Page 41 of The Winter We Met
‘My concern might seem strange – given the circumstances, why should she – but Gran’s a trooper. She always bounces back. I’d say that was one of her strongest characteristics.’
‘Perhaps she just needs more time. Even in my thirties I find the things I’d brush off in my twenties hang around longer.’
‘Like what?’
‘If I feel I’ve failed over something at work. Or…’ He shrugged. ‘A romantic break-up. I just need longer to digest what’s happened. Maybe, now, Alice is the same.’
Feeling a release of tension, I raised my glass. Nik picked his up and took a mouthful.
‘Anyway, my research day – I found a quirky shop that sells nothing but traditional toys, so I felt quite at home there with the wooden items, magic tricks and board games. But the fact that I felt so comfortable made me realise that for the big sales, to really keep Junior Magic current, I – the family – have got to leave our comfort zone. It’s time to attract the more prevalent, modern type of buyer, whilst still staying true to our principles of quality and child developmental value.’ He shrugged. ‘It was the same at Pollock’s toy museum. I didn’t want to leave. The old artefacts and toys I’d grown up with gave me a lovely feeling of nostalgia and familiarity.’
‘Did you see the Ancient Egyptian clay mouse from around 2000 BC?’
‘Sure! With its moving mouth and tail…’
‘Keeping the old and bringing in the new… it’s a fine balance and one we tread carefully at Under the Tree. Angela is always studying the latest studies on child development.’ In fact, she’d started to pass her magazines onto me. The articles were fascinating and more than once I’d stayed up late reading. ‘She sees it as her responsibility to offer parents toys that whilst fun, give their kids the best start in life. Apparently neither traditional nor electronic toys can compete with books in terms of teaching very young children language – that’s why we have a reading area as well.’
‘There are studies that prove the old-fashioned toys – blocks, balls, crayons, action figures, puzzles – are crucial as they foster interaction between the child and caregiver, in a way that electronics don’t,’ said Nik. ‘Also creativity is paramount. Take how themed Lego kits are now widely available – they often come in packs with instructions on how to build something specific. And those kits have their place but, creatively, it’s really important children also play with just random piles of the stuff and build something out of their imagination. That way they puzzle-solve on their own.’
‘Hmm, and electronics can be good for, say, developing maths, but for interpersonal skills, for creativity, you can’t beat the old ways.’
‘That’s why I’m thinking the way to modernise our manufacturing business might be to still produce traditional toys but give them a modern twist, perhaps focusing on wildlife and conservation – and to also spend more time developing touchscreen toys. I accept it’s really important that children get used to navigating technology. So we’ll see.’ He smiled. ‘If nothing else, this trip is certainly making me think. And I’m really looking forward to my trip to Birmingham tomorrow. I believe the biggest Christmas markets in the UK are there and have opened. I’m keen to look at the toy stalls.’
‘Oliver used to live there, yet he hasn’t got much of a Brummie accent.’
‘Have you known him long?’ asked Nik, staring intently at me.
‘Four years – around the time Gran moved into Willow Court. He was brilliant from the off, helping me move her stuff – calming her down. Him being here helped me adjust to no longer living with her.’
‘How did you meet?’
‘Long story. I was half-naked in the snow.’
‘I knew you Brits didn’t get much of a summer, but having to resort to sunbathing in winter?’
‘It was Seb’s fault – one of his latest fitness trends… outdoor swimming. He was taking part in a charity event at one of the capital’s lidos – a challenging winter one. Somehow I let him persuade me to join in. It was an arctic day, large snowflakes outside. A Sunday, late afternoon, I’d only just got back from work. Seb rang me excitedly and said it was the perfect opportunity for me to get used to exercising in the cold. He ordered me outside to do star jumps and run on the spot. You’ve seen this road – normally it’s quiet. So I headed outside in my dressing gown and when the road was clear, let it drop and jumped up and down in my swimming costume. I took my phone so that he could watch me. We couldn’t stop laughing.’ I gave a sheepish grin. ‘I was only twenty-five and clinging to the last moments of officially being a young person, and Seb is a difficult person to say no to.’
Nik snorted and took another sip of the Tiojito.
‘Out of nowhere Oliver appeared. The snow had started halfway through his jog but he was still sensibly dressed in jogging trousers and a fleece and…’ Something about him had caught my attention and I’d moved out of the way without looking properly and slipped on the snow. He’d insisted on helping me inside and…
‘The rest is history?’ he said.
I got up to check the vegetables. What was I doing, going on about Oliver? But as I took the lid off the steamer, I went back to that night. Oliver had been such a gent.
‘It looks as if that ankle’s twisted,’ he’d said. ‘Do you live nearby?’
I’d jerked my head towards the building on my left.
‘Which floor do you live on?’
‘The second,’ I’d said and winced.
‘Can I help you upstairs? I mean only if you’d like.’ He’d held back, a flicker of amusement in his hazel eyes. I’d nodded and he’d picked up my dressing gown and helped me into it first, tightly tying it around my waist whilst I had held onto his arm…
‘Let’s eat,’ I said now and Nik came over to the breakfast table. I put down our plates. Like a Bisto kid he breathed in the gravy smells wafting up from the cottage pie. We looked across the breakfast bar at each other, the candle’s flame dancing seductively in between us. He ate with gusto and then polished off the rhubarb crumble and custard. It was ten o’clock by the time we’d finished our coffee and collapsed back onto the sofa, me glowing from his compliments.
‘I love your place,’ he said, hands behind his head. ‘Must be useful having a flatmate – someone to share the DIY and housework with?’
