just an expression. They’re lovely. Well, most of the time. Besides, it’ll be good for the twins to get out of London and get to know their Great Aunt Susan a little better,” said Julie chuckling. “And despite her protests, I think Gemma is looking forward to us having some quality mum and daughter time too.”

Susan leans back in her chair and wracks her brains for a suitable excuse. How is it possible that Julie can still outmaneuver her after all these years? And it’s also rather miraculous how quickly her sister can turn on and off the tears. She should have been an actress thinks Susan darkly.

“Good, that’s all sorted then,” said Julie bossily. “I’ve already bought tickets for the boys. I’ll pop them on the train at Liverpool Street and you can meet them at Ipswich Railway Station.”

“When are they getting here?” said Susan, absentmindedly picking up the TV remote.

“I’ve booked the tickets for Wednesday.”

“But it’s Monday afternoon! That only gives me a day to get everything sorted. And I’m not even used to children. I don’t know anything about them,” said Susan trying to keep the hysteria out of her voice.

“Susan. You were a high school teacher for 40 years. I’m sure even you can cope with two nine-year-old boys for a few weeks,” said Julie. “Oh, I think Gemma’s calling me. I must dash.”

Susan moves the phone away from her ear and finds herself staring at a blank screen. Her sister didn’t even say goodbye. Or tell her what the boys liked to eat. Or anything at all for that matter.

Chucking her phone down on the table, she stomps to the patio doors and throws them open. She rests against the doorway and breathes in and out deeply, hoping the fresh air will calm her down.

“Hello, hello! Fancy seeing you around here!” calls a voice from above.

Susan cringes. She’s not in the mood for dealing with Colin today. As she looks over the hedge, she sees her neighbor balancing on the top rung of the ladder wrestling with the overgrown ivy. As he turns to wave, he almost loses his footing, and grabs hold of the window ledge.

“Hello Colin. Be careful! You’ll never get the blood stains out of the patio slabs if you fall,” said Susan, retreating inside the house. She can hear him laughing even through the double-glazed doors. The man’s a total idiot.

Peering out through the kitchen window she watches him climb down the ladder and gather up the scattered leaves and vines. She’s never known a man do gardening work in a button up shirt, tie, and braces before.

She shakes her head and thinks back to the first time she met him. Just a few days after he’d moved in, the postman had popped a couple of envelopes addressed to a ‘Mr. Colin Droit’ through her letterbox. Colin had been thrilled to meet his next-door neighbor and thanked her for redirecting his mail. After she’d turned down his invitation of a cup of tea and looked at her watch several times, he’d corrected her pronunciation of his surname.

“My dad was French, so my name is actually pronounced ‘dw-at’,” he said. “And droit in English means ‘right’. So, I guess you could say that you’re living next door to Mr. Right!” He’d then waggled his eyebrows in what he clearly thought was a suggestive manner.

“Colin isn’t very French sounding though, is it?” she said crushingly.

“Ah, well my mum was English,” Colin began explaining before he was interrupted by Susan.

“So, you’re only half right then!” she said victoriously, stepping over the flowerbed that separated their two driveways and opening her front door.

Colin had slapped his thigh as he roared with laughter. The man was clearly unhinged.

Susan continues staring as he carries the cuttings to the compost bin in the far corner of the garden talking to his black cat Elvis who’s bouncing along beside him. Absolutely unhinged she thinks as she turns away from the window.

*********************

Susan puts all thoughts of Colin Droit to the back of her mind as she spends Tuesday getting everything ready for the twins’ arrival. She hasn’t seen Rafferty and Levi since last Christmas and she’s certain her home isn’t going to seem that interesting to a pair of boisterous nine-year-old boys. She’s going to have to swing by the huge supermarket on the outskirts of town and see what she can pick up to keep them out of trouble for the next month or so.

As she meanders along the supermarket aisles, she realizes her trolley resembles something out of one of those awful gameshows where contestants race against the clock to grab whatever they can and throw it in their cart. She wonders if she’s buying too much as moves the cricket bat and football out of the way to make room for the burgers, hot dogs, and doughnuts. And is the archery set a sensible purchase? It has ‘non-lethal’ emblazoned on the front, but even so.

Lost in thought, she pushes the trolley towards the till and bumps into another shopper waiting in line. “Oh my goodness, I’m so sor..” she begins, but the apology dies on her lips as the man turns round. It’s Colin. He feigns an exaggerated limp and bends down to rub his leg.

“You’re not following me, are you? There are laws against that you know,” he said, his blue eyes sparkling.

She squawks a denial and is ready to set him straight on a few things when Colin asks if all the stuff in the trolley is for her.

Glancing at the random selection of goods she chuckles and explains: “My great nephews are coming to visit for a month, and this is my attempt at bribing them into behaving!”

“Makes sense. You’d never keep your figure if you ate all those doughnuts!”

Susan feels her cheeks go warm and thinks about telling him he shouldn’t be looking at her like that. Not as his age. As she struggles to think of a cutting reply, she watches him pay and pick up his carrier bags.

“Well, if you need any help with the boys, let me know. My wife and I always wanted children, but we were never blessed unfortunately...” He falters and looks down at his polished shoes as he shuffles from foot to foot.

“Thank you, Colin. That’s most kind of you,” she said, not sure what else she should say. “I’ll let you know.”

Colin looks up and smiles before saluting a goodbye. She watches him through the large glass windows of the store as he strides across the car park and places his shopping in the boot of the car. She wonders if …

“Madam. Are you buying this stuff or not?” said the cashier drumming her fingers on the conveyor belt and popping her bubble gum.

Susan spins round and fixes the woman with a frosty stare as she slides her credit card into the machine and taps in the pin code. If she didn’t have ice cream melting in one of the bags, she’d have had a whole lot more to say.

Later that night, she sits in her garden enjoying a medicinal gin and tonic. This time tomorrow the boys will be here. She feels more anxious about having the twins stay for a month than she did putting on an alternative production of Romeo and Juliet using interpretative dance with her fifth year English class. She shakes her head. It’ll be fine. Nine-year-old boys just need routine and a little discipline. Rattling the ice cubes in the bottom of the glass, she drains the last of her gin before standing up and heading inside to bed.

*************************

Susan wakes to a string of texts from Gemma and her sister. She can tell by the sheer number of messages that they’re almost as worried about the impending visit as she is. “You can ring me night or day if there’s a problem,” Gemma had put on the last text and her sister had clogged up her inbox sending the same information about arrival times and platform numbers. Susan deletes the lot. She feels rather indignant about their lack of confidence in her.

She drives to the railway station in a fractious mood, grinding gears and blasting the horn, before abandoning her car in a staff only parking space. And don’t even think about clamping me, she mutters as she taps her foot waiting for the sliding doors to open. She wasted so much time exchanging irritable texts with her niece and sister that now she’s running late.

She charges past the ticketing counters and tries to push through the barrier to the platforms, but the metal arm refuses to budge. The guard finishes chatting with his colleague before he acknowledges her frantic waving and saunters over.

“Where’s your ticket missus?” he asks.

“I don’t need a ticket,” she said airily. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m only going onto the platform to collect my nephews.

“Then you need to buy a platform ticket. No ticket. No entry. Them’s the rules,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Them’s the rules?” said Susan icily. “What kind of English is that?”

The man’s smirk wavers as Susan leans in closer and peers at his name tag. “Carl Jones. Didn’t I teach you? 4C English?”

Carl gulps and massages the patchy stubble on his chin. “Yes, Miss Carter. That’s me. Tell you what, just this once, I’ll let you through. It’s no bother. No bother at all.”

Susan fixes him with a hard stare as Carl swipes his badge to let her through. She weaves though the crowded platform until she reaches the section where carriage E will stop. As she checks her watch, she sees train lights shining in the tunnel. Breathing out loudly, she’s relieved she’s made it just in time, especially as her sister had told to be at the station at least 15 minutes early. Thank goodness she isn’t here otherwise she’d be in line for another lecture.

As the train rattles past, she scans the carriage for the twins. No sign. Just as she starts to feel a little uneasy that she’s already lost the boys, they spill onto the platform accompanied by the conductor who’s carrying a suitcase under each arm.

Susan steps forward to meet them and is surprised yet again how different they are. Rafferty, resplendent in the Chelsea football strip, fizzes with energy and is jumping up and down trying to reach the signs hanging high above his head. Levi shuffles along behind him, tripping over his shoelaces, before he collapses on top of his luggage.

“You must be Susan Carter,” said the conductor. “Your sister said you’d be meeting them off the train in Ipswich. Right lads. I’m off to Norwich. Have a great holiday.” He ruffles Levi’s hair and hops back onto the train.

Susan watches the man disappear and feels quite alone. Being responsible for the twins feels quite overwhelming. What’s wrong with her? She used to take entire year groups to London on the Underground and didn’t worry like this. She gulps and takes a few deep breaths before turning round and saying brightly: “Okay boys. Let’s get you home and settled.”

***********************************

“What do you mean you haven’t got SKY Sports?” said Rafferty gasping. “How am I going to watch Chelsea’s summer training matches or the athletics? And England are playing Australia in the Ashes. This is literally the worst day of my life ever.”

He flops himself down onto the sofa next to Levi who’s playing a computer game on his iPad with loud explosions and irritating tinny music. “Sport’s rubbish,” he said, not moving his eyes from the screen.

Rafferty punches him arm: “You’re rubbish you mean.”

“Now look what you’ve made me do? I’ve just dropped the last pineapple that would have saved the princess from the werewolves….”

Susan looks at her watch as the boys continue squabbling. How do parents put up with this all the time? It’s only been an hour since she picked them up at the station and she’s exhausted. Checking the time again, she wonders if it’s acceptable to open a bottle of wine at four o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon.

“That’s enough!” she shouts above the din. Two wide-eyed faces whip round and stare at her. After she’d retired two years ago, she didn’t think she’d have cause to use her teacher’s voice again.

“Now, why don’t you both go upstairs and unpack your cases whilst I think about what we’re going to have for dinner,” she said, gripping the reclining chair for support.

The boys jump up and she listens to them thundering up the stairs and along the landing to their rooms at the back of the house.

Susan moves round and perches on the edge of the seat. She shuts her eyes and massages her temples. Almost one day down. Only another three weeks, six days, and five hours to go.

Pushing herself out of the chair, she heads into the kitchen in search of a corkscrew and a bottle of wine.

**********************************

Susan groans and rolls over in bed. Opening one eye just a fraction, she reaches for the alarm clock on her bedside table. It’s only a little after 7 o’clock but the sun is already blazing through the gap in the curtains.

She licks her lips which feel dry and cracked and her head is pounding. What on earth possessed her to finish the entire bottle of wine by herself? Especially when she’s supposed to be a responsible adult taking care of Raff and Levi.

Closing her eyes again her thoughts return to last night’s mealtime. The boys had exchanged horrified looks when she’d served them fish fingers, chips, and baked beans, which she thought all children liked.

“Fish fingers are for babies,” Levi informed her as he shoveled a forkful of chips into his mouth. “Mummy makes a really excellent seafood paella.”

“And I prefer sushi,” said Raff. “Or swordfish.”

“Well, I’ll try to be a little more adventurous from now on,” said Susan through gritted teeth as she’d topped up her wine glass.

And she’d topped up her glass again as she’d sat through Raff’s detailed run down of Chelsea’s best players and their chances of picking up any silverware. And then she’d had another little drop to help her focus on Levi’s running commentary about how to win more pineapples and infiltrate the werewolves’ lair. And then when she’d lifted the bottle again, she realized it was empty.

She’s still not sure how she managed to wash all the dishes without breaking anything or passing out. She’d felt very wobbly indeed.

Susan plumps the pillows and thinks she might go back to sleep for a little longer when a piercing screech shatters the silence. It takes her a moment to recognize the high-pitched shriek of the smoke detector.

Oh god, the boys, she thinks as she kicks off the duvet cover and rushes downstairs. She’s still tying her dressing gown cord as she enters the kitchen.

It takes her a moment to process the scene and she’s not one hundred percent sure if she’s still drunk. In the corner of the room, the toaster is on fire sending plumes of dark black smoke curling up towards the ceiling. There’s an overturned milk bottle leaking its contents over the work surface and onto the wooden floor. Peanut butter is everywhere. On the kitchen island, up the tiled walls and smeared across the fridge door. As she looks up, Susan notices a lone sock dangling from the pendant lights.

Over the incessant beeping of the smoke alarm, Rafferty shouts: “We made you a surprise breakfast to say thank you for having us.”

“That’s so lovely of you boys, thank you,” said Susan pulling on a pair of oven gloves and unplugging the toaster. Reaching into the pantry, she grabs the dry powder fire extinguisher and aims it in the direction of the flames.

She throws open the kitchen door to let out the smoke and the alarm eventually stops screeching. Averting her eyes from the disaster zone that is now her kitchen, she shepherds the boys towards the table so they can all eat breakfast together.

She puts the coffee cup to her lips and takes a sip. It’s stone cold. “It’s cold,” she says out loud to the boys.

“Yes, we had to use tap water as mummy says we are too young to boil a kettle,” said Raff.

But not too young to use a toaster and nearly burn down the house, thinks Susan.

As if reading her thoughts, Levi looks round the room and said: “I must say you’re very calm about everything Aunt Susan. When we made a mess in Granny’s kitchen, she went ape shi... Well, she was furious and threatened to sell us on Ebay.”

Susan laughs and wonders how she’s staying so calm. Maybe she isn’t hungover. Perhaps she really is still drunk.

As she flicks on the kettle to make herself a hot cup of coffee, she encourages the boys to go outside and play footy in the garden. Then she can start the massive clear-up operation.

She’s in the middle of wiping away the sticky handprints on the fridge when there’s a knock at the door. In the hallway she pauses to pick up a sock that matches the one decorating her kitchen light fixture and then opens the front door. It’s Colin immaculate in a blue blazer and tie. Self-consciously she tugs at her dressing gown and tightens the cord.

“Going anywhere nice?” asked Colin eyeing her nightwear and grinning. His smile wavers when he sees Susan’s face. “I just saw the boys playing football in the garden and I wondered if I could go and say hello and join in. Haven’t had a game in years and it looks like they’re having such fun.”

She steps aside to let him in, and he follows her through to the kitchen. Colin eyes widen as he takes in the blackened ceiling and the peanut butter caked on the walls.

“Nice décor,” he said, but noticing Susan’s clenched jaw, he swallows sharply and beats a hasty retreat into the garden.

Susan stretches her arms over her head and sighs. After an hour of disinfecting and scrubbing every worksurface in sight, the kitchen is finally clean. She’s just about to go and take a shower when she hears the tinkling of breaking glass. Whipping open the back door, the boys and Colin spin round looking shamefaced.

“I’m sorry. It was me,” said Colin, stammering. “I kicked the ball a bit too hard, and it went straight through the shed window. I can fix it though.”

“It was a great shot! You could play for Chelsea,” said Raff, laughing.

“Or a decent team,” said Levi, ducking out of the way of Raff’s arm.

Susan scowls at all three of them until they fall silent and look down at their feet.

“You two, inside now,” said Susan nodding at Raff and Levi and indicating the back door. The boys scamper past and disappear into the house.

Colin wilts under her gaze. “I’ll just go and get my tools and I promise it’ll be as good as new,” he said. He gives her a final sheepish smile before disappearing through the garden gate.

The man is exasperating. A total pest, mutters Susan as she kicks the back door shut behind her and heads upstairs for a shower.

**************************************

Susan is loading the boys into the car as Colin strolls through the garden gate whistling, Elvis runs along the top wall keeping watch beside him.

“All fixed!” he said, setting down his tool bag as he clicks the latch. He bends down and waves to the boys through the window. “Where are you guys headed off to?”

“Just to the supermarket. Apparently, I need to up my game when it comes to cooking,” said Susan tutting as she clambers into the front seat.

As she reverses down the driveway, she lowers the car window and calls out to Colin: “Thanks for fixing the shed,” she pauses and then, just as the window is almost shut, says: “I’m sorry I was a little crotchety earlier.”

Colin eyebrows shoot up and he opens and closes his mouth several times before giving her a thumbs up and waving as she drives off.

Susan watches him in her rearview mirror standing there with his arm raised until she turns the corner and joins a line of queuing traffic.

And it’s not just busy on the roads. The supermarket is jam packed too. Is there never a quiet time to go shopping? And why aren’t all these people at work, wonders Susan. But then she notices the store is full of people who look very similar to her; grey-haired, tired, and dragging screaming children behind them. Maybe she’s not the only one with a sister like Julie who bullies them into summer holiday child minding.

Before she has time to threaten the boys not to leave her side, they vanish in opposite directions. As Susan marches up and down the aisles searching for the twins, there’s a loud crash, followed by an ominous overhead announcement asking for security in the frozen food section. Please don’t let it be anything to do with the boys, she prays.

Trying to quash her sense of panic, she’s on the verge of texting Gemma and confessing to losing her children, when the tannoy crackles into life again.

“Paging a Miss Susan Carter. That’s a Miss Susan Carter. If you could make your way to the customer service desk where your nephews are waiting for you.”

The boys wave and lick their ice lollies as they see her approach the desk.

“There you are Aunt Susan!” said Levi. “Where did you disappear to?” “Yeah, we’ve been looking all over for you,” chimed in Raff.

Susan manages a weak smile and mouths ‘thank you’ to the security guard before narrowing her eyes at the twins and growling: “Let’s go.”

Sensing her rage, the boys trot along beside her and scramble into the car. As she stamps down on the gas pedal and screeches out of the supermarket car park, she realizes she didn’t even buy any food.

By the time she pulls into her driveway, she’s feeling a lot calmer. As she unclicks her seat belt, she turns and smiles at the twins, announcing they’ll have take-out pizza for dinner.

“Yes! I love pizza and mummy never lets us eat junk food,” said Raff punching his fist in the air.

“Hmm. Well don’t tell your mum how badly you’re eating,” said Susan. “And tomorrow, we’d better be extra healthy.”

As they’re sitting at the dinner table, an incoming facetime call flashes up on Levi’s iPad.

“Yay it’s mummy,” said Levi through a mouthful of pizza, as he swipes the screen to accept the call.

Susan leans across the table to slide the pizza box out of view but stops midway when she realizes that both boys have a slice of pizza in their hands as they wave at their mum. Just as well she’s not drinking wine tonight.

She hears Gemma ask the boys if they’re behaving themselves and chuckles as Raff explains they’re doing their best.

“We did lose Aunt Susan in the supermarket though and she was pretty mad,” said Levi. “She drove home almost as fast as you mummy and when this car cut her up, she rolled down the window and yelled at the driver that he was a stupid bloo…”

Susan screeches and snatches the iPad out of Levi’s hand: “Hi Gemma. Everything ok with you? How’s the ankle?”

“Pretty painful actually and I’m so frustrated I can’t move around or do anything.”

“Good, good. Glad you’re on the mend,” said Susan, looking over the top of the screen as Raff spills garlic sauce onto the floor and smears it into the wooden boards with his sock. “I hope you’re getting plenty of rest and keeping my sister busy.”

“She’s rearranged all my kitchen cupboards and thrown out my soya milk and tofu. She’s completely doing my head in…”

“Excellent. That’s great. I’m glad you’re getting to spend time together. Right, well I’ll let you go as you probably have loads of things to do.” Susan turns the iPad round again to face the twins. “Okay boys, do you want to say goodbye to your mum?”

Raff and Levi wave and pull faces before Susan cuts the connection: “Isn’t technology amazing? It’s so easy to keep in touch these days, isn’t it?”

The boys are silent, and Raff squashes the leftover pizza crust with his fork. "You can’t always keep in touch with people,” he said in little more than a whisper.

“What do you mean,” said Susan, confused at the sudden change in mood.

“When daddy is away with the regiment, we can’t speak to him very often. Sometimes it’s weeks and weeks.”

“And we didn’t even hear from him on our birthdays this year,” said Levi, his bottom lip wobbling.

“Oh.” Susan stares down at her hands and fiddles with her watch. She isn’t sure what to say. When she looks back up, she’s surprised to see that Raff is crying. He squeezes his eyes shut as huge tears roll down his cheeks.

Levi takes one look at his brother and starts sobbing too. Hiding his face in his hands, he slumps over the table.

“Daddy says we have to be strong and look after mummy whilst he’s away and we do try,” said Raff gulping back tears. “But mummy gets upset when we talk about missing him, so we talk to each other in our room after she’s gone to bed.”

Susan feels her eyes prickle and she swallows the lump in her throat. She pushes her chair back and stands behind the boys, pulling them into a hug.

“I can’t imagine how hard it must be when your daddy is away, but I do know your mummy would be even more upset if she knew how sad you’d both been feeling. It’s perfectly ok to miss people we love,” said Susan. “Shall we ring your mum back and talk to her?”

“Maybe later,” said Levi sniffing and wiping his nose on her skirt. “Do you know what might make us feel a little better right now though?”

Susan shakes her head.

“Maybe three scoops of that chocolate chip ice cream with extra sprinkles and perhaps a chocolate flake as well.”

“Yes,” agreed Raff nodding his head up and down. “And maybe we could watch a Harry Potter film?”

Susan laughs and gives them a final hug: “Ok boys. You win! Ice cream and Harry Potter it is. And let’s do something nice tomorrow too.”

***************

“I thought you said we were going to do something cool today?” said Raff. He scuffs his shoes on the pavement, kicking stones into the road.

Levi takes another couple of steps before resting on a brick wall at the end of someone’s garden. “I’d almost prefer to be at school,” he whines.

Susan breathes out slowly and tries to remember how upset the boys had been last night. “I thought you’d enjoy seeing all the boats on the waterfront. And we only went to Portman Road, Raff, because I thought you’d like to check out where Ipswich play football.”

“Ipswich are not Chelsea Aunt Susan,” he said sighing. “Can’t we get a taxi back? I’m bored with walking.”

“I’m so tired. I really don’t think I can go another step,” said Levi as he slides off the wall and lies across the pavement.

“Levi, get up! It’s filthy down there,” snaps Susan. “It’s just a couple of miles and then we’ll be home. Come on, let’s get going.”

She sets off at a brisk pace with the twins trudging behind her. Every few meters, she turns round to check they are still there and haven’t bolted like they did in the supermarket.

“It’s beginning to rain. I felt a drop,” said Raff.

Susan ignores him and grabs hold of both boys as they cross the busy intersection at the back of the college.

“The rain’s getting heavier,” said Levi. “And my trainers are getting wet, and this is my best pair and…”

Susan whirls round ready to shout at the pair of them when a car glides up next to them. The window rolls down and Colin leans across from the driver’s seat. Over the noise of the traffic, he shouts: “Can I offer you a lift?”

Before she has chance to reply, Raff snatches open the back door, and the boys hop inside. Susan settles into the front and clicks in her seat belt. “Thank you, Colin. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see you,” she said.

Colin laughs and eases his Volvo back onto the one-way system: “So what have you guys been up to? Have you had a good day?”

“No!” chorus the boys.

“Aunt Susan’s made us walk for hours and hours,” said Levi. “I don’t think I’ll ever recover.”

Susan leans back and closes her eyes. She rubs the bridge of her nose and wonders how she managed to survive 40 years in the classroom. She’s pretty sure she’s not going to make it through the rest of the afternoon with the twins let alone the remainder of the holiday.

“Tell you what,” said Colin, pulling up at a zebra crossing and twisting round in his seat. “Why don’t you boys come round to mine when we get back. We can play footy if it stops raining or we can watch a film?”

“That sounds brilliant! Yes please!” said Raff.

“Can we just watch TV? I’m sick of walking and football,” said Levi.

Susan opens her eyes again as they pull into Colin’s drive. She watches the boys jump out and sprint to his front door. They bounce up and down as they wait for him. As she unbuckles her seat, she turns to thank Colin and says: “Why don’t you come to ours for dinner this evening? I’m sure you’ll be too tired to cook after Raff and Levi have run you ragged?”

“I’d really like that, thank you. I’m hoping my 20 years in the army will prepare me for an afternoon with the boys!”

****************

The twins crash through the door as Susan pulls the lasagna out of the oven and sets it onto the counter.

“That smells delicious Aunt Susan,” said Levi poised to stick his finger into the bubbling cheese on top.

“Don’t touch! It’s hot!” said Susan shooing him towards the dining room table. “Grab a seat everyone and I’ll bring the plates over.”

Colin produces a bottle of red wine from behind his back: “Have you got a corkscrew handy? I don’t know about you, but I think we both deserve a glass or two.”

Susan laughs as she catches Colin’s eye. She’d tried to warn him that 20 years of fighting in war zones would be easier than supervising the twins.

“We had great time at Colin’s,” said Levi between mouthfuls of lasagna. “He let us try on his old uniforms and night vision goggles. And he showed us all his medals.”

“And he’s even got a picture of him with the Queen,” chipped in Raff.

Susan turns to stare at Colin, but he shrugs his shoulders and carries on eating: “Falklands War. Long time ago. This lasagna is excellent by the way. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

She’s about to press him for more information when Levi taps her elbow and says Colin had also taught them some French words.

Colin looks up sharply and shakes his head: “I don’t think we need to bother repeating any of that stuff lads.”

“FERME TA BOUCHE!” shouts Raff waving his arms around almost knocking over the bottle of wine. “It means…”

“I know what it means,” said Susan glaring at Colin who is fascinated by a button on his jacket and avoids her gaze.

“It means shut your mouth,” said Levi cackling and slapping the table making the wine bottle wobble.

Susan looks at each of them until they fall silent and stare down at their plates. Colin flashes her a crooked smile as he steadies the bottle and tops up her wine. She takes a sip and looks at him over the rim of the glass. The man is simply maddening.

Colin clears his throat. “Maybe if I promise not to teach you any more French, then your Aunt Susan will let me take you to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford one day? They’ve got some amazing displays.”

“Yes! When can we go?” said Raff.

“I’ll do anything that doesn’t involve walking,” said Levi. “Will they have tanks there like daddy drives?”

“They’ve got tanks and airplanes and all kinds of things,” said Colin grinning and bouncing in his chair. “I haven’t been in years so it would be great to go again.”

Susan loads the plates into the dishwasher as she listens to them plan out the trip and list all the things that they want to see. Leaning against the counter, she smiles and says: “Why don’t I make a picnic with sausage rolls and lemon cake and then we can spend the whole day there?”

Colin beams as Raff announces it’s going to be the best day ever.

*******************

Stretched out in her recliner, Susan sips her tea and can’t believe the boys are headed home tomorrow. She’s surprised at how easy the last few weeks have been since Colin started spending time with the twins. His infectious laugh seemed to diffuse the trickiest of situations and he just seemed to know when it would be a good time to drag Raff and Levi out on an adventure. The boys adored him.

Yes, the house is going to be rather quiet without them. Not that she isn’t looking forward to having a rest, but it does make her think about what her life might have been like if she’d married and had children. She places her empty cup on window ledge and notices a smeared handprint on the pane of glass. Yes, she’s almost at the point where she can look back fondly on their visit. Almost.

But today’s been perfect. When Colin and the boys discovered it was her birthday, they’d planned a walk along the beach in Aldeburgh. Even Levi hadn’t complained too much. They’d enjoyed ice cream on the promenade and finished their trip eating fish and chips with lashings of salt and vinegar. Now the three of them are next door baking her a birthday cake. They’ve been gone for a disconcerting length of time thinks Susan, checking her watch and struggling to keep her eyes open. There’s something about sea air that always makes her sleepy.

Her eyes are getting heavier and she’s fighting to stay awake, when the kitchen door clatters open, and she hears Raff telling them to be quiet or they’ll ruin the surprise. Easing herself out of the chair, she pads through to the kitchen where Colin is lighting the candles on the cake.

“We didn’t dare use all 68 candles Aunt Susan, otherwise we’d need to call out the fire brigade,” said Levi doubled up laughing.

“Happy birthday Aunt Susan,” said Raff. “You have to make a wish.”

Pulling her hair back out of the way of the flames, she leans forward and blows out all the candles in one go. Colin cheers and the boys give her a hug.

“I can manage a large slice of cake,” said Levi licking his lips.

“Really? After all that ice cream and the fish and chips?” said Susan. “You must have hollow legs Levi.”

As they sit round the table eating the chocolate cake, Raff asks her what she’d wished for when she blew out the candles.

“She can’t tell you otherwise it won’t come true,” said Levi, pulling a face at his brother. “Everyone knows that.”

“Perhaps you should wish for a man Aunt Susan,” said Raff. “Granny says you never got married because you were way too picky.”

Levi shakes his head: “No, that’s not the reason. Mummy says it’s because you never found Mr. Right.”

Susan blushes as she catches Colin’s waggling his eyebrows at her and winking. It’s not often she’s lost for words, but she can’t think of a thing to say. Really, the man is quite…. quite…

"Levi Harris, put that knife down! You are not having another piece of cake,” barks Susan. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

Levi rolls his eyes and places the knife back on the table: “I’m definitely having some for breakfast before we get on the train.”

“We’ll see,” said Susan walking over to the counter and switching on the kettle. “Right, who wants a cup of tea before bed?”

“Not for me,” said Colin, standing up and heading for the door. “I think I’m going to get an early night. I’m absolutely shattered.”

The boys jump up from the table and wrap themselves round Colin’s waist. “We’ll come and say goodbye before we go home.”

“Goodnight, everyone. Sleep well and see you in the morning,” said Colin as he pulls the back door closed.

**********************

Susan strokes Raff’s hair as he sleeps in the plastic chair next to her. Levi is passed out on the floor, his head resting on her feet. She looks up at the clock in the waiting room and wonders how Colin is. It’s been 23 minutes since the nurse called his name and escorted him back through the double doors.

She really hopes he’s going to be okay. He’d looked incredibly pale, and he couldn’t stop shaking. She’s relieved the paramedics had insisted his burned hands should be treated at the hospital.

She dreads to think what would have happened if Colin hadn’t spotted the flames in her kitchen and called the fire brigade. And she still can’t believe he ignored the 999 operator’s strict instructions to wait outside.

What a night.

Susan rubs her forehead. She feels quite sick when she thinks about what could have happened. At first, she thought she’d been dreaming when she heard the smoke alarm, but when the awful beeping didn’t stop, she was fully expecting to find the twin’s preparing a disastrous midnight feast. Instead, as she peered into the kitchen, she saw two firefighters dragging a hose in through her back door. Colin was outside on the back lawn being treated by the ambulance crew.

A fireman had brought the boys downstairs still wrapped in their duvets and they’d watched from a safe distance as her kitchen was reduced to a soggy, sizzling mess.

“Fire’s out now love,” said the fireman, taking off his helmet and wiping his brow. “You might not be cooking in there for a while though. Good job your neighbor spotted the flames when he did. Those electrical fires can be fatal.”

Susan turns pale. She’d never have forgiven herself if anything had happened to the boys. Or Colin.

She looks at the clock again and wonders if she should ask the receptionist if she can check how Colin’s doing. She’s just about to nudge Levi off her feet when Colin steps through the doors. His hands are bandaged but the color is back in his cheeks. He smiles as he takes the seat next to her.

“Well, the doctor says I won’t be entering any boxing matches for a while, but I’ll be fine. Just got to wait for the pharmacy to get my painkillers and bandages and then I can go home,” said Colin.

“I’m so glad you’re going to be okay,” said Susan. “I don’t think I can ever say thank you enough. What on earth were you doing up at that time anyway?”

“I was worried about Elvis as he hadn’t come in and I went out into the garden to look for him. He was sitting up on the wall by your house. That’s when I saw the orange glow in the kitchen.”

“Thank goodness you did. I can’t believe the boys and I managed to sleep through the smoke alarm,” said Susan, shuddering. “I don’t want to think about what might have happened…” She shifts in her seat and stifles a yawn.

“You don’t have to wait. I can easily get a taxi. I appreciate you giving me a lift here, but you and the boys should be at home. Besides, I’m sure you’ve seen way too much of me over the last few weeks.”

Susan opens her mouth to argue, but Colin holds up his hand: “It’s okay. I know I can be annoying. I try not to be, but it’s 11 years since my wife died and I get so lonely. It seems the harder I try to make friends, the more irritating I become.”

“Nonsense!” said Susan, surprising herself and putting her hand on his knee. “I don’t think you’re annoying at all.”

Colin smiles and puts his bandaged hand over the top of hers. Susan feels her cheeks redden. Really, the man is… well, the man is… rather lovely, she is surprised to find herself thinking.

“I don’t suppose you’d have dinner with me tomorrow night, after the twins have gone home?” said Colin. “We could try the new Italian place down the road.”

“Yes, I’d love to,” said Susan shyly looking down at their hands, still entwined on his knee.

They drive home in companiable silence. The boys snore loudly from the back seat before sleepwalking to their rooms. Susan lies in her own bed. She doubts she’ll be able to get any rest after such a traumatic night. But as she plumps the pillow and tucks the duvet under her chin, her eyes close and she’s sound asleep.

*****************

Susan sits on the couch flicking through kitchen design brochures. The house seems quiet and empty without the boys. She can’t believe she cried when she waved them off at the station. Raff had pulled down the train window and yelled that their mum had agreed to them coming back to stay with her during October half-term. And the entire carriage had looked up and stared when Levi had pushed his brother out of the way and yelled: “No more getting drunk and setting your house on fire Aunt Susan.”

She smiles. She’s really looking forward to them coming back, but it still seems like it’s ages away. At least she has her “date” with Colin to look forward to later. She blushes when she thinks about him. She hopes he really is going to be her Mr. Right.

Yes, life is certainly looking up. Susan leans over to plump the cushion in the corner of the sofa. She recoils as her hand touches something sticky. Gingerly she reaches down and pulls out a half-eaten slice of chocolate cake. Levi! Yes, it’s quite a long time before she’s going to see the boys again, but perhaps not quite long enough she laughs.