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‘No’ I filled a glass with tap water and drank it
‘Is Patrick co here earlier Did you have youryour holiday Your father says he saw so on the television about it Where is it you liked? Ipsos? Kalypsos?’
‘Skiathos’
‘That’s the one You want to check your hotel very carefully Do it on the internet He and Daddy watched so sites, half of those budget deals, and you wouldn’t know until you got there Daddy, would you like a cup of tea? Did Lou not offer you one?’ She put the kettle on then glanced up atanything ‘Are you all right, love? You look awfully pale’
She reached out a hand and felt er than twenty-six
‘I don’t think we’re going on holiday’
Mythat it had held since I was a kid ‘Are you and Pat having some problems?’
‘Mu to interfere It’s just, you’ve been together an awful long tiet a bit sticky every now and then I mean, me and your father we –’
‘I lostthere, searing the after the sound had died away
‘You what?’
‘Frank’s shutting down the cafe Frohtly daripped in shock the entire journey hoiven me my three months’ money’
The day had started like any other day Everyone I knew hated Mondayearly at The Buttered Bun, firing up the huge tea urn in the corner, bringing in the crates ofto Frank as we prepared to open
I liked the fuggy bacon-scented warmth of the cafe, the little bursts of cool air as the door opened and closed, the lowtinnily to itself in the corner It wasn’t a fashionable place – its walls were covered in scenes from the castle up on the hill, the tables still sported Formica tops, and the es to the chocolate bar selection and the addition of chocolate brownies and muffins to the iced bun tray
But elo, the plus and teased Frank about where his ht have come from I liked the Dandelion Lady, nickna and chips fro the coh two cups of tea I always ht be the only conversation the old woot all day
I liked the tourists, who stopped on their walk up and down fro schoolchildren, who stopped by after school, the regulars from the offices across the road, and Nina and Cherie, the hairdressers, who knew the calorie count of every single ite customers, like the red-haired woe at least once a week, didn’t trouble in and end across those tables, children transferred between divorcees, the guilty relief of those parents who couldn’t face cooking, and the secret pleasure of pensioners at a fried breakfast All huh, andjokes or co tea Dad always said he never kneas going to come out of my mouth next, but in the cafe it didn’t matter
Frank likeda barmaid, but without the hassle of drunks
And then that afternoon, after the lunchtime rush had ended, and with the place briefly e his hands on his apron, had come out fron to face the street
‘No, Frank, I’ve told you before Extras are not included in the nu I looked up
He wasn’t sain, did I?’
He isting a tea towel between his two hands and looked more uncomfortable than I had ever seen him I wondered, briefly, whether someone had complained about me And then he motioned to me to sit down
‘Sorry, Louisa,’ he said, after he had told ood, and it looks like the castle is definitely going to start doing its own refresh’s on the wall’
I think I sat there withopen And then Frank had handed me the envelope, and answered my next question before it left my lips ‘I knoe never had, you know, a for, but I wanted to look after you There’s three months’ money in there We close tomorrow’
‘Three months!’ Dad exploded, as my mother thrust a cup of sweet tea into iven she’s worked like a ruddy Trojan in that place for the last six years’
‘Bernard’ Mu towards Thomas My parents minded him after school every day until Treena finished work
‘What the hell is she supposed to do now? He could have given her more than a day’s bloody notice’