You Got It Wrong - Part Five

Chapter Five

                “I’ve found a hotel, somewhere for you to stay Mansell.”

The older man was sat in the courtyard of the home and looked up at the sound of Nina’s voice.

                “What?”

She smiled, “I’ve found a room in a hotel in Ouistreham, just off the ferry from Portsmouth, it should be easy for you to get to, and it’s REALLY close to loads of the D-day anniversary events. Look at it on this map.”

She pulled her iPad out of her bag and zoomed in on the location.

He nodded along appropriately as she explained where everything was, but as she finished and smiled up at him, she saw his face was a grimace more than a smile.            

                “Mansell?”

He sighed, “I can’t go Nina, I used to relish these things, but I’m not that man anymore...”

                “You are one of the fittest people who live here; you can do anything you want.”

Closing his eyes he turned his face up to the sun, “I can’t drive anymore, how else can I get to the cemetery, the beaches?”

Nina placed a hand over his, “do you want me to drive you? It’s a long time since I was last in France.”

                “I can’t ask you to do that, look I’ve resigned myself to not going...”

Squeezing his hand she forced him to look at her, “we’ll do it, me and you. I can go visit my mother’s family if I get chance, they live in Cherbourg. I haven’t seen them for a few years. You can go to see your brother’s grave, and the places you remember. Ok?”

He had tears in his eyes when he looked up at her, “are you sure? Why would a young girl like you want to be straddled with an old man like me?”

She smiled, “you only get your time once...”

He pondered that for a moment, “you let someone down?”

Looking at him she half smiled, “you could say that...”

Mansell again pondered, “we all have our secrets hey?”

Theo looked at Tom his solicitor and shook his head, “you’re telling me that I HAVE to let Melody go home to Sadie? Really?”

Tom groaned, “I’m sorry but until she’s done something wrong she’s the mother...”

                “Something wrong? She wasn’t there when I was supposed to take Melody home, she was drunk...”

Nodding Tom leaned forward, “I’m sorry Theo, but it’s your word against hers. If you do anything to challenge her, try and take Melody away...then you’ll jeopardise any chance of getting custody of her in the future. If you’re vigilant...”

Theo ran an exasperated hand through his hair, there was no winning today. Whilst he wanted to upturn the desk, punch something, Tom was an old friend, and none of it was his fault.

                “Will you do everything?”

Tom nodded, “I’ll get the paperwork ready, when she slips up there’ll be no waiting, we’ll get her immediately.”

It was the best he could expect, but it didn’t make Theo feel any better, the thought of leaving his darling daughter in the sole custody of Sadie filled him with dread, he just had to ride out the next few days, that was all it would take.

As he climbed into his truck, his mobile rang.

                “Yup?”

                “Theo, it’s Daniel.”

He sighed, “hey Dan, what’s up?” His brother was a calming influence he always knew the right thing to do.

                “Nothing mush, I’m just heading to Toronto for a couple of days, business...sorry it’s short notice.”

                “Why are you apologising? Make the most of it.”

He could hear Daniel sigh, “it’s Granddad, he’s...I don’t know...low. I’m just hoping you can keep a check on him, I mean I know that you’ve got issues with Sadie. But I am worried about him.”

Theo fought to hide a groan, “I saw him last week. He was quiet...but he’s ok isn’t he?”

Daniel gave a half laugh, “you know Mansell, he’s cool...I just worry that he doesn’t tell me what he’s really thinking. Promise me you’ll call him?”

                “No problem. Have a great trip.”

Groaning Daniel offered, “it’s work, doubt I’ll see much but the inside of the hotel. But there are worse jobs. You need any help with the ‘Sadie’ issue?”

As Theo briefly updated him on where things were, he was amazed at how close they had become. They hadn’t known about each other until Theo was eighteen, and Daniel twenty three, but as he told his brother his woes, he really felt close to him, and he was glad of his support.

Nina looked at the first ring, entwined ropes representing the union of marriage, personalised inscriptions, and diamonds, both of them individual, unique and very exclusive. The other, ‘his’ was a mirror opposite, minus the feminine touches. She felt so proud of her work, and once each ring was complete, she photographed them for her portfolio...to advertise her skills as well as to remember the exact designs she’d already made so that there was no significant overlap of style, then embedded it into the individual velvet box embossed in silver with the words “Anneau de Saule Jewellery”, her chosen name for her designs after much deliberation. The name meant Ring of Willow in her grandmother’s first language of French. Willow had been a nickname on so many occasions over the years as an abbreviated form of Willoughby; she felt that the name reflected her heritage, her mother’s French roots, and her father’s name. And as Lilah so crudely added, “it sounds posh in French.”

The business represented everything that was important in her life, her independence, her success and of course her background, which despite earlier problems, she was no longer ashamed of.

The basement of the house that she’d inherited was huge, and despite the generally poor lighting, she’d deemed it the perfect place to work from. But as she looked around the room crowded with machinery she knew she had to move on. She worked with small amounts of metal, so she didn’t need to increase the size of her smelting machine for example, but at some point she would have to think about having an apprentice, and there was no room for two to work in the basement. She added ‘factory search’ to her already growing mental list of things to do.

                “So this is where you’re hiding!”

She looked up at Lilah’s voice, “not hiding, just grafting.” She held out her hand complete with the first ring.

Lilah gasped, “it’s absolutely beautiful...the best yet.”

Nina smiled, “it’s the most romantic...that’s why it appeals to you, you old softy!”

Sighing and uncaring of her comments Lilah nodded, “maybe...but it IS beautiful.”

Nina passed her the box, “I’ll polish it properly tomorrow, when the other ring is ready.”

                “They’re not due for another week.”

                “I know, but I’m going to France on Wednesday.”

Lilah’s head shot up, “France? Why? You never said.”

“I’m taking Mansell one of the guys from Oakdale, to the D-day celebrations.”

“WHAT? Are you crazy?”

Nina laughed, “no! He’s a war vet, no one will take him, his family are too busy, it’s seventy years since the landings. He should be there. He feels it’s his last chance to see his brother’s grave.”

Lilah looked at her for a moment, “but why should you have to take him.”

Nina wagged her finger, “I don’t HAVE to, I WANT to. And anyway, I’ve got cousins and stuff there. I can catch up with them.”

Lilah eyed her suspiciously, “why do I have bad vibes about this?”

Laughing, Nina stored the completed ring in her safe, “because you are a pessimist, that’s why!”

Nina drove her multicoloured Beetle to the Oakdale Home, as she was climbing out, Mansell appeared looking a little anxious.

                “You ok?” She asked the very same moment that he spoke.

                “We’re going in THAT?”

Nina stared at him then patted the car’s bonnet, “don’t listen to him Charlie, he knows not what he says.” She was very defensive of the vehicle that had been her transport and often her bed when she’d travelled extensively in Europe a few years earlier, she’d not part with him unless she really, really had to.

                “Charlie? We’re going to France in an antique called Charlie?”

Giggling Nina grabbed his back and tossed it onto the back seat, “Charlie had a paint job two months ago, his engine is finely tuned, and we’ve got every genre of music to put on the stereo, you Mansell Simpson are a total snob!”

That made him roar with laughter, “well if that’s the case, let’s go!”

                “So tell me where we’re staying. A hotel?”

She shook her head as she negotiated the traffic joining the motorway, “nope, got us a little house, a village a few miles from Arromanches, my cousin owns a holiday property, four small houses with a pool, a gym and access to the beach. If the sun shines it’ll be amazing.”

                “This is hardly a holiday.” Despite the words there was no animosity in his voice.

She glanced at him and smiled, “it’ll probably be the only holiday I get, so I’m making the most of it.”

He was silent for a moment, “I’m more than grateful...for you doing this. I mean you barely know me and you’ve done this.”

Nina sighed, “look I’m getting something out of this too. A break, a chance to see some family...” And a chance to do something right. The guilt that her father had died alone in a nursing home with no one near him still haunted her to this day. If she’d known she knew she’d have dropped her rebellious absence, come home, been with him. But no one told her he was dying, though he was almost eighty, it was hardly an unlikely thing.

Sighing she hit the accelerator and powered towards Dover.

Mansell fell asleep before she hit the Eurotunnel port, but he woke as she was driving onto the train.

                “How far do we drive the other side?”

Nina glanced at him with a smile, “four hours maybe, but we can stop as often as you like, I’m in no rush.” He sighed. “What?”

He shrugged, “I just wish my family cared as much as you do. They couldn’t do this for family; you’re doing it for a stranger.”

Nina reached behind her seat and pulled out a bag, pulling the zip open she handed him a back of sandwiches, “this, Mansell, is the best adventure I’ve had in ages.”

And it was the truth. As someone who’d had a huge rebellious streak, who had always lived on a whim, she’d spent four years travelling, living day to day, but since returning from that, after her father’s death, she’d knuckled down, tried to make a success of her life, she didn’t want to rely on handouts from her father’s estate, and that meant working hard. She’d barely had a holiday since. And this road trip, it was suddenly a great thing, a release from the tension of the last few years, from her rubbish family, from the commitment of her job.

Ripping open a packet of chicken sandwiches she started to munch on them, then swallowing the food gratefully turned to Mansell, “this is going to be a GREAT road trip!”

The older man slept most of the trip, and it was only then that Nina realised that this truly was too much to do on his own. Smiling she turned up the stereo and sent her car South in the direction of Normandy.  

Melody had been back with Sadie for a day. Theo had spent most of the time watching their front door; he was petrified that something would happen. But as the hours past, he saw Sadie emerge holding his daughter’s hand, watched them take a trip to the shop, later to the park, and then saw the lights go on in the bedroom.

As he started the engine to take him home, his phone started to ring. Glancing at it he saw the number of his grandfather’s nursing home. Panic hit his stomach, they never called him. As bad thoughts rushed through his head, he snatched at the call.

                “Yes?”

                “Mr Peterson, we’re calling about your grandfather.”

His heart started to race in fear, “why? What’s happened? Is he ok?”

There was a silence which seemed far too long, “he’s not come home tonight, no one has seen him since breakfast. We don’t know where he is.”