Twenty-five
Erica had a restless night. In her dreams she was seventeen again, wandering along the beach hand-in-hand with Jamie. They stopped, kissed and he drew their initials in the wet sand at the edge of the water. Then his face morphed into Geoff’s, his expression filled with anger and hate. She awakened, unrefreshed, to see rain streaming down the window and grimaced. Wet days were always busy in the Emergency department with the inevitable car accidents and falls as people lost their footing and slipped on wet surfaces.
As soon as she arrived at work, Erica was pulled into the aftermath of an accident between two cars on the road into town, giving her no time to think about anything other than the task at hand. The stream of patients continued unabated all day, interrupted only by a short break for lunch when she received a call from Joe.
Erica listened impatiently as her brother enthused about his latest project, wishing she’d told him she was too busy to be part of it. But she knew he’d immediately see through her lie. She flinched when she heard the names of the other members of the committee. If she’d known Jamie was going to be involved, she’d definitely have refused… and Malcolm Brown… Since her return to the hospital, she’d been plagued by invitations from the visiting medical officer who seemed to view himself as the answer to her prayers… and those of every other available female in his orbit. He was probably an okay guy, attractive even, but she wasn’t in the market for a new partner. She was sure there were many of the nursing staff who’d be happy to be seen on his arm and wasn’t sure why he’d picked her to be the focus of his attention.
‘You will be there?’ Joe asked, clearly worried by her lack of response. ‘Thursday at six. You’re not working, are you?’
‘No, I mean yes, I’ll be there. But are you sure you want me to be part of this, Joe? I’m not sure what I can contribute.’
‘I do. You can provide the nursing perspective,’ he paused, ‘and you knew Barb. If we’d had this when she was…’ His voice broke.
Erica immediately felt guilty. She should have realised Joe’s motivation for this particular project. ‘Barb would be proud of you,’ she said.
‘Thanks, sis.’
‘Now, I’m sorry but I have to go. We’re rushed off our feet here, and my break’s up.’ Erica entered the meeting into the calendar on her phone before hurrying back to Emergency where, as she expected, the waiting room was full again.
By the time her shift was over, Erica was exhausted. All she wanted to do was have a hot shower, something to eat and fall into bed. She was in her bathrobe, heating up a ready-cooked meal of cannelloni from the supermarket and sipping a glass of wine, when she heard a loud cry coming from the front yard. It sounded like a child or an animal in pain.
Placing her glass on the kitchen bench, she went to the door and peered out. At first, she couldn’t see anything, then there was a loud howl, and two eyes glared at her out of the darkness. The creature, a large ginger cat, yowled again, as if in pain.
‘Here, puss,’ Erica said. But the cat evaded her outstretched hand, curling itself into a ball on the doorstep and baring its teeth. From the light streaming through the open door, Erica could see the animal was in pain, but every attempt she made to handle it failed, only resulting in her hand being scratched by the creature’s claws.
‘Who do you belong to?’ she said. She hadn’t seen the cat around before now, but that wasn’t so surprising. From what she knew of cats, they were very territorial. This one must have strayed from home. It might be lost.
Erica was wondering what to do when a figure came rushing along the road calling, ‘Tilly! Where are you?’ Peering into the darkness, she recognised the woman from Books and Coffee.
‘I think this may be your cat,’ she called, pulling the collar of her bathrobe up to her neck. ‘It seems to be hurt.’
‘Oh, thank you.’ The woman opened Erica’s gate. ‘I’m sorry if she’s been bothering you. She doesn’t usually take to strangers.’
‘No, she’s right,’ Erica said, ignoring the scratches on her hand. ‘I’m Erica.’
‘I’m Lou,’ the woman said, coming into the light from the doorway. ‘I’ve seen you at Books and Coffee , haven’t I? Is Livvy back? Are you staying with her?’
‘I’m taking care of the place while she’s overseas,’ Erica said. ‘We were at school together. I’m…’
‘I know who you are.’ Lou snapped her fingers. ‘You’re Joe Harris’s sister. I should have recognised you straight away. I’ve seen you with him and Gill.’
By this time, the cat had moved to Lou’s side, arching its back and meowing piteously. She picked her pet up, and it nestled into her.
‘Why don’t you come inside and see what’s the matter?’ Erica said, her tiredness suddenly vanishing. She was pleased to discover the woman from one of her favourite shops was a neighbour.
‘If it’s not too much trouble. You look as if you’re getting ready for bed.’
‘I’m not long home from work. I was just having a glass of wine. You sound as if you could do with one too.’
‘Thanks.’ Lou followed Erica into the house and through to the kitchen where she examined the cat carefully. ‘I think she’s been in a fight,’ she said, indicating a bald patch behind the animal’s ear. ‘But I don’t see any blood. No need to disturb the vet at this time of night. I think it’s her pride that’s been hurt. You’re going to be all right, Tilly,’ she said to the cat who was still meowing loudly.
‘Would she like some milk or water?’ Erica asked, after she’d poured Lou a glass of wine.
‘Water would be good. Thanks for the wine. You work at the hospital, don’t you?’ she asked, taking a sip.
Erica grimaced. The Pelican Crossing gossip mill was alive and well. She wondered how much more Lou – and the rest of the Pelican Crossing community – knew about her.
‘I don’t mean to pry,’ Lou said. ‘A friend of mine had to take her granddaughter into Emergency with a minor injury the other week and she mentioned that our mayor’s sister was working there. It’s a small town,’ she said apologetically.
‘I know. I remember.’
‘Of course. You grew up here.’
Erica hadn’t known Lou back then. She must be at least ten years older than she was and would have left the high school long before Erica started there, before Joe too.
‘Rachel is a friend of Gill’s… your brother’s new partner,’ she said. ‘Most of us who grew up here are connected one way or another. Take this row of cottages, for example. There’s me, Troy Piper, who was in my year at school, your friend, Livvy, and Jamie Whittaker, who must be around your age too. I must apologise. I should have introduced myself sooner, when I became aware someone was living here. We all look out for each other, though we don’t live in each other’s pockets.’
‘Right.’ Erica gave a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to become involved in any sort of neighbourhood event, the sort she remembered from when she and Joe were growing up. It was something their parents loved, and she and her brother always dreaded – the get-togethers with the neighbours whose children were much younger than they were and always pestered them to become involved in their games. Her relief was short-lived.
‘But, as you’re a newcomer, we should do something to welcome you, even if you’re only going to be here for a short time. It’s always good to know who your neighbours are. Leave it with me and I’ll be in touch. Now I should leave you to get on with your meal,’ she said, as the oven timer went off indicating Erica’s dinner was ready for eating. ‘Come on, Tilly. Time to get you home.’ The cat jumped out of her arms and made for the door, with a mewl of what Erica took to be pleasure.
‘Thanks for looking out for Tilly,’ Lou said as she was leaving. ‘She must have been really scared to come to your door. It’s so unlike her.’
Erica wished the cat had chosen someone else’s door. While it was good to have met Lou away from the shop, it seemed that fate was conspiring to push her into Jamie’s company. First his injury, then the drinks and kitesurfing, for which she had to admit she was partially responsible, then this committee of Joe’s, and now Lou’s intention to arrange some sort of welcome to the neighbourhood event. She had agreed to being friends with Jamie, she remembered. Maybe this was life’s way of sending her a message, maybe she should give in to the inevitable. She sighed. Although she knew her reaction to Jamie was the result of how Geoff had treated her, she felt powerless to change it and move on with her life.