Pepper River Boat Hut (Pepper Bay #15)

6

Olive

The Christmas tree in Olive’s hotel suite did bring cheer, just not to her. What she thought would be something simple to occupy her mind for a while turned out to be something that reminded her how alone she was.

With no family or friends, she would spend Christmas by herself for the first time ever, and the thought destroyed her that little bit more. She should be in New York, not trapped in some backstreet hotel with a view of a small park. It was so unfair and all Emilio’s fault for taking her there. She should have put her foot down. Demanded he let her live with him. She practically stayed at his anyway.

She glanced at the bed. Empty and dishevelled, just like her. The four-poster Emilio had was once such a safe place. Or was it?

Olive frowned as she approached the balcony door. There wasn’t one time where she’d slept in his bed and not had sex with him. It hadn’t dawned on her till now. They’d shared a physical relationship and little else.

She needed some air, and the veranda wasn’t going to do the job.

Olive put her sandwich in the empty mini fridge and left the hotel to go for a walk. To where, she didn’t know. She just had to get out of the suite.

The grey sky looked bleak, and an icy chill whipped up, but Olive cared little for what was going on around her. The noise of people and traffic failed to gain her attention, so the weather was hardly noticeable.

She stayed out for as long as possible, not wanting to return to all that was left of her life. It was getting dark and growing colder, but why should she care about freezing to death? No one would even notice if she died.

The Thames looked uninviting. No tropical waters for her to dip her toe. She hadn’t even realised she’d walked to the river until she noticed a bridge.

Soft singing floated her way, causing her to lean over to see who was down below.

A blue tent was what she noticed first and some sort of plastic covering close to the opening, then she saw the middle-aged man sitting out front, stirring something in a pot on a portable stove. Whatever he was cooking for his dinner, made her tummy rumble.

‘Oh, hello,’ he said, peering up.

Olive raised a hand, feeling a tad embarrassed for getting caught staring.

‘Have you had a good day, miss?’

She looked at the Santa hat he wore before meeting his warm eyes. ‘I’ve had better.’

He gestured to the foldaway chair to his side. ‘I have many guests. They sit here. They talk.’ He waved her down the stairs. ‘Come. Sit. Talk.’

Any other time, Olive wouldn’t have noticed him, let alone sit and talk to the man, but after everything that had happened to her, she figured no more harm could come her way. Besides, they were out in the open, the noise of the traffic above them, and people plodding up and down the stairs to the side of his home.

‘Do you live here?’ she asked, coming around to the black chair.

He raised two fingers, and she noticed he only had half a thumb on that hand. ‘For two years now.’

The tent was open, revealing neatly piled items in plastic bags beneath a makeshift bed on a plank of wood. A wicker love heart was hanging on the inside of the flap, and a string of pastel wooden butterflies were hanging close by.

Olive sat on the hard chair, then got back up when he offered a cushion for the seat. She sat back down, watching him lean over his small table to check on his food.

‘Everybody calls me Gio. What do they call you?’

The thought made her almost laugh. She could only imagine the names she was being called behind her back by her old circle.

‘Liv.’

Gio splayed a hand out to the murky water. ‘It’s nice, eh, Liv?’

She stretched her neck to peer forward at the river. ‘Can’t beat a waterside view.’

‘That’s why I came here.’

‘Alright, Gio,’ said a young man, trotting down the steps. He leaned over and handed over a bottle of water. ‘Have a good night, mate.’

‘Ooh, thank you, Sean. You too.’

Olive watched the young man stroll off, his dark coat flapping open in the chilly breeze. ‘Is that your friend?’

Gio smiled. ‘I have many friends since I came here. They give me food, water, socks.’

‘Oh. And do they sit here?’

‘Yep. Sometimes.’

Olive stared at her lap. ‘I don’t have anything to give you.’

‘That’s okay. I don’t ask for anything.’ Gio nodded at the tent. ‘Everything you see here was given to me by a stranger.’

‘I didn’t know being homeless was like this.’

Gio stirred his vegetable stew. ‘It’s not all like this. I created this space for myself. Some sleep in doorways or by the stations.’ He shrugged slightly, then went into his tent and brought out two bowls. ‘Tell me about your home. I like hearing these things.’

Olive wrinkled her nose. It wasn’t the best topic, but Gio made her feel relaxed, and she was sure he wouldn’t judge her situation. ‘I don’t have a home anymore.’

He picked up a spoon and stared at her for a moment. ‘Here, eat some stew.’ He scooped some out of the pot, poured it into the bowl, then handed it over.

I can’t keep eating people’s food .

She gazed into the steam warming her cheeks. It did smell good.

Gio scooped some out of the pot for himself, then sat on the chair to her side. ‘Eat. Warm yourself.’

She ate a potato chunk and groaned with delight at just how tasty it was.

Gio grinned. ‘Good, eh?’

‘This is lovely.’

‘I have a friend who is a chef. He brought me this stock at lunchtime. He is a nice man.’

Olive gazed up at the lights on the bridge. Could she live on the streets in a tent? Gio seemed happy enough.

He side-eyed her. ‘You have questions for me. It’s okay. I’ve heard them all before.’

‘And what do you get asked?’

‘If I’m happy. Do I want to move? Do I get in trouble staying here?’

Olive stopped eating. ‘You’re not allowed to stay here?’

He blew on his spoonful. ‘You’re not supposed to do things like this.’

‘How are the homeless supposed to live then?’

Gio smiled as he took a mouthful of stew. ‘As best we can.’

Olive perused his tiny home once more. ‘I’m in a hotel room for the next couple of weeks, then I have nowhere to go.’

Gio told her about a shelter, pointing across the bridge. She had no idea where it was but nodded anyway.

‘They can help. Perhaps. They try, but it’s not easy to home someone.’

‘Won’t they home you?’

‘I’m happy for now. I feel free here.’

She continued to eat whilst watching a small boat pass by. Even with all the noise from the bridge, there was a certain kind of peace. She understood what he meant about feeling free, because she could breathe with ease for the first time in months.

‘Try not to worry, Liv. Someone will help you. There are many good people.’

‘My friends turned their backs on me.’

Gio scoffed, flicking a hand out to the sky. ‘They are not your people, but you will have your people. You will see.’ He turned to gesture at the stairway. ‘I have my people. They come and go, up and down, up and down.’

Olive scraped out the last of her meal. ‘Maybe one day I’ll be able to come back here and be one of your people. I’ll bring you socks.’

Gio laughed. ‘That would be a good day, Liv. But know, you are already one of my people, and I am yours. When you need a friend, you come sit. Eat.’

‘You’re very kind.’

He made some sort of huffing sound, then jabbed his spoon towards the river. ‘Kindness is just understanding.’

‘And you understand me?’ she quizzed.

Gio faced her. ‘Your eyes show me your soul.’

‘What does it look like?’ As if she had to ask.

‘Lost.’ He straightened, flashing her a warm smile. ‘But all is not lost for you.’

‘Feels that way.’

‘Always does when you have your eyes closed.’

Olive twisted her lips to one side for a moment. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘Once you wake to this world, you’ll see the magic.’

She still had no idea what he was going on about. Perhaps she used to have magic in her life, but she sure as heck didn’t anymore.

‘Gio,’ called a squeaky voice.

Olive turned to see a small girl waving.

‘Ah, Eden, has ballet finished already?’

The little girl came hurtling down the stairs, with her mother close behind. ‘Yes, but I wanted to bring you this.’ She handed over an artificial Christmas tree no bigger than the length of Gio’s forearm.

‘For me? Thank you, Eden.’

Olive sat quietly whilst listening to the mum and Gio exchange pleasantries, then smiled at the child beaming her way.

‘I like your curls,’ said Eden.

Olive reached for her hair. ‘Thank you. You have nice hair too. Very shiny.’

Eden giggled, then skipped off, waving a goodbye.

Olive watched Gio place his mini tree on the table, and her thoughts went to the one she had decorated earlier that day. She didn’t need piercing blue eyes flashing through her mind, so she focused her attention back on Gio. ‘Do you know a lot of people around here?’

‘I talk to everyone. Make friends. Best way.’ He waggled a finger. ‘It’s easy to become invisible when you’re homeless, so I changed my life. Now, people take time to say hello. It’s nice.’

‘You must hear a lot of stories.’

He glanced where she sat. ‘The good, the bad, the ugly. But better to talk to a stranger than not talk at all.’ He motioned up at the bridge. ‘Someone tried to jump once.’

Olive gasped. ‘You saw?’

‘I spoke to him.’

‘What happened?’

Gio’s smile was slight. ‘He sat where you are now and ate with me.’

‘He was all right?’

‘In the end.’

‘Have you ever seen him again?’

Gio nodded. ‘He came here at lunchtime and gave me some vegetable stock.’

‘The chef?’

‘You see, Liv, life has many twists and turns.’

Olive lowered her chin into her coat as the cold wind blew in her face. Her stomach was full, her head a mess, and the only people who had made her smile since the day her dad got arrested were a hotel manager and a homeless man. Yep, her life definitely had twists and turns.

A rumble in the sky made her look up.

‘Head to your hotel now, Liv, before it pours down.’

She stood as she nodded. ‘You can come too if you like. I’m sure the people at the hotel can help.’

Gio smiled as he went to fetch some washing-up liquid, a bottle of water, and a sponge from the tent. ‘I am good here, but thank you.’ He gave a quick nod to the steps before washing the dishes. ‘Now, hurry.’

Part of Olive was happy to stay beneath the bridge with Gio forever, but he was right, it was going to rain soon, and she was pretty sure they both couldn’t fit in his little home.

‘Bye, Gio, and thank you for dinner.’

‘You are one of my people now, Liv.’

It felt kind of nice belonging somewhere again, but thunder boomed, so she climbed the stairs.

She was drenched by the time she reached the hotel, but she still held her head high as she marched towards the lift, knowing full well the reception staff were gawping at her soaked hair and dripping nose. She was glad to close herself in the lift and head to her room for a hot shower.

I hope Gio is warm .

She stopped to scan the suite as she stepped inside. It was the first time she’d appreciated the room.

The tree lights were still twinkling, the heating on, and her pyjamas waiting. A sudden heaviness hit her eyes, and she sneezed twice as she made her way to the bathroom.

Gio had given her some hope that maybe things would work out for her somehow. She had no idea how, but if push came to shove, she could perhaps beg Emilio to buy her a tent.

She got ready for the shower, sneezing along the way. An endless supply of tea and coffee came free with the room, so she planned to snuggle in bed with a cuppa and watch telly. Perhaps in the morning she could seek help for her situation.

The thought pushed weight down on her raised spirits, leaving her back to deflated and afraid. Why was that first step so hard? She’d never had a problem with talking to people before. All she had to do was reach out. A job centre. A homeless shelter. But something kept blocking her. An invisible wall she just couldn’t shift.

A couple more days of rest, then I’ll be fine. I can do this .

She closed her eyes and rested her head against the shower wall, not believing a word she told herself.