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Chapter 16
Seren popped a deliciously scented candle and its gorgeous pottery holder into a paper bag and handed it to the old lady she was serving. She, along with many of the residents and quite a few of the staff of Aunt Nelly’s care home, were gathered in the lounge where Seren had laid out her wares, and they were examining the items that Seren had brought to sell and exclaiming excitedly.
‘My Valerie will be thrilled,’ the woman said. ‘I always give her money, but I do like her to have a little something to open on Christmas Day. Last year it was slippers.’
Nelly burst out laughing and slapped her thigh. ‘Been there, done that, got the thermal vest.’
‘I think you mean T-shirt,’ Seren said.
‘No, it was definitely slippers, wasn’t it, Edwin? I’d never dream of buying a strange man a T-shirt.’
‘Hey, who are you calling strange?’ Edwin protested.
Seren had ferried a selection of things indoors, because many of the residents were too old and frail to stand outside in the cold, so she had done what she’d promised and had brought things to them.
And mighty successful it had been. Most people had bought something, and one old lady had spent a fortune, mostly on Christmas decorations for her room in the home.
‘I’ve got no family to buy for. My son lives in Australia,’ the lady had explained earlier, ‘and it costs a fortune to post anything over there, so I just give them money. But I’ve always been a big fan of Christmas. When I moved in here, I got rid of nearly everything, Christmas decorations included. Well, they were all so old, you see? Tatty, most of them. So they went in the bin. But look at all the lovely new ones I’ve got now. My room will look all cheery and festive when my son Skypes me. He’ll be so pleased. He worries about me, you know.’
‘I expect he does,’ Seren said, surreptitiously popping a divine bauble in the shape of a feathered dove into the bag of items the lady had purchased, and making a mental note to pay her supplier for it later.
Eventually everyone who had wanted to look at her stock had done so, and people were beginning to move away, so Seren thought it was time she packed up as she still had Wheatlands Residential Home to visit before she was done for the day. She didn’t have a great deal left in the boxes she’d brought in from the van, and she hoped she’d have enough stock to make a decent show at the next place. At this rate, she’d have to stock up again this evening.
It might be a good idea to let the suppliers know sooner rather than later that she needed more goods off them, so she sat down for a moment to send each one a quick message asking if she could call in on her way home.
Just as she pressed send on the last one, her aunt eased herself down into the seat next to her.
‘I thought that went very well,’ Nelly said.
‘So did I.’
‘You can thank me by making me a cup of tea before you go.’
‘Thank you for what?’ Seren asked, getting up to do as she was told.
‘Coming up with the travelling gift shop idea.’
Seren turned to her. ‘I think you’ll find we both had the idea at the same time.’
‘If it makes you feel better to think that…’ Nelly cocked an eyebrow at her.
Seren knew there was nothing to be gained by arguing any further, so instead she bent to give her aunt a kiss on the cheek. ‘Thank you,’ she said graciously, and Nelly beamed at her, her dentures gleaming.
‘You’re welcome. You might as well have it now as when I’m gone.’
‘Pardon?’ Seren frowned. What an odd thing to say. It wasn’t the first time her aunt had made a comment that was totally out of context, and Seren felt a frisson of unease travel down her spine. Not only that, she recalled that Nelly had been convinced someone was stealing her walking frame. It all added up to a worrying conclusion, and Seren vowed to have a chat with her father about it. Nelly had always been as sharp as a tack, so the possibility of the old lady suffering from dementia didn’t bear thinking about.
‘Your father tells me you have a young man,’ Nelly said as Seren handed her a mug. Nelly took it with both hands and sipped it cautiously. ‘Not bad,’ she declared. ‘What’s his name? What’s he like? What does he do for a living?’
‘Slow down,’ Seren chuckled. ‘I haven’t actually been on a date with him yet, although I am seeing him on Friday. His name is Daniel. You know what he looks like because you’ve seen him here when he’s visited his grandfather, Edwin, and he’s a freelance gardener.’
‘Ha! Your dad could do with him in your garden,’ Nelly chortled. ‘Patrick never did like gardening.’
Seren had thought the same thing when Daniel had brought her the ivy cuttings, and she’d also been relieved that it was dark so he hadn’t seen it in all its non-glory. He’d seen it on Tuesday though, but she suspected he’d had other things on his mind than her dad’s garden. She knew she certainly had. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the brief brush of her lips on his, and her pulse raced every time she thought of it.
Just at that moment Edwin sauntered back into the room and Nelly pounced on him in glee. ‘Did you know that your grandson and my niece are going on a date? Isn’t that nice!’
Seren cringed. What was it with the older generation – they all seemed to take an active interest in her love life, and shout about it to the whole world. Then she recalled the way she’d sniggered when Daniel’s mother and her neighbour had appeared in the cafe the other day, and decided that karma wasn’t a nice person. At least Daniel wasn’t here to witness her embarrassment, the way she’d witnessed his.
