Chapter 44
44
Hamish
Esme McCann, Laurie’s next-door neighbour, was effusive in her praise of the yard work Hamish did for her. So much so that, without his permission, she referred him to a friend, another older woman in need of an able-bodied person to mow lawns and clip hedges. Apparently, the friend had been a client of Chris Lehman’s but not long enough to be deemed long term. Hamish tried to explain to Esme that he was retired, not looking for work and that he’d done her yard as a favour to Laurie. ‘I don’t have my own equipment or insurance or a way of billing people,’ he said.
‘Pfft,’ Esme said, with a dismissive flick of her wrist. ‘Take the cash. Everybody else does. I’ll have you back again in a flash. Laurie shouldn’t be tackling lawns anymore, not with that knee, and Marg Lehman said Chris goes into hospital next week for his first knee replacement. He’ll be out of commission for weeks and that’s if it goes well.’
In the end, more to get away than anything, Hamish agreed to mow her friend’s lawns and trim her hedges. ‘But, please, do not pass my name and mobile number onto anyone else.’
‘But why not?’ Esme said. ‘You’re very capable and you could have all the work you wanted. I could give you three names right now.’
‘That’s the thing. As I’ve said, I don’t necessarily want the work.’
He left her thankful but crestfallen. When he returned Laurie’s whipper snipper, he repeated the exchange.
Laurie snuffed out a laugh. ‘I’d be willing to bet that Chris Lehman would sell you his outfit.’
Hamish threw his hands into the air. ‘Why would I want to buy Chris Lehman’s outfit? Apart from the fact that the ute’s ancient and needs a new set of rings, and the trailer’s riddled with rust—and that’s probably just for starters.’
Laurie’s eyes narrowed. ‘Who said?’
‘Mate, no-one needs to say , it’s obvious when he drives past in a cloud of blue smoke. And the ride-on mower he carts around in the trailer has seen better days.’
‘Haven’t we all,’ Laurie grumbled. ‘But a bloke looking for work could do a lot worse.’
‘Why all of a sudden does everyone think I’m looking for work?’
‘Wishful thinking, I reckon. And you’re good at it. There’re a lot of elderly folk in this town who barely cope with their yards and home maintenance and they’ll cope a lot less as the months and years pass. But they should be able stay in their own homes until the end, if that’s what they want, and not have the place fall down around their ears. Me being one of them.’
Is that how it’d been for Theo? Had his dad managed less and less until he could see the time fast approaching when he wouldn’t manage at all? Had he been too proud to ask for help? Money too tight to afford it? The rundown state of the house and yard and the meagre savings in Theo’s bank account attested to just that.
Hamish felt a familiar squeeze of remorse. The situation could have— should have —been different.
‘Aren’t there some kind of assistance packages old folk can get from the government?’
Laurie snorted. ‘You mean aged-care packages? Doesn’t matter how many of them the government gives out, if there’re no able-bodied people to do the work, they’re a complete waste of time.’ They traversed the short distance to the back verandah. ‘Time for a cuppa before you head off?’
‘Yeah, a quick one. The cans of paint beckon.’
On the way home, Hamish stopped off at Rosie’s to buy lunch and say hello to Ruth. He parked outside the hardware shop and crossed the road. The cafe’s door squealed, heralding his entry, and he was embraced by the warm and fragrant atmosphere of the cafe. A plump, fresh-faced young woman he hadn’t met before delivered food to table five. As usual, Ruth was busy behind the coffee machine.
Her face lit up when she saw him. ‘Hamish! Table three is free.’
‘I’m after some lunch—takeaway if you don’t mind—and I just had a brew with Laurie.’
She skilfully placed brimming cups onto their waiting saucers. ‘How is he? The knee? He’s having a go at the floor this arvo, but only if he’s okay.’
‘He’s not limping anymore.’ Hamish moved aside to let the young woman collect the prepared drinks.
‘Erin, the two caps are table four, that one there is a weak one for the lady with the spotted top and the tea is for table two,’ Ruth said.
Erin nodded and carefully picked up the cappuccinos, the pink tip of her tongue firmly gripping her top lip.
‘I’m hoping speed will come with confidence. It’s only day six,’ I whispered when Erin had moved off to inch her way towards table four. ‘Pasty slice is on today, with homemade tomato sauce.’
‘If that’s what smells so good, I’ll have it.’
‘Do you want it hot, or will you heat it at home?’
Hamish scanned the cafe. ‘Bugger it,’ he said. ‘I’ll have it here.’ He glanced into the cake cabinet. ‘And a piece of apple pie … and coffee.’
‘Cream, ice cream or both with the apple pie?’
‘Guess.’
‘Hmm …’ Her head tilted to one side. ‘Ice cream.’
‘Bingo!’ he said and her eyes sparkled with amusement.
He made his way to table three. The woman in the spotted top with the weak cappuccino at table four stared at him every step of the way. He smiled and nodded. She turned away, her face the colour of a tomato.
While he waited he took in the cafe, every detail from its welcoming atmosphere to the simplicity of the decor. Hard to imagine anyone other than Ruth standing at the coffee machine. Would he patronise the place when it belonged to someone else? If they proved as formidable a barista as Ruth then of course he would. But only for takeaway.
On his way out, his stomach full, he stopped at the counter. ‘I haven’t paid yet,’ he said to Erin.
‘Yes, he has,’ Ruth called from the servery window.
Erin’s head swivelled from Hamish to Ruth and back again.
Hamish held up his hand. ‘Don’t worry, Erin, let me sort this one out.’ He stepped around the counter and through to the kitchen.
Ruth was at the fryer shaking off hot chips. ‘You haven’t billed me yet for the alley,’ she said without turning from her task.
‘It was a gift, Ruth, my time was a gift. I wanted to do it for you.’
‘Your time and your expertise. Not just anyone could have constructed that.’
‘I enjoy working with my hands and it was a challenge.’
‘Okay,’ she said and glanced over her shoulder at him. ‘Thank you. Now I’m going to show my appreciation by feeding you, free of charge, and it’s something I’m good at.’ She scooped chips into a bowl and sprinkled them with salt. She spun around, slid the bowl onto the servery window and tapped the bell for Erin to collect it then glanced at the next order. The oven timer binged. She grabbed a tea towel and went to open the oven.
He threw up his hands. ‘All right, you win. I won’t pay. By the way, the pasty slice was the best I’ve ever tasted. But you didn’t bake the apple pie, did you?’
‘No.’ She paused long enough to look at him. ‘Was it okay?’
‘Yep. The average punter mightn’t notice the difference, but I did.’
‘Get away with you,’ she said, grinning, and flicked him with the corner of the tea towel.
He laughed and let himself out the kitchen door.