Sam comes back over to sit with us. “I’m on at eight so enough time for a pint or two!” He takes a sip of his drink and turns to look at me. “So, Harri, you have pubs like this in London?”
“Probably. I haven’t really been to a pub before. Maybe once in the Lake District but in London, with the people I’m around, it’s more bars and clubs.”
“No pubs? That is wild!” He chuckles. “I don’t think I’ve ever been to a club to be honest.”
“We did that silent disco in the village hall,” Hannah replies.She is just so innocent and sweet. I really like her.
“Oh yes! And Sam smuggled in the bottle of tequila and Angela got so drunk that Reggie and Pete had to carry her home and she slept on Reggie and Emmie’s sofa.” Lois is in fits of laughter at the memory.
“Oh, God yes! Harri, remember I was telling you about Angela? She is well into her late eighties at least!”
“She sounds amazing! You have a really close community. It is nice to see.”
“Yeah, it’s a good place to be,” Sam remarks proudly.
“So, what do you do in London?” Hannah asks.
“Do you mean job-wise? Well, I’m a designer, but I’m taking a break from employment at the moment. After my split with Greg, Aradia offered for me to come and stay, so here I am. No plans as such and just trying to navigate my new life I guess.” I try not to sound like a tragic sob story but it’s hard not to.
“It must have been awful,” Hannah sympathises. Lois also has a sympathetic look in her eyes and Sam is listening intently to everything I say.
“I mean, being cheated on sucks, yes, but I have always, even as a little girl, had this feeling I didn’t belong. My life just always felt like a path chosen for me, not by me. God, stop, guys. You are making me feel like a right downer of the night.” I take a large gulp of my wine. I hate that they make me feel so comfortable that it’s coming out like word vomit.
“Not at all. I had you pegged for a rich city brat so it’s nice to see you’re not.” Lois raises her eyebrow and Sam shoots her a scowl. “I’m joking.” She holds her hands up. “I’m glad Harri is here. She’s managed so far to put up with my intimate questions and attitude. She is one of us already.” Lois smiles. I can’t quite figure her out, but I think deep down she’s as soft as Hannah, but has steel-made walls built around it.
“No, she’s right.” They look surprised that I agree with Lois.“Well, I used to be. Money in my family is all you care about. It’s nice to not care about it anymore.”
“That’s so surprising. Cerci and Aradia never give that impression,” Hannah replies.
I shake my head. “Oh, not them, my mother and father. Cerci and Aradia are polar opposite.”
“So, they didn’t influence you when you were younger?” Sam asks me.
I can either tell a lie here or actually go into the fact that my newfound family and I have only just met. I take a gulp of wine and decide to go with the truth with my new friends.
“So…” I take a deep breath. “I didn’t know they even existed until very recently, as in, me coming here recently.”
“I knew we hadn’t seen you in Brindlewood before!” Sam exclaims. “I knew I would have remembered you.” He smiles, and his eyes light up.
“So, you didn’t know them?” Hannah looks confused.
“So, Aradia turned up on my doorstep, well, my mother’s, introduced herself and asked for me to get to know them. My mother was hiding them from me. I think from the embarrassment that they don’t live the way she does.”
“So, you break up with your fiancé, meet your secret family and run away to the country?” Lois laughs shaking her head. “Talk about a movie script! Pretty badass though, Harri!” She toasts her glass at me.
If only she knew that I am also learning about witchcraft and trying to figure out my powers. But let’s make friends before we scare them away, Harri.
“Yeah, it is all a bit of a whirlwind but I’m so glad I’m here. It is like a breath of fresh air.”
“Except this place.” Lois laughs. “Your lungs will be full of smoke by the end of the night.”
“I’m glad you’re here too.” Sam goes to touch my hand. Ourfingertips brush lightly when he is called by the man behind the bar.
His croaky voice caries over the top of the other punters to us. “Sam, boy, you’re up!”
Sam pulls his hand back and gives me a sympathetic smile. He gets up to the stage and unpacks his guitar, He sits down on the bar stool and adjusts the mic in front of him. The crowd falls into a quieter chatter waiting for Sam to start. All eyes are drawn to him. I notice that he has engaged everyone’s attention.
“He hasn’t even started, and he’s got everyone looking at him,” I whisper.
