Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I t’s the day of our ‘ Treat Your Grandparent ’ promotion. Ava has done an amazing job at promoting the event on her social media and through her youth club links. After an hour of being open, the café is a sea of teenagers and grandparents. To make extra space I gave Richard the new harpist the day off.
For once the café is full of laughter and chatter. As I deliver drinks I can hear all sorts of conversations; some teenagers are assuring their grandparent that they are studying hard, some students are admitting that they haven’t been studying hard but are doing their best to turn the situation around and others are being open and saying their social life is more important than college work. The phrase, ‘treat your grandparent’ has been used liberally – as from what I have seen most grandparents are paying the bill.
Even though I am pleased to see the café come alive, I can’t stop thinking about Pete throwing away my letters and what he told me about Dad knowing. I’m still in shock at how much manipulating they were doing all those years ago.
Last night, I struggled to get to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I was whisked back twenty years and replayed the memory of me asking Pete to post my weekly letter to Noah. Why didn’t I post the letters myself? Anger and frustration at the sixteen-year-old version of me kept me awake for hours.
I’m taking an order from a young man and his grandmother. He points to his grandmother. ‘This is Nana Elsie and she taught all of us grandkids poker when the adults weren’t looking. We’d be summoned over to her house for lessons.’
I smile at his grandmother who winks at me. The young man carries on. ‘We used to have a card school during every family get-together. I made the mistake of thinking Nana would either let me win, or the skills she had taught me would turn me into a gambling whiz kid.’
‘Why on earth did you think that?’ his grandmother asks, making me giggle.
The young man shrugs. ‘I’ve always believed I am your favourite – I am the only grandchild to go to university; I got all A-grades in my A-levels, and I mowed your lawn for years.’
His grandmother smiles at him. ‘You know I don’t have favourites and you also know that I am very competitive.’
He turns to me. ‘She would win every time, collect all her winnings – which included a lot of my hard-earned money from mowing her lawn – and ask me to top up her sherry glass.’
‘I was teaching you a valuable life lesson. Don’t gamble and don’t trust sweet old ladies.’
We all laugh, and the young man playfully rolls his eyes. ‘You are such a legend, Nana.’
I really enjoy listening to customer stories now, which is a surprise.
After delivering drinks to tables one and two, Ava catches my attention. ‘This is my best mate, Georgia.’ Ava introduces me to a tall girl with pink hair, who is furiously chewing gum and sporting shimmery purple eye shadow. ‘Georgia has brought her great grandpa. He’s called Harold.’
I smile at Georgia and glance at Harold with his tufty white hair, his twinkly blue eyes, and his wide smile. ‘I know Harold. He used to fix Dad’s car. When I was little. I used to love going with Dad to pick up his car as Harold would always give me a little packet of sweets.’
Georgia leans in and whispers, ‘Great Grandpa Harold is trying to get Pearl to go on a date with him. Pearl over there. She is Will’s great nana.’
‘I know Pearl too,’ I say, looking over at Pearl sat opposite her great grandson, Will, at a table alongside Harold and Georgia. Pearl, whose hair is cut into an elegant silver bob, has dressed up for the occasion and is in a pink jacket and skirt. She’s deep in conversation with Harold. Will has clearly got bored as he’s stuck his earphones in and is staring at his phone. A quick glance around proves he’s not the only teenager doing this, a few have their earphones in, however some are still talking to their grandparent.
‘Has your great grandpa been successful in his dating quest?’
Georgia lets out a heavy sigh. ‘Grandpa has been asking Pearl out on a date every Monday at the Senior Tea and Pearl married Bert. So, now Pearl and I find ourselves widows and neighbours. Every day we talk to each other over the fence, walk into town and every Monday I take her to the Senior Monday Tea or bringing the Monday session to them.
Confusion flashes across Harold’s face. He ignores my question. ‘Pearl says if I help her carry out this plan, I can take her out on a date.’
‘Yes, but what exactly do you have to do?’
Sitting back, he scratches his head. ‘Deliver some letters.’
‘Letters? Is that your secret mission?’
Harold nods. ‘Pearl wants me to do the delivering.’
‘That sounds lovely.’ My fictitious elderly lady has received a love letter from the love of her life, hand delivered by Harold.
‘Oh well, good luck, Harold.’ Rising, I give him a wink. ‘If you need a hand, let me know.’
His face lights up. ‘Really? That’s very kind of you.’
Pearl appears by Harold’s side. She gives me a mischievous wink. ‘Are you chatting up my man, Alice?’
‘Is it obvious?’ I say, making Harold laugh.
I walk back to Jake who is grinning at me. ‘I saw you having a heart-to-heart with Harold over there.’
‘He’s embarking on a secret mission, so he had to fill me in on all the details.’
Jake places a Luscious Latte on a tray together with a Flirty Flat White. ‘That sounds intriguing.’
‘The community centre runs a Senior Monday Tea & Chat group. From what Harold was saying, it sounds like a hotbed for romance. I need to do some café promo over there.’
Jake grins. ‘You’ve changed, Alice. A few months ago, you’d run in the opposite direction at the first sign of romance. Now, you’re hunting it out.’