Page 8 of All You Need is Greece

Doll and Michael have stayed at the rescue today, feeding the donkeys and replenishing the food as well as cleaning the kennels. We have a rota, so tomorrow they will walk the dogs and we will do the cleaning, although we all muck in as and when required. Doll is working with Lars, and he is laughing at something she has said.

Hannah and I are contemplating a swim, which horrifies Judith, who doesn’t think it’s warm enough, but it definitely is, at twenty-one degrees. After swimming side by side, we are sitting on the sunloungers, sipping a drink.

‘You’re a really good swimmer,’ I comment. Hannah looks as cool as a cucumber, whereas my cheeks are burning and I feel like I’ve had a real workout just trying to keep up with her.

‘I enjoy it. I used to swim for the county,’ she tells me as she sips her drink.

‘You did? Wow, that’s amazing. No wonder I couldn’t keep up with you.’

‘My swimming teacher actually told me I might make the Olympics one day,’ she says casually. ‘But I’m not sure I really had the fire or the discipline, and that’s what you need, isn’t it?’

‘I suppose it is. Plus, I imagine it’s a gruelling schedule. I don’t suppose you could get up at the crack of dawn and all that stuff unless you were really passionate about it. Especially in the winter.’ I give a little shiver at the thought.

‘Exactly. Besides, I think my dad wanted it more than I did, fulfilling his own dreams through me. He was a good swimmer, but he never quite made it. I’m not sure he’s quite forgiven me for giving up,’ she says, and I think of all of those parents who try and live their own unfulfilled ambitions through their children.

‘Well, we have to do what makes us happy. And books obviously do it for you.’

Her eyes light up at the mention of books.

‘Oh, definitely. I do still enjoy swimming, but books are definitely my passion. I just love being surrounded by them in the library. I get super excited when new ones arrive.’

I’m not sure I’ve found my passion in life. It definitely wasn’t my lifetime ambition to work in a supermarket, but as I’m the manager it pays quite well. And I do love meeting the customers. It was my first job after leaving an ill-fated college course in hairdressing, which I was completely unsuited to. I soon settled into the high street store in my local town, the only problem initially being that my mum thought I could give her freebies, notably alcohol. She would often appear inside, intoxicated, and would start shouting at me when I asked her to leave empty-handed. Thankfully, the manager at the time was super understanding. They dealt with everything tactfully, even sending me on a short break when I was upset, burning with shame and embarrassment. Eventually she stopped coming into the shop and moved out of the area. I’m not exactly sure where to – I only hear from her when she wants some money. Even that is less frequently these days, which probably means she has hooked up with yet another bloke.

‘Maybe I ought to persevere one day, and actually read a whole book.’ I smile. ‘Although I do learn rather a lot from reading magazines. For example, did you know that cows kill more people than sharks,’ I tell her.

‘Are you sure you haven’t made that one up?’ Hannah looks at me doubtfully.

‘It’s hard to believe, but it’s actually true. Sharks kill around five humans a year, whereas cows kill around twenty-two people per year. Another little fact I gleaned from readingNational Geographicmagazine on my lunch break in the shop. It’s where I learned about the male seahorses carrying the babies.’

‘How fascinating. I’ve always been a bit wary of cows when out walking in the countryside. It’s the way they stare at you,’ she says. ‘And maybe you just need the right book. Schoolbooks can put people off for life when you have to study them. It’s different and nice to just read for pleasure.’

‘If you say so,’ I reply. We chat for a little longer, but I can see Hannah itching to dive back into her book, so I plug my headphones into my phone and listen to some of my favourite music. As I settle into the sunlounger, I reflect on how nice it is to get to know someone so different.

SIX

‘Have you seen Lars?’

It’s the following morning, and Judith is looking for her fiancé, who seems to have disappeared without a word.

‘Last time I saw him, he was cleaning out the donkey stalls with Doll,’ says Michael as he winds a green hose up and hangs it near the outdoor tap. ‘Come to think of it, Doll has disappeared too,’ he says, glancing around.

‘She’s in the kitchen,’ I tell Michael. ‘Or at least she was a few minutes ago.’

Judith looks a little bemused, saying that it’s unlike Lars to go off without telling anyone, but at that moment he appears behind her.

‘Oh, there you are.’ Judith’s face breaks into a smile as she turns to see him emerge from the donkey area. ‘I was looking for you! Can you help me with something on the computer?’

‘Coming.’ He smiles. Once he’s followed Judith inside, Doll also appears from the donkey stalls.

‘I think those animals are my favourites. Especially that poor old Freddie with the damaged leg. I’ve taken to giving him a bit of fruit from the breakfast table.’ She smiles. ‘They love pears, don’t they?’ She winks. ‘As well as carrots. It must get really boring eating straw all day.’

‘Maybe to us, but don’t forget it’s their staple diet,’ Hannah reminds her.

‘I know, but a little bit of crunch must be nice for them. Every now and then.’

With the morning’s work done, Judith gathers us together and tells us it’s coming time to do some fundraising down at the harbour.

‘It is something we do once a month and is vital to keep some money in the coffers to keep the rescue going,’ she explains.

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