Page 27 of Starry Nights over Dragonfly Lake

‘Of course you can, lad,’ Walter told him. ‘But the storm’s brought down a few of the older trees in the driveway so you can’t even get your car out at the moment. The last guests only just made it out in time.’

It had been the last thing that Noah had been expecting.

‘How are you with a chainsaw?’ asked Walter.

‘Better than most,’ Noah told him.

‘We’d best get to work then.’

With no offer forthcoming from Jeremy to give them a hand, Walter grabbed his own coat from behind the reception desk and they headed outside.

Immediately they were enveloped in strong gusts of wind that swept across the lake and through the trees, causing them to creak and sway.

As they began to walk across the car park, Ben hurried over to them.

‘Grandad, go back inside,’ he said. ‘Storm’s not over yet and it’s too dangerous.’

‘Stop fussing,’ snapped Walter. ‘I can help, can’t I?’

Ben pressed his lips together but obviouslyknew better than to push his grandfather any further so the three men walked together towards the woods.

Noah was surprised at the mess that they found. There were a number of trees down everywhere, strewn across both the driveway and around the forest. Thankfully any cars in the car park had been missed, as well as the hotel.

But the entrance to the hotel driveway was blocked with a number of trees and so the first job was to start to clear them.

Noah cut up one large trunk which lay across the track. He and Ben rolled the tree trunk away with the idea that they would deal with it later.

With only one chainsaw between them, Ben used an axe to chop off some of the smaller branches whilst Noah cut up the larger tree trunks.

After a short time, Noah shot a look at Walter who was standing nearby. Ben had just taken the axe from him to chop up the larger pieces of timber. Walter was frowning, looking as if he wanted the wrestle the axe back from his grandson. Noah had to admire his spirit. Perhaps he would be the same at Walter’s age. Always fighting. Never surrendering to any kind of weakness. After all, that was how Noah had lived his life so far.

But as Noah picked up the chainsaw once more to start work on the next fallen tree, he heard Walter say, ‘I’ll take these to the log store.’

Walter leant down to pick up a number of smaller logs and began to walk away. But as he went, he didn’t spot a branch lying across the path and Noah watched in horror as Walter’s feet got tangled and he fell forward.

Noah dropped the chainsaw and rushed over to reach his uncle but he didn’t make it in time, aghast to see the pensioner fall onto the ground with a loud cry.

Ben also saw the accident and ran over.

‘Grandad!’ said Ben, crouching down and looking ashen. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Do I look okay?’ muttered Walter, lying face down on the ground.

But Noah could tell from the colour that had drained out of his face that something serious had happened.

‘Hip? Arm?’ he asked, getting to the crux of the matter.

‘Shoulder, I think,’ moaned Walter.

Ben and Noah exchanged a horrified look before they assessed the situation.

‘Let’s get you up gently,’ said Noah. ‘We’ll have to turn you first, all right?’

Ben nodded his agreement and they both reached down to gently turn Walter over. Now that they could see his face, it was obvious how much pain he was in.

‘Walter!’ said Dotty, who had been in their little cottage nearby and had rushed out, despite the storm billowing all around them. She bent down to look at her husband. ‘What have you done?’

‘Bust my shoulder up good, I reckon,’ muttered Walter.