Chapter 35
The wind had been whipping up all morning so Noah and Ben had to give up working on the lodges, such was the intensity of the storm that had swept in.
Ben headed into the office to do some paperwork whilst Noah wandered into the kitchen to make himself a coffee before heading to the barn to work on his boat.
He found Faye and Dotty surveying lots of boxes piled up on the kitchen table.
Dotty looked up as he walked into the room.
‘Noah, be a dear and switch on the lights, would you?’ she asked. ‘We can’t see a thing over here it’s so dark today.’
Noah flicked the switch and walked over to the table. ‘What is all this?’ he asked, looking into the box that Faye had just opened.
‘Christmas decorations,’ she told him. ‘Hannah’s already finished the Boathouse Café ones and we need to get going on decorating the hotel.’
‘You should see the tree that we put up in the entrance hall,’ said Dotty, with a grin. ‘Great big one. Walter moans every year that it’ll ruin the floorboards but it never does.’
‘These are ones that we’ve collected over the years,’ Faye told him, bringing out a plastic box full of baubles.
‘Or rather decades,’ added Dotty, in a wistful tone. ‘Some of them are from when Walter and I first got married.’
‘I’m going to make a coffee,’ said Noah. ‘Does anyone want one?’
‘Yes, please,’ said Dotty.
‘That would be great,’ added Faye.
As he walked over to the kitchen counter, Noah thought about the Christmases that he had had in the past. Growing up, he and his dad had always gone to the pub.
After he had moved away, Noah had pretty much spent Christmas by himself, always refusing offers from any work colleagues who had been kind enough to extend an invitation to him.
This year, of course, he would be spending it at Maple Tree Lodge for the first time. He still felt a bit overwhelmed by them all at times but the family didn’t overpower him as they had done when he had first arrived.
He made the mugs of coffee and carried them over to the table.
‘I knew it was in here somewhere,’ said Dotty, pulling out a blue shiny bauble decorated with blobs of paint.
Noah stared down at it, thinking that he hoped they hadn’t paid much money for such an ill-decorated ball.
‘Don’t you remember?’ asked Dotty, placing it in his hands.
Noah was puzzled. ‘Remember?’ he asked.
But as he turned over the bauble in his hand, he realised that a name had been painted on the other side. His own name. Noah.
‘You came here early December one year with your dad,’ Dotty told him. ‘We had all the decorations out like today and you wanted to help out so I let you loose with the paint tin. Seem to remember you enjoying yourself.’
Noah heard his aunt’s words but he continued to stare down at the ball with his name on it.
‘We’ve always put it on the family tree here in the kitchen,’ said Faye softly. ‘You might not have been with us in person but you were always in our hearts.’
Noah gulped back the emotion he was feeling, unable to speak and only able to nod his reply. Something of him had remained at Maple Tree Lodge all these years. He felt overwhelmed with a mix of emotions, mostly a sorrow that he had missed out on so much so far in his life.
‘Oh!’ exclaimed Faye suddenly.
Noah looked up to see that she had been carefully unwrapping a rather ancient-looking nativity scene.
‘One of the shepherds has lost an arm,’ she carried on in dismay.
‘Let me have a look,’ said Noah, putting down the bauble and taking the small wooden figurine from her.
It was in pretty poor condition, he realised, as it was cracked all over.
‘I can fix this,’ he told her, before glancing at the rest of the figurines in the set. ‘They all look like they need some wax as they’re pretty dry. I have something in my tool box that will help, I’m sure.’
‘How kind, thank you,’ said Faye, smiling.
‘It’s blowing a hoolie out there now,’ said Walter, coming into the kitchen with Ben close behind him. ‘It might be time to test that new generator.’
‘It’s one of those things where I’m happy to spend the money but never use it,’ replied Ben.
But at that exact moment, he wasn’t so lucky as the kitchen lights went out and Noah could hear all the electrics ping to a halt.
He looked across the kitchen at Ben who was standing still, his eyes closed as if he was praying.
Thankfully his prayers were answered only a few moments later as the overhead lights came back on and so did all the appliances.
Ben quickly checked the app on his phone and gave a massive sigh of relief. ‘It works,’ he announced. ‘It’s the generator that’s keeping us going.’
‘Thank goodness,’ said Faye. ‘I mean, we’ve only got a handful of guests tonight but at least we’ll be able to keep them warm and lit, as well as fed.’
‘The generator works then?’ asked Frankie, coming into the kitchen. ‘That was money well spent.’
‘I agree but what about the poor folk without generators?’ asked Walter. ‘There’s a few of them in the area.’
‘Most are used to it, of course,’ said Dotty.
‘But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t check in on them,’ Frankie told her.
‘I agree,’ said Walter. ‘Especially as these power cuts normally last for hours, if not longer.’
‘Right,’ said Faye. ‘I can easily reheat some chicken and vegetable stew to share out. Noah, could you start buttering some rolls for me. Frankie, why don’t you dig out those old Tupperware boxes.
We can dish the food out in that. Ben, there are spare thermos flasks in that cupboard. Dotty, start boiling the kettle.’
Noah was impressed at the efficiency with which everyone moved. Within an hour, they had twenty portions of stew to hand out, as well as at least ten thermos flasks full of hot water. Faye had also added bread and cakes to the food delivery service.
‘I’ve got to stay here, just in case there’s a problem with the generator,’ Ben told Noah.
‘No problem,’ Noah told them. ‘I can drive them wherever they want to go.’
‘Excellent,’ said Ben, looking relieved, and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Thanks. Just take it easy out there, okay?’
Noah began to load up the back of his truck with all the food and drinks before Walter shouted out for him to pick up a load of logs as well.
‘Just in case folks haven’t got enough firewood,’ he said. ‘I could come with you,’ he added in a hopeful tone.
Dotty rolled her eyes. ‘So you can break the other shoulder?’ she told him, before slipping her arm through his good one. ‘Come inside and let young Noah get on.’
They crossed paths with Faye as she headed out into the wind and rain, closely followed by Frankie.
‘I know of a few people who might need an extra hand,’ said Frankie, climbing into the backseats.
Thankfully this time around the driveway to the road stayed clear of fallen trees and Noah was able to get out onto the main country lanes with ease.
It wasn’t the most relaxing of drives with quite a bit of debris on the roads but thankfully it was without incident before he pulled up outside a small row of cottages only a mile away from Maple Tree Lodge.
Noah carried the food gifts whilst Faye knocked on the front door of the first cottage.
After a short wait, it was opened by a frail-looking elderly man.
‘Faye, what are you doing out in this weather?’ he asked, looking amazed.
‘It’s okay, Michael,’ she replied. ‘I’ve got our nephew here to keep me safe.’
Michael gave Noah a onceover. ‘Have you indeed? Come in, come in.’
Noah knew that he wasn’t technically Faye’s nephew, only Walter and Dotty’s.
And yet, he felt warmed by her referring to him as such.
Once indoors, Faye explained the parcels that Noah was carrying and the elderly man looked both pleased and a little teary.
‘My word,’ he replied. ‘How kind of you and the family, Faye.’
‘You’re welcome to come back with us and stay at the hotel until the weather clears up,’ replied Faye. ‘We’ve got power now thanks to Ben’s new generator.’
‘What an invite!’ he replied, with a smile. ‘But I’ve got my battery radio all set up and England are going to take the first test in the Ashes, hopefully. But I shall enjoy a hot meal and a cup of tea, thanks to you.’
Noah checked Michael’s fire which was cheerfully aflame on the opposite wall and went to fetch a few more logs.
He received a hearty handshake from Michael before they left.
‘Noah Jackson, eh?’ he said. ‘Glad to make your acquaintance, son.’
It was a familiar story as they went from house to house to check on their neighbours and friends in the close vicinity. Some had camping stoves all set in readiness for a power cut, others were grateful for the food and drink, even raving over the addition of Hannah’s cakes.
It was a couple of hours before they headed back to Maple Tree Lodge, empty-handed but pleased to have ensured that everyone would be having a hot supper that evening.
‘Not sure the power will be back on this evening,’ Ben told them when they arrived back at the hotel. ‘But the generator’s holding firm, thank goodness.’
They headed into the lounge to warm up in front of the large fireplace.
As Faye and Frankie updated everyone on their neighbours, Noah sank into a chair.
‘Here,’ said Beth in a soft tone as she placed a cup of tea in front of him. ‘I think you deserve it.’
She sat down next to him on the sofa and he was pleased that for once, she wasn’t in a talkative mood. He leant back and looked at the fire which was roaring in the nearby hearth.
He was feeling pretty mixed up inside. He had been a part of something good that afternoon, helping out the local community. And yet he had been a definite part of the Jackson family too. Everyone now knew who he was.
His gut reaction instantly told him to flee, to run away just like he had when he was sixteen years old, but he managed to calm himself down with a few deep breaths.
He relaxed and looked around the family as they all chatted. His family.
Normally the thought would unsettle him but, in that moment, he felt proud to share his name with such generous people.
He was starting to become a part of the Jackson family. And he was beginning to like the idea as well.