Epilogue Three Months Later
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Bob had promised to be there on time and she didn’t doubt him. But the others: a beach clean at dawn? She wasn’t holding her breath.
Next came Sariah and Della, who could be heard grumbling loudly. ‘I mean, why does it have to be at dawn? The rubbish is still going to be there at lunchtime.’ But as they got closer, Della stopped in her tracks.
Even Evelyn, who had seen many a Portheast sunrise, was impressed by this morning’s display, with clouds of orange and pink haloed in gold against a lilac sky. Della let out a low whistle. ‘OK, now I get it. Totally worth it.’
Last to arrive were Jacob, Alison and Will, who was definitely the most lively of the three.
‘Sorry, took us ages to get out of the door,’ Alison said, trying to wrestle her son into a jacket.
Jacob set about handing out yellow fabric tote bags and litter pickers made from recycled marine plastic – the sort that Evelyn wanted to sell in the museum shop, once it was up and running.
Taking on both leases for the boatsheds had been surprisingly straightforward. The last Evelyn had heard, Rufus Rowan Holdings had been sniffing around a former bank building in Fowey, which lacked the harbourside views but still had ‘wonderful high ceilings’.
After a bit of stretching and yawning (and a flat refusal from Will to wear his jacket), the group set off to comb the beach. Instinctively, they spread across the sand in a line, Jacob and Alison closest to the incoming tide so that Will could splash through the waves in his new wellington boots.
The yellow tote bags had been Alison’s idea and had Pick for Portheast printed on one side and the logo of a local PR company on the other.
The fact that she’d persuaded her old boss to sponsor the bags even after she’d turned down his job offer was testament to her negotiation skills.
‘I want to move forward, not back,’ she’d explained to Evelyn, who understood completely.
They worked in companionable silence and now and then Evelyn glanced right and left, to see what the others had found.
Bob had already given up on his litter picker, preferring to do the job by hand because he was concentrating on tiny bits of sea-smoothed plastic.
In contrast, Della proudly pincered and held up each of her finds, which included a clump of orange netting, a dented beer can and a pair of red boxer shorts, which she waved at George: ‘You missing anything, mate?’
Evelyn had to admit it was a good system – already, they had covered half the beach – but it felt very different to her lone beach scours.
Back then, she’d been free to take whatever meandering route along the shore she liked, drawn by a glint of metal, the shine of cellophane or an unusual shape.
But hers had been a lonely route and now, when she came across something curious, she had people to share it with – friends and family.
When they had finished, the sky was a milky blue and the sand had lost its early-morning cool. It wouldn’t be long before holidaymakers started to arrive, but for now they still had the beach to themselves and they gathered around the big rock to compare their finds.
George had the best haul, which included a piece of green sea glass and a dangly beaded earring.
‘That might be special to someone,’ Evelyn said and George dutifully put it in his pocket for safekeeping.
Bob held out a fistful of tiny plastic fragments and Sariah opened a tote bag containing plastic bottles, a shredded tennis ball and a beach spade.
Then, with a flourish, Della produced two flasks of coffee and handed round enamel mugs. Evelyn spotted a handy nook in the rock where she could set down her mug, but Sariah reached out and tapped her wrist. ‘Careful. Mind it doesn’t fall,’ she murmured.
Secretly, Evelyn had been hoping for a few slices of Sariah’s cake, but she knew there were rarely any leftovers. Sariah baked fresh each day, sending the glorious smell of fruit tarts, fluffy sponges or salted caramel cookies drifting into the museum.
The sun was getting higher and Evelyn knew she was running out of time.
‘I have an announcement,’ she said.
Beside her, George moved a little closer, because he alone knew what she was going to say.
‘As you all know, I have used some of my windfall to secure the museum’s future.’
‘Hurray!’ said Alison, raising her enamel mug.
‘Go, Evelyn!’ Della added.
She looked over her shoulder towards the quay.
‘The thing is, the museum has been my world for so long. At times, it was my anchor, but it also weighed me down.’ She looked at each person in turn and smiled.
‘It has kept secrets and it’s revealed a fair few.
More importantly, it has brought all of us together. ’
‘Hear, hear,’ said Sariah, lifting her mug into the air. ‘To friendship.’
Evelyn continued: ‘To me, the best thing is that it doesn’t feel like “my” museum anymore. It represents Portheast and everyone who lives here. Which is why it’s time for me to leave and let someone fresh take over.’
‘What do you mean?’ Della protested.
‘I shall be passing the day-to-day running of Portheast Museum to two highly capable people. If he’s willing, I would like Jacob to be the new curator. And Alison, I would love you to take charge of publicity and community links.’
‘Seriously?’ Jacob asked.
‘I’m very serious,’ she replied. ‘I can see you two building on the link with the school that Bob started and taking the museum to new heights.’
‘That would be amazing. I can’t believe it.’ Alison beamed. ‘We’ll do you proud, I promise.’ She lifted her son into a huge hug – ‘What do you think of that? Your mum’s got a new job!’ – and Jacob slipped his arm around Alison’s shoulders.
But on the edge of the group, Bob wouldn’t look her in the eye and she knew she needed to explain more.
‘I’d also like to set in place another museum initiative.
Each summer, we will charter a Portheast Museum boat to take visitors around the harbour and along the coast. It will only run when the sea is calm and the skipper will tell visitors about the old fishing ways.
If you are willing, Bob, I would like you to be the skipper. ’
Bob looked up. ‘Calm days only, you say?’
‘Definitely. We don’t want seasick tourists, do we?’
‘Then I would be glad to,’ he replied solemnly.
‘There’s also the small matter of a black cat called Toots who will need looking after,’ she added.
Bob frowned and rubbed his chin. ‘Hmm. Does he like fish?’
‘He does.’
‘Then we have a deal.’
‘Sariah and Della, the council has agreed to the plan to join the two sheds, but I think you two can see the project through. I’m not really a building site sort of person.’
‘Not a problem,’ said Della. ‘We’re both good at keeping a crew in line and, personally, I think I would rock a hard hat.’
‘But I don’t get it.’ Sariah got to her feet. ‘Where are you going? Why are you leaving? All the things that we shared – don’t they mean anything to you?’
Evelyn felt her throat swell.
‘I’m not going forever,’ she said more gently. ‘I just need to spread my wings a bit.’
Sariah still looked upset.
‘So much of my life has been about looking back,’ Evelyn explained. ‘Now I need to look forward. And to answer your question, yes. You all mean the world to me.’
No one said anything for a moment and Bob had to turn away and vigorously rub his eye, muttering something about the sand and the wind.
‘So where are you going?’ Della asked. ‘London?’
‘No, further afield,’ Evelyn said. ‘I thought I’d travel.’
‘Excellent, mate! I can give you some tips: beach bars in Bali, shopping in Bangkok.’
‘I was thinking more museum-based locations.’
‘Right,’ Della said warily.
‘For Evelyn, it’s a way of making up for lost time,’ George added.
‘Years ago I worked at the British Museum, but that journey was cut short. Now, I’d like to see it through, by seeing artefacts in their home countries,’ Evelyn explained.
‘I was thinking of starting with the Museum of Oriental Ceramics in Osaka. But geographically, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo makes more sense.’ Shyly, she turned to George. ‘What do you think?’
‘How about we start in Athens?’ he mused.
Alison caught Sariah’s eye and mouthed, ‘We?’
‘That’s great,’ Della said warmly. ‘Imagine, Evelyn – you’ll see pagodas and pyramids and temples. What an adventure.’
‘I know.’ Evelyn was giddy with excitement. ‘I’m going to take some art materials too and try drawing the things we see.’ She looked down. ‘I used to love drawing.’ Then she nodded at George. ‘It might encourage someone else to rediscover his artistic side as well.’
‘About time he found his own style,’ Jacob added with a wry smile.
‘But before we go, I do have a final favour to ask,’ Evelyn said. ‘It would be great if someone could keep the beach clean going. Not every day – that was probably a bit over-zealous on my part – but maybe once a week?’
‘I’d be happy to step up,’ Bob said, having mostly recovered from the whole sand-in-the-eyes problem. Evelyn pretended not to notice that the affliction had spread to Jacob and Alison, and even Sariah was doing some rapid blinking.
Having said her piece, Evelyn felt her shoulders relax and she turned to gaze out at the sea, which was glittering prettily under a clearer sky.
It was turning into the sort of day when she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Portheast, yet at the same time, she was itching to venture beyond that horizon.
As her mother had said, there was a whole world out there.
Almost to herself, Evelyn began to speak again.
‘The good thing about doing a beachcomb is that you slow down. You start to spot the little things that go unnoticed.’ She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.
‘Then, even if something is broken, with the right people around to help, it can be mended and made whole again.’
Nobody said another word because there was no need and, after a while, as if by mutual agreement, the group of friends began to collect their things and walk up the beach, the incoming tide chasing at their heels and the seagulls wheeling above them.