CHAPTER EIGHT
The following day I discovered that the birthday party for Ben's brother was to be held at Gabriel's house... my house. My home. And as I looked forward to the company of my new family, I got stuck in and helped wherever I could.
Meredith and Sonya turned up early in the day to give the place a good clean. I used a vacuum cleaner for the first time ever to clean all the floors while the two of them dusted the wooden surfaces and washed the kitchen from top to bottom before we started preparing the food. Both women were completely taken aback at discovering that I had never cooked anything in my life before staying with Dorothy and June. In fact they were even more upset when I told them everything I had ever eaten had come out of a tin.
“Goodness, it's amazing that you still look relatively healthy. A little pale, perhaps, and certainly very thin. You could obviously use some good home cooking and some fresh vegetables,” said Meredith as she turned me around to take a good look at me.
“I think we need to teach you how to cook, too,” said Sonya. “It would be nice for Gabriel if you were able to help him cook a nice dinner every now and then,” she added. I agreed, excited at the prospect of spending some more time in the kitchen to learn a new skill, after my kind old neighbours had taught me the basics.
If only my mother had been more like them. Meredith patted me on the shoulder and gave my hand a squeeze as if I'd spoken aloud.
For the first time in weeks, I actually felt safe and more importantly... loved. It was strange being rallied around by fellow family members, when all I'd ever known were my parents and they had never rallied around me for anything. There had never been anyone else.
As the two women laughed and joked with me, I smiled a sad smile. It would have been wonderful to have grown up like this, in this environment, I thought. In fact it would have been wonderful to have been able to share some moments like those with my parents. What I wouldn't have given to have them there with me then, all of us laughing and joking together. But they were not there. They were still missing. I felt a tugging in my chest, and just for a second, I thought my eyes might well up with tears.
Sonya looked at me and I just knew that she understood what I had been thinking. She reached over and squeezed my hand and smiled.
I returned her smile and my tears retreated as I tried to change the subject on my mind.
“So how come Oliver's birthday party is being held here?” I asked, trying hard to think of other things.
“I guess Ben didn't tell you that both his parents died quite a few years ago,” said Meredith as she kneaded the dough that would later become the most delicious homemade bread rolls.
I was shocked and surprised that he hadn't mentioned it in the car on the way from the airport. In hindsight, though, he probably didn't tell me because he didn't want to upset me.
“What happened to them?” I asked, thinking they can't have been very old at all.
“They were out together one day, taking a long trek when they came across an injured mountain lion. His mother was such a softy when it came to animals and she insisted they try to help it. But it wasn't alone and its mate attacked them. It wasn't to know they were trying to help. It was so tragic. Eleanor's wounds were so severe that she died almost instantly but Jonathan carried her body all the way back to the main road where he managed to find help. He later died in hospital. Ben was 12 years old. Oliver was barely two,” she said.
Sonya explained that Gabriel insisted on bringing the children up himself, as Jonathan had been like another son to him. They had no other family so it seemed like the natural thing to do.
As I took everything in, I began to understand my grand-father a little more. He was clearly a loving man that cared a great deal for his family and friends, which confused me as to why my own father, his own son, had fallen out with him. Why had they not spoken for so many years? It angered me a little, knowing that I could have experienced this wonderful way of life as opposed to that miserable life I had known in England.
Presumably this had all happened a few years before I was born. I wondered where my father was during that time. Was it around that time that he had left with my mother? Or had they left later, after I was born? I was making so many assumptions. I needed to know the truth. Someone would tell me... eventually.
As the afternoon wore on, people started to arrive for the party. A few of them had clearly just come to get a good look at me. But they were all friendly and many offered words of reassurance and kindness.
I still had not met Oliver. I assumed he would be the last to arrive. Like a surprise party that wasn't really a surprise.
Ben had arrived and had sought me out before doing anything else. He wanted to apologise for butting in the day before. He'd known that I'd heard what had been said. I laughed as he said it, though, understanding that it was his way of showing that he cared... about my grand-father and about me. It was reassuring.
“I know there is something being kept from me and I will find out what it is. Gabriel will tell me but I do understand that he will only do so when we are both ready, so don't worry Ben, I won't be in the dark for much longer,” I said, thinking of Rose's words. And as I thought of what she'd said to me, I could see her approaching the house. I hadn't realised she would be attending the party, but I was delighted she was.
“Hello dear Lilly,” she said as she entered without knocking, “hello ladies... you're all hard at work, I see,” she smiled as she handed them a large basket. “I thought I'd better do my bit, so I made some scones with fresh cream. I know how the boys love them. And where are all the boys?” she asked looking around.
“They'll be along in a little while, but Ben is here already... somewhere,” answered Meredith.
He suddenly appeared, “Hi Rose,” he said as he walked over to give her a hug and a gentle kiss on her cheek. They stood together whispering quietly, casually glancing in my direction.
Giving them some privacy, I said I needed a little time to be alone and headed to my room where I sat on the bed for a while, staring out of the window into the green foliage of the dark forest beyond.
After a few minutes, I began to feel like it was calling out to me. I stood up and moved closer to the glass which steamed up as I breathed against it. I thought I saw something white move within the trees, but as I wiped the glass with my sleeve there was nothing there.
I sat back on the bed again and lay down. I closed my eyes and thought of the past couple of days, of the wonderful welcome I had received and of all the lovely people I had met.
As I lay there, I heard a gentle tapping on the window. Before I opened my eyes I imagined myself back in London with the two ravens who visited every night. It was the same tapping sound and as I let my imagination run wild, there it was again. Tap tap.
I opened my eyes and sure enough, there were two ravens at my window. I watched them as they tapped twice with their beaks against the glass, heads cocking from one side to the other. They looked at me for a few minutes and then flew away. I wasn't frightened, in fact they made me smile. Then I heard my name. It was very faint but it sounded like someone was calling me. The sound didn't come from the house... but from further away. I wondered if it was coming from the forest. I sat up and looked out the window again. Nothing. As I strained to listen for it again, there was a knock on my door and Rose appeared.
“Are you all right, my dear?” she asked, smiling.
I nodded, but I could tell from her expression that she didn't believe me.
“Are you ready to come back out? Almost everyone is here – including Oliver.”
I nodded and followed her towards the door.
Pleased that I had decided to join the party, I came to the conclusion that I needed to make more of an effort to make friends. I wanted my new life to be full of people. As I walked into the living room, all the guests were already mingling and milling around. Although I was dreading being the object of everybody's attention, I needn't have been concerned a
s it seemed that a lot of people were more interested in the birthday boy himself. And everyone else was talking and laughing among themselves. If only December were there.
But before I had a chance to dwell on that thought, Ben made a beeline for me and took my hand in his. “Hey Lilly. Let me introduce you to Oliver.” He gently led me to the centre of the attention where a group of people ranging in age from 16 to their mid-twenties appeared to be listening intently to a story being told by the tall young man in the centre, with his back towards me. They were clearly enraptured by his funny tale, which was about werewolves and vampires.
After he'd given his punchline, the group burst out laughing and began talking among themselves. Ben tapped the young man on the shoulder to get his attention.
“Oli... there's someone here you should meet.”
I wasn't prepared for what happened next. As he turned, I let out an involuntary gasp. I tried to make it sound like a cough. I failed, totally embarrassed.
Oliver was, without doubt, the most beautiful boy I had ever seen... but it was his eyes that I couldn't pull mine away from. They were so deep and dark, almost jet black. I could quite easily have sunk into them. It was quite extraordinary, actually. I had never seen anything quite like them. And I liked the feeling. I liked the feeling a lot.
Even though he was 10 years younger, Oliver was taller than Ben and was as blonde as Ben was dark with strong features, a slightly pointy nose and a chiselled chin.
“Hi. You must be Lilly. It's great to finally meet you after all this time,” he said with a smooth voice that belied his young years.
It was the first time that the sight and sound of anyone had taken my breath away and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say either, so I quickly mumbled 'hi'. With my cheeks burning, and before I could make even more of a fool of myself, I turned around and walked as fast as I could, away from him. I didn't even give him a chance to reply. I just carried on walking, without a backward glance. Away from the other guests. Away from the party. I rushed back into my room and sat on my bed for a few minutes, trying to catch my breath. But it wasn't enough. I needed to get out. I needed some fresh air. So I grabbed my coat and, careful not to be seen, opened the front door and ran away from the party.