Chapter 17
17
Kicking off my trainers seemed like the natural thing to do as Theo and I paddled in the shallow waves that lapped at the shore. When we saw a figure walking towards us, wrapped up in a big coat, it took me a while to realise that it was the old lady who I’d met in the shop. The one who owned the smallholding on the hill. I smiled as she approached with four different-coloured Labradors. They looked like they were a bit of a handful, and the leads were all wrapped around each other.
‘Good morning.’
‘Hello there.’ We stood and faced each other, neither of us knowing really what to say next but because we’d both stopped, I felt like I had to fill the void. I hated awkward silences and the strange staring expression in her eyes was making me feel a little uncomfortable. What was it about this woman that made me feel this way?
‘Lovely day again.’
‘It is that.’
‘I’m Jo. We met in the store a few days ago.’
‘We did.’ Gosh, she was hard work. There was a little bit of me that wondered whether I should even bother, but then it popped into my head how loneliness could be awful – that I knew for myself – so I made the extra effort and knowing that she’d recently lost her best friend made me feel sorry for her. I realised that I didn’t know a great deal about the area beyond my new home and every day is a school day, as my mum always says. As Tessa was also Aunty June’s best friend, I wanted to do justice to both her and the area.
Still, her piercing blue eyes never left my face.
Another awkward silence and I was desperately trying to think of something interesting to say. For some reason I wanted her to like me and approve of me being in Aunty June’s house.
I went to speak but this time she interrupted me, garbling her next words.
‘I didn’t want to let these four off the lead. There are skylarks and meadow pipets nesting in the dunes, so we don’t want badly behaved dogs like these four disturbing their habitat. Us doggers can all help the wildlife, you know.’
‘How so?’ I asked, trying not to laugh. I hoped she had no idea what the word ‘dogger’ could be misconstrued as.
‘So many people leave their dog mess behind,’ she continued, ‘despite the huge signs we put up, but it fertilises the land, meaning that brambles and nettles are encouraged to grow. These are not the things that we want growing in the dunes. We want to keep all our glorious species like carline thistles, ragwort and the beautiful pyramidal orchids. The dunes are an absolutely teeming with these things if you know what you’re looking for. Have you seen this sea holly, for instance?’ She pointed out a plant just to my right.
I wanted to keep her talking now we seemed to have a bit of a rapport going and she seemed to trust me enough to finally want to chat.
‘Oh, that? I thought that was a common thistle, to be honest.’
‘Looks similar, but if you look closely, they’re very different. They have really waxy leaves and have some amazing health benefits too. They were used in the old days for chronic coughs and consumption. Nowadays, as well as being good for the lungs, they’re known to be a good diuretic, good for period pains and helpful for conditions like sweating.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Now God knows this middle-aged woman knows about that!’ We both laughed. It knocked ten years off her.
‘Listen to me wittering on. Sorry. I must be boring you. I’m part of the local wildlife conservation society so I find it all fascinating and sometimes forget that others don’t.’ Tessa looked down at the sand.
‘Not a problem to me at all. I’d love to learn more about it all. I love to garden but don’t know much about wild habitats. Maybe we could walk together one day and you could teach me more.’
‘Only if you mean it, obviously, and are not just being polite.’
I smiled at this funny old lady who was nothing but direct.
‘I do.’
‘Can’t stand people who say they’re going to do something and then it never happens. Especially if it’s just because you feel sorry for me because I’m old.’
I reached out and touched her arm.
‘I do mean it.’
For a minute, time stood still and I thought she was going to brush my hand away. Her brow furrowed and I thought I saw a flash of anger as her eyes went to my hand and then lingered on my face. Maybe I shouldn’t have put my hands on her. Not everyone was as touchy-feely as me. It never occurred to me that some people might not like it.
Tessa nodded.
‘Then in that case, that might be nice.’ Despite the earlier conversation, she seemed to have gone back to being awkward. Her dogs had calmed down somewhat though, and were quietly getting acquainted with Theo by some hearty bum sniffing.
‘I’m a quick learner. Despite my menopause brain.’
She tutted incredibly loudly. ‘This menopause malarkey?’
‘Yes,’ I answered as it dawned on me that somehow, she’d managed to make those three words a whole sentence.
‘We just got on with it in my day. Never heard the Queen moaning about hot flushes and the like, did you? What was it she used to say now? Never explain. Never complain. People could learn a lot if they thought about that every time they opened their mouth.’
Her statement made me realise what a difference there was between generations. Tessa nodded up at the house.
‘So this is all yours now then. You settling in?’
‘I think I’m getting there.’ We both looked up at it.
‘It was such a beautiful place!’
‘Hopefully it will be again at some point,’ I said. ‘I’ve been working hard. You must come over one of these days and see the progress I’m making. Well, when I say must, I don’t mean must, obviously.’ I knew I was fumbling my words. ‘Only if you’d like to. You don’t have to. I just thought… well… you must miss her. June, I mean.’
‘I do.’ She nodded and she turned her head towards the sea. ‘Friends for life.’
‘Well, the offer is there. The kettle is always on. Do feel free to pop in. You’d be welcome anytime.’
‘Thank you kindly. Good day to you, Joanna.’ Tessa nodded and walked away.
What an interesting lady. As I watched her walk along the beach, I wondered what her story was. When I first met her, Mary in the shop said that she was made a dame in the seventies but that she never talked about it. Sometimes people had the most unlikely lives. Maybe she’d open up a bit to me if she did come and see me. Any friend of Aunty June’s was a friend of mine. I always considered her to be a good judge of character and she didn’t stand for any nonsense.
As I headed further down the dunes, counting my blessings that I was lucky enough to head out of my back door and literally be on the beach, it struck me that I’d never told her my name was Joanna. Since I’d been here, I’d only ever introduced myself as Jo. How odd. I didn’t give it a second thought though as, at that moment, a small wave washed over my bare feet. As Theo barked with joy, I hoped that I would never take how lucky I was to live in such a beautiful place as this for granted.
I raised my head upwards and my words were whispered into the wind.
‘Thank you, Aunty June.’