Page 39 of The Time of My Afterlife

Jane makes a pained expression. ‘I can’t believe we are having a coffee, and I am about to tell you about the idea for my secret project.’

I feel a little burst of excitement. Jane seems nice and I want to help her. ‘Secret project ideas are great. I think you should tell me,’ I say, encouragingly. ‘I’ll see if I can help you.’

She fiddles with a strand of hair which has escaped her bun. ‘I’ve always dreamed of being the host of a radio show, playing cool music and doing shout-outs for those listeners who need some company in the small hours. I tried my hardest to get into radio but could never get the break.’

I know nothing about working in radio, so this is going to be tricky.

‘That’s why podcasts appeal to me,’ she explains.

‘Podcasts?’ I remember Clark’s dreadful football podcast. I’m not interested in football, and I don’t know why I listened to each episode, but I did. All fifteen episodes were torturous. I tried to give him some feedback once, but he wouldn’t listen.

‘I want to start a podcast for lonely people.’

‘Oh, okay. That sounds interesting.’

She’s fidgeting in her chair. I sense she’s nervous. ‘Do you listen to podcasts?’ she asks.

‘I always have a book review one on when I’m cleaning. Come on and tell me about your idea.’

‘It’s called The Lonely-Hearts Podcast,’ she explains and gives me a sheepish smile. She rolls her eyes. ‘I’ve thought of everything, even the title. Do you like it?’

‘Jane – that sounds fab. That’s a great title. The Lonely-Hearts Podcast sounds cool. Tell me more.’

She blinks with surprise. ‘Do you really like it?’

I nod enthusiastically. ‘Yes, I do.’

‘In each episode, I read out anonymous letters from lonely hearts in the hope one day they’ll find the courage to break free from their loneliness or perhaps reconnect with a lost love.’

‘Wow, Jane, I love this,’ I exclaim. ‘The idea of reading out anonymous letters is intimate and a bit romantic.’

Something flickers across her face. ‘Really? Do you think so?’

‘Yes, you will be helping others,’ I say, with a tap of my cup handle. ‘That’s always a good reason to do something.’

A huge smile lights up her face. ‘Florence, I wasn’t expecting such a good reaction. I haven’t told anyone my idea as I thought people would laugh or not get it.’

‘You’ve given this a lot of thought – haven’t you?’

She nods. ‘It’s been burning a hole in me. Feeling lonely is horrible. It eats away at you, and you start to question yourself. I’ve reached the stage where I need to do something positive and help others. I also need a project to get stuck into.’

‘Do you have all the podcast equipment?’

She shifts on her seat. I take out my phone and search for what you need to get started. ‘You’ll need editing software, a microphone, possibly the use of a studio…’

‘I was thinking there must be easier ways of doing it,’ she says, looking uncomfortable. ‘I saw on Facebook that someone did it with just a mic and a voice app. Do you know anyone who is into podcasting?’

Clark’s face appears in my mind. I could ask him, but he would take over and then gloat. I am not asking him. I need to encourage Jane to do it properly. ‘Jane, you want it to sound good – don’t you? According to this article, you’ll need a release schedule, a brand identity, a marketing plan, and a social media strategy. Don’t worry, I can help with that.’

‘A brand identity and a social media strategy? This sounds complicated.’

I skim-read an article on steps to be a top podcaster. ‘All vital. It’s important to hit the ground running and get good engagement stats.’

‘I just want to read out letters, Florence. I’m not bothered about stats…’

I interrupt her. ‘Jane, I can help you with the marketing plan.’ Before she has a chance to reply, I launch into a spiel about how I did marketing at university, how it helps me promote the café and my experience on Instagram with books.

She’s drained her cup and is now shaking her head. ‘Thanks for the coffee. A lot for me to take in and, erm… process. I’m going to think some more about my podcast.’