‘Wow, that’s exciting stuff! And how will this work timewise?’
‘I would like all envelopes to be posted or hand-delivered to me by the last day of November. I will then shortlist the best two, who would then go head-to-head in a meeting like this again, where the lucky contenders will present to us exactly what they are proposing. I will be discussing this with my husband, but I shall be making the final decision.’
‘Actually, saying that, you didn’t mention adding a name and contact number to the form?’
‘I was just coming to that.’ Rosa smiled falsely at the annoying presenter.
‘These entries are to be anonymous. I would just like you to make up a name and put it on the back of the envelope and on the top of the piece of paper. Please also add your best contact number. If I know you, please organise a number I won’t recognise. The name you choose must relate to anything Christmassy. This way it will be a fair shot for everyone, and I won’t be swayed as to whether I know who you are or not.’
‘So, for example, Santa Claus,’ Barry interjected with a big boastful grin.
‘Exactly. Thank you, Barry.’
‘And when will this head-to-head contest take place?’
‘Christmas Eve, of course,’ Rosa told him. ‘The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay will be the most wonderful Christmas gift for the most deserving person.’
‘And the charity money that people propose – do they still have to donate if they are not chosen?’
‘Yes, of course. They must pay up on Christmas Eve. I think this gives the whole thing a wonderful local-charity feel. So, just as dear, compassionate Ned would have wished, not only will somebody deserving re-inherit the shop, but lots of other local people will benefit from the charity money too.’
There was a collective ‘Ah’ from the audience as Rosa carried on. ‘Moving forward, my intention is to set up a charity called Ned’s Gift, that will encompass all the charities that are included in the letters. And from then on there will be collection points in any local businesses who would like to participate.’
‘That really is amazing, Rosa, so generous in so many ways.’ Barry actually sounded sincere, and Rosa’s face reddened as applause erupted around the hall and lasted for a good few seconds.
‘I know you said you didn’t want to do a recap, but I am going to quickly run through what you said earlier. Is that OK?’
‘That’s fine, Barry, just go for it.’
‘So…to everybody listening: you need a coloured envelope and a piece of paper. Write a Christmas name and a phone number on the envelope and paper. State a local charity and amount you are willing to donate, followed by your reason for wanting the shop and what you are going to sell. And then just mark it Ned’s Gift and get it to the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay. Easy! And folks, remember the ten-year block on selling the property, won’t you? So that just leaves me to thank Rosa Smith for coming in and offering this amazing gift and for me to play this track. Here we have the gorgeous Mariah Carey with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – and the Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, of course. Ho ho ho!’
Barry took off his headphones. ‘Love this, love everything about it.’ He motioned his producer over. ‘We’ve got to cover the decision-making and, of course, have Rosa on Christmas Eve announcing the winner. Let’s make it happen, people.’
Josh rushed over to Rosa and gave her a massive hug. ‘I didn’t think I could love you more. You were right. It is genius! The whole thing is genius. I love you madly, Rosa Smith, but I’ve got to go. I’ll call you as soon as I land back in New York.’ He then lifted her hand and kissed the stone of the new ring he had given her. ‘Always yours, you know that.’ As he raced out of the door, Rosa felt warm inside.
Mary appeared with Hot on his lead. ‘We stood at the back and listened,’ she told her daughter. ‘I couldn’t not. Ned and Queenie would have been so proud of what you are doing, as are we, aren’t we, Mr Sausage?’
Hot barked his approval, then promptly cocked his leg up against the sound engineer’s rucksack.
CHAPTER 19
All Hallows Eve brought with it a beautiful sunny and crisp autumn day. Titch had agreed to work in the Corner Shop every day because it was half-term and the café had been absolutely heaving all week with the influx of visitors. Sara had been doing some superb baking, which sold as fast as she produced the ghostly, spidery fairy cakes and witch biscuits. They had also sold alcohol-free Creepy Cocktails which they were serving to the kids from a dry-iced smoking cauldron on the front counter. Rosa had based herself there and was enjoying the buzz of everything that was going on.
After successfully painting the outside of the shop and proving his worth to Rosa, Nate had been employed by ROSA’S for the half-term week to run ‘Spooky Café Cave Tours’ for kids and their parents. The event included a pre-tour snack of pumpkin soup and bat-shaped sandwiches, plus a Halloween gift bag. The tour itself was a ghost-inspired walk along the front of the caves at the bottom end of South Cliffs, where Nate had set up some wailing-type music and various cut-outs and flappy things that rustled. Rosa’s initial feelings of wariness towards him had faded as he was really bending over backwards to make the tours a success. What’s more, he had also taken on the morning cleaning duties at the café, much to Sara and Rosa’s delight.
What was pleasing Rosa even more was that her period was three days late and her boobs felt more sore than usual. Well done Josh for his unannounced visit at exactly the right time! Also, this was proof that her mother’s warnings – i.e. telling Josh not to come back before the fireworks, didn’t always need to be heeded. Rosa had decided to wait until now, when she was three days late, not just one, to do the test. Following some kind of crazy logic, she felt that not knowing for a while was far less disappointing than knowing for sure that she wasn’t pregnant.
The final tour was ready to set off. Rosa stepped outside the café to help Nate switch on all the head-torches. As she waved the noisy lot off up the beach path, she looked across to the Ship Inn. The big pub was in darkness, apart from one light on upstairs and an orange glow downstairs. It was obviously still not open to the public. Rosa felt a sudden pang of sadness for Sheila. Nobody deserved to be lonely or in pain, whatever trouble they might have caused. Sheila’s crime, if you looked at it in its simplest form, was that she was a lioness of a mother. Her involvement in the hit-and-run incident that had occurred during Rosa’s first days in the Bay was due to a mother’s love; quite a drastic way to try to get rid of Lucas’s girlfriend at the time, just because Sheila didn’t like her, Rosa thought. Her subsequent paying off of Titch when Sheila thought the young girl was pregnant with her son’s child was just because she wanted the best for him. Misguided love maybe, but her malevolence had come from a good place in the landlady’s own eyes.
That was the trouble with life sometimes, Rosa thought. There were ups and downs and disagreements with people. But what it all boiled down to, whether you were rich man, poor man, beggar or thief, was that, fundamentally, all you wanted to do was live in comfort with the people you loved around you. And the fact was that, whoever you were in life, you still lived and died the same way as everyone else. We were all human beings. If only everyone could co-exist in peace and harmony in a world where wealth could be shared around a bit, so poverty was not such an issue.