‘Hi, Fisher.’ As I walk past the marina manager he jumps up, leaning in to give me one of his bear hugs.
‘Hey, darling girl. Where’s Tollie?’
‘I left him wrapping the kids’ Christmas presents. We’ve been at it all day, but Gray’s on his way, so Granddad has given me the evening off.’
Fisher beams from ear to ear. ‘Glad he’s back, Immi. I know how much you’ve missed him. Besides, the Christmas festivities can’t begin until he’s here.’ He gives me a second hug before easing himself back down into his seat.
Fisher took over when Tollie retired, a little over twenty years ago, now.
When I first came to live with my granddad, I had just turned fourteen and it was a rough time for us both. Ernest Tolliman – Tollie, as he’s known to everyone, including me – struggled to cope with the grief of losing his only son. Throwing a teenage granddaughter into the mix didn’t make it any easier. But the truth was that all we had left in the world was each other. My mother had disappeared when I was only three months old, never to be seen again.
For Tollie, my dad’s death brought back the grief he felt over losing Grandma, two years before. I can see that now, but I didn’t appreciate that fact way back then. All I could feel was my own loss and an overwhelming sense of anger. My head was screaming ‘why me?’ as I was forced to say goodbye to friends I regarded as family. Losing Dad broke my heart and I was angry at life, at fate and at a stupid accident that needn’t have happened.
Dad worked at the Royal Navy Training Centre in Portsmouth. He promised me faithfully it would be our last move, and we fitted right in, surrounded by a great bunch of people.
Ironically, it wasn’t the dangers of the sea that snatched him away from us, but a freak accident when the brakes failed on a coach in which he was travelling. Dad had been away for three days, running an off-site refresher course, and he just never came home. That made it worse, not being able to say a proper goodbye. Nothing prepares you for that and I’m afraid I didn’t manage my emotions very well at the time.
Fisher ended up being my listening ear whenever Tollie and I fell out, which was a frequent occurrence in those early days. My frustrations and disappointments in life turned me into something of a rebel and I wanted to fight back. So, I took on the world. Now I can look back and think, poor world and poor Tollie, because it wasn’t anyone’s fault.
But helping me – us – through that period created a bond. Even today, Fisher is still my go-to man whenever I have a problem or need an unbiased opinion. He’s also my boss two days a week, although I spend a lot of time telling him how lucky he is to have me to sort out his piles of paperwork.
I work my way over to the counter. Sarah gives me a wink as she finishes serving a group of day-raters, visitors passing through who rent a birth for a night or two.
It’s a busy time of the year for us, nestled here on the edge of the Cotswolds. With so many Christmas markets in the area and Egerton Castle putting on a whole month of special events nearby, Aysbury has become a bit of a go-to. Christmas-holics of all ages descend upon us to kick-start their celebrations.
‘Hi, Immi, how are the Christmas cruise preparations going?’
‘Good. But there’s still a fair bit to do. Gray’s on his way, though, and the extra pair of hands will be welcome. He should be here any minute.’
Sarah and Kurt Lieberman have only owned The Bullrush Inn for six years and in that time they’ve turned it from a tired and dingy canal-side tea shop into a buzzing, thriving business. It brings people to the marina in droves. Their twins, Jade and Jude, were just seven years old when they moved here after turning their backs on a busy life in the city.
It took Sarah and Kurt eighteen months to completely renovate the place and it wasn’t an easy time, as they did most of the work themselves. While they juggled the demands of two very lively kids and tried to keep the café open with major building works in progress, our little community did what it does best. And that’s to support their own. It’s what good neighbours do and what Aysbury is all about.
The ‘waifs and strays syndrome’, as I call it. And I count myself as one of those. People have ended up here in desperate need of something – more often than not without a clue about what exactly that elusive something might be. Maybe they come for a sense of community and a feeling of belonging somewhere, especially if that’s never been true before; either because they don’t have a close family, or they’ve struggled to conform. ‘Round pegs, square holes,’ as Tollie often says.
The nature of a marina is that a lot of the boats moored here long-term have owners who appear infrequently throughout the year. Beautiful, expensive boats lying idle for long periods, only getting to feel the wash of a cresting wave against their bows during the peak holiday season. Which is a shame, I always think. The waterways are much pleasanter, in my opinion, during the quieter months when the seasonal changes make their offerings.
Sweltering sunshine brings out the crowds and that spoils it for me, although in a twist of irony it’s the Christmas crowds who make the festive atmosphere really buzz.
People are the beating heart of the marina – those who live and work here, and the owners of the handful of residential narrowboats moored alongside the canal.
‘Right, what can I get for you, Immi?’
‘One of your surf and turf sharing platters and a bottle of something special, please. I don’t suppose the Christmas beers have arrived yet?’
Our community is very proud to have a celebrated microbrewery virtually on our doorstep. The Middle Norton Brewing Company have made a real name for themselves and it’s become quite an attraction for the marina.
Sarah nods her head. ‘This morning. Two Santa’s Helpers? Or how about trying the new one – The Bullrush Christmas Brew?’
‘You didn’t!’ I exclaim.
‘We did. We put the proposal to Pete and David, and they thought it was a great idea. Ten pence from every bottle sold will be donated to The Santa Ahoy Christmas charity fund. When Tollie pops in later, Kurt is going to tell him the news. And Pete just rang to say they are going to run a promotion on it via their stockists, which will run into January.’
‘Wow, thank you, Sarah. I mean, that’s simply amazing.’
‘What’s amazing?’
I spin around and it’s as if a cloud of happiness has wafted in through the door. Gray throws his arms around me, lifting me off the floor as he raises me up to plant a kiss firmly on my lips.
‘I’m back. What’s happening?’ He pulls away, tilting his head to peer over my shoulder. ‘Hi, Sarah, you’re looking good, and busy. Have the Christmas beers arrived yet?’
‘It’s great to see you, Gray. And yes, Immi just placed your order and it’s on the way. Grab a table quickly, guys, I’ve just cleared one upstairs.’ Sarah nods towards the door and a large group about to step through.
‘Will do. Catch up with you later, Sarah,’ Gray calls over his shoulder. Grabbing my hand, he leads me upstairs.
As my foot hits the last tread and I look out over the canal, I get the familiar thrill I always feel to see the boats. This evening everything is right in my little world and my heart soars. I squeeze Gray’s hand and quicken my pace as he strides forward to claim the last table by the window. But before he lets me go, he spins me around into his arms and we stand there for several seconds. Resting my head against his chest and, oblivious to the background chatter, I close my eyes, savouring the moment. Just to feel the solidness of him and breathe in the smell of that lemony aftershave balm he uses is heavenly.