Calling All Dentists (Calling All... Book 2), page 13
Change of plan, we’re going over to a friend’s for drinks tonight. Try to call you tomorrow. Andy xx
Back at work tomorrow (sad face, don’t want to go). Get home at 6pm xxx
The nurse completed her observations, changed the drip bag and smiled at Emma and her grandma. “He should have a comfortable night. If you want to go home we can give you a call if anything changes.”
Grandma nodded in agreement, grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and stood up. Both Emma and her grandma leaned over and kissed Grandad on the cheek – he looked peaceful and happy, Emma thought. Then they quietly left.
“Could we stop off at mine on the way home so I can pick up some bits please Emma?” Although it sounded like a question, it was more of a command. Grandma had been asked to stay with her family for the night so that she wouldn’t sit at home alone, worrying about Grandad. She’d given the nurse her daughter’s phone number before they left, explaining that she had been ordered to stay there for the night.
“Of course we can Grandma,” said Emma as she pulled out of the empty car park and headed for the main road.
A frost was setting in over the windscreens and roofs of the parked cars along the road and everywhere was quiet and still. It was late evening on Boxing Day and Emma wondered if any other people were already feeling the anticlimax of Christmas and the low spirits of returning to work.
Mum, we’re going to be back late cos Grandma wants to get some things from home xxx.
Emma pressed the send button and stood in the middle of the living room, gazing around at the faded pictures and the tall dresser unit filled with memorabilia, antiques and some of the smaller models from Grandad’s younger years. Many of the objects in grandma’s house gave Emma childhood memories of fun times, laughter and tree climbing with her brothers in the back garden. They’d spent many happy days in the school holidays, staying with Grandma and Grandad while their parents worked. They were the only grandparents she had and despite her Grandma’s annoying habits and intrusive, overbearing personality, Emma and her brothers dearly loved her and they all worshipped Grandad.
“There, I just can’t settle unless I’ve got my things with me,” said Grandma as she appeared at the living room door. “I’m ready, shall we go?” Her tiny frame was lost behind the oversized patchwork bag she held as she tutted at Emma’s reverie, “Well? Shall we go Emma?”
“Yes, sorry.”
“I really should be getting home now,” said Emma half heartedly, knowing she had to get up early in the morning, “I’ll go and get my stuff together.”
Leaving her mum, dad and grandma in the living room talking about Grandad’s greatest achievements, his lifelong hobbies of building models and his reputation of being the ‘Nutty Professor’, Emma went upstairs and began to get her things together. Everyone had underlying fears about Grandad’s wellbeing at such an old age yet no one seemed to want to mention it.
“We’ll go over and see him in the morning Mother,” said Emma’s mum, smiling bravely, “They did say we could go outside of visiting hours.”
Collecting her bags and Christmas presents together, Emma padded down the stairs and dropped it all off at the front porch, “I’ll go over and see Grandad tomorrow night, after work if he’s still in there,” she said, upon her return to the living room, “You never know, he might be home by then.”
“Ok love. I’ll text you and let you know what’s going on,” said her mum, “It’s been lovely having you here. Have a good day at work tomorrow honey and say hi to Ruby and Pete for us.”
“I will Mum, bye Dad, goodbye Grandma.” Emma went around and pecked cheeks before leaving her childhood home, always full of happy memories.
The flat was cold and eerily still. Although there were a few decorations in the living room it didn’t feel at all festive and warm in her home. Emma felt like the only person in the world who was sat in a dull little flat – alone. She’d known all along that she would come home to an empty flat, as Ruby was away until the end of the week, but she felt oddly isolated.
Picking out her phone from her bag, she looked at the blank screen. The green light, which showed incoming messages, wasn’t flashing and she wished it would – just once. Wondering what he was doing right now, her heart skipped a beat as she toyed with the idea of calling Andrew. At ten thirty in the evening she decided it probably wasn’t a good idea. What would she say to him anyway? It felt like she hadn’t heard from him for a long time but it was only a matter of hours and he had said he was having a drink with friends, so she wasn’t even expecting to hear from him.
Trying to shake off her mood, Emma ran a bath and made a powdered milk coffee.
Hope it’s not too late to say goodnight. Hope your Grandad is ok. Goodnight sexy love (Drunk) Andy xx
My grandad is really not so good. Just got in bed so not too late. Hope you had a nice evening Love from Em xxx She’d done it and it made her feel so much better. A rush of excitement filled her as she sent the text… ‘Love from Em xxx’. Checking her alarm, she switched the table lamp off and snuggled down happily.
Love from? Cute. Loads of sexy stuff from Andy who wants you really badly… even though he’s very drunk. Very very drunk xx
The grotesque, Gollum-like creature crouched down by the side of the blood red river and dipped a gnarled hand into the malodorous flow. Slowly withdrawing a moistened palm, it then wiped it across its mouth. It grinned widely. Naked apart from a piece of tattered brown cloth, tied around its waist and concealing its groin, the freakish human shape twisted its tormented head around and glared. Jagged, rotting teeth dripped with liquefied, decaying flesh as it began to creep closer and closer to Emma. The rasping sound of its breath grew louder and louder… then the noise changed to a shrill, screeching sound…
Jolting awake, Emma realised that the sound she could hear in her dreams, was in fact the phone ringing. Jumping out of bed with a cold sweat she stumbled to the door, in the dark and headed down the hallway to the living room where she picked up the phone to silence it.
“Hello?” she said quietly, while gathering her scattered thoughts together.
“Emma… it’s Mum.”
Emma froze and looked up at the clock – 4.45am. Her heartbeat leapt into her throat. Somehow she knew what was coming next.
Chapter 11
So sorry Colin, I can’t come in today. My Grandad has died.
Emma pressed the send button and began to get dressed absent mindedly. Everything was a blur, the world seemed so silent outside even though the early morning transit van rush was beginning. Traipsing to the bathroom, she stared into the mirror at her red, puffy eyes. Today her gums had taken second place and did not concern her enough to perform her usual pre-cleaning teeth routine. Tying her hair back in a ponytail, Emma washed her face, cleaned her aching teeth and sprayed deodorant underneath her top, then realised she’d done everything the wrong way round by getting dressed first, not that she cared. Hearing the tinkle of her phone from the bedroom, Emma returned to read a new message.
Very sorry to hear this Emma. Please take tomorrow off as well, we can manage at work. All being well we’ll see you again in the New Year. Kind regards Colin and Rosie. p.s. Let me know if there is anything we can do Emma.
Tears began to roll down Emma’s cheeks again. Sniffing and wiping her nose with a tissue, she then grabbed her old trainers and pulled them on.
The drive to her parent’s house was slow and silent as she maneouvered the car through the growing traffic, on automatic pilot. Emma hadn’t wanted to listen to the early morning radio show as she normally would have done on her way to work and so she had turned it off completely. Blinking away the tears she just managed to drive across the town to her parent’s house, moments before her mum and grandma left to go to the hospital.
There were hugs and cuddles all round and tears flowed from both Emma and her mum. Grandma appeared cold and void of emotion, she was almost disbelieving of the situation, almost questioning the news and determined in her manner to seek out the truth for herself… or so it seemed.
“We’d better hurry up Alex, let’s go,” she demanded. Her hair looked un-brushed and smudges of yesterday’s make-up remained under her eyes. Lopsided traces of lipstick, again from yesterday, remained around the outer edges of her lips and in the creased corners of her mouth.
“Can you make some phone calls while we’re gone love? You know… Jo… Jack” Alex looked at Emma with pleading, blood shot eyes.
“Yes Mum,” croaked Emma, before a stray tear welled in her eye again, “Don’t worry I’ll sort it out, you go.” Emma realised she was crying more for her mum than anyone else. Her mum had lost her dad, her mum idolized her dad and her mum would be the one that would have to deal with all of this and mostly by herself. Emma’s mum’s resolve was something else but this could possibly push things a little too far.
Morning babe, have a good day at work, only 5 days until the New Year party. Can’t wait to see you again sexy Love Andy xx. p.s. how’s your grandad doing?
Wishing she hadn’t read the message quickly, before her mum and grandma drove off, Emma gulped back the deluge and waved her elders off with a bowing of her fingers and a saddened expression.
My Grandad died this morning Andrew.
Oh no. I am so sorry Emma. I’ll leave you alone, text me when you’re ready. I really feel for you. Loving thoughts Andy xx
Emma’s dad was searching through the address book at the dining table, as Emma returned indoors.
“Are you alright love?” he asked sympathetically.
“Yeah I think so. Mum wants me to call the boys.” Emma still referred to her brothers as ‘the boys’, even though they were all older than her and certainly not boys anymore.
“I know, I’m just going to ring Jack now as it’s getting on for eight o’clock in Germany,” said her dad, checking the clock on the wall behind him, “Hopefully I’ll catch him before work.”
“Tea?” asked Emma forlornly from the kitchen as she automatically flicked the kettle on, she’d never known her dad to refuse one.
“Yes please love,” he mumbled, holding the phone’s receiver to his ear.
The day began to drift by slowly, emotionally and quietly. Grandma and Emma’s mum returned from the hospital mid morning, looking rather subdued and shocked. While Emma’s mum gazed mindlessly at the frosty garden, from the patio doors, Grandma took control of arranging the leftover food into some sort of buffet meal for everyone to pick at.
The phone was in constant use and between Emma and her dad the messages, condolences and enquiries were kindly accepted and dealt with.
Thank you xxx Emma replied to Andrew’s text, not knowing what to say really but wanting to acknowledge his last message.
If there is anything I can do, please let me know. Andy xx
Cuddle me?
I really wish I could be there for you. Andy xx
Grandma had hardly sat down. It was obvious to everyone else that she hadn’t acknowledged Grandad’s death yet. She was keeping busy, looking after everyone else. Now and again she would stop in her tracks, look up to the ceiling like she’d just remembered something, pause, then carry on with what she was doing before.
“Mother will you sit down please,” said Alex, exasperated by her mother’s hustle and bustle behaviour.
“I don’t want to sit down. I need to do things Alex.”
“Ok, that’s fine but I want you to stay here again tonight. Grant can take you back to pick up some more things. And you as well Emma, do you want to stay?” Alex’s drawn face looked desperately at Emma.
“Yes, I’ll stay here,” said Emma knowing her mum needed her company and someone to talk to, who would actually listen with some empathy.
Just to let you know my Grandad died this morning. Emma knew she should have told Ruby earlier and hoped she hadn’t heard it from anyone else, although she was still on holiday at her parents’ house.
Emma, I am so very sorry to hear the sad news from Colin. We’re all thinking of you. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Pete x
Oh no, I’ll come home early Emma. There must be something I can do to help. I’m very sorry this has happened. Ruby xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Emma marveled at the phenomenon of the human race to have an overwhelming desire to offer to ‘help out’ or ‘do anything’ when someone has died. The only way that anyone could ‘help’ Emma was by bringing her grandad back – and that was just not going to happen.
No Rue, please don’t come home early, I’m staying at Mum’s until the weekend. Xxx
Thank- you Pete.
***
The next few days went by in a blur. Grant went back to work on Friday, although it was just for one day but the urge to escape from the house was overwhelming. Grandma continued to busy herself with anything she could find to do and at one point she annoyed Alex by going in to the garden, in the freezing cold and proceeded to move the gnomes around, saying that they ‘looked better over here’ and ‘fitted better over there’.
“Mother please leave them where they are. I can cut that bush back later and then we will see those ones again,” said Alex feeling very peeved by her mother’s meddling ways. “I’ll sort it out in the spring.”
“I just thought they would look nicer over there,” replied Grandma, pointing to the rockery by the pond.
“There’s too many over there.” Alex had to contain her frustration, realising her mother was just trying to cope somehow. “I’ll tidy it all up as soon as the weather is better. Come on in, it’s freezing out there.”
“I’m just trying to help out.” Grandma huffed as she returned indoors and slumped down on a chair at the dining room table.
Jack, Emma’s eldest brother, and Joe had been in contact by phone and they would be coming home for the funeral, as soon as there was a date set. Jack lived in Germany with his wife and two children and Emma hadn’t seen him for over a year so the reunion, although a sad occasion, would also be a happy one.
Aaron was already on his way home from Wales, having decided that he should get back, although there wasn’t much point and nothing he could do anyway. Aaron was the only one who still lived at home with their parents. Emma found it quite strange that he had never wanted to leave, or to buy his own place. He was loaded with money and worked six days a week when he could. Owning his own business, he’d never seemed to have much time for girls and their parents were beginning to worry that he might remain a bachelor for the rest of his life – until just very recently. Apparently, Emma’s mum had said that he’d met a woman and appeared to be quite keen to get to know her more. He’d had the odd girlfriend in the past but each time it started to look like he was ‘in a relationship’ it would end, usually due to Aaron’s excessively obsessive work commitments and reluctance to let anything stand in his way of success.
Emma’s phone had been pretty quiet for a couple of days; it seemed that Andrew had indeed decided to leave her alone, which Emma didn’t like at all. Holding the mobile in her hand, she willed it to tinkle, even just a tiny bit. She could send him a text message but she wasn’t quite sure what to say as most of their messages had been very flirtatious and she realised now that she didn’t really know him in any other way at all.
Hello, I just wondered if we were still going out on Monday night. Emma x Pressing the send button, a rush of heat swept across her face. Would he reply? What would he say? Had he forgotten about her? Had he moved on and found someone else? The latter was probably more likely as he was such a handsome and nice natured man (from what she knew of him so far). Sadly, Emma realised how pathetically needy and insecure she was but she just couldn’t help herself.
Alex and Grandma had dragged the tins of old photographs out from under the stairs and were sifting through them trying to find the best ones of Grandad. Stopping once or twice to reminisce over the baby photos and the wedding photos, they began to gather a pile of old photographs of Grandad. Alex had always liked to have the ‘physical copies’ of photos, rather than store them digitally, much to the annoyance of her family, who had tried to convince her otherwise.
Tears of joy and sadness flowed freely as they sat at the dining table drinking tea and talking about ‘the good old days’.
“Oh look, do you remember this one?” asked Alex, holding up a picture of a papier-mâché iceberg floating on a lake.
“Yes I do!” barked Grandma, snatching it from Alex’s hand, “Your father always traumatised me with his nutty ideas. That was when your ‘dearly beloved’ knocked me over and in to the lake. How could I ever forget it?” Then Grandma burst into tears, “Oh I do miss him,” she struggled to say while her hands covered her unmade, wrinkled face.
Alex rubbed her back gently and began to cry silent tears of her own. “I do too, but Grant didn’t ‘knock’ you in to the lake. You slipped in… remember?”
“Hmm,” replied Grandma and then wiped the wetness from her face and got up to look through the glass of the patio doors. “I do remember…”
So happy to hear from you. Feels like forever since I last spoke (text) to you. Silly and probably totally inappropriate question but how are things? Yes of course Monday is still on if you want to come (I would understand if you didn’t want to but then we could arrange something else), I can’t wait to see you again. Love Andy xx
With a fluttery sensation in the pit of her stomach, Emma eagerly replied, relieved that nothing had changed since their last bout of text messages. Things ok-ish, can’t wait to see you again. Still at mum’s, going home on Sunday. Love Em xxx
“Emma.” Her mum’s sweet and soft voice whispered, “Are you ok?”
