Chapter Thirty-Two
The signs at the entrance to the festival didn’t undersell the event, Zennor thought while parking at the club.
SEA FEVER
Yo ho ho, land lubbers! It’s time to shiver your timbers
at this spectacular family celebration of the sea’s power and mystery
Featuring:
The Driftstones, The Shanty Singers, Sybil the Storyteller,
Fire Down Below, Circus Kernow, Tied in Knots, St Eia Youth Theatre
Interactive pirate show, shanty choir singing, rope skills workshops
Be a lifeguard – demos by St Eia Surf Lifesaving Club
Drinks sponsored by RumJar Coastal Spirits
Seafood Barbecue, Kernow Curry Hut, Trewin Tapas, Coffee and Cakes
Matt was one of the first people Zennor saw when she walked on to the beach in front of the Surf Club where Sea Fever was being held.
He was setting out cones on an area to the side of the temporary stage when Zennor walked down the steps to the sand. She hadn’t spoken to him since their row on this very beach after the club relaunch.
Watching him jog up and down with cones, her heart did a thousand somersaults and she was catapulted back to her youth.
He was wearing red shorts and a yellow vest that showed off his toned arms and broad shoulders to the max.
It was the physique of a strong thirty-something man, not a nineteen-year-old, and her stomach tightened with lust.
She shook herself.
He caught sight of her, so she went over. It would have looked churlish to ignore him and she was keen to get the greeting over with.
‘I didn’t know you would be here.’
Matt gave her a smile, yet his expression was wary. ‘I knew you would, but if it helps, I never intended to be here. Dawn was, and I quote, “absolutely desperate” for help with the lifeguarding demos. Most of the usual helpers are doing events around town.’
‘Oh. Of course.’
‘All I have to do is keep an eye on the kids and assist the main instructors. I’m not even planning on getting wet. And I’ll certainly keep out of your hair. Sorry, I have to finish setting up. We’ve got several demos and we’re hoping the families will join in.’
‘Great. It would be good for the club to have some fresh blood.’
‘Yeah, it’s never a good idea for the same old faces to take over. Oh, by the way, I gave Sybil a lift here. Her car’s being repaired. She’s over in the marquee green room. I expect we’ll both be too busy to speak again so have a good one.’
He walked away and Zennor was thrown. She’d braced herself for a confrontation and yet he seemed keen not to engage with her.
She shouldn’t be surprised, she thought, trudging over to the marquee acting as a green room for the day. She knew she’d hurt him after their row and regretted it.
Squeals of excitement pulled her back to the scene around her in all its vibrancy and joyful chaos.
The theatre children had arrived and were racing around the sand while Paul and his helpers tried to gather them up.
Their joy took her back to a carefree time when her parents were still there and everything had seemed uncomplicated.
It hadn’t been, of course. Being an adult brought the shackles of responsibility but it was na?ve to think that these kids didn’t have problems of their own.
Yet she hoped the theatre offered them a day of release and freedom to express themselves.
They were on later as part of a pirate adventure comedy which also involved Sybil.
She didn’t expect to see Trev. It wasn’t his scene and he’d probably want to be at the St Piran’s to make sure his event, afternoon tea with a bestselling author, went smoothly.
She pushed her own worries aside. She was here for her clients: Fire Down Below, the fire act; the Driftstones, who were headlining as dusk fell; and of course Sybil, whom she spotted carrying her cloak to the green-room marquee.
She was pouring water into a cup from a dispenser when Zennor caught up with her.
‘Hi there!’
Sybil broke into a grin. ‘Hello. How lovely to see you.’
‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world. So this is the green room …’ Zennor said. ‘It’s a bit basic.’
‘It’s not posh but I’ve had worse. I’ve shared dressing rooms with cockroaches, dodgy drains – and a rat in London.’
‘A rat?’ Zennor shuddered.
‘Oh, yes. It ran across the dressing room while we were all doing our make-up for Hamlet.’
‘Eww.’
Sybil shrugged. ‘The show must go on, darling. Did you know Matt gave me a lift?’
Instantly, Zennor was on edge. ‘Yes, I saw him earlier. I didn’t know he was going to be involved today.’
‘Neither did he. Dawn put him on the spot so he couldn’t say no. Typical Matt.’
Zennor nodded. ‘Mmm.’
Shrieks of laughter penetrated the tent wall, followed by a collective cry of ‘Ooh rah’.
Sybil rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ‘Paul has his hands full but the children are having a ball. It’ll be a change to perform with kids rather than to them.
I ought to go out and have a word with Paul before I transform myself into Mary, Lady Killigrew, the notorious Cornish Sea Wolf! ’ Sybil gave Zennor a chilling glare.
‘If anyone was born to play a notorious lady pirate, it’s you,’ Zennor said, returning her focus to Sybil. ‘I can’t wait to see that. Anyway, I need to catch up with the band. They’re still relatively new to big events like this.’
‘See you later,’ Sybil said. ‘And Zennor, please look kindly on Matt. He’s a good man.’
Zennor was stopped in her tracks. Had Matt been telling Sybil about their row on the beach? If he had, he must be really hurt. ‘Of course I’ll be kind to him,’ she murmured and managed a smile. ‘I’ll see you at the show.’
‘Noooo!’
The kids in the audience yelled as Sybil, now transformed into the notorious Lady Killigrew, and in chains, stepped up to the gallows on the stage. Some were clutching their parents’ hands.
Zennor thought it was a bit scary for a family show but suddenly, a man bounded from the audience on to the stage with a scroll, crying, ‘Halt! I come with a pardon from Queen Elizabeth herself! Lady Killigrew is to be saved by order of Her Majesty!’
To cheers and applause, Sybil threw off her chains and declared, ‘I knew Her Majesty would never let me down! Onwards to new adventures, me hearties!’
Smoke obscured the stage and in moments it was transformed into a pirate ship, with kids swarming around Sybil, climbing rigging, swabbing decks, and singing ‘It’s A Pirate’s Life For Me!’
Although it was all hokum, Sybil seemed to be in her element, thank goodness, and Zennor looked forward to catching up with her after the show.
Sybil’s plea to be kind to Matt was still ringing in her ears. He was Sybil’s godson and she was bound to take his side but there was an element of desperation in it. Maybe she would ask Sybil what she meant at some point, but not today.
After the show ended, the lifesaving demo drills were in full swing.
The kids and teens raced into the sea and swam round a buoy before running back up the beach to do CPR on dummies. Others were showing the watching crowds how they could paddle out into the surf using their boards to rescue people.
Matt was on the beach, wearing a wetsuit and rash vest and blowing a whistle.
He was smiling and energised.
The audience were then invited to take part in the land drills if they wanted to. Zennor was well aware that Matt had never been a big surfer. He was only really interested in so far as he could paddle the board in a rescue, although he was always competitive in the swimming races.
About twenty children came forward – or were urged forward by parents – to try ‘paddling’ the boards on land and then on the water. Some were super keen and confident but a few were very shy, even as they were helped into wetsuits by volunteers.
Zennor shuffled closer, realising Matt was too intent on helping the children to notice her standing a few feet from him.
Crouching low on the sand, he spoke to a little boy of about seven in a wetsuit too big for his skinny frame and a slightly older girl who seemed hell-bent on trying to shrink herself as small as possible.
‘Would you like a go?’ Matt was asking them both. ‘I can find you a board each. It’s fun and you’re on holiday so why not take the chance to have a go at something you can’t do at home? Who knows, you might want to be a lifeguard one day.’
A fist-sized lump of emotion settled in Zennor’s throat. He was so patient and kind to the kids, coaxing them out of their shells.
Briefly, he caught sight of Zennor and she gave him an encouraging smile. He immediately refocused on the children and under his gentle encouragement, both of them eventually tried out paddling the board on the sand and ended up laughing at jokes Zennor couldn’t hear.
Matt’s skills with the children made her think about her love for teaching and how she wanted to carve out some time from Kernow Entz to lend a hand at the theatre.
And Matt really should make time to help out at the club: she’d never seen him smile more than today. At least, not since they were young.
Half an hour later, a group of the watching children were confident enough to have a go at paddling out their boards to shallow water. They emerged from the surf tent in wetsuits and rash vests. Matt was encouraging the two shy kids who were now laughing and squealing with excitement.
‘I never thought I’d see our Olivia on a surfboard,’ the girl’s mother, standing next to Zennor, said. ‘She loves swimming in the pool at home but she’s always been a bit scared of the waves. I wish we lived down here, not so far from the sea.’
‘She could join a club at home,’ Zennor said. ‘When she’s older, there are lifeguarding courses all over the UK.’
‘I’ll look into it. She struggles with her confidence at school sometimes but she seems to be in her element here.’
‘She’s a natural,’ Zennor said, watching the little girl paddle out into the gentle waves with Matt watching over her like a hawk.
‘That’s it! Paddle, paddle, paddle!’ he called, then applauded. ‘Good work! Well done!’
Tears stung her eyes. She didn’t know why she wanted to cry. Was it happiness at seeing the kids blossom under his guidance? Or seeing Matt so at home? Or was it grief at what she’d lost – her marriage, Trev, Matt, her father?
When the session ended, she spoke to him. ‘That looked like fun. Exhausting but fun.’
‘It was. I’m knackered.’ He gave a wry smile.
‘I thought you were going to stay on the sidelines.’
‘I intended to but that’s not how it worked out. The kids were having so much fun and some of them needed a little extra support. I couldn’t let them down.’
‘Hey, Matt!’ Vince jogged up. ‘Can you come and help set up for the canoe demo?’
‘Sure,’ he called back.
‘Catch you later?’ Zennor said without knowing why she’d even said it. ‘If you’re staying for the band? It’s the Driftstones.’
‘I don’t know,’ Matt said with a wary look. ‘I wasn’t thinking of hanging around. I’ll probably head home after I’m done here.’
‘Matt!’ Vince sounded desperate.
‘See you around some time then?’ Zennor said, her spirits plummeting at the prospect of Matt leaving.
‘Yeah. I have to go. Enjoy the rest of your day.’