Page 19 of Autumn in Sycamore Park
‘Thanks for the help,’ Tom said, then gave Jennifer a smile which made the inklings of anger she had been feeling blink out. ‘All in a day’s work, eh?’
10
Seeking Help
Tom’s maintenance shed,which was tucked among trees just south of the theatre on the west side of the park, seemed surprisingly large, and rather more homely than Jennifer had expected. One half was filled with tools and other equipment, but the front half had a couple of sofas around a small TV, a toilet, and a sink with running water.
While Jennifer washed her foot and rinsed her sock and trainer as best she could, Tom made tea and pulled a tin of biscuits out of a ramshackle, leaning cupboard. Francis had been transferred to a pet carry case, and Bonky, now that the bird was unavailable for chasing, had taken up residence on one of the old, slumped sofas.
‘I’ll get him off to the vet in the morning,’ Tom said. ‘He’s been wandering around like that for a couple of days. Probably had a run in with a cat, or maybe even a kid on a bike. There are a few that come through the park that don’t have much respect.’
‘Will he be able to fly again?’
Tom smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I have a mate who’s a vet. He’ll sort him out. Francis will probably have to be kept locked up for a couple of weeks until his wing heals, but he’ll be out chasing the girls again soon. It depends how serious it is, but I’ve seen a few like that, and it’s probably an easy fix.’
‘Do you name all the ducks?’ Jennifer said, squeezing out her sock and hanging it on a dryer in front of a heater, alongside her shoe.
Tom winked. ‘Of course.’
‘I went to school with a girl called Francis Drake,’ Jennifer said. ‘She was a couple of years below me but I saw her around. I think Francis was her middle name, but some of the boys used to bully her about it.’
‘Boys will be boys. There was a shop in my home town called Reynolds DIY, so for a while at school I was “Market Garden”, for some random reason.’ He grinned again. ‘Until I grew big enough that no one would dare say it to my face anymore.’
Jennifer remembered the feel of Tom’s shoulder muscles through his sweater when she had leaned on him, and gave a shy smile.
‘I can imagine,’ she said.
‘Sorry again about not warning you about that wet patch. After the rain the other day, the pond level’s a bit up from usual.’
‘It’s okay. It was … fun to help.’
‘So what brought you to Brentwell? I heard from Angela that you’ve only been here a couple of weeks, and that you’re working in the local primary.’
Jennifer wondered how much Angela might have said, although she’d not told her new friend any of the details. She wanted to keep it to herself, but Tom had a disarming look about him which made her feel like she could trust him. She sighed and shook her head.
‘It’s kind of complicated.’
‘Oh.’
She wanted to tell him about Mark, but at the same time she was worried about what he might think. After all, even her mother failed to understand Jennifer’s point of view. In the end, all she said was, ‘I needed a change of scenery. Life was getting kind of … smothering.’
Tom gave a thoughtful nod. ‘It can feel like that sometimes.’ He spread his arms and smiled. ‘Even for me.’
‘And all you do is rake up leaves,’ Jennifer said. She meant it as a joke, but from the change in Tom’s eyes she suspected it had been taken the wrong way. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—’
‘And catch ducks,’ Tom said. ‘Don’t forget that.’
Jennifer patted her knees and stood up. ‘I’d better get back,’ she said. ‘It’s a long way in wet shoes.’
‘Are you sure? If you wait half an hour—’
Jennifer shook her head, suddenly needing to leave. ‘No, it’s okay.’
‘I can lend you some boots—’
‘I have to get back. It’s getting late.’
‘Do you want me to walk you to the end of the park? It’s getting dark out there now.’
