Chapter 11
NANCY
Nancy was up bright and early on Sunday morning. She hadn’t slept well. She was anxious about the imminent arrival of her three lodgers. How her life had changed. It had been just her and Clifford for years and now suddenly she was about to share her house with three complete strangers.
And one of them a man.
Her thoughts drifted to Slate. He hadn’t been at all what she’d expected.
Tall, slim, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket and toting a black cowboy hat.
With his long white hair, which was tied back in a ponytail, moustache and trimmed beard, he reminded her of Sean Connery.
It had been a surprise to learn that he was a single dad, and that he taught family history and poetry.
He seemed quite a character. Even Val had been impressed with that, although she also seemed to think he was a bit of lothario, and had warned Nancy not to be taken in by him and to lock her bedroom door when she went to bed.
Honestly! Val was convinced this ‘renting out her spare rooms’ idea was doomed.
Nancy had spent Friday evening when she’d come home from work and all Saturday sorting out the house for her new lodgers.
Val and Dennis had helped her clear the office room, piled everything up in the box room, along with the things Clifford hadn’t taken with him.
She could just about close the door! Dennis had kindly fitted a bolt on every bedroom door so that she and the guests could lock their rooms if they wanted privacy, although she was sure that none of them would walk into anyone’s room without knocking.
‘Do you want a lock put on the living room door too? It could be your own private area,’ Dennis had asked.
He’d made it clear that like Val, he was wary about her taking in lodgers, and had told her that he could be here in ten minutes – day or night – if she needed him.
Which was very nice of him, but had made her feel more nervous than she already was.
‘I think you should, then no one can disturb you,’ Val had said, but Nancy had shaken her head. She didn’t want her ‘guests’ to feel that she was shutting herself away. They seemed a pleasant bunch. It might even be nice if they watched a film together one of the evenings.
She wasn’t providing meals, so she would have to sort out a rota system for the kitchen.
With Val’s help she had cleared a cupboard for each of them and made room in the fridge and freezer.
She was quite happy for everyone to share her cookery utensils, pots and pans et cetera.
She’d had extra back and front door keys cut yesterday so they could all come and go as they pleased.
Hopefully she’d thought of everything now.
The hard part would be getting used to sharing her home with others.
* * *
She was on tenterhooks all morning and kept peering out of the window to see if any of her new lodgers had arrived yet. Finally, the front doorbell rang.
‘Morning!’ It was Slate and a burly, tattooed, long-haired man. ‘Decaf’s come along to help me move my stuff.’
‘Least I can do, mate. I feel real bad about this,’ Decaf said.
Nancy looked at the dark blue van parked on the drive with the words Ragin’ Rockers written in a flame logo on the side. ‘Is that your van?’ she asked. It’s a good job she had a large drive. She hadn’t thought about everyone parking their vehicles.
‘Yes, but don’t worry I won’t be leaving it there. I thought I could tuck it around the side of your garage. I’ve just parked here so I can unload my stuff more easily.’
‘Who are the Ragin’ Rockers?’ she asked.
‘It’s a rock band. Me, Decaf—’ he jerked a thumb at the man beside him ‘— and Oxo started it at uni and it’s been going ever since.’
A rock band. Here she was thinking that a quiet, staid adult education teacher called Marvin was moving in and then she’d discovered he was a member of a rock band and was known as Slate!
Before she could say anything, Jackie pulled up in her car.
‘Hello, love, looks like we’ve both arrived at the same time,’ she said to Slate as she got out. ‘It’ll be good to have a familiar face in the house.’ She opened the boot of her car and took out a couple of suitcases.
‘Hi, Jackie, let me take those upstairs for you.’ Slate walked over to her, ready to help.
‘Thanks. I’d appreciate that.’ Jackie put her bags down on the ground and massaged the back of her neck.
‘When you’ve both taken your stuff upstairs, do come into the kitchen and have a cuppa,’ Nancy told them. ‘You too,’ she added to Decaf.
‘That would be welcome,’ Slate replied. ‘Black, no sugar, please.’
‘Same for me, but decaf,’ Decaf said.
I bet that’s the reason for his nickname! Nancy thought.
Slate picked up Jackie’s suitcases. ‘I’ll leave these on the landing outside your door, Jackie.’
‘You’re a star!’ she said, opening the back door of the car and taking out some black bags that were stuffed to the brim.
She certainly had a lot of baggage – and she’d put some stuff in Pam’s garage too.
As of course she would have – she’d had to move out of her flat at such short notice.
Like Slate and Phyllis. A sudden change of circumstances and they were homeless.
Just like Nancy could be next year when she had to pay off the mortgage. She pushed the thought from her mind.
‘Let me help you with those,’ Nancy offered.
‘No, me and Decaf will get the stuff upstairs,’ Slate insisted. ‘You ladies go inside and have a warm drink. There’s a chill in the air today.’
‘Thank you, but we’ll at least bring the bags inside and leave them at the bottom of the stairs,’ Jackie told him, which they duly did, leaving Slate and Decaf to carry them, and Slate’s bedroom furniture, up to the bedrooms.
‘Do you know Slate very well?’ Nancy asked as the two women made their way into the kitchen.
‘Not enough to know about his alter persona Slate the Rockstar!’ Jackie remarked.
‘We chat now and again when he runs the classes at the library. He’s a good chap, very popular.
His classes are always fully booked.’ She pulled out a chair and sat down as Nancy switched on the kettle.
‘When he asked me if I knew of any rooms to let, I thought of you.’
Just then Slate and Decaf joined them and they all sat chatting away.
It was so nice to have company, Nancy thought. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
They’d just finished their drinks when the doorbell rang again. ‘That will be Phyllis.’ Nancy got up and walked to the front door. As she opened it, she saw Phyllis taking stuff out of the back of her car. Parked beside her was a big white van.
‘Need a hand?’ Slate asked cheerily, joining Nancy on the doorstep.
‘Thank you, dear, but Aurora and Milo have come to help me with the furniture and I prefer to carry my personal things so the aura doesn’t get disturbed,’ she replied.
‘Righto.’ Slate disappeared inside and Nancy watched worriedly as Phyllis walked up and downstairs half a dozen times, taking the things from her car to her bedroom. The ‘disturbing the aura’ remark troubled her. She hoped that Phyllis wasn’t going to be too fastidious; they all had to get along.
Aurora and Milo were both very bohemian-looking with flowing hair.
Aurora’s was golden and Milo’s chestnut.
They made short work of carrying a wardrobe, bed and several other pieces of bedroom furniture and boxes upstairs.
Nancy watched fascinated as they took a colourful patchwork armchair and matching footstool out of the van.
It was gorgeous. A small, multi-coloured, tiled table followed.
So different from the basic bed, wardrobe and rug that Slate brought with him.
She wondered if that was all that Phyllis had been able to take from the house, or if she’d stored more furniture somewhere, as Jackie had.
Then out came a crystal ball, which Phyllis carried carefully in both hands.
Nancy’s eyes widened. ‘Do you use that?’
‘Not often. I prefer to read the leaves than scry. It was my grandmother’s,’ Phyllis told her.
A few more boxes, a beautiful bohemian rug and the van was empty.
‘See you Monday,’ Aurora said, hugging Phyllis. Then they left, as did Decaf. Nancy was alone with her three lodgers.
‘Shall we all have a cup of tea and some biscuits?’ she said.
‘Thank you. I’d love to.’ Phyllis cocked her head to one side. ‘I’d like to use my own tea leaves though. I’ll go and fetch them.’
Perplexed, Nancy went into the kitchen and filled up the kettle. ‘Anyone else want a drink?’ she asked.
‘Please, but let me do it,’ Jackie said, getting up.
Phyllis came down with a packet of tea leaves and a beautifully big china cup and saucer, it was shiny and black, with a gold rim and decorated with signs of the zodiac.
Nancy stared at the cup in fascination.
‘Goodness, that’s quite a teacup,’ Jackie said.
‘It was my grandmother’s, she used to read the leaves too. It was passed down to my mother and then to me,’ Phyllis told her.
‘I bet you’ll be gutted if you break that.’ Slate remarked.
Phyllis fixed her eyes on him and Nancy couldn’t help noticing how dark her eyes were, like black stones. ‘Oh, it will never break, dear. It has an Everlasting Spell on it.’
Jackie and Nancy exchanged nervous glances, but Slate merely looked amused. ‘I could do with a spell like that put on my van,’ he quipped.
Phyllis spooned some tea leaves into the cup, poured boiling water on it and left it to brew.
‘Aren’t you adding milk?’ Jackie asked.
‘No, I’m going to read my tea leaves afterwards.’
They all looked on, intrigued, as Phyllis sat silently for a few minutes, deep in thought.
She slowly sipped the tea, leaving only dregs at the bottom, then held up the cup and swirled it around anti-clockwise.
Next she placed the cup upside down on the saucer and then flipped it over.
Finally, she picked the cup up again, peered into it, then at the saucer.
‘Just as I thought,’ she said in satisfaction.
There was an uneasy silence in the kitchen as Phyllis washed out her cup then walked out of the kitchen.
Nancy bit her lip anxiously. Was Phyllis going to be a problem?