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Edwin said, ‘There was a programme on the telly about it. It said that being with like-minded people can boost your self-esteem and your self-confidence.’
‘I see.’
‘We have a good laugh. Mind you, some of them can get on your wick after a bit, but when that happens I bugger off back to my room and do my crossword.’
‘Does that happen often?’
‘Nah. As I said, we have a laugh.’
Daniel was forced to concede that his grandad did indeed appear to be happy. And he seemed to be a little more mobile lately, although the tremor in his left hand had become marginally worse over the past month or so. But then, that was only to be expected.
Edwin accepted the bottle of whisky graciously and placed it on the dressing table along with the cards he’d received – twenty-three in all, he announced happily, after showing him the one Daniel’s mother had given him. Then his attention had turned to the neatly wrapped box in Daniel’s hand, and he glanced at him excitedly.
‘Go on,’ Daniel urged, handing it to him. ‘Open it.’
Edwin tore the paper off with all the eagerness of a child at Christmas, but he looked puzzled when he saw the contents. ‘What is it?’
‘It’s Egypt,’ Daniel said, causing his grandfather even greater confusion.
But when he explained what it was and showed Edwin how to use it, the old man was almost in tears.
‘This is the best present, ever,’ he kept repeating, and when it came time for Daniel to leave, he refused to take the headset off, he was so engrossed.
‘Don’t forget to go back to your party,’ Daniel reminded him, as he prepared to go home.
‘Meh, they’ll all be watching Corrie by now,’ he said. ‘Or be asleep in the chair. This is wonderful. Just wonderful.’
‘Take care, Grandad. I’ll fetch you at half eleven on Sunday. Mum’s doing a leg of lamb.’
Smiling when the only response he got was a vague wave of a hand, Daniel left his grandad to play with his new toy and stepped out of the room.
‘Ow!’ a woman squeaked, and he realised he’d just walked into someone.
‘Sorry,’ he cried, but as he shot out a hand to steady the poor soul that he’d almost knocked over, he saw it wasn’t one of the residents, nor was it a member of staff. It was a visitor, and someone he recognised. ‘Are you OK?’
The woman from the supermarket checkout stared up at him. ‘Hello. How’s your grandad? Did he like his presents?’
‘He did, thanks. I take it you have a relative here?’
‘My Great-Aunt Nelly; she’s a bit of a character.’
Ah, the lady who gave Edwin the card and slippers as a welcome to the care home. ‘Aren’t they all,’ he said dryly. ‘I was in the games room earlier, and several of them were playing a forfeit version of pass-the-parcel.’
The woman laughed. ‘Yes, they do that sometimes.’
‘I left when it threatened to get messy.’
‘The trifle stunt?’
‘Yep.’ He shuddered. ‘I’m Daniel, by the way, and my grandad is Edwin.’
‘Seren.’
She smiled at him, and his tummy somersaulted. Woah, what was all that about?
‘No doubt I’ll see you around,’ she said, walking in the direction of the TV lounge.
Daniel hoped so. He really hoped so…
