25 - A sneaky extra chapter...hope you all appreciate!!
Christmas Eve, 2008
Li looked beautiful, and would
have without the pampering of the previous day. Initially she was keen on a
traditional red dress, but instead she had chosen an off white straight dress,
trimmed and decorated with rich gold which was traditional, sexy and also
exceptionally gorgeous. Li, petite, delicate and daintily featured, shone, and
Amelia was captivated by the whole thing. Peter, Li’s adoptive father since the
age of eight was giving her away, and the three of them travelled in a decked
out Hackney cab from her home to the floating wedding palace.
Amelia felt a little out of
place sat with the two who were so close, Peter worshipped Li, but it was the
way that Li wanted it to be. Lots of last minute shoppers and drunken office
workers waved as they made their way through London, arriving at four pm.
She followed the father and
daughter down the aisle to the proud, pleased and overwhelmed Daichi, who
looked devastatingly handsome in his dark suit. He’d decided against
traditional Japanese wedding attire, but his parents stood in the front row
looking traffic stopping in their elaborate clothing.
The room was covered with dozens
of tiny lights, and behind the registrar was a huge ornately decorated
Christmas tree. It was a magical experience. After the service, Li turned to
face her as a married woman, and Amelia couldn’t restrain the tears. In the
deck below, tables were set out for the wedding breakfast, a delightfully
modernised yet festive menu of sashimi to start, traditional roast goose
dinner, and then a selection of Chinese desserts. The perfect mesh of their
three cultures.
After speeches, were Daichi reduced
the whole room to tears in his devotion to Li, and his such obvious pleasure at
her becoming his wife. Then there was
dancing!
As the only bridesmaid, she was
in hot demand, firstly dancing with Tatsuya the best man, then both fathers,
then many of the guests. Every time she bumped into Li, her friend was smiling,
happy, and Amelia’s pleasure and relief doubled each time.
At nine o’clock, Li asked for
Amelia’s help and they disappeared to a room deeper in the boat. Then Amelia
helped Li change into the outfit she’d selected to fly to the Maldives. Turning
to face each other Amelia once again felt tears well.
“I
can’t stop crying Li, but they’re happy tears I swear!”
Li smiled, “I know. And I love
you for that.” Reaching in her bag, she emerged with a bag. “This is no way
expresses how grateful I am for everything you’ve done.” Firstly she pulled out
a small box, “this is to prove that, you haven’t lost your sister, but you’ve
gained a brother!”
Amelia ripped open the paper to
find wrapped in cotton wool, a brand new key. Looking up she smiled, “is this
for your new home?”
Li nodded, she and Daichi were
moving to a house after their honeymoon, “the spare room WILL be decorated in
to your choice! Secondly...” She lifted out another small box, “this is to
thank you for being the best friend a woman could ever ask for.”
Again Amelia ripped open the paper
and popped the lid of the box. Inside were two identical necklaces, the charms
engraved with each of their birthdates and names. “The thought is that we wear
each other.”
Hugging her friend she blinked
back more tears, “Li, you are the greatest!”
“And
this is the third gift.”
This time she accepted an
envelope and inside was a card that said, ‘Merry Christmas to my Godmother’,
confused her opened it and saw the ultrasound photo of a very small growing
baby. Her hand went to her mouth as she swallowed the surprise, meeting Li’s
eyes she was speechless. Eventually she mustered, “You’re...” When Li nodded
she squealed then pulled her into her arms. “I cannot believe it Li wan Cheung,
how did you keep that quiet?”
Li grinned, “it’s Li Murakami
now you know!” Then hugging Amelia again, she added, “NO one knows, ok. I’m
eight weeks, the only reason I’ve had a scan is that I’m flying tomorrow and
it’s earlier than recommended. Lots can go wrong, it’s very early days. But I
needed you to know!”
“And
I’m so proud that you’ve told me!”
Li still grinning took her hand,
“we spend every Christmas together. What will you do tomorrow? You’ve evaded my
question for weeks.”
Amelia had no intention of
mentioning her father’s ill health, or Sol’s reappearance on the scene. Li
deserved to enjoy every moment of her holiday. “Oh you know Cole, he won’t see
me alone! And then I’m going to make peace with Daddy dearest! I’ll email you
all the gossip. It won’t be the same, but I’m prepared for full on fun!”
Li nodded, “if you’re sure.”
Amelia laughed, “You say that as
though you’d stay to look after me...” then noticing her eyes, the honesty, she
grabbed her shoulders, “don’t be ridiculous, go enjoy...whilst you can. When
this baby comes you’ll have no peace!”
Their goodbye was more emotion,
and as their car left for Heathrow, Amelia noticed the car parked across the
road, the familiar sleek black car. Sliding down the window, Sol waved from
inside. He’d collected her bags from the concierge at Li’s apartment block
before coming for her, all she had to do was grab her fur wrap, her tiny
handbag and cross the road to him.
As she slipped into the passenger
seat, grateful of the heating that meant she could relax, suddenly it was very
cold outside, she almost instinctively leaned across the plant a kiss on his
cheek, but she managed to control her actions, what had come over her.
“How
was it?” he asked, pulling away from the kerb.
She smiled, leaning back in the
seat, “wonderful...and emotional...but mainly beautiful.”
“You
two are close, is must be hard.”
Nodding she gazed at him, “I’ll
miss her, but we haven’t lived together for a year. If anything now that I’m
back here I’ll see more of her, and Daichi is perfect for her. I’m glad she’s
found someone who loves her that much.” She regaled stories of the speeches,
Daichi’s emotion, the dances, the clothes, her gifts. “It was a wonderful day.
What have you been doing?”
As he hit the motorway out of
the now quiet City, he turned to glance at her, “well, I managed to rearrange
my trip to Paris that was planned for Boxing Day. I was in no rush for that to
happen anyway, and now that I actually have Christmas plans...well I’m definitely
not leaving the country now.”
Immediately she started to
apologise, but he held up his hand to silence her, “I suggested this, you have
not forced me into anything I don’t want to do.”
He drove for a while in complete
silence, but it was comfortable, not hostile.
“I’ve
not driven this way in something like twelve years, yet I know the way
instinctively!”
A tired Amelia rolled her heavy
head along the headrest to look at him, “I know what you mean, I’ve maybe come
home half a dozen times since, and no matter what changes, buildings, new
roads, closed roads...I seem to just get there, without even thinking. It’s
crazy!”
“So
shall I drop you to the hospital?”
“I’m
not sure, let me call them, it’s probably too late for visitors. I call several
times a day, jut so he knows I’m thinking of him.” Pulling out her phone, she
dialled the ward, and one of the more helpful nurses answered. After a brief
conversation she smiled at Sol, “apparently it’s against the rules, but as he’s
awake...and I’ve been at a wedding...”
“Lucky
you kept your posh gear on then.”
They spoke very little for the
rest of the journey, merely listening to the radio amicably. As he finally
entered the hospital grounds, he pulled to a stop, “shall I wait? Or go to chez
Parkin to unload. I’m sure I can remember the rest of the route!”
“It’s
after eleven; I can’t see me being there more than ten minutes. Will you wait?”
Nodding he reached behind her seat and produced a supermarket bag. Peeking
inside she looked up surprised, “Sol Tanner, have you become Mr Thoughtful in your
old age?”
“I
didn’t think you’d have time to bring him any supplies, and as it’s Christmas.”
He didn’t take the compliment well, but the bag filled with Christmas
shortbread, her father’s favourite magazine, fruit, mints and a sneaky small
bottle of whisky was the perfect, yet eclectic mix of all her father would want.
Maxwell Parkin looked pale,
lying against the white hospital pillows, but as she stepped up to him, he
opened his eyes and the smile brightened his face. “Amelia. You shouldn’t be
here. It’s late.”
She nodded, “the wedding’s over.
I’m here for a while now. I’ve no agenda other than seeing you get well.”
“Really?”
“Yup.
We shouldn’t have let things get this bad, and I’m sorry for my role in it
all.” She silenced him as he tried to speak, “rest Dad, there’s time a plenty
to sort out all that’s happened. Now isn’t the time.” Handing him the bag of
goodies she sat beside his bed and watched him, but he was tired, found it hard
to keep his eyes open. It gave Amelia the chance to leave, but she promised to
visit the next day.
Sol was sat in the driver’s seat his eyes
closed, head tipped back when she opened the passenger door. He turned to look
at her without lifting his head and she felt a jolt of heat wash through her.
With those half closed eyes and the lazy smile for a moment the image of him
replete in her bed after a passionate night flew to her conscious thought and
it almost floored her.
“Everything
ok?” he asked finally lifting his head.
She nodded then slid in beside
him.
It took less than twenty minutes
to drive to the Manor house, an eight bedroom airy and often cold property that
had been her home. It was the cold that had cause her father so many problems
the doctors had confided. When her father had been away serving in the army,
her mother had split the house into two separate units, family and guest. It
made it so much easier to heat, to clean, and to repair. Sol’s family had taken
the guest half, whereas she, Alex and her father had been in the family half.
Her bedroom was the top most level and encompassed almost the entire footprint
of the house, but the angles walls and ceiling made it a cosy, happy room. As
Sol unloaded the car, she turned the heating on; the place was freezing, and
then made for her bedroom, just to see it. And nothing had changed, not since
the night she’d been caught with Sol and exiled so dramatically.
Walking into the room, the same
duvet was on the bed, still rumpled from their bodies. The eleven year old
‘Smash hits’ magazine was on her bedside table, her perfume, her make
up...little that she’d used back then, and even her posters adorning the walls.
Nothing had changed and it was like stepping back in time and it freaked her
out. She was so stunned that she didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs behind
her.
“Wow!
It’s like a museum!”
Spinning around she saw Sol in
the doorway taking in the room, “I know.”
He ran a finger through the dust
on top of the chest beside him, “did you never come in here again?”
She shook her head, “the thought
of remembering us...” she nodded to the bed. “The times I had to come back I
slept in the guest room. I couldn’t bring myself...”
His hands landed on her
shoulders and he breathed, “And it didn’t help that you thought I’d abandoned
you. Shit Meals, how did out lives get so fucked up?”
The sensation of his hands on
her shoulders, the passion in the expletives he’d just uttered, were making
this an unbearable moment. Sol seemed to pick up on that too.
“Come
on; let’s go downstairs, it’s warmer there. I’ve brought plenty of food, and
some wine, and besides if we stay here...”
Making for the door, she agreed,
“I know. The last thing we need is...”
As though they’d been burned,
they both scuttled down the stairs to the safety of the kitchen.
“How
long are you here for?” she asked taking in the numerous bags that filled the
kitchen table. “And how the hell did you fit it all in your car?”
Sol grinned, “it’s so long since
I had a full on Christmas lunch that I kind of got carried away!” He opened a
bottle of champagne as he spoke and filled two flutes.
As he handed her one, she asked,
“My only concern is whether you can cook it all?”
Laughing he produced six pages
of instructions; “my secretary helped me with some timings!”
“I’ll
call and thank her if I enjoy it then!” She sipped the fizz, “so did you
mention supper?”
It was almost midnight, but she
didn’t want to turn in just yet. So she was relieved when Sol nodded, “this was
my only cheat!” He produced a box from a deli she knew and had frequented when
she’d lived in London. Popping it open, it revealed a variety of nibbles, all
very appetising, so with a smile, she selected a quail egg, settled on top of a
biscuit loaded with a tomato salsa.
“And
a worthy cheat too!”
Once again the conversation
started to flow freely and easily, and it was almost possible to forget the
last eleven emotionally traumatic years. To imagine that they were still
teenagers, best friends, and in love.
