Chapter ten
Banging downstairswoke Tammy. She groaned and reached for her phone to check the time. It was mid-morning. Tammy shot up into a sitting position, momentarily disorientated. What day was it? Was it her opening day?
Her eyes scanned her phone for the date. She let out a long sigh of relief and fell back into the warmth she’d just left. It was Sunday. It was the one day her uncle didn’t work. The banging continued.
‘Whatishe doing?’
Throwing back the cover, Tammy plunged her feet into her strategically placed slippers and reached for her dressing gown. When the cord was tied in place around her waist, she headed downstairs.
The source of the banging became clear as Tammy descended the stairs. Uncle Ben was in the kitchen, surrounded by an assortment of old photo albums, cards, and memorabilia. He looked up as Tammy entered, his face lighting up with a mix of excitement and nostalgia.
‘Morning, lass,’ he greeted with a grin. ‘You’re just in time.’
Tammy rubbed her eyes, still trying to fully wake up. ‘In time for what, Uncle Ben?’
Her Uncle Ben held up a weathered envelope, his fingers carefully handling it. ‘I was looking for those birthday cards you’ve been sending me all these years. I thought I’d have a look at them today because I need to add my recent card from you to the others.’
Tammy’s grogginess quickly faded as the significance of the moment hit her. She stepped closer, a mix of curiosity and emotion welling up inside her. ‘You kept them?’
Uncle Ben chuckled, nodding. ‘Aye, indeed I did. Every one of them. And while I was at it, I stumbled upon some old photo albums. Haven’t looked at these in years.’
Tammy’s heart fluttered as she saw the albums spread out on the kitchen table. ‘Wow. Are there any photos of you when you were my age, Uncle? I bet you were a head-turner when you were young.’
‘Oi! I’m still a head-turner now you cheeky beggar. I’ll have you know; I have many requests from my customers, asking me to pop around and sample the fish they’ve purchased from me.’
Tammy giggled as she poured herself a mug of tea from the teapot her uncle was keeping warm with a knitted tea cosy. ‘I don’t doubt that you do Uncle Ben. I bet you have to fight them off with a stick.’ Ben laughed. ‘In fact, I saw them all crowding you the other day. You were smiling and laughing—quite in your element you were.’ Ben chuckled.
She joined Ben at the kitchen table, the anticipation building as she watched him open one of the cards she’d sent him years earlier. The picture on the front was vaguely familiar. He turned it around to show her the message she’d written inside.
Dear Uncle Ben,
Wishing you the happiest birthday ever. I hope you have glasses on so that you can read this message.
Love Tammy.
Tammy burst out laughing. ‘Why on Earth did I write that?’
Ben’s smile reached from ear to ear. ‘Maybe because you knew I was old. Anyway, it made my day. It kept a smile on my face for weeks every time I thought of it.’
‘Awww. I’m glad. I really looked forward to your cards as well, Uncle Ben. I’m ashamed to admit it to you now, but I especially loved the ten-pound notes you sent me. It was as if I knew someone out there cared for me.’
Ben reached for her hand and squeezed it. ‘Of course I cared about you, lass. I just wished I’d been in circumstances that would have allowed me to raise a nipper.’
‘It just wasn’t meant to be uncle, but at least we are together now.’
Tammy could see her uncle’s bottom lip quivering. It was clear to see he was overwhelmed with emotion. ‘Yes, lass.’
He quickly turned away and reached for a tattered brown album. When he opened it, a faint smell of mustiness filled the air.
Tammy smiled at the old grey photos of fishing boats, which changed to coloured photos as he turned the pages. She wasn’t at all surprised. ‘Oh wow. Are those boats you used to fish in, Uncle Ben?’
‘Aye lass. I took a snapshot of every single one of them.’ As he turned the pages, the photos of boats stopped and were replaced with snapshots of people. Ben stopped at a photo of a young girl.
‘Well, I never.’
‘What? Who is it uncle?’
‘It’s-it’s Nicola—your mum.’ Tammy gasped as she stared at the features of a child who resembled her when she was just a few years older than the girl in the image. ‘I must have taken them when she lived with me for a while.
