Just at that moment, her mobile phone rang. ‘Hi, is that Rosa?’ said a woman’s voice.
‘Yep.’
‘It’s Charlotte Hill here, I’m the intern on the breakfast show South Cliffs Today. Barry’s just nominated me to ask you to speak about the Corner Shop proviso. Sorry for the short notice, he’s always doing this to me.’ The young girl’s voice was full of stress. ‘So, er, can you? I mean, are you OK to speak to him?’
‘On the telephone, I can, sure.’
‘Phew, that’s a relief. Thanks, Rosa. Are you free now?’
‘Yes, let’s do this.’
‘Ok, just stay on the line. This song will finish soon, then we are going to News and Weather, then Barry will come directly to you.’
Rosa wished she’d had a wee before she’d agreed now. That was something she’d found out when she had become pregnant, that her bladder had shrunk to the size of a pea – pee being the key word here.
Not thinking to put her Back in 20 minutes sign up, she began to shift from one foot to the other while waiting for Barry to come online.
Ding! The shop doorbell rang. Looking clean and smart, his black eye now a shade of grey and pink, and with no sign of a split lip, was Nate. His short dark curls were shiny and despite his grey, not green eyes, Rosa felt it was like looking in a mirror.
‘For you.’ He pulled a bouquet of white roses from behind his back.
Rosa pointed to her mobile phone, made some animated facial expression of thanks then whispered, ‘I can’t talk now.’ She then ran to the door to lock them both in and put the 20 minutes sign up. Nate tiptoed over to the counter as directed and sat quietly, waiting.
When Barry Savage made a grand introduction and further explanation of how the proviso would come into play, the young lad’s face broke into a beaming smile. Hot started jumping up at his legs, so he gently lifted him up, gave him a tiny treat from the counter and started to stroke his soft brown ears.
‘Hello Barry,’ Rosa said through gritted teeth. She would never warm to this man. Their energies collided and that was that.
‘So, can you give up a sneaky peek into how many envelopes you’ve had in, and maybe who they are from? I’m sure the listeners would love to hear.’
‘Well, yes, if you want me to, I can. Of course.’
‘Great news! Let’s just go to a song and we will be right back with you.’
‘Thank God, hold this quickly.’ Rosa handed Nate the phone then turned to run.
‘Rosa, there’s something I need to–’
‘In a minute,’ Rosa hissed. ‘When I come back, put Hot down and make yourself a drink out the back, if you like. I need the loo!’
Privately, Rosa herself was surprised at having received only four entries. She had expected at least ten, but she acknowledged that it was a big undertaking and she hadn’t really given anyone much time. Also, the fact that whoever got it couldn’t sell it for ten years would definitely put a lot of people off. The music stopped and Barry handed over to her.
‘As you can imagine, Barry, I have been inundated with entries,’ Rosa lied. ‘The Corner Shop is a wonderful little business and Cockleberry Bay just the most idyllic place to live. So, you see, I made a pact with myself not to open the envelopes until decision day, which as you stated is tomorrow. At the moment, I don’t have a clue who is entering.’ That too was a lie. After an enlightening conversation she had had with Danny last night, she already knew for certain of one person she was bringing to the grand finale. It was just a case now of who else.
Rosa played her part well. ‘So, all I can give you now is a little taster of the names on the envelopes. We don’t want to give too much away, do we?’
She could tell that Barry would be beside himself at the way she was ably creating a buzz for the audience.
‘Oh. No, no no,’ he gloated, Mr Toad-like. ‘We love a surprise on the breakfast show.’
‘And, of course, I am very much looking forward to announcing the winner with you [her third lie] live on Christmas Eve from the Cockleberry Bay Village Hall.’
‘Oh, yes, it’s going to be amazing. It’s all everyone is talking about on all our social media channels,’ he gushed. ‘The anticipation is driving us mad.’
Nate sat nervously in the back kitchen, fiddling about on his phone, while Hot sniffed around him, angling for a walk.
‘So, we have Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and there’s a Pigs in Blankets.’
‘Hahaha. I like those,’ Barry interjected.
‘And not forgetting Frosty the Snowman, whose entry arrived in a beautiful bright orange envelope. So, brownie points for that too.’
‘Well, thanks for that, Rosa, and we can’t wait to all be there for the grand finale in just over two weeks’ time. And now, listeners, here’s the King himself, Elvis Presley, singing “I’ll be Home for Christmas”…’
‘I always did find it easier to walk and talk.’ Rosa let Hot’s lead out to a length where he could run ahead without fear of him going anywhere near the cliffs’ edge. It was yet another bright and crisp day. A couple of pleasure boats had even made their way out to sea and gulls were circling and mewing their delight at some much-appreciated winter sunshine.
‘Do you also make a habit of closing the shop mid-morning?’
‘Only for something this important.’ Rosa sat down on what Alec called his ‘thinking bench’ and patted the place next to her. She pulled her woolly hat down over her ears and dug her gloves out of her pocket.
‘Don’t you be getting too cold up here though,’ Nate said, sitting close to her.
‘I won’t. Thanks for the roses, by the way.’
‘I heard that white roses were a symbol of trust. That’s what brothers and sisters should have, right?’
Rosa gulped at the enormity of the situation. All those years she’d been alone in those children’s homes, alone in her tortured mind, not even knowing if she had a mother or father left in the world, let alone any siblings. And now here she was in her favourite place in the whole world with a mother, supposed father and half-brother. It was extraordinary, exciting and terrifying all at the same time.
She couldn’t bear the suspense any longer. ‘Nate, let’s stop skirting around the issue, shall we?’ she blurted out. ‘Just get on and tell me the truth. I want to know everything, warts and all. And if you dare lie to me, well – just please don’t.’
CHAPTER 50
In the rush to help Titch get the puppies walked and fed, and Theo delivered to the new nursery they had decided to put him in, one day a week, Ritchie had left the house without his clean apron.
Knowing how his mum would give him her ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ speech, he came hurrying up the hill and through the back door into the bungalow. Greeting Titch’s mum who was sitting in her wheelchair knitting by the fire, he grabbed the clean apron from the radiator, smiling as he noticed Saveloy and Mr Chips snuggled up on either side of her, sleeping soundly. The radio was buzzing in the background, but it was loud enough for Ritchie to catch the tail end of Barry Savage talking about the Corner Shop giveaway.