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Nanou
September was one of Nanou’s favourite times because June through to August could be too hot and she spent most of her time hiding indoors. Whereas Ace’s birthday month was often a lovely mixture, warm days interspersed with hints of autumn and, like the countryside, everything and everyone seemed to slow down. The flow of tourists ebbed as did the pace in the surrounding towns and villages, and Herval settled into some alone time after the harvest. Even the supermarkets were quieter, not so many foreign number plates in the car park and strange accents in the queue for the cashier.
Nanou secretly enjoyed being stuck behind the English, wearing an innocent expression while eavesdropping on their conversations and squabbles as they packed their groceries away. Thank heavens that she’d taken an interest in her daughters’ studies and helped them recite their English verbs and tested them on their vocabulary, otherwise she and Silvestre would have had to resort to sign language and a dictionary when Joe bought the farm. He couldn’t speak a word of French and to date remained on par with her husband in the linguistic stakes, but they all muddled through and nowadays everyone could converse easily with one another.
Apart from when Lance asked her something because oddly enough, she really had trouble understanding his accent so ignored most of his requests. Nanou said he mumbled and didn’t pronounce his words properly, which was why most of the time, she just shrugged, or pretended to be confused, or rattled on in French and did a lot of arm waving, leaving him far more bewildered than she.
Chuckling at her own mischief, Nanou had begun to unload the shopping onto the kitchen table when she heard the rattle of the kitchen door and there, like a windswept werewolf was her grey-bearded husband, just in time for coffee.
‘I’m a little late chéri, but sit, sit, I won’t be long. Where are they all?’ She accepted a peck on the cheek from Silvestre and flicked on the kettle while he dragged out a chair, answering her own question when she spotted the note propped against the kettle. It said they were down at the beach with the dogs, and it made her smile, thinking of them all together, even Lance and that was rare for her.
‘I saw them heading to the beach… Do we have any biscuits?’ Silvestre stood again and soon found the box and began rummaging inside as Nanou concentrated on her groceries, thinking of the family as she stocked the cupboards.
The past week had been fun, the atmosphere around the farm light-hearted, something that she accredited to having a new face at the table, someone with patience and a sunny personality. Eedee was everything Nanou had hoped she would be and had fit right in, once she got over her shyness, mainly around Joe. And her presence had kind of healed a rift between Lance and his dad because there’d been no more arguing. Nanou hoped it would last and that it wasn’t just a case of putting on a show for a guest because she’d never seen Ace so happy and yes, smitten.
Eedee was Nanou’s new favourite subject, and she regaled her to Silvestre at every opportunity, whether he wanted to hear or not.
‘I can tell Eedee is from a good family and has turned out well. Thank goodness her mémère was there for the little one… so sad. Did I tell you?’
‘Yes, chérie, many times and it is still as sad as the first.’ Silvestre was distracted, unwrapping a packet and trying to read Joe’s newspaper at the same time.
‘I wonder what happened.’ Nanou felt it was important to know these things, for example about a prospective son-in-law’s family, if ever that miracle occurred.
‘I am sure she will tell you one day, chérie.’ More rustling and a flick of the newspaper, Silvestre was more engrossed in the weather report about the storm that was now somewhere off the coast of Mexico and about to whip its way across the Atlantic.
‘Hmm, she was a bit chattier about her grandmother. She is called Ro, and divorced, and works for Protection Sociale, with women who have suffered violence conjugale, very admirable, don’t you think?
‘She went back to studying once Eedee started school, but she didn’t say anything about the men of the family… not even her papa. I was going to ask but maybe it is another sad story, and I didn’t want to upset her.’
‘That was very tactful of you, chérie, and remember, Ace told you not to ask too many questions. Eedee’s home life may have been difficult.’
Nanou knew her husband well and his patronising comment meant he was bored with the subject of Eedee and her family. ‘Yes, of course it was difficult, her maman was gone. I’m not stupide, Silvestre! I was just trying to point out that her mémère has done a good job. Not many young people would think to bring gifts, especially for us. It was extremely kind.’
Nanou huffed and took down the printed apron that was hanging on the back of the kitchen door. She’d worn it every day and loved the picture on the front, of the magnificent cathedral in Eedee’s home city of Ely, a beautiful place set on the banks of a river.
Eedee had also shown her a photo of her mémère, sitting on the grass feeding some swans. Thankfully Nanou was wearing her glasses at the time so got a really good look. The lady gave the impression of being very natural, at ease with herself and had a nice smile. At a guess she was in her late fifties and was wearing a pale-pink shirt and faded jeans, and she had a tattoo of three little elephants on her foot that was bare but what really struck Nanou was her lovely long hair, almost down to her waist. It was a nice shade of ash blonde from the looks of it, not daring like Nanou’s Vivid Garnet Red that everyone said complemented her personality.
Giving her bouncy blow dry a proud pat, Nanou took the milk over to the fridge, her mind still on her new friend. She had so many questions, like what happened to Eedee’s maman and what about her papa, why had he gone to prison and where did her grand-père go after the divorce? It was so frustrating but she would obey Ace’s wishes, even though it almost killed her.
Instead, Nanou chose to focus on good things, and how nice it was, having another woman around the house and Eedee was good company. She also didn’t expect to be waited on like a certain person called Lance, and helped Nanou in the kitchen, always curious about what they were having for lunch, and shyly asking questions about Joe and the family, Joe mostly. Nanou was used to this because even though to her, he was like a brother, to others he was someone they’d seen on television or heard coming out of their radio.
Eedee had definitely brought with her a new energy, like that thing Sylvie said happened when you rearranged the furniture. Nanou couldn’t remember what it was called, only that it sounded like something you’d eat at the Chinese banquet in town. All she did know was that love was in the air and that the house was a happy one.
The kettle flicked and seeing as Silvestre couldn’t be bothered to indulge in chit-chat, she couldn’t be bothered to make him his favourite coffee so spooned instant granules into a cup and with a thud of the mug, served her biscuit-munching husband his drink.
Exhausted from the toing and froing across the kitchen Nanou took her coffee and flopped into one of the chairs by the fire and had a little minute, sipping her drink and mentally ticking off what she needed to prepare for lunch, and how many of them there would be. Sometimes she and Silvestre stayed for dinner, on special nights like when Eedee had arrived but most days they clocked off at four and spent the evening together in their cottage.
According to Joe, there had been some very pleasant evenings; him, Lance, Ace and Eedee, playing cards in the lounge or taking a stroll down to the beach, all instigated by their new guest. And she’d seen Eedee and Lance chatting in the yard when she went to feed the chickens, her favourite daily task. He’d even offered to carry one of the buckets, a gesture that received a raised eye from Nanou who didn’t trust Lance as far as she could throw Donna the pig.
Still, perhaps that’s what the brothers had needed all these years, a young person to bridge the gap between them. Somehow, Eedee was drawing Lance out of his crabby shell, and Nanou could tell Joe was enjoying a semblance of normal family life for as long as it lasted. It was only a matter of time, though, before someone cracked. It was always the way.
‘No rest for the wicked people,’ said Silvestre out loud and even though she wasn’t wicked, she followed his lead and heaved herself out of the comfy fireside chair, accepting another peck and a conciliatory squeeze as he bade her goodbye.
Men,thought Nanou as she passed the table and pulled a pile of mail from her shoulder bag and began sorting through what was for her and Silvestre and the rest for the Jarretts. It was mostly supermarket publicity and fliers; however, one envelope caught her eye, a foreign stamp and US postmark. Nanou presumed at first it would be for Lance and was surprised when the name on the front was in fact Joe’s. Placing the family pile on the side, she opened her mail, rolling her eyes at bills, smiling at a postcard from her niece, and after flicking through the community newsletter was about to go upstairs when she heard an engine and the familiar scattering of stones under tyres.
Not expecting anyone and knowing that all the family cars were parked in the yard, Nanou went to greet their visitor who, on opening the door, made her smile at the sight of him, even though he was a few days earlier than expected.
‘Gus, quelle surprise! I was not expecting you but welcome, come in. I am just making coffee.’ Nanou worked hard to keep her smile fixed as Gus approached even though her heart had frozen because it looked, even from ten paces away, like the man had shrunk. And when she noticed his grey pallor and sunken eyes, a terrible sense of foreboding turned her stomach. Even as he spoke, jovial as ever, the tinge of fatigue echoed in each word.
‘Hello love, those words are music to my ears, now come here and give us a hug, I’ll grab my things later. Where is everyone?’ Gus held out his arms and before she succumbed to the embrace Nanou knew what she would feel beneath his crumpled suit: bones instead of the plump and squishy man he used to be.
‘They are at the beach but should be home soon. They never miss lunch, so sit down and I will make that drink.’ Shaking off her fears, she closed the door and watched as he lowered himself into one of the fireside chairs, closing his eyes while she filled the space with questions, avoiding the most obvious.
It had been June, the last time she saw him, when he came for his annual summer holiday and even though he’d told them he was ‘having a few problems with the old ticker’, and slept the days away, brushing off concerns with assurances that he’d just been overdoing things, never had she imagined he would decline so swiftly.
‘Tea or coffee? And why didn’t you tell us you were coming? You’ve hired a car and Silvestre would have collected you from the airport… He’s going to be so happy his old friend is here. Everyone will.’
Gus smiled; eyes still closed. ‘I’d love a cup of tea, thanks, Nan,’ he opened one eye and gave Nanou a cheeky smile because only he got away with calling her that, ‘and it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, that’s why I never rang. Now get that kettle on and we can have a nice catch-up while it’s quiet.’
When he closed his eyes again, Nanou rushed over to the kettle and flicked it on and decided that if Joe wasn’t home by the time Gus had finished his tea, she would ring Ace and tell them to come back. Something was wrong, she knew it.
