‘You’re welcome. I’m Abe, by the way.’
‘Sandy. So pleased to meet you.’
As we both stand in the small doorway of the houseboat, I can’t help noticing how handsome he is and how his blond hair is streaked with grey. Even though it’s cold, he’s wearing cargo shorts with wheat-coloured hiking boots. He reminds me of some of the Australians I met when I was in Melbourne. My first impression of him is that he looks like the type of person who wouldn’t want to be constrained by a mortgage, a nine-to-five job or any sort of normal humdrum life. He looks quite nomadic and outdoorsy. As I look up at his bright green eyes, I feel something wet at my feet. I look down to see his beautiful Dutch water dog has followed him and is now greeting me with a big lick at my ankles.
‘Hello, you’re a happy little soul, aren’t you,’ I say.
‘He likes you.’
‘He’s gorgeous. What’s his name?’
‘Ted.’
‘Hello, Ted. It’s so lovely to meet you.’
‘Ted says it’s lovely to meet you too,’ says Abe with a big grin. I find myself blushing under his attention. I guess that is what happens when you’ve been aroundthingsmore than humans.
‘Well, anyway, I’d better head off. I guess you have a lot of work to do,’ says Abe, gesturing around the room.
‘Oh, yes. Not quite sure where I’ll start. The first thing is to freshen this place up a bit, I guess.’
‘It was empty for a while after the owner died. It got a bit stale in here. It was left in a bit of a mess before it was cleared out,’ says Abe.
‘Ah, right. That’s okay. I’m sure I’ll get it all sorted.’
‘You look very capable of managing it yourself, but if you need anything then please give me a shout. I know the old guy here used to have trouble with some of the heating thermostats so I can try to help if you have a problem.’
‘I did hear some funny noises coming from the boiler room earlier.’
As if there is the ghost of the previous owner on board, as I say it I hear a great big rumble once again.
‘I think I might well be needing a plumber.’
‘Sure, see how you get on. If there’s anything else you need, just shout. I’m only next door.’
‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’
Ted looks up at me for attention and I give him a big stroke before they leave me to my own devices. I close the door behind them and start to believe that I could be happy here eventually, even if the boiler, and everything else, is a bit dodgy. But then I see a shadow on the window of the wheelhouse. For a moment, I wonder if there is a strange man up there. How secure is it, living here? However, as I watch the window closely, I see a great big stork parading about. A stork! I have no idea whether they can be vicious, but I am so excited that I open the door to take a look. I quietly creep outside and sit down on a black-and-red striped deckchair that has been discarded, left by the previous owner. The stork spots me and glides away, leaving me alone.
Looking at my surroundings, I realise that the deckchair directly faces Abe and Ted’s houseboat. I move my chair slightly as I don’t want Abe to think I’m watching them. Despite all the jobs I have to do indoors, I can’t help but take time out to relish the scenery and watch as people pass me on the canal. At the moment, the thought of sitting out here is more appealing than being inside. A woman on a bike rides past with bright red tulips wrapped in paper in her basket. That’s exactly what I need – tulips! That will brighten the houseboat up. A little voice in my head tells me that it will take more than flowers, and not to start my old habit of shopping again, but I drown it out and try to remember where the flower market is from my last visit. Once the barge is sorted, that’s the first place I’ll go. I am telling myself to imagine how rewarding it will be once all the work is done, when I hear the voice of my neighbour from his roof.
‘Hey. Did you unpack that quickly?’
‘Ha. No. I came out here because I saw a stork on the roof.’
‘Ah, yes. It’s a regular visitor around here.’
‘How fabulous. I love storks.’
‘Then you’ll have to visit the house with the stork.’
‘A stork lives in a house?’
‘No, it’s a landmark around here. Have you seen the movieOcean’s Twelve? It was in that.’
‘Oh, no. I’m not much of a movie buff. I prefer…’ I decide not to mention the felting hobby since he probably won’t know what I mean. It might sound a bit strange trying to explain that I repeatedly stab needles into yarn, resulting in the creation of miniature animals.
‘Even if you don’t like movies, you should search for the house with the stork. It stands on the corner of a building. You should see if you can find it.’
