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‘I heard shouting …’ Henry pushed the bedroom door open.
‘Oh, that was just me being Latin,’ Elle flashed him a smile.
‘Okay then. So anyway, if you come downstairs in a bit, Nessy’s got something to give you.’
Elle triumphantly lay Helen’s prom dress on the bed. ‘Babe, trust me, this is going to look beautiful …’ and they both pulled on hoodies. Nessy was sitting at the breakfast bar, her legs crossed, hands primly folded in her lap like she wasn’t quite sure where to put them. Things seemed to be getting progressively more serious between Nessy and Henry; in fact, according to her mum, Nessy had spent every night there that week.
‘Hiya!’ she said an octave too loudly, then looked quickly at her coffee cup.
‘Helen and Elle, this is Nessy, who you haven’t met properly yet,’ Henry paused just long enough to furrow his brow at Helen; he still hadn’t fully forgiven her for cancelling on him that night. ‘Nessy, um … heard you were going to Ship/Wrecked and had some ideas of things you might need.’ Henry sat down, seemingly relieved that his speech making was over.
‘So, I actually used to go to a fair few festivals, before I met Henry of course …’ Nessy blushed in Henry’s direction. ‘When Henry said you’se were going to Ship/Wrecked and hadn’t really been to a festival before, I thought I’d loan you a few bits to help …’
‘I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing …’ Helen looked at Nessy properly for the first time. She had sparkling brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She didn’t look like a party animal, more like an elf.
‘To be fair you don’t know much about Nessy yet, Hels.’ Henry’s arms were crossed now.
‘Oh aye, I love a good party me.’ Nessy had a soft Glaswegian accent and yellow freckles that spun out in asymmetrical spirals on her face. ‘Though Henry’s calmed me down a bit …’
‘He has that effect on people.’ Helen sat on the arm of Henry’s chair and pulled his bowling ball-like head into a hug. Henry’s arms loosened.
‘Anyway, I would consider these bits essentials if you’re camping. First of all, I always wear this belt.’ Nessy held up an oversized khaki utility belt.
Elle’s eyes widened.
‘I’ll wear that!’ smiled Helen.
‘I know it’s not very glam but you’ll be surprised by how many useful things you can put in it: wet wipes, anti-bac hand gel, torch, you can even clip a water flask to it like this.’ Nessy mimed snapping on a flask using the caribou clip. ‘And, of course, your Shewee …’
‘Shewee?’
‘It’s a portable piece of rubber that you can use to, you know, pee standing up. Like a boy!’ Nessy stood up from her stool, tucked the Shewee between her legs and mimed peeing in the shape of an ‘N’. ‘Anyway, I thought you may not want to use the loos there. They can be a bit …’ Nessy cast an anxious look at Elle. ‘So, I’ve put my old one in there, nice and clean! Just in case … And a few other bits and pieces too. You’se girls are gonna have such an adventure!’
Chapter 27
Helen and Elle’s newly acquired backpacks were perched against the front door, ready for Henry to drop them off later that evening. They’d managed to borrow sleeping bags from Henry (‘don’t worry, mum washed them’), Helen’s dad had produced head torches from out of his tool shed (‘there, I told your mother these would come in handy’) and her mum had made them flapjacks (‘now I know you say you won’t have much signal down there, but please text me to let me know you’re in your tent all right. I’m not sure what kind of people go to these festivals.’)
Elle was busy fashioning the fairy wings out of Helen’s old prom dress, (‘hidden talents babe …’) and Helen was making a very important visit to Nanny G. She knocked gently on the annexe door and waited to be called in.
‘Helen, that must be you!’ Nanny G’s voice sounded stronger, clearer. ‘I’ve been waiting to see you …’
Helen pushed open the door and saw Nanny G, still in bed but sat much more upright, five pillows propped up behind her. The curtains were open this time, letting the long, low evening light coat the room in an orange glow.
‘Golden hour! You should take a picture.’ Nanny G’s eyes twinkled.
‘And how do you know about golden hour Nan, got the dating profile together yet?’
‘Well I thought that was it for me, Helen, but now I just might.’ Nanny G snapped a ginger biscuit in half and turned downLove Islandthat had been on loop on TV. ‘Have you seen this, Helen? Terrible really. Human bear baiting. Like a gladiatorial arena for ‘dating’ as you would say; but I can’t turn it off. It’s kept me going, all these young beautiful people falling in love, then falling in love with someone else …’
‘Nan … I’ve got something to show you.’
Helen turned her phone towards Nanny G.
‘Oh … my …’
‘It’s him, Nan. We tracked him down. Well, actually his daughter, Vernon’s …’
‘Of course she is. Of course …’ Nanny G nodded and began folding up a handkerchief. ‘Did you say ‘we’?’
