Summerswitch Part 04

by Maeryn Lamonte

The unfriendly clouds were grouping together and by the time we reached Carol’s front door the wind was rising and there was a decidedly ominous darkness bearing down on us.

“Thank goodness,” Aunt Carol sounded relieved as we came in ahead of the weather. She picked up the phone and dialled. “Hello Edith? They’ve just walked in… No they’re fine… I’ll keep them here for now… OK just one moment.”

She handed the phone to me.

“Hello?”

“Shelley dear! Oh I’m so relieved. I saw the clouds gathering and I didn’t like to think of you out in that sort of weather.”

There was a crackle on the phone and a few seconds later a rumble of thunder. A dark shadow passed over the house and cold fingers run up and down my spine as I looked out at the black clouds. If we’d carried on up the path we would have been caught in the middle of this.

Something my science teacher had said once nagged me from the back of my mind.

“Gran we should hang up now, it’s not safe to use the telephone in a thunderstorm.”

Another crackle on the line and another rumble, closer this time, accentuated the point.

“Alright dear, we’ll see you after the storm has passed.”

I hung up the phone and pulled my cardigan tight around me. Outside the rain began to fall in big fat drops.

Carol brewed some tea and suggested we play a game. Shelley looked unsure for a minute and I realised that he wouldn’t know where my aunt kept such things.

“I like that Idea,” I said taking his arm and pulling him towards the lounge. “Are they in here?”

When we were out of Carol’s sight I pointed to the relevant cupboard and Shelley gave me a grateful smile as she opened it. The selection wasn’t immense, but with my love of literature Scrabble had become something of a favourite. Carol was always a challenge as she usually managed at least one or two seven letter words in a game. I pointed at the box and Shelley gave a shrug as we pulled it down.

We had set the board up by the time Carol carried in a tray full of tea and scones, jam and whipped cream! My taste buds were dancing in anticipation and I resolutely ignored the calorie alarm bells that seemed to be hardwired into my currently female brain.

“Oh what a surprise,” Carol said when she spotted the Scrabble board. “Did you give Shelley a -choice?”

“Actually it was her idea Aunt Carol,” Shelley told her as he shook the bag of letters and offered it to me.

I allowed myself two of the scones and relished every last morsel. Shelley glared at me once or twice, I imagine counting the calories I was adding to her body, but jam and cream scones have always been my greatest weakness, more so even than chocolate, and I figured I’d actually been pretty good with her body this far and deserved a treat.

The game was a good one. Shelley held her own against Aunt Carol and me despite my constantly distracting him by grabbing him every time the lightning struck close by. The distraction must have worked though because he opened up a seven letter word for me on a triple word score, and that put me far enough ahead that neither of them could close the gap. Carol made some comment about unfair tactics and threatened to tie me down next time we played, and I offered to knock twenty-five points off my score to make things fair; it still left me two points ahead.

The storm lasted for more than an hour and pulled the temperature down enough that Aunt Carol lit a fire in the grate while we packed away the game. We then sat around enjoying the dancing yellow flames and chatting about everything and nothing over a fresh cup of tea. I had my legs tucked up under me on the sofa and was leaning back against Shelley. I had always wondered how sitting like that could possibly be comfortable, but now that I was capable of it myself it seemed natural.

At one point in the conversation Carol asked if there was anything else we wanted to do while we were staying up here. Shelley suggested Water World again, no doubt thinking of that ridiculous swimsuit and Carol, who seemed to have figured out that I was at that particular point in my cycle, suggested the end of the week. Enthusiastic agreement all round and it was settled.

“Actually,” Carol said as something of an afterthought, “there’s something else I’d like to do with you on the Friday, so how about we make it Thursday instead?”

She wouldn’t divulge anything more other than to say we would need posh clothes for the evening. We agreed to swimming on the Thursday and I drifted into excited speculation as to what Carol had planned for the Friday. It must have shown from the cat-got-the-cream look of satisfaction she had about her.

The rain eased and the thunder reduced to an occasional quiet grumble in the east. Carol glanced at the clock and suggested I get home because, if she knew my grandparents, they wouldn’t completely stop worrying until I was back under their roof. Shelley offered to walk me back so we picked up the picnic basket and ducked out into the rain with one of Aunt Carol’s umbrellas.

Water was running freely down either side of the road, the drains unable to cope with such a sudden onslaught, and there were deep puddles everywhere. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic on the road and we managed to be away from any standing water whenever a car came through.

“Oh dear, thank goodness you’re all right,” Gran greeted me at the door; apparently Carol’s instincts were on the money. “You must be freezing, let me run you a bath and then you can sit with us by the fire.”

Shelley had been standing outside hoping for an invitation to come in. When none seemed forthcoming he said, “OK, I’ll be off then. Call you tomorrow Shell?”

I gave him a grateful and apologetic grin. “Yeah OK. Thanks for today.”

He smiled back and I felt myself going all soft inside. Yet again I found myself leaning against the door watching him as he walked away.

Gran was already upstairs running the bath and I followed her up.

“I’m really fine Gran,” I said. “I’ve spent the last couple of hours with Jerry round at Carol’s; we spent most of the time sitting in front of a fire.”

“Well it won’t do you any harm will it dear?” She had already added a generous amount of bath salts and oils and the steam smelt like a taste of heaven. I suspect she was feeling guilty for not having tried to stop me going out earlier.

“Take your time dear, and when you come down I’ll make you a nice cup of cocoa.”

I smiled and gave her a hug.

“I love you Gran.” It seemed like the right thing to say and it left her flustered.

“Yes well, I’m glad you’re back safe is all.” She seemed to be blinking away a tear or two and I suddenly felt guilty that I had caused her to worry. She hurried down the stairs before I could say anything more.

I undressed and wrapped my hair in a towel to stop it from getting wet, then settled into the steaming water. It was scalding hot, but somehow that simply made the experience more enjoyable more relaxing. As Jerry I would have been making ow-ow noises and running cold water over my foot into the bath, and I wondered if this was a girl thing or just that Shelley’s body had a higher pain threshold.

I relaxed and drifted in the hot water and perfume for I don’t know how long. The warm water eased away some of the dull ache in my middle, and eventually I pulled myself reluctantly from the water. I towelled myself dry and inserted a new wotsit. Blood flow seemed to be easing off and I figured I’d need to chat with Shelley sometime soon about when I could stop sticking these things in there.

It was only about five o’clock but it didn’t seem worth getting dressed again, so I slipped my nightie on and reached for my dressing gown. It was enormous and soft and fluffy and this was the first time the weather had been cool enough for me to want to use it. I picked up my book and padded downstairs to find that Gran had anticipated my reappearance and placed the promised cup of cocoa on the table beside me as I sat down and curled my legs under me.

“Carol has offered to take Jerry and me swimming on Thursday.” It seemed right to steer the conversation away from the events of the day. “She also mentioned something about taking us out for a treat on Friday, is that OK?”

“Oh yes she mentioned Friday when we were chatting the other day. It sounds rather fun don’t you think?”

“I don’t know she didn’t tell us anything about it. What does she have planned?”

“Ah, well if Carol wants to keep it a secret I don’t think I should be the one to let the cat out of the bag.”

With hindsight I could have played that one better. I picked up my mug with both hands and blew gently across the top. The smell was my second taste of heaven since coming home and I closed my eyes to enjoy it fully.

“Do you have a bathing suit dear? Only I don’t recall seeing anything I could call one in your things.” The question was too casually asked. Gran deliberately didn’t look up from her magazine.

“Er, yeah. I know I have one somewhere.” Well if she was going to keep secrets from me…

Gran mumbled something under her breath which may or may not have been “Lucky Jeremy”. I didn’t really want to follow her down that route so pretended I hadn’t heard anything. I put my mug down and hid my face behind my book.

Around six o’clock Gran stood up and headed for the kitchen. I made to follow her but she put up a hand.

“I think I can manage dear. Why don’t you keep your grandfather company?”

I looked over to the newspaper barrier that hid Grandpa from the rest of the world and raised my eyebrows back at her. I picked my book back up — it was in the middle of really good bit anyway — and ducked my head back behind it.

“OK,” I said lightly and just caught a glimpse of her smile out of the corner of my eye.

Tea was basic but wholesome and tasty fair; lamb chops with mash potatoes and runner beans from the garden in a nice thick gravy with apple crumble to follow. I really like apple crumble, but to make up for that second scone earlier in the afternoon I limited myself to little more than a taste.

I did help dry the dishes after tea and Gran didn’t grumble about it too much, so it seemed that things were getting back to normal between us and I was glad of it. When we were done and the dish water poured away down the sink — after that afternoon’s storm the garden wouldn’t need any more — she gave me a weary peck on the cheek and headed for the stairs.

“I think I’ll turn in,” she said out loud to anyone who might be listening. It was an hour earlier than her usual bedtime, but then I suppose she had spent most of the day worrying.

I felt a twinge of guilt and resolved not to be so selfish. “Night Gran, hope you sleep well.”

There was a rustle of newspaper from Grandpa’s chair and his rheumy eyes looked at me over the tops of his spectacles as I walked back into the lounge.

“Grans gone to bed,” I told him.

He put the paper down and heaved himself to his feet. “Well best not waste an opportunity,” he said with a twinkle in his eye and I found myself smiling at the images that conjured up. “Will you be staying down here a while?”

“Yeah, I thought I might enjoy the fire for a bit longer.” Their TV only picked up the basic five channels and there wasn’t anything on any of them to interest me; still I had my book.

“OK then,” Grandpa headed for the hall. “I’ll lock the front door if you can make sure all the lights are off when you come up.”

I smiled again, “Will do Grandpa.”

We exchanged kisses and he headed on upstairs. I heard muffled sounds of conversation for a minute or two then things quietened down.

The book was forgotten and I lost myself in the flickering flames and glowing embers of the fire. I found myself thinking of Gran and Grandpa. What must it be like to have been together for over fifty years and still be so in love? I pulled my arms and legs in tight and imagined Shelley and me in our seventies living each day like a well choreographed dance, still sharing and enjoying feelings and memories of lives well lived.

Eventually the fire died down and a chill crept into the room. I must have dozed off only to be woken by the cold and a stiffness in my neck. I switched off all the lights as per instructions and headed for my own bed.

-oOo-

I woke the next morning in a lazy drowse. I headed for the bathroom and stayed there only long enough to do what was absolutely necessary before climbing back into bed and snuggling up to my duvet. I heard the front door shut as Grandpa followed his morning ritual to the newsagents and was just slipping into a light sleep when I was startled back awake by a crash from downstairs.

I leapt up and ran down the stairs so fast I still wonder how I didn’t trip and fall. Gran was lying next to the kitchen table surrounded by broken crockery. I ran over to her, careless of the shards of china, and tried shaking her awake. She didn’t respond. I bent over her putting an ear as close to her mouth and nose as I could. She was breathing at least, and when I felt for her pulse it seemed faint and fast but there at least.

I took a breath and gathered my wits. What was it they had taught that day at school? DR ABC, Danger — oops messed that one up, response — no, none, airways! I carefully opened her mouth and felt inside for anything that might cause a blockage. It felt gross, but that was a long way from bothering me. She was almost in the recovery position; all I needed to do was rearrange her limbs slightly to keep her stable.

OK what comes after airways? Breathing and circulation, check and check. OK next we need some help. I headed for the phone and dialled nine-nine-nine.

“Emergency, which service?” The voice was calm and business-like.

“Er, ambulance please.”

“Please hold the line…” In the background I heard the operator give my phone number to the next person down the line and a second later I heard another voice talking to me, this one much more calm and friendly.

“Hello you’re through to ambulance dispatch, my name’s Julie how can I help?”

“Hello, My name’s Shelley Hamilton. I’m staying with my grandparents in Ferrensby. My grandmother has just collapsed. She’s unconscious but she’s still breathing and her pulse is faint and very fast.”

“OK Shelley I’m sending an ambulance on its way to you right now, can you give me your exact address?”

I did so.

“OK, you’re doing really well, can you see you grandmother from the phone Shelley?”

“Yes”

The questions kept coming. What had happened? How had I found her? Was she lying on her side? Could I check her breathing and pulse? How old was I? Was there anyone else in the house to look after me? Julie did a great job keeping me busy and talking to me in a calm relaxed voice for what seemed like forever but was probably less than ten minutes.

“Right Shelley, I’ve heard from the ambulance team and they’re just pulling into your road now. I want you to put the phone down, but don’t hang up, and go to the front door.”

I could see the flashing blue lights through the glass panel in the front door and I opened it as two paramedics ran towards the house. They came in and I hurriedly guided them through the hallway to the kitchen. They knelt beside Gran and started checking her over. I went back to the phone and picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hello Shelley, are they with you yet?”

“Yes they’re with my grandmother now.”

“OK love, I need you to listen to me now. Once the ambulance men are happy that they can move your grandmother, they’re going to take her out to the ambulance on a stretcher and then they’ll take her to hospital.

“I’m going to stay on the phone with you until your grandfather gets back, then I’ll explain the situation to him. Is that alright love?”

“Yeah, yes I suppose so. What’s going to happen to my gran?”

“She’s in good hands sweetheart; the very best. We’ll have her in the hospital and in the care of our doctors before you can blink. You and your grandfather can come down to Harrogate District later this morning when you’re ready and they’ll be able to tell you more then. OK?”

“OK.” The shock was beginning to set in and I sat down on a chair and started to cry.

“Shelley?”

“I’m here.”

“You’re doing really great love. I know this can’t be easy but it’ll be alright.”

“Yeah.”

The ambulance team gave me a reassuring nod and stretchered Gran out to the waiting ambulance, before departing with a wail of sirens. The house seemed suddenly, terrifyingly empty. Julie kept me busy by asking me different details about Gran and it upset me that I had to answer “I don’t know” to most of them. Grandpa must have heard the sirens or seen the ambulance because he was quite out of breath when he came in through the still open front door a minute later.

“Gran collapsed,” I told him, “I called for an ambulance and they took her away. There’s someone who wants to talk to you.” I handed him the phone then backed out of the room as Grandpa sat down to answer Julie’s questions.

It seemed an age later I heard his footstep outside my room. I had been crying into my pillow and wasn’t ready to face him.

“Well Shelley,” his voice was shocked and subdued, “it seems that it was a good thing you were here and acted as you did.”

I turned a little bit, still not showing my face but to let him know I was listening.

“I’ve been talking to the hospital and it seems your Gran had a heart attack. If you hadn’t called for the ambulance, if she’d just laid there till I came back from the shops, then she’d probably be…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence and I could hear the fear in his voice. I turned and threw my arms around him and we cried on each other’s shoulders for a while.

“They say she’s stable and sleeping now. They’re going to keep her in for observation for a couple of days, but we can visit her later this morning.

“They think she’s going to be alright Shell.”

The relief brought on another wave of tears and I clung to Shelley’s grandfather as if he were my own, as if Gran were really my gran.

After a while he pulled me away from himself and stroked my cheek.

“You’d best get up and dressed. I’ve a few more phone calls to make then we’ll head off for the hospital in an about an hour OK? I’ll put the kettle on in a bit and we’ll have a nice cup of tea before we go.”

He was doing his best I knew, but he seemed so lost.

“OK Grandpa,” I said. “I’ll be down in a bit.”

He nodded and left. I took a deep breath, there was someone else who needed to know and I’d been so caught up in my own misery that I hadn’t even thought. Shellie’s mobile phone was on the bedside table. From the lack of incoming texts and phone calls since I’d taken on her life I suspected it was intended for emergency use only, but then I think this counted as such. I punched in my own mobile number and waited.

“I’m sorry, this mobile phone is currently unavailable. Please try later.”

I could kick myself. I’d turned it off the day I arrived a Carol’s. No-one was going to call me and I didn’t have enough money to be phoning or texting people myself.

I thought for a minute trying to remember Aunt Carol’s number. I figured that Gran and Grandpa’s number should have the same area code and after a little digging in Shelley’s address book and a little thinking I punched in a number and crossed my fingers.

“Hello?” A one word musical question; it was Aunt Carol.

“Hello Mrs Newington, this is Shelley. Could I speak to Jerry please?”

“Yes of course dear, just a minute.”

The phone clonked down and Aunt Carol called up the stairs. There was an approaching stampede of elephants and Shelley picked up the phone.

“Hi,” Breathless and not just because he had run down the stairs I think.

“Hi Shelley, can Aunt Carol see you where you are?”

Aunt Carol had a cordless phone and I heard Jerry close the kitchen door and sit down on the stairs.

“Not anymore.”

“OK, something’s happened. I need you to not freak out on me, but your Gran collapsed this morning.”

There was a squeak on the other end of the line and before he started thinking the worst I blurted out the rest.

“She’s OK. They say she had a heart attack or something, but they’ve taken her to the hospital and they’re looking after her. Grandpa and I are going to visit her later this morning.”

He was silent on the other end of the phone.

“Look I’ve got to go and get dressed. If you look in the bottom of my suitcase you’ll find my mobile. Switch it on and I’ll text you news as soon as I get it OK?”

“OK.”

“I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Yeah… Jerry?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

I looked out the window. Yesterday’s wind had died down but the sky was still filled with clouds. So much for summer. I hunted through the wardrobe and picked out a knee length denim skirt, a light blue tee-shirt and an off-white cardigan. I also dug out a pair of nude tights along with my underwear.

Having dressed I looked at my swollen puffy eyes in the mirror. Not a lot I could do about that I thought and just hoped it would subside before Grandpa and I left for the hospital. I threw a few things I expected to need into my black handbag and headed downstairs carrying a pair of slingbacks with what looked like a manageable heel.

Grandpa had made the tea and we sat there in silence, blowing across the hot liquid and taking occasional sips.

“I’ve called your parents. I’m not sure what they’ll want to do.”

A cold dread filled me from head to toe. I hadn’t thought about how long Shelley and I had to sort out our little dilemma. As I understood things, Shelley was supposed to stay up here all summer and I had at least another week with the possibility of extending if Carol was agreeable. Now that Gran was going to have to take it easy for a while there was every possibility that Shelley, that is me in current form, would have to go home to Kent and we’d be stuck as each other for who knew how long.

We lapsed back into silence which was just as well now that I had a whole new potential disaster to think through.

Eventually Grandpa looked up at the clock and took our mugs to the sink. “We’re going to have to get going if we want to catch the eleven o’clock bus.”

I pulled my shoes on and we were just about to head out the front door when the knocker sounded. Grandpa opened the door to find Carol standing there.

“Hello Geoff. I heard what happened to Edith, I’m so sorry. Look I’m not doing anything important today; let me drive you two to the hospital.”

“That’s very kind of you Carol,” Grandpa said looking at me with some confusion. I signed telephoning and pointed at Shelley who was sitting in the back of the car outside. He looked about ready to refuse the offer so Carol charged on ahead.

“Look we’ve been friends for I don’t know how many years; you aren’t going to not let me help now are you?”

Grandpa never really stood a chance. I’m not sure he’s ever had much of an idea on what goes on in a woman’s head and he’d made it through over half a century of happily married life by the simple expedient of going with the flow.

“Of course not Carol; this is very much appreciated. Are you ready Shelley?”

I nodded, squeezed through between them and ran to the back door of the car.

“I see you found a way to keep in the loop,” I said closing the door behind me. I only had a couple of seconds so I barrelled on. “Your grandfather has phoned your parents, I get the impression I may be heading back to Kent sooner than planned.”

Shelley’s eyes widened, but she’s a fast thinker. “When the olds phone, ask to talk to my mother. Once she knows what’s happened she’ll be on our side. I’ll work on Carol and see if I can’t wangle having you come to stay with us for a few nights.”

The front doors opened and Carol and Grandpa climbed in. Shelley gave me an it’ll-be-alright squeeze of the hand and I held on until he got the idea that I wanted — no, needed — the contact. The journey passed in silence and I was grateful for Shelley’s touch.

Carol dropped Grandpa and me at the main entrance and Shelley asked if he could tag along for moral support. I gave Carol my best puppy-dog eyes and she rolled hers back.

“OK get out,” she told Shelley. “I’ll park the car and come and find you.”

We walked into the hospital with me hanging onto Shelley’s arm. It didn’t seem quite right that I should be leaning so heavily on him when it was his grandmother who was ill, but right or wrong it seemed to work; he seemed to gain as much strength from me hanging onto him as I did having him to hang onto.

Grandpa went up to the front desk and asked where we could find Gran. The receptionist checked her computer and gave us a floor and room number. Grandpa then asked Shelley to wait for Carol and bring her up when she got there, so I reluctantly let go of his hand and followed Grandpa to the lift.

The duty nurse on Gran’s floor directed us to her room and Grandpa warned her that there would be two more coming up soon. The nurse wasn’t too keen on having so many visitors at once but said she’d see what she could do.

Gran was awake when we reached her room and I let Grandpa go into her first. After a while they looked up at me and beckoned me in.

“I’m told I have you to thank for being here at all,” she smiled weakly up at me.

“Oh Gran, if I hadn’t worried you so much yesterday you’d never have collapsed in the first place!”

There it was; the thought that had been troubling me all morning. I hadn’t been able to articulate it, even to myself, until that moment. I looked up into two pairs of very shocked eyes.

Gran recovered first. “Oh Shelley, this had nothing to do with yesterday. I’ve had a heart condition for some time now and even with the pills the doctor warned us that something like this might happen one day; we’re just grateful you were around when it happened.

“You may have noticed that your grandfather seems to sit around the house an awful lot.” She patted his hand and favoured him with an affectionate look. “Ever since the doctor gave me the news he’s tried to be close by as much as possible, but you know I don’t think either of us would be able to stand that. So we agreed on a compromise. He takes his walk down to the newsagent every morning so that we both start the day with a short break from each other, then we see what the rest of the day has to give. Sometimes we do things together, sometimes he stays in the lounge and I stay in the kitchen. Sometimes I go out with a friend or a granddaughter and he gets to go off into the big wide world and have an adventure all his own.”

“You know I’ve never had a greater adventure in my life than sharing it with you.”

“Oh stop that nonsense you old fool!” And Gran actually blushed. I looked at Grandpa with new respect as I realised that had been his intention.

Just then Carol and Shelley appeared in the doorway.

“Edith!” Carol ran to the bed. “It’s good to see you awake; I didn’t know what to think when Jerry told me what had happened.”

“Jerry?” Gran sounded confused.

“I called him this morning after the ambulance took you away. We were going to meet up later today and I needed to let him know I wasn’t going to be able to make it.”

“Oh I see. Well it was good of you to come Carol, but you really didn’t need to put yourself out.”

“But that is what friends do for each other Edith.”

Shelley had wandered into the room and came up beside me.

“Mrs Hamilton.” He said a little uneasily. I could tell he was close to tears, but he held it together pretty well.

“Jerry came up with a rather bright idea just now,” Carol continued. “I assume that the hospital’s going to want to keep you in for a few days, and I imagine Geoff’s going to want to be taking care of you as much as he can, so why doesn’t Shelley come and stay with us for a few days? I have a perfectly comfortable couch downstairs which Jerry has offered to use, and Shelly can have his room.”

“Oh I couldn’t ask you to do that Carol, it’d be too much trouble.”

“What? Looking after two people who are quite happy to spend every waking moment together instead of looking after one who mopes about all the time when your granddaughter’s not around? You have to be kidding, it will be a pleasure.”

Glances were exchanged, then shrugs and tentative nods. I smiled up at Shelley and put my arm around his waist.

“Alright dear, if you’re absolutely sure I suppose it does make a lot of sense.”

“Well the duty nurse only let us in on the understanding that we only stay a very short while. Come on Jerry we need to get some shopping in.”

I must have looked a bit wistful as Jerry separated himself from me and headed for the door, because Gran smiled over at me. “Why don’t you go too Shelley dear, I think your grandfather and I would like to spend a bit of time alone together if you don’t mind.”

I didn’t need to be told twice.

“Will you want a lift back home Geoff?” Aunt Carol wasn’t quite done.

“No. I don’t plan to leave here till they throw me out, not even then if I can help it.

“Oh but you might need this.” Grandpa handed me a key. “I’m assuming you’ll want some clothes and things if you’re going to be staying with friends for a while.”

To Carol he said, “If they do manage to throw me out of here I may drop by to pick it up on my way home.”

Then as a parting shot, “Oh and I’ll call Shelley’s parents again in a while; let them know what’s happened. If you don’t mind I’ll let them have your number so they can talk to Shelley.”

“That’ll be fine Geoff. Perhaps you’ll give us a call at the same time to let us know how things are.”

He nodded his agreement and Aunt Carol scribbled her number down on a scrap of paper and handed it to him.

-oOo-

We collected the car and headed for a nearby supermarket where we appropriated two trolleys and Carol gave us half the list with the instructions to meet back in the central aisle in half an hour. We filled our quota with five minutes to spare and still Carol was waiting for us when we’d done.

“What took you so long?” she asked us and headed for the checkout.

We stopped off at Gran and Grandpa’s long enough for me to chuck my nightie, some underwear and half a dozen dresses, skirts and tops into my smallest suitcase. Since Gran and Grandpa were out of the picture for a few days I also added a couple of pairs of trousers and shorts. A few pairs of shoes for different occasions, some makeup, a couple of handbags, my hair-drier, wash-bag, skin cleansers and makeup removal; by the time I was done I wondered if I shouldn’t have chosen the larger suitcase.

I’d nearly finished Shelley’s book and chucked it in as an afterthought since I wasn’t sure how much time I would have for reading over the next few days. If I was lucky not a lot, but just in case.

With the suitcase on the seat between us, we did the last short hop home. The case went into the hall awaiting the Great Rearrangement and we all pitched in unloading the shopping and transferring it to cupboards, fridges and freezers. Shelley headed up to my room to clear out his stuff and bring the bedding down. Carol told him where to find fresh bedding and we remade m bed between us. By the time I moved in I had a drawer in the dresser and half the wardrobe at my disposal.

My body reminded me that I hadn’t visited the littlest room in quite a few hours and I grabbed my bag and headed for the loo. Ding went off in the back of my head and I asked Shelley when I should stop loading the torpedoes.

He laughed at the euphemism, and quite possibly at my stupidity. “When you stop bleeding silly.”

I headed off to do the business; well it looked like this particular experience was nearly at an end. After such a terrifyingly awful start this day looked like it was going to end pretty well.

The phone rang.

“Shelley,” Aunt Carol’s voice rang up the stairs, “it’s for you.”

I was suddenly nervous, “Coming,” I yelled and finished what I was doing.

My hands were damp with perspiration as I walked down the stairs to pick up the phone. I’d never met Shelley’s parents; never even seen a photograph of them, now I had to talk to them as though I’d known them all my life.

“Hello?”

“Michelle?” It was a warm, deep voice and it took a second before I registered that Shelley must be an abbreviation.

“Hi Dad… Daddy,” I stammered a bit as I tried to cudgel my brain into gear.

“I just spoke to your grandfather, I’m sorry you had to be there when Gran collapsed sweetie. We’ll be driving up to collect you tomorrow.”

“No Daddy, it’s OK. You don’t need to do that. I saw Gran at the hospital this morning and she’s already looking loads better, besides I’m staying with a friend for a few days. Things are all under control here and I’m fine.” Maybe I sounded just a little desperate.

“Michelle it’s all arranged alright? We’ll be with you by tomorrow lunchtime. Your Mum and I have been talking and we realise we really haven’t been all that fair to you. We’re taking a couple of weeks’ holiday as a family. How does Barbados sound?”

It actually sounded pretty great, except that it was Shelley who should be spending it with her parents, not me. And what would happen to us if we couldn’t change back?

“It sounds great Dad,” I came over as unenthusiastic, but then that’s how I felt, “it’s just that this friend I’m staying with? It’s a boy and I kind of like him.” I said the last in a kind of stage whisper.

“Oh!” Dad sounded a bit put out. “Well if he’s better than two weeks with your parents in the Caribbean, I think I might have to meet him.”

“I’m sorry Daddy, it’s just that the timing couldn’t be worse. We’re just really getting to know one another and if I leave now we may never pick things up again.”

“Well I’ll tell you what, we’ll come up anyway and stay somewhere nearby. I want to see how your gran is for myself and we’ll maybe stay around until the weekend to make sure they’re alright then head off, that’ll give you the rest of this week then we’ll see. How does that sound?”

“Sounds great Dad.” I wished I could sound put more eagerness into my voice. “I love you.”

“I know sweetie and I love you too. Hang on your mother wants a word.”

The phone was bumped around for a bit and I heard a muffled conversation/argument in the background before…

“Hi sweetie-pie, are you ok?”

By this time I had taken the phone up to my bedroom and shut the door. I was going to need a bit of privacy for this bit.

“Hi Mum, actually no things are not that good. Can you go somewhere where Dad can’t hear your half of the conversation?”

I heard a door close. “What is it sweetie, what’s wrong.”

“Well it’s kind of hard to explain Mum, er Mrs Hamilton. You see I’m not actually your daughter.”

“What! What is this? What are you talking about?” Her voice had dropped to a very urgent whisper.

“My name’s Jerry Newington, I came up here to spend a couple of weeks with my Aunt Carol and met Shelley on the train coming up. We kind of went out for a picnic together and things got kind of complicated.”

“I’m listening,” there was a no nonsense mother-protecting-child tone to her voice. “Start uncomplicating things for me.”

“Well you see I kind of liked her and she liked me, but there’s this girl at home I have feelings for and I told your daughter it wasn’t fair of me to get closer to her while I couldn’t help thinking of this other girl…”

“Go on.” The tone of voice sounded impatient.

“Well she took it really well. She said she understood and that she wanted to give me something. She told me I lacked confidence, that every time I thought about this other girl I had this thing about me that said why should she look at me, so she wanted me to be able to see myself through her eyes, ‘cos she really likes me.

“Anyway she did this weird thing and then kissed me and it was like electricity going all through my body, and when I woke up the next morning I was her and she was me.”

The other end of the phone was silent for a long time. I was about ready to ask if she was still there when she spoke again.

“Did my daughter tell you anything else.”

“She told me about the charm that you passed onto her, the sort of glowy thing on her hand? She also said she didn’t know what the spell would do, or if it would work at all, and the body-swop thing was totally unexpected. She says we need to work the spell to its conclusion so I need to get to a point where I in her body am thinking about her in mine in the same way that she thought about me the first day we met.”

“I thought I asked you to uncomplicated things? No it’s alright I think I know what you’re saying. OK so why don’t you follow the spell to its conclusion? I mean if Shelley fell for you I’m guessing that you’re quite a good looking guy.”

“It’s not that easy Mrs Hamilton. First I was angry with her for getting me into this mess, then that time of the month started. Beyond that isn’t it a bit narcissistic for me to try and fall in love with my own body?”

She was chuckling quietly to herself. “Well I have to hand it to you Shelley, your timing really sucks.”

“I’m assuming that’s rhetorical because like I said I’m not Shelley.”

“Ooh you do like your big words don’t you young man? No it was rhetorical, and I suppose I can understand why you wouldn’t want to come to Barbados with us as our daughter. Tell me how do you feel about Shelley in your body now?”

“Well he’s kind of cute and he has nice eyes and lovely smile.” I could feel my voice softening as I thought through all the things I was beginning to like about Shelley. “He’s kind and thoughtful and gentle, not pushy or rude.”

“OK I get the picture, sounds like you’re heading in the right direction. Alright Mr Newington I’ll see what I can do, but you tell my daughter that if he takes advantage of you I am going to ground her for the rest of her life.”

That was just too weird a sentence for me to get my head round properly. ”Thanks Mrs Hamilton.” I tried to shift myself back into character. “I’ll see you tomorrow then Mum, love you.”

I hung up and took the phone back downstairs. Carol and Shelley were playing a game of chess and Shelley was doing better than I usually managed against my aunt. I coughed to get their attention for a minute.

“My erm, my Mum and Dad are coming up tomorrow. Dad said he would try and find somewhere nearby to stay for a few days so they can help sort Gran and Grandpa out. They’re talking about taking me back home at the weekend.”

-oOo-

“Well if you two are only going to be around for the rest of this week I suppose I’ll have to start getting my money’s worth out of you.”

Shelley and I looked at each other. Shelley recovered first.

“Say what?” OK not much of a recovery.

“Shelley’s just told us she’s going back home with her parents this weekend and your parents only sent you up to me for a couple of weeks; also due to end this weekend.”

Shelley and I mirrored our shock at each other. His I expect was because I hadn’t told him I — that is he if we ended up stuck like this — was due to go home this weekend; mine was because it had slipped my mind. I suppose two weeks ago it seemed like we had forever to sort out the mess we were in then somewhere along the way I had forgotten that I hadn’t mentioned it.

“Anyway,” Aunt Carol continued, “if you want to go to Water World on Thursday and I want to do this thing I was planning with you on Friday evening, with the expectation that we’ll have to spend a reasonable amount of Friday getting ready for it, then we have only what’s left of today, tomorrow and some of Wednesday for you to help out around the place and make yourselves useful.”

“I could always stay on another week or two.” Shelley said a bit lamely.

“Good heavens no! I have plans for next week, besides with Shelley gone you’ll be pretty miserable company. It’s a nice thought Jerry, but I think it’ll have to wait for another time.

“Come on you two, don’t look so down you still have most of a week together and that’s almost as long as you’ve known each other already. Anything can happen in that time, and right now we’re going to start with a little bit of clearing and mending so get your scruffs on.”

Ten minutes later I was back in my canvas trousers and the halter neck top I’d worn the other day. Shelley was wearing a slightly tattier pair of jeans and a truly revolting tee-shirt. Were some of my clothes really that disgusting? I resolved to have a good throw out as soon as I got my life back.

Carol and I set to with garden forks and hoes, clearing out a patch of brambles that seemed to stretch on forever while Shelley was given the job of repairing a dry stone wall, something that required a lot more brute force than Carol or I could provide and only needed an occasional comment from Carol regarding which stone to place where.

We put a couple of hours’ hard slog in and Carol and Jerry kindly offered me first dibs on the shower. I tried not to hog it for too long, but I needed to wash my hair before Shelley’s Mum and Dad arrived the next day and I found myself apologising for taking so long when I finally emerged wrapped in towels.

By the time Shelley had finished Carol had a couple of pizzas heating in the oven and I’d pretended to hunt for and find the plates and things needed to lay the table.

“You know it’s so good to have you here,” Carol told me. “Jerry’s a sweet boy, but he’d never have just got on and laid the table without being asked or told.”

She was right as well. Before this week I’d never have just got on and done a job that needed doing. Maybe sometimes I might have volunteered to do a job or asked if there was anything I could do, but I didn’t actually do things until I was asked or told. This week it had just felt right somehow to get on and do the jobs I could see needed doing. If Carol or Gran had needed to ask then it would have been like they kind of assumed command, but by doing things without asking or being told it was more equal; more of a friendship thing.

Shelley was showered in about five minutes flat. He’d washed his hair as well and I suspected it would be dry before the pizza was ready. Mine was still wrapped in a towel.

“I bet you don’t miss this,” I told him after Carol had headed upstairs. I had unwound the towel and was rubbing vigorously at the back of my head.

“Sit down,” he said, “let me have a go.”

So I did and drifted into a state of near bliss as Shelley’s strong fingers gently massaged my scalp.

I came back to the land of the living as a buzzing sounded from the rather antiquated electric oven. Shelley was looking at me with a kind of dopey look on his face which just intensified my own good feelings, and it took Carol hurrying down the stairs and yelling for someone to rescue our tea from cremation to snap us out of our separate reveries.

After we’d eaten Carol chased me upstairs to do something with my hair before it decided to turn into a rats’ nest and she and Shelley washed up the plates and stuff. There was still some light left in the summer sky when we all finished, but with the prospect of a long day’s work ahead of us we all decided to put our heads down. Carol thought it was safe enough to assume that Grandpa wouldn’t be stopping by but I left the Hamilton’s front door key on the hall table just in case he did turn up later.

I might have been tempted to sneak down and spend some time with Shelley, but the stairs in Aunt Carol’s house had a tendency to creek at random intervals and she was a light sleeper. There was pretty much no way either of us would be able to reach the other without Carol knowing about it and getting in the way. It was more than a little bit frustrating, but it had been a physically and emotionally tiring day and I found sleep came remarkably easily.

The next day threatened to be a scorcher so I put my hair into a ponytail and slipped into a pair of shorts and a spaghetti strap top. We worked steadily through the morning, stopping for the occasional drink and nibble. Shelley kept looking at me when he thought my back was turned which kept a smile on my face despite the scratches I was getting from all the brambles we were clearing. Most of the time Carol and I were far enough away from Shelley to be able to hold a private conversation if we kept our voices low.

“So how often do you come up and visit your grandparents?”

I didn’t know so I took a guess. “Oh Easter and summer mainly, although I have visited in autumn once or twice.”

Carol glanced at Shelley. “I suspect I shall have a few more visits from now on. You know he’s quite smitten with you.”

My face flushed hot. “Do you think so?”

“Oh I know so, just like I know you have feelings for him too.”

I risked a glance at the girl in my body. He looked quickly away as though he’d been caught doing something improper, and I realised as a slight thrill coursed through me that Carol was right. But if that was the case shouldn’t we have swapped back by now? I mean weren’t these the feelings Shelley had wanted me to experience?

“It would be a shame for the two of you to go back home without having taken things a little further you know?” She said it lightly as though it were little more than idle speculation.

“You’re probably right,” I could be nonchalant too, “but I’m not sure he’ll get that far.”

“He nearly made a mess of things at the beginning of last week; I shall be extremely annoyed if he ends this one by doing the same.”

“Yes but he has more than made up for what he said earlier…”

“And he won’t have the chance to do so again if he fouls things up at the end of the week. You know sometimes men need a little nudge, sometimes you need to take things into your own hands.”

“What do you mean?”

And for the next half hour Carol told me stories of different friends and acquaintances who had done just that. She had me in fits of laughter and Shelley staring daggers when he thought we were laughing at him.

We had sandwiches and homemade lemonade for lunch then did another two hour stint before Carol declared a halt for the day. By the time we were done, the repairs to the dry wall were about two thirds complete and Carol and I had cleared out almost all of the brambles and weeds from the garden.

“I never expected to get this far, you two have worked like Trojans today.”

I felt myself go red and didn’t dare look at Shelley. For a moment all I could think of was a certain type of vending machine found in public toilets, and the image of one of those wielding a hoe was almost too much.

Carol continued, unaware of the turmoil she had caused. “I think you two should get showered and changed into something a bit smarter. Unless I miss my guess we’ll be having a visit from your parents before very long Shelley, and maybe your grandfather too.”

I made myself scarce and showered off the stink of hard labour. It didn’t take as long as the previous day but Shelley was still standing outside the bathroom door tapping his foot as I stepped out.

I stuck my tongue out at him. “You’re just hoping for chance to ogle a bit more skin.”

“I think I saw more than my fair share of skin today,” he said with a dreamy smile then disappeared through the door before I could hit him.

I opened the wardrobe and took out a pale pink sleeveless top and a cherry blossom skirt. They were more spoils from the marathon shop with Gran and I had planned to wear them on Thursday when we went swimming. Somehow it now seemed more appropriate that I put on something new for Shelley’s Mum and Dad; a sort of way of showing I appreciated the allowance. Besides there was always that pink beach dress for Thursday…

I dressed quickly and did a few poses in front of the wardrobe’s full length mirror. Ten minutes with a hair brush and a plum coloured hairband had me pretty much ready. I did a twirl in front of the mirror and felt the skirt swirl deliciously about my thighs. I ended it with a delighted laugh and caught a glimpse in the mirror of what must have been messing with Shelley’s mind all this week. I looked amazing!

It wasn’t the clothes, though they looked good on me too. It was something about the eyes and the face, like there was a fire inside or a spark which brought everything so much more to life. I was enjoying this too much.

-oOo-