Page 37 of Second Act at Appleton Green
‘Busy, busy, you know, rushing about, all of the things that need to be done.’ She laughed. ‘How are you?’
‘Great, about to visit a patient, but do you want to do dinner tonight? I can pick you up around seven?’
Lily paused. ‘Can we make it earlier? I don’t want Gran to be alone too late. I came home the other night and she had sat up for me and fallen asleep in her chair and was a bit rickety the next morning.’
‘Of course, actually, why don’t I bring dinner over? I can pick it up on the way to you and the three of us can have something to eat. It might be nice for her to have a change in cuisine. That’s if she likes Indian food? I can bring her anything to be honest. Whatever the queen desires.’
Lily smiled. ‘She’s fine with a little butter chicken and rice. She eats like a bird so don’t bring too much.’
‘Okay, I’ll come over at six with the food. How’s that?’
‘That’s perfect, and thank you for being so understanding,’ she said.
‘It’s not a big deal. I’m looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘Got to run, got to check on a broken arm.’
‘Bye,’ she said with a smile as she put down the phone.
Not long after, Gran was downstairs and at her seat, buttering a crumpet.
‘So what’s news this morning?’ she asked Lily, who was already on her second crumpet.
‘Well Nick is coming for dinner,’ she said cheerfully.
‘Is he? How nice. What will we make?’ Gran asked, looking pleased at the news.
‘Well, he’s bringing Indian takeaway, if that’s okay? A bit of a treat for us all.’
Gran nodded. ‘That sounds lovely. What a nice thing to look forward to. He is turning into a lovely friend, isn’t he?’ She gave Lily a knowing look, and she laughed in return.
‘Don’t get any ideas – it’s not like that. I’m only here for the summer,’ she said and she crinkled her nose at her grandmother.
Gran laughed. ‘You really are a terrible liar,’ she said. ‘And besides, summers turn into autumns that turn into winters and then into springs. Don’t say no to the possibility for love. It doesn’t come around often,’ Gran said. ‘I thought your grandfather was just a friend to go to a dance with and we ended up dancing for many years after.’ She paused, thinking. ‘I wish it had been more years though. I didn’t realise it would be so short in the scheme of my life.’
Lily reached over and took Gran’s hand. ‘It’s very unfair for you. I wish I had met him.’
Gran nodded, a glaze of tears in her old eyes. ‘He would have loved you, Lily,’ she said and then she shook her head, as though shaking away the memories. ‘Oh well, enough about that. What else is news?’ Gran brushed her hand off and with it her mood.
Lily met her grandmother’s change of topic with her own. ‘I was thinking I should fix up the garden.’
Gran took another bite of her crumpet and chewed slowly with her eyebrows raised quizzically at Lily.
‘What? I thought I could weed it all and plant some vegetables and some tomatoes, maybe pick some apples?’
Gran swallowed and took a sip of tea. ‘Why?’ she asked.
‘Why what?’ Lily was confused.
‘Why do you want to plant the garden up?’ Gran asked again.
‘I just thought it would be nice,’ Lily said, feeling a little less sure of her decision now.
‘Having a cup of tea is nice. Building a garden is work.’
‘I know. I’m not afraid of work.’ Lily frowned as she spoke.
‘I know, but you won’t be here to harvest it,’ said Gran. ‘And I can’t be out there. That’s why it’s in the state it’s in.’ Gran’s tone was matter-of-fact, dismissive perhaps; Lily wasn’t sure.
Lily was silent. ‘I suppose,’ she said.
