Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
ALICE
‘Morning, Declan,’ said Alice as she was leaving her apartment. ‘How are you?’
‘I didn’t sleep much last night. I think I might be coming down with a bit of a virus,’ he explained, not wanting to divulge the real reason for him feeling unsettled. ‘I am just off out for a bit of fresh air.’
‘Oh dear. Well, I hope you feel better soon,’ she said kindly.
‘So, where are you off to?’ he asked Alice.
‘The cinema. And don’t worry, I am not overdoing things; my taxi will be arriving any minute now.’
Declan stood several feet away from her at the foot of the stairs.
‘Oh, by the way, how did your date with Jess go?’ She turned to him as she was about to open the front door.
‘Good. Great actually, although I think I might have messed things up,’ he found himself telling Alice.
‘Really. How so?’ She frowned.
‘Bit of a long story. Maybe I will tell you when I feel a bit better,’ he suggested.
I am turning into a right wuss, he thought to himself, lying awake with a bad stomach over a woman. Jess was really special to him, though, he realised that now. He had not met anyone like her in a long time.
‘Hmm,’ said Alice, finding it strange to be conducting a conversation across the hallway. ‘Then maybe you ought to speak to Jess, sooner rather than later,’ she advised.
‘I will do.’ He nodded.
‘Or perhaps you could post a letter through her door? Especially as you are worried about passing on a virus,’ she suggested. ‘Disinfect your hands first.’ She winked.
He felt a bit guilty feigning a virus, but he hadn’t wanted to quite tell Alice the whole truth.
‘A letter?’ Declan could not remember the last time he wrote someone a short note, never mind a letter. He wasn’t even sure what he would say. Did anyone write letters these days?
‘Yes, why not? I have always believed in the power of the written word,’ said Alice firmly. ‘And I find it much nicer than a text, don’t you think? It takes a lot more effort.’
‘Thanks, Alice, maybe I will give it a go.’ He smiled. ‘Anyway, enjoy your cinema trip.’
‘I’m sure I will. There is a special screening of Brief Encounter this morning. One of my absolute favourite films.’ She smiled.
Alice had read about a pensioners’ morning at The Plaza and decided to go along.
She was beginning to suffer from cabin fever holed up in her apartment for two days but was grateful to have made a full recovery.
She read that there would be free tea and biscuits and imagined herself being the oldest customer there, or at least one of them.
She thought it important to embrace new experiences, otherwise you were simply waiting for God.
She might even make a new friend, she told herself as she got ready that morning, choosing a smart black dress and her favourite red blazer.
‘Bye, then, take care,’ said Declan.
‘Thank you. And do let me know how things go with Jess,’ she said, ready to step outside.
‘I will do.’
Alice walked carefully down the half a dozen steps, holding on to the handrail as she did so. Even though Alice’s recent blood work at the doctor’s had not revealed anything immediately life threatening, there was no doubting that she was becoming frailer.
Her doctor had asked her to blow into a tube on her recent visit, and the result had shown a slight problem with her breathing.
‘Which is probably not that unusual,’ the kindly GP had told her.
‘At my age,’ Alice added.
‘And especially with a slight chest infection.’
He had told her then that she probably had the beginning of heart failure.
‘Which I realise sounds dramatic,’ said the doctor. ‘But it just means the heart is working less efficiently, as it does not pump blood around the body as quickly as it once did,’ he explained.
‘I see,’ Alice had said as she digested the news. ‘So my dancing days are definitely over, then?’ she joked.
‘Maybe. Although moderate exercise is recommended. I would suggest carrying on with the walking that you seem to enjoy. Keep moving,’ he had advised. ‘You are obviously strong; just know your limits.’
‘Of course,’ she had told him, reminding herself that she probably needed to hire that cleaner sooner rather than later.