Day Seventeen (Wednesday)
‘I didn’t expect to see you again, at least not for a while,’ Meredith said, greeting Edward with a look of mild amazement.
‘I know, I feel a bit sheepish coming in, after we’d said our goodbyes,’ Edward admitted. ‘The truth is I’ve decided to stay in Swansea, at least for a bit. I’ve actually taken a part-time job, in a second-hand bookshop. That’s why you haven’t seen me. I’ve been busy there.’
‘Wow, you do surprise me,’ Meredith said. ‘I thought you’d only recently retired. Bored already?’
‘Not exactly, I’m just helping out a friend for a little while,’ Edward explained.
‘Where’s the shop?’ Meredith asked.
‘It’s in a little side street off King Edward’s Road,’ Edward replied.
Meredith looked quizzically for a moment, as if she was trying to place it in her head.
‘I don’t think I know it,’ she said, at last.
‘That’s the problem. Not many people do,’ Edward said.
‘But then, I don’t often buy books,’ Meredith acknowledged.
‘The owner, Jill, is on her own. She just needs someone to help out and take some of the workload from her,’ Edward said. ‘That’s where I come in. It quite suits me, as I like being around books.’
‘I’ve noticed that,’ Meredith interrupted, in a jocular manner, with a smile on her face.
‘And I don’t really have anything more pressing to occupy my time,’ Edward continued. ‘I’ve been to all the museums, art galleries and parks now, as far as I know. I was just starting to run out of things to do.’
‘It sounds very generous of you. I hope she appreciates what you’re doing for her,’ Meredith remarked.
‘She’s doing me a favour too,’ Edward said. ‘I’ve now got my own room above the shop.’
‘As long as you’re not being taken advantage of,’ Meredith said.
‘It’s definitely not like that. We’re just two slightly lonely people of a certain age, who enjoy each other’s company and can be of help to each other,’ Edward responded, trying to formulate his friendship with Jill into some kind of words.
‘It sounds idyllic,’ Meredith commented.
‘I guess it is,’ Edward nodded.
‘So, how long do you think you’ll stay there?’ Meredith asked.
‘I’m not really sure,’ Edward answered, truthfully. ‘Maybe for the duration of the summer, whilst I get a few things sorted for her. After making a start this week, I can see there’s quite a lot that needs to be done. It’s unlikely to take less than a couple of months.’
‘So, will I still be seeing you regularly?’ Meredith wondered.
‘When I get a morning off like today, you probably will. I couldn’t keep away if I tried,’ Edward said. ‘I may have a dog with me in future, by the way. Jill has one called Beti I’ve been taking for walks.’
‘That’s all right. We allow dogs if they’re well behaved,’ Meredith said.
‘This one’s very well behaved,’ Edward assured her.
‘So, what are you having today?’ Meredith enquired, aware another customer had walked in behind Edward and was also waiting to be served.
‘Oh, the usual please. A latte and whatever cake you recommend,’ Edward replied.
‘I’ve got a nice fruit cake or a raspberry and lemon sponge,’ Meredith said.
‘They both sound nice, but I think I’ll have the raspberry,’ Edward said.
‘I’ll bring it over,’ Meredith confirmed, after taking Edward’s payment.
Edward found a table and made himself comfortable.
‘Something’s missing,’ Meredith commented, when she brought him his coffee and cake.
‘What’s that?’ Edward asked.
‘No book,’ Meredith pointed out.
‘Ha, you’re right,’ Edward confessed. ‘I’ve just finished one and I forgot to pick another up.’
‘There’s no excuse for that now you’re working in a bookshop,’ Meredith laughed.
‘I know,’ Edward conceded. ‘It’s most remiss of me.’
Meredith then left Edward in peace, to enjoy his coffee and cake. As he had no book on him, he decided to check a couple of things on his phone. It had occurred to him that if he was to stay a while longer, he might join a local art or photography class or something similar, if he could find one. To his mild disappointment, he did find a few things, but it looked as if most were about to break for summer. There were, however, a couple of venues running summer courses he might consider. At least he now had a better idea what was on offer and where in Swansea such classes as there were took place. It was another thing to think about if he was to make a temporary, new life in the city.
‘Lovely to see you again,’ Meredith told him, as he readied to leave. ‘When will I see you next?’
‘When I get another morning off, I expect,’ Edward said. ‘Until then,’ he called out, as he headed towards the door.
‘Bye for now,’ she waved after him.
Edward waved back cheerily. It was always nice to see Meredith, but other errands were awaiting him. He started to wander the shopping streets, looking for charity shops. In each he passed, he proceeded immediately to the book section. He was looking for bargains and rarities he and Jill might be able to sell on for a significant profit. In all, Edward went in around a dozen charity shops. He found three or four books he thought were worth a punt on. They cost him almost nothing and he thought there was a chance at least they might be of interest to a collector. Potentially, he could sell them on at many times what he’d paid for them, or Jill could, if they hadn’t sold before he left.
On his way back to the bookshop, Edward popped into a camera shop, to pick up a decent camera. He wanted something a bit better than his phone, to take pictures on. In his mind, he had a vague notion of taking high-definition photographs he could ultimately blow up and frame. Perhaps he could have his own exhibition in time. Maybe that was going a bit far. He hadn’t taken one photo yet, let alone enough for an exhibition. If any were any good, perhaps he could hang them in the bookshop. They might give it a new, more modern air, like a gallery, if he could only take the right kind of photographs, not that he knew exactly what they might be. He just had some unclear concept in his head of taking something arty.
Edward was happy to be guided by the camera salesman. He didn’t know exactly what he wanted. He just wanted something of reasonable quality, capable of taking what he termed professional photographs. He wanted a camera a professional photographer would be happy with, he explained. He ended up spending over a thousand pounds in the shop. Of course, it was nothing to him. It was the same as someone of less wealth spending fifty to a hundred. He’d be careful not to show Jill the receipt. He’d say he’d got it reduced or in the sale or wouldn’t show it to her at all. He could claim he’d had it with him all along. One day, when the time was right, he’d tell her he was a wealthy man, and that money wasn’t really a concern to him. It was no great matter whether the bookshop made money or not, as far as he was concerned. It only mattered in so far as it mattered to Jill. As it mattered to Jill, it mattered to him. For that reason alone, he would help make it more profitable, or try his best to. Otherwise, he could have just given Jill the money, enough that she’d never have to work again. He could have written the cheque now. When he got back to the bookshop, he asked Jill how the morning had been.
‘Pretty quiet,’ she replied.
‘Did you manage to sell anything?’ Edward enquired.
‘Only one thing, although there are a couple of emails asking for books that I think we might have somewhere,’ Jill said.
‘We’re not going to get very fat on that,’ Edward joked. ‘No matter, I picked up a couple of books in the charity shops, we might be able to sell. I thought I might try car boot sales next,’ he said.
‘That’s a good idea,’ Jill said.
‘Did you do any more sorting?’ Edward asked.
‘I did a bit,’ Jill said. ‘I spent too much time talking to Beti and daydreaming if I’m honest. I actually fear you’re better suited to this job than I am.’
‘Don’t worry. I can do some more this afternoon,’ Edward said. ‘Do you want me to take Beti for a walk today or will you when you go out?’ he asked.
‘I can if you like. I’ve got a few things to do, and she can tag along. I’ll take the car today. You know you can always borrow it too if you want,’ Jill said.
‘That’s really kind. I might just do that,’ Edward said. ‘I didn’t actually know you drove. I was thinking of hiring a car in fact.’
‘I hardly ever use it anyway, only to visit my mother and take her out, or to go the supermarket,’ Jill explained. ‘I’m not a confident driver. It’s just handy to have here if there was ever an emergency. I forget I have it myself sometimes, as with the bookshop I’m never able to go out in it very much.’
For some reason, Edward hadn’t really taken in the fact that Jill owned a car. He’d simply assumed she relied on public transport and her own two feet, just as he did. He’d never seen her drive and she hadn’t ever really mentioned it. It made perfect sense though. She’d said she’d been to see her mother. She must have taken the car then. It should have occurred to him before. He had to admit it would be nice for him to take the car out occasionally, or indeed go with Jill sometimes if she was up for it. That much was abundantly clear to him. It would be of huge potential benefit for the pair. It would open up a whole new avenue of possibilities for them, to explore the surrounding area together.
‘Have you had lunch yet?’ Jill asked.
‘I was going to make a sandwich or something quickly upstairs, before I start work,’ Edward said.
‘I tell you what, you hold the fort and I’ll go up and make something,’ Jill offered. ‘I’ll bring it down when it’s ready.’
‘If you insist,’ Edward agreed, taking his now familiar seat behind the front desk.
He hadn’t put his camera away yet, he realised. Luckily, it was hidden in a bag with the books he’d bought. He’d slip it upstairs to his room later, hopefully without Jill noticing, not that it really mattered if she did see it. She just might wonder why he’d spent so much on a camera, when there were probably better things to spend money on. If she did notice his purchase, he’d just have to come clean and confess he wasn’t short of a million or two. He’d drop it casually into the conversation. He was quite intrigued to see what her reaction would be. Knowing Jill as he did, she probably wouldn’t care that much, or be too bothered either way. She’d probably just think it was his business that he was choosing to live in a single room and not the mansion he could have rented, even if his choice was a little odd.
Jill sat with Edward, whilst they enjoyed their lunch together. It was some kind of mixed bean stew, with crusty bread. It was nice. The herbs and spices Jill had added made it very tasty. She was a good cook, much better than he was. There was no culinary comparison between the two of them, in truth. She was very competent in the kitchen. He was a total blunderer, unsure even of what were the correct utensils to use. That was something else for him to add to his list of things he needed to learn. He’d spent too many years being waited on or eating out. He’d never really had to fend for himself. Now was his chance to do so, though so far Jill had made it very easy for him. He’d done no more than he would have at home. Edward suspected she’d taken him on as some kind of project, though exactly what that project was, it remained uncertain.
Jill headed off a little after two, taking Beti with her. Edward was alone in the shop. They hadn’t exactly been inundated with customers, whilst having lunch together. In fact, no one had come in at all. It was the middle of the week. Business really should be picking up by now, Edward thought. If anything, it was tailing off. It was going in the wrong direction. Maybe it would improve in the afternoon. Edward took their dirty crockery up to the kitchen. He also took the opportunity to put his new camera away in his bedroom, before coming straight back down. He would have heard the doorbell ring, if anyone had come in during the few moments he was away from his desk. No one had.
Edward busied himself, as he waited for some customers to appear. He examined the purchases he’d made from the charity shops. He gave them a bit of a dust and straightened a few creased pages. He tried to make the books look as presentable and appealing as he possibly could. He liked them in good condition himself. He assumed others did too. He put prices on the inside covers, perhaps over-optimistic ones, and placed the books in their correct places on the shelves. He also made a note of the various titles on his spreadsheet. He was efficient if nothing else. He realised Jill wouldn’t have bothered with any of that. That was one of the reasons the shop wasn’t doing quite as well as Edward thought it should be doing.
Edward checked the emails and replied to a couple, enquiring about books he was confident he could get hold of. If he could find them for sale on the internet, he wondered why they couldn’t just do it for themselves. He only imagined they were older customers, who weren’t especially internet proficient and struggled with such things. He himself hadn’t really been part of the web generation. He’d just been forced to acquire the basics as he went along. He’d had no choice. It had been an essential component of his work, even though he’d been no spring chicken when the internet had first become a thing of significance. Over the twenty-five years or so since, he’d achieved a basic competence. He was intent on eventually putting that knowledge to good use, to raise the profile and web presence of the bookshop. In time, he’d even like to design its own basic website. He was still some way off doing that. There were more pressing things that needed doing first.
Whilst Edward waited for the non-existent customers, he continued to sort through the piles of books on the floor. It felt like painting the Forth Bridge. However many he got through, there seemed to be just as many still to do. He suspected as he cleared some, Jill just brought out more. She probably had them hidden all over the house, he realised, in every nook and cranny. Secretly, she was replenishing supplies when he was out. It didn’t really matter. They all had to be done in time. On his next visit to town, he’d look at more storage utilities. He’d order some suitable ones and have them delivered to the shop. He might have to move things round a bit, to make optimum use of the available space.
With only a couple of customers, at least Edward got a lot of other work done. By the end of the afternoon, he could definitely see the fruits of his labours. One or two people had come in, including an elderly couple. He’d enjoyed chatting to them but hadn’t managed to sell them anything. Just like Jill, he only sold one book. It was better than nothing. Besides, Edward didn’t expect instant success. He was in this for the long haul. There was a certain amount of sorting and reorganising to be done first. Then he’d begin to look at the marketing side. Once he did that, there was a possibility business could suddenly pick up, if not quite boom.
As five o’clock approached, Edward decided it was time to call it a day and knock off a few minutes early. It was highly unlikely anyone was going to come in now. He hadn’t seen a single customer in well over an hour. If they came now, they’d be unlucky. They’d have to come back another day. Edward got up from his desk and turned the front door latch, so it was now locked. He flipped the shop sign from open to closed and switched off the lights. He’d already shut down the computer, in readiness for his departure, and unplugged the kettle in the back office. He’d also removed the small amount of takings from the till. He left the modest float where it was, so it was ready for the next day. Jill kept a weighty, metal strongbox under the bed, where she stored cash, before banking it a couple of times a week. She never kept very much on the premises. The bookshop didn’t make that much in the first place to keep. Besides, it was all insured, in the unlikely event of theft during a break-in. Edward took the small quantity of cash up to her. He’d heard her come in a few minutes earlier. He knocked on her bedroom door, before entering and passing her the money.
‘Another good day I see,’ she said, with mock sincerity.
‘Business will pick up,’ Edward assured her. ‘I just need to get the sorting done, then I’ll go to work on the marketing side. It will make a difference then.’
‘We’re not going to get very fat on that. It will be a meagre dinner tonight,’ Jill jested.
‘We’re not eating in tonight. We’re going out,’ Edward suddenly announced.
‘What do you mean, going out?’ Jill asked, looking a little confused and vaguely dumbfounded.
‘Exactly what I say. We’re eating out, my treat. That is if you want to,’ Edward said.
‘What’s the occasion? It’s not your birthday or something and you didn’t tell me?’ Jill wondered.
‘Nothing liked that. It’s not my birthday. I suppose you could say it’s just a small thank you for taking me in and looking after me,’ Edward said.
‘You weren’t exactly on the street,’ Jill quipped.
‘Perhaps metaphorically I was,’ Edward replied. ‘Anyway, I’ve taken the liberty of booking a table for seven-thirty. Perhaps we can head out around seven? That is of course if you want to come. No worries if not. I can always dine alone.’
Booking a table for two was one of the things Edward had done during a sluggish afternoon.
‘Of course, I want to come,’ Jill told him. ‘I’ll just need to find something to wear.’
‘You’ll have plenty of time to do that. I’ve got a few things to do in my bedroom first anyway,’ Edward said.
‘Where are we going out of interest?’ Jill asked.
‘It’s a surprise, but hopefully somewhere nice,’ Edward said, with a slightly mysterious and mischievous air.
He had it all planned out. Where they were going would at least make sense to him, if not perhaps to Jill. Hopefully, she’d understand once he explained it to her. Edward made a cup of coffee, to take up to his room. He made Jill one too, even though he hadn’t asked her if she wanted one. She could always leave it if she didn’t. He made sure to put oat milk in hers. He put cow’s milk in his own. It would be the last carton of dairy he’d buy, he decided. In future, they might just as well share the same. He’d also make do with vegan cheese, even though to him it was a poor substitute for the taste of the real thing. It would just make things easier than having to buy two of everything. When he was out, he might still have some meat and cheese. On that matter, he was yet to make his mind up. Jill seemed pleased when he handed her a coffee, before going up.
‘I hope you don’t mind, it’s decaffeinated,’ he told her. ‘It’s better for me.’
‘That’s OK. I often have decaffeinated myself and like it just as much as ordinary,’ Jill replied.
In his bedroom, Edward got out sketchbook, pencils, crayons, watercolours, and brushes, and laid them on the bed. He surveyed his purchases from the previous day. Now, he had a top of the range camera to add to them. He lay on the bed and opened the sketchbook. He took out a pencil and began to sketch. Gradually, the rough outline of a woman began to take form. She had no face. There was a window behind her. Light was pouring through. Slowly, it dawned on Edward it was Jill, sitting at her desk. He tried to give her facial features a little more definition, as much as he could remember them. He’d have to get her to sit for him another time. Bit by bit, the drawing began to resemble something more whole and complete. Perhaps he’d add watercolours over the top. It could serve to bring the work to life.
Edward put the drawing down. He sat back to admire his handiwork. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great, but he possessed a modicum of artistic talent, it seemed. He could see that much. Given time, there was a hint of ability that could be developed. He’d finish the drawing another night, he decided. It was a start at least. He opened his notebook. He reread the few lines of loose verse he’d idly jotted down in it. He continued to edit and fine-tune them, changing odd words here and there, so they were more to his liking. A few more lines slowly emerged from his pen and began to approximate a poem. He was quite the Renaissance Man, he reflected. In fact, he was probably no such thing and just deluding himself. Now was the time to do so if any, he realised. There wouldn’t be a better one. He was sixty years old, and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought about him, and what he chose to do with his time. It was his to do with as he pleased for once in his life, without judgement and without mockery.
‘Where are we going?’ Jill asked again, as they headed out just after seven.
She’d put on a nice dress for the occasion. Edward was wearing a shirt and jacket, but no tie. He’d formally abandoned that fine detail, after retiring from his financial work.
‘You’ll see,’ Edward replied, wishing to maintain a small element of surprise to their evening.
‘Tell me now,’ Jill whined, sounding almost like a child excluded from a secret everyone else had been told.
‘Do you really want to know?’ Edward enquired, stopping in the street for a moment, to give her a chance to answer.
Perhaps he’d gently teased her enough and should finally put her out of her misery.
‘I do,’ Jill said.
‘Well, in my second year at university, I lived in the Uplands. Every time I walked to the city centre, I passed the same row of expensive restaurants, but I could never afford to go in any of them. I’d liked to have gone with my first wife, Angela, but generally we had to find cheaper places to eat when we went out. So, I’m taking you to one of them now, just because I can. I hope that makes sense,’ Edward said.
‘It does,’ Jill replied. ‘It’s quite a sweet story really.’
‘I hope so,’ Edward said. ‘I’ve checked they cater for vegans, and they do, so everything should be fine. It should be a bit better than the pub at least.’
‘It’s very kind of you,’ Jill said.
‘It’s my pleasure,’ Edward replied. ‘Tomorrow, we’ll just have to ensure we make some of the money back,’ he pretended, knowing full well it didn’t matter a scrap if they did or didn’t make enough to cover the cost of the meal.
Jill was quietly thrilled inside. Whilst they’d been to the local hostelry together, it was a long time since she’d been taken to a fancy restaurant, particularly by a man as distinguished as Edward. He really did have hidden depths and a kind of hidden wisdom, she thought. He in turn was greatly looking forward to a couple of hours of her company.
‘Afterwards, I thought we might pop to the Uplands Tavern for a drink or two for old times’ sake, my old times anyway,’ Edward added.
‘That sounds absolutely perfect,’ Jill said, gripping his arm tightly, as they walked.
Edward made no attempt to disengage her arm and was happy to feel her close to him.
