Racing Home

“I overslept. What time did your mum and dad come back?” I asked enthusiastically.

He slowly shook his head. “They’re still in London.” he grinned.

I gestured my hand towards the food on the table. “What about all this?” I asked.

“I did have the best teachers, mum, dad and George, for who I owe a big apology, next time I see them.”

“Yes, you owe them that,” I agreed.

“Hey, Michael. I am sorry for getting you involved in my problems today. Regarding the money you paid today. Give me some time. I’ll pay…..”

I stopped him in mid-sentence. “Let’s make a deal. You don’t mention that money again, and your parents don’t find out about what happened this morning.”

He stood there like a statue, just staring at me.

“Are we clear,” I said

I turned and went back to my bedroom, grabbed the small gift bag I had prepared the night before and went back to the dining room to find Jason sitting on the couch. He didn’t even turn to look at me. He stared at the blank screen on the TV, which was off.

“Merry Christmas, Jason,” I smiled, with my hand reached out to give him the gift bag.

He turned to look at me. “Merry Christmas,” he replied. He just stared at the gift bag for a moment before he took it. He looked inside the small Christmas bag before he removed the contents. It was a box set of the last four James Bond movies.

“Your dad told me Daniel Craig was your favourite James Bond.”

“He’s the best James Bond,” Jason responded with a smile.

I looked at all the dishes on the dining table and then said, “You want to eat, then watch a movie or eat while we watch Casino Royale.”

“Mum doesn’t like it when we eat food while we watch TV.”

“Your mum is in London. After all, it’s Christmas Day. She won’t mind.”

We grabbed a plate each, piled a mountain of food, and then grabbed a couch each. Jason put the disc in the Blue-Ray player, went through the menu, pressing the play button on the Extended Version. Fifteen minutes into the movie, we watched in silence. As soon as the action commenced, James Bond, beating the crap out of the bad guys. We began to comment on the scenes. We acted like best friends by the end of the movie, talking about the film and agreeing to watch the next Bond movie, once we prepared some refreshments. Jason even insisted on making the hot beverages before we put on Quantum of solace.

It was almost ten when we put on the second movie. Jason dimmed the lights, grabbed the remote for the Bose soundbar. The moment he pressed the power button, there was a deep base sound around the room. We were already on the edge of our seats from the beginning of the film as we watched Daniel Craig push the Aston Martin to its limits, with the bad guys in their cars chasing him. Our eyes were glued to the fifty-inch TV screen.

The lights in the living room suddenly became brighter. We turned towards the door entrance. Barbara was standing by the doorway with her hands across her chest. Tim next to her, he was forcing himself not to smile. Tina was behind them, biting her bottom lip. The deep bass sound turned into a mouse sound. I turned to see Jason, with his arm stretched out, the remote control pointed at the TV screen, but his eyes focused on his parents.

“Merry Christmas,” Barbara said. “I’ll put on the kettle.” she disappeared towards the kitchen.

“Merry Christmas, lads,” Tim cheerfully said. He winked at us.

Tina rushed to her brother, kissed him on his cheek before she cuddled up in his chest to watch the movie.

Barbara returned ten minutes later with a large tray, five tea mugs surrounding a Christmas pudding. The aroma of the desert filled the room with its lovely scent. “Can someone clean the coffee table so that I can put this down?” We all rushed to get rid of the empty plates.

All five of us enjoyed the rest of Christmas Day, going into Boxing Day. Jason apologised to his parents and sister, promising he would change. Eventually, we didn’t watch the film. I was happy the Wright’s family was together again. It was after two in the morning when Tim and Barbara went to bed. Jason, Tina and I cleaned up before we called it a day.

Boxing Day was a repeat of the previous day. It started with a sumptuous breakfast, which Barbara and Tim prepared. We all watched the festive shows that were on TV. We continued watching the Bond movie; we didn’t finish the night before. For Barbara, it was too extreme. She ended up in the kitchen, preparing snacks for us. She was more of a romance movie fan. We surprised her once Bond was over with a Nicholas Spark movie, just for her. We all watched it together, even though Jason and I would comment on all the sad scenes as we watched his mum go for the tissue box. Late in the evening, Tina turned up with the Monopoly board game. There was some negativity about playing, but as soon as she set up the board and began sharing the money, we argued which token each person would get. It all brought back memories of when I was young when I played with my parents before losing my father. Jason and Tina won the game after joining forces since one had Park Lane and the other Mayfair. It didn’t help much when they bankrupt Tim, taking his Bond Street. The other two green properties they owned. It was game over for me after landing on one of the navy streets with a Hotel. Barbara wouldn’t give up easily, but she went down as well once she ran out of money.

It was another late night for everyone. Jason and Tina went to bed with their victory smiles. I could hear Tim’s light snoring when I went to bed. Barbara stayed up to tidy up the living room. I watched an episode of a popular mini-series before I called it a night.

Chapter 10

Christmas Day and Boxing Day was over.

It was back to our routine on Monday. Tim and I were up from the crack of dawn. We had to go and get supplies for the cafe as we were running low. Leaving George, the chef, to open up the restaurant, we jumped in the transit van and headed for the wholesalers. The warehouse was more busy than usual due to businesses being closed during the festive days. We got back later than we expected, finding the cafe full as we drove past the shop. We quickly unloaded everything into the storeroom before we made our way into the kitchen.

Every table in the shop was full, with a queue of customers waiting to be seated. Barbara and Tina were helping the waitresses. As soon as a table was empty, they would help Bianca and Roxanne clean it before other customers sat down. I rushed to the pot wash, but someone else was wearing my apron. Jason was scrubbing away at the plates, trying to keep up with the flow of dirty dishes piling up next to him. I eventually helped Tim and George in the kitchen.

It was after two in the afternoon when things slowed down. Tim told George and me to take a break and have something to eat. With a chicken salad for myself and George with one of his homemade steak and kidney pies, we sat at one of the tables to eat. George was worse than me when he ate. He was shovelling the food into his mouth with the fork. Once we both finished, we sat back for a few minutes with our hot beverages.

“It would be best if you ate healthier at your age, George,” I said. I was gesturing my hand at the grease on the plate in front of him.

“Tell me about it. Maybe for the new year, I’ll turn into a rabbit, like some people I know.” He gestured towards my plate.

We both laughed at our comments.

As we got up, I grabbed our plates and headed for the pot wash. “Did Jason get the chance to speak to you yet? I asked George. “He said he was going to speak to you.”

George smiled as he looked over towards the pot wash. “The little shit came and apologised as soon as he saw me this morning.” He turned to face me and smiled. “He’s a good kid.” George nodded his head at me. “Michael, you’re a good man and a good friend to have. This family is fortunate to have met you.”

I looked at George’s face curiously, tilting forward to get a closer view.

“What?” he responded?

“Are your eyes moist?” I said. “Girls, I think George is going soft on us. He is about to shed some tears!” I yelled so Bianca and Roxanne would hear me.

The girls came over to get a closer look. Once they were near enough, they were all over George. They tried to comfort him with hugs and kisses on the cheek. He struggled to fight them back, but it was a no-win situation for him. The shop’s regular customers, who knew George, had a good laugh as they saw the grumpy man they knew get pinned down by two young beauties.

The next few days went placidly as we got closer to the weekend. Jason found peace with his family as he got closer to them. He was the first in the cafe when the shop opened and the last to wipe down the workbench in the evening. For me, it was the longest week. Every minute seemed an hour for me, waiting for my mother to come to Birmingham. I was curious to hear what she wanted to tell me, but mostly to see her.

We all had a minor situation on New Year’s Eve before closing the shop. Tim decided to close at midday to prepare for the small party the family would have that evening to celebrate the New Year’s arrival. He sent the waitresses and George home early to spend the New Year with their family and friends.

We were getting ready to close the shop. Two more tables remained with customers. One of them, a couple, was enjoying their beverages romantically. The other table was an elderly couple who were regulars. They were having a chat with Tim and Barbara. Jason and I went to the storeroom to get some beverages for the party that evening. Tina was already upstairs taking care of the decorating for the New Year party. Jason and I put various drinks in a crate when we heard the shop door open then close. A few moments later, we heard a familiar voice we both knew. We stopped what we were doing and looked at each other before we rushed back into the kitchen.

It was Shark. He was sitting at one of the tables. Two of his henchmen were standing at the entrance. They were like bouncers outside of a nightclub. The romantic couple quickly got up to leave. You could see the fear in their faces. One of the henchmen opened the door as they hurried out of the shop. The elders stayed put with Tim and Barbara. All four of them, their eyes, were glued on Shark.

Jason stood next to me. He was scared. “Don’t do anything,” I said. I was trying to act as calmly as possible. “He’s probably here for me.”

Shark spotted me as I approached the table; he was seated. “I hope it’s not too late to have something to eat?” He said with a smile.

Tim was ready to get up.

I shook my head at him slowly.

He sat back down.

I went and stood over Shark, like a waiter ready to take his order, but we weren’t taking any more orders today. “Sorry, the shop is closed,” I confidently said.

He gestured his hand to the seat opposite him. “Take a seat, Mike,”

Once I was seated, we just sat there staring into each other’s eyes in silence. Everyone was quiet. It was so still; you could hear the buzzing from the fluorescent lights in the display fridge.

Shark broke the quietness. He took out his favourite toy, his switchblade. He put it on the table, with the blade facing towards me. The good thing it was closed. He pushed it nearer to me. “This is a gift from me to you,” he said.

“This isn’t a social visit, Shark. Why are you here?”

He smiled again. “My uncle wants to see you.” He lifted his left hand, brought it closer to his face and stared at his nails like he was inspecting them if they were clean, then peered at me. “He wants to offer you a job. You don’t have to give me an answer now. I’ll be back in two days.”

I pushed the switchblade towards him. “I’ll save you the journey. My answer is no.”

He picked up his weapon and put it in his pocket. “I’ll be back in two days,” he repeated himself as he got up to leave.

I got up as well. “You won’t be coming back, Shark.”

“Sorry?” He grinned.

“You’re not coming back because you are not welcome here, Shark.” His henchmen stepped forward. They were ready. Like pit bulls waiting for their master to give them the order to attack.

His grin disappeared. He put his hand in his pocket; in anticipation, I waited for him to pull out the switchblade. The only item I could use as a weapon was the chair next to me. I wrapped my hand tightly around the top rail. My eyes glued on Shark, at the same time cautious from his henchmen.

He stared at my hand for a moment before he looked up. His grin was back. “You know this makes us even now,” Shark said. “I didn’t like the food here anyway.” he looked at his men. “Come on, lads, let’s go.” He made his way out of the cafe. His henchmen close behind him. “No one eats here anymore. Tell the others as well.” Shark ordered his men with authority in his voice.

Tim apologised to the customers for what they had just witnessed. They left as well soon after.

Tim, Barbara, Jason, and I stood there, glaring at each other.

I could see Tim was trying to get his head around what had just happened. He looked at Jason, then at me. He mainly glared at me. “Can one of you tell me what all that was about?”

Barbara locked the shop entrance and came and stood next to her husband with her hands crossed across her chest. She stared at both of us the way her husband was looking at us, confused.

“Let me explain…” Jason put his hand on my shoulder before I could speak.

Jason asked his parents and me to take a seat at one of the tables. For a minute, if not more, Jason sat there staring down at his laps. Tim was getting impatient with him. Barbara noticed her husband. She put her hand on top of his hand, squeezing it. As if she was telling Tim to give their son some time. Once Jason found his words, he spilt the beans. He told them everything. He held nothing back. He had his parents on the edge of their chairs for the next hour, Barbara holding her husband’s hand tight. When Jason had finished, all three of them turned to me. Barbara was seated closer to me; she released her husband’s hand, took mine, and squeezed it. Her tears were running down her cheeks. Tim’s eyes were moist; his flood gates were ready to open as well.

Jason raised his eyebrows at me. “Did I leave anything out, mate?” He asked.

I shook my head.

We all embraced each other, with more tears, ready to be released. Tim and Barbara couldn’t stop thanking me for saving their son’s ass, while Jason kept apologising to his parents, promising them that it was all over, that he had learnt his lesson.

“Have you lot finished down here.” We all turned to see Tina standing by the cash register, with her hands crossed across her chest. Her left eyebrow raised. “I’m upstairs getting everything ready, and you lot have not finished down here yet!” she yelled.

Jesus Christ, like mother like daughter,” Tim said.

“Stop it,” Barbara said to Tim, winning him another light slap on the shoulder.

We all began to laugh, sharing tears of joy this time. Tina didn’t move a muscle, her eyebrow still raised.

Chapter 11

It was late afternoon when Sargent Wright called to tell us that they were exiting the motorway and would be here soon. At the time, Jason and I were downstairs in the cafe, busy grilling some pork chops on the Lava Rock Grill. Something that Tim disagreed with. He wanted us to light up the charcoal grill in the yard, but it was too cold outside.

I was on edge, and I couldn’t wait to see mom. When I heard the doorbell chime, I felt the butterflies rise in my stomach. My vision went to the shop window. There she was, mum was standing behind everyone else. She was clenching her handbag with both her hands.

“Go!” Jason said. He motioned his head towards the cafe entrance.

I was making my way across the cafe when the door to the flat opened, Tina appeared. When I opened the cafe’s main entrance, Mum didn’t acknowledge my presence, and I sneaked up behind her. Tina embraced everyone in turn before she disappeared upstairs with her two cousins.

“Hey, beautiful,” I whispered in mums ear.

She quickly turned to face me. On seeing me, she raised her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God!” she screamed, getting Sargent Wright and his wife’s attention. She embraced me, holding me tight in her arms as she buried her face on my shoulder, stifling her cries.

When mums emotions subsided, I greeted Sargent Wright with a firm handshake. He introduced me to his wife, Eveline. He also insisted that I call him Mr Wright when he was off duty.

“So this is the young man that Barbara and Tim have been telling me about,” Eveline said, greeting me as well with a firm hug. That won me a hard slap on the shoulder by Sargent Wright.

“Hi, uncle Barry and aunty Eveline. Welcome to Birmingham,” Jason said as he appeared from the shop entrance. He wouldn’t make eye contact with either of them.

Sargent Wright stepped back. “Is that you, Jason? I haven’t seen you in such a long time. I wouldn’t recognise you if I saw you on the street.” He walked up to Jason putting his arm out for a hand gesture but eventually embraced him in a firm embrace.

Jason stayed downstairs until the meat was ready. I went upstairs with mum and the others. I didn’t have any choice; mum wouldn’t let go of my hand. I figure she missed me all these months. Everyone made mum feel at home, especially Barbara and Eveline. It was like all three of them were long lost, friends. They had so much in common. Before you know it, they were exchanging telephone contacts.

“Don’t forget to add each other on Facebook,” Tina cheekily said.

“There is also Instagram,” one of Tina’s cousins added.

The evening went splendidly. The food was incredible, a table with various dishes, enough food to feed an army.

“With all this food, we could have invited Shark and his henchmen,” I said to Jason.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Don’t joke like that,” he replied. I gather the lesson was enough for him. When he sees a casino now, he’ll go the opposite direction. Jason grabbed a couple of shot glasses and poured two JD shots to the rim. “Let’s get wasted,” he screamed. We threw the liquid in our mouths at the same time.

Instantly the soundbar came to life with ‘Be the one’, the sound system’s bass, shaking the walls. We quickly cleared some space in the living room for dancing. Tim and Barbara were the first to hit the dance floor. It didn’t take long before everyone joined in. The drinks flowed well into the night. Even Tina and her cousins had their first taste of Champagne. All the grown-ups seemed to control their consumption of alcohol. I guess they have years of experience in that department. Jason and I didn’t get wasted, but we got tipsy.

Once the clock hit midnight, everyone embraced each other, wishing each other ‘Happy New Year’. Mum and I hugged each other, not letting each other go for a while. When we released each other, I asked her the question I had been waiting to ask all week. “What did you want to tell me, mum?” I stood there staring at her waiting for an answer. I asked her again the same question, insisting on a solution.

She looked around her at everyone, except for me. Her eyes went moist; she wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her cardigan. “Honey, let’s wait till morning.” she was delaying.

“No! I want to know now!” I was slurring my words. My voice was higher than usual. The JD was affecting me.

I got everyone’s attention. Even the music shut down. Before I could look around me, Tim and Sargent Wright were next to me, one on either side.

“Is everything ok, Michael?” Tim asked.

“Come on, son, let’s get you to bed,” Sargent Wright said, grabbing me by the arm.

I looked at them both before my vision went and stayed on my mother’s face. My eyes were glued to her eyes. “Not until I get an answer?” I insisted. I could feel Sargent Wright’s grip on my arm getting tighter.

Mum spoke, “Wait! I guess now’s a good time as any to tell you.” Sargent Wright released my arm. Now everyone’s eyes were bored on mum. She smiled at me before she hit me with her news. “It’s about your Grandparents. They are not dead. They’re alive.”

I needed to get out of the room. I rushed downstairs, opened the front door and stood outside. Mums news and crisp fresh air sobered me up. Across the street, a group of people celebrated the changing of the year, “Happy New Year!” they shouted. Their voices subsided as they turned the corner. I felt mum put a jacket over my shoulders. She joined me, stood next to me. It was silent all around us, except for the distant sound of people celebrating the New Year.

“You must hate me,” Mum said.

“I don’t hate you, mum. I’m a little pissed off with you, but I don’t hate you.” I turned to face her. I could see the anxiety in her eyes. “My grandparents are alive!” I yelled. Embracing her, I lifted her off the ground.

We didn’t get to bed until the early hours of the morning. I had so many questions I wanted to ask my mother about my grandparents. She was excited as I was. They still lived in Essex, in the same house that mum grew up in when she was a teenager. Mum hadn’t seen her parents for over twenty-five years. After a massive argument with my grandad, they hadn’t spoken to each other for so many years. Mum had an old school friend who kept her informed about them.

“When was the last time you spoke to your friend, mum?” I asked, waiting with enthusiasm for an answer.

She smiled, taking both my hands in hers. “I spoke to her last week. They are both fine. Your grandad is a stubborn man. He’ll live until he’s one-hundred years old.” She stared away while she wiped her eyes.

I took her chin in my hand and turned her head to face me. “Mum, are you ok?”

“That’s where I got the stubbornness from your grandad.” She smiled at me. With the back of her hand, she lightly stroked my cheek. “I should have gone and spoken to dad and mum. I’m the one who disappeared from their lives.”

“I have to go to Essex, mum. I have to meet them.”

“What if they reject you, Michael? I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“I have to, mum.”

Chapter 12

It was late in the afternoon when mum and Sargent Wright’s family were ready to go back to London. Everyone got into the vehicle and waited for mum to say goodbye to me. Before she got into the car, she embraced me and kissed me on the forehead, promising me that there would be a lot of changes and that I’d be back home soon. Once everyone was in the car, Sargent Wright looked in his rear mirror, “Buckle up, ladies!” he ordered everyone. Once the seat belts clicked in place, they were off.

I spent two more weeks in Birmingham. I didn’t want to leave Tim and the others until they got a replacement for me. The shop wasn’t as busy after the New Year. That gave Jason and Tina a chance to show me around Birmingham. It was a good time for the two siblings to spend some time together. They would argue every day on where to take me, but they agreed on somewhere eventually.

I needed to get some wheels, as I wanted to travel around more independently, not depend on trains and buses. I had saved up some money, which I tried to use to get some wheels. I asked Tim if he knew any car dealers to buy a cheap car. The next day with Barbara running the cafe, Tim Jason and I got into the transit van to visit Tim’s friend who owned a car showroom on Birmingham’s outskirts. It was a half-hour drive to our destination, which I thought was a waste of time when we got there. The dealers’ car lot had over fifty vehicles for sale, but they were not in my budget range. Prices started at five thousand pounds and went up to over twenty thousand, not to mention the prestige cars in the showroom, which all had a price tag of over thirty thousand.

With my budget of two to three thousand pounds, I said to Tim, “Let’s get out of here, Tim. These cars are far too expensive for me.”

“We are here now. Let’s see what offer Charlie can offer us. He owes me a favour,” Tim said, winking at me as he parked near the entrance of the showroom.

A large man in a sheepskin coat came out to greet us. “Welcome to ‘Prestige Motors’, he said, pointing his finger to the large sign on the building above the showroom. “Hello, Tim,” giving him a firm handshake, then rubbed his hands together. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

Tim turned to me, telling me to look around at the cars while he spoke to Charlie. The two men disappeared inside, to some offices in the back of the showroom. Jason and I wandered off around the lot to see the cars. I browsed while inspecting their specs, knowing I wouldn’t purchase anything due to the high prices. On the other hand, Jason was drawling over all the sports cars. We both strayed to the back of the showroom, where we found four vehicles parked bumper to bumper next to the building. They didn’t have prices on them, so I didn’t know if they were for sale, but if Charlie were selling one of these vehicles, it would be in my budget range, as they were older models to the ones in front of the showroom. Jason wanted to go back to where the expensive cars were, but I was busy inspecting the hidden gems in my fund limit.

“Hey Mike, have you finished. My dad will be looking for us,” Jason said. He was eager to go where the more expensive cars were.

“Hold on a minute. There might be something that interests me here.” I held a finger up.

The back door to the showroom swung open, Tim and Charlie appeared behind me. “You found them. I was about to show Tim these four cars.” He saw I was interested, even though I didn’t say anything. “Let me get the keys.” He disappeared back inside, reappearing a couple of minutes later. “Here are the keys.” Charlie slammed them into my palm. “Unlock them start the engines, play with the car radio. Do what you kids do when you’re out to buy a car.” He then turned to Tim. “Let’s have some coffee until they finish.” They both disappeared again.

For the next half hour, I was all over the cars. Inside the cockpit, I was checking that everything worked and also for wear and tear; Laying on the ground, I inspected the bottom of the vehicles for leaks; Inside the engine bay, I checked for more leaks, and with the engine running, I would listen for any unusual sounds. Jason was behind me all the time, asking questions.

Tim and Charlie finished their coffee when I finished my inspection of the cars.

“Have you seen anything you like, Michael?” Tim asked.

Before I could say anything, Charlie tried to decide for me. “I would go for the Vauxhall Corsa. It’s a low insurance group. Plus, you have a nice radio with a nice set of rims on that one. Also, the Mini Cooper S is a good buy.” He walked up to the Mini; he opened the drivers’ door. “Look at that leather interior,” he proudly said.

That is when I had to say something, “I like the Mini, but the white cream I found when I opened the oil cap that shows me water going into the engine. That is not a good sign. The Vauxhall, I agree it is a low insurance group. The problem is how much it would cost to fix the tapping sound inside the engine, which was probably caused by a boy racer who tried to silence the noise with STP oil or maybe thicker oil.” I walked to the fourth vehicle. “I might be interested in the Volkswagen Golf, with no extras, which a family probably owned.”

Charlie stared at me. I was waiting for him to tell me that the cars were not for sale. “Son, I like you. Three thousand, and it’s yours?” He put out his hand to shake on the deal.

“Two thousand five hundred, and we have a deal,” I said, sticking my hand out to close the deal.

Tim jumped in the middle of the conversation, grasping a bunch of fifty-pound notes in his hand. “We’ll be paying in cash,” he confirmed.

“Let’s go and find the logbook for it,” Charlie said.

Once we were all in Charlie’s office, he closed the door behind him. With all the paperwork signed, Tim handed over to Charlie the cash we agreed on. Charlie insisted on servicing the vehicle, and one of his employees would deliver it the next day to the shop, but I insisted on taking it the same day. A half-hour later, I was driving my new set of wheels out of the driving lot.

When we got home, I approached Tim to give him the money he paid for the car, which he declined.

He put his hand on my shoulder. “It is the least I can do for you, Michael. You saved my boy; you got my family back together.” He embraced me. “Thank you for everything, Michael.”

“No, thank you,” I replied.

Releasing each other, we both wiped our eyes awkwardly.

I let out a little scream, “damn it. I could have got a better car with both our money put together.” We both chuckled.

The next day I ordered parts for the Volkswagen and Transit van to get get the cars serviced. I also got myself a nice set of quality tools. Once everything came, I worked on the cars for two days. I gave the Volkswagen full service, changing brakes and discs as well. I did the same to Tim’s van as he had the MOT coming up soon. It was good to get under a car bonnet again, getting your hands greased up. When I finished Tim’s van, he was ecstatic when he drove it. He couldn’t believe it was the same car.

It was Sunday, late in the afternoon, when I was ready to go. With the back seats folded down, I had all my belongings jammed in the small space the Volkswagen could accommodate.

Throwing the last item in the back, I closed the boot. “Good thing, I got a car. No way I would have been able to take all my belongings with me.” I said to Jason, who was standing next to me.

“Well, this is it, buddy,” he replied.

All the Wright’s family were there to send me off. Everyone was sad that I was leaving, including me. Barbara prepared a cool box for me with some sandwiches and beverages. Tina took a couple of Polaroid pictures by setting up the camera on some empty crates so that everyone could be in the picture.

It was difficult to leave, but I had to. We said our goodbyes with embraces. I got into the car. Tina gave me a Polaroid photo, showing all of us smiling at the camera. I lay the picture on top of the ashtray cover, started the engine and slowly drove out of the yard, watching the Wright’s threw my rearview mirror as I left. Ten minutes later, I was on the motorway on my way to London. With a long stretch of the M6 in front of me, I watched the skyline as it got darker.

The cogs in my brain worked overtime, making up scenarios of what would happen when I met my grandparents. Should I go and knock on their front door, or should I stay at a hotel and go and see them in the morning. I’ll decide when I reach my destination.

Chapter 13

All the vehicles proceeded at a steady speed on the M6. I was hoping to get to Essex before nine. My timing changed once I got onto the M25. All the cars came to a halt for some reason. After some time, drivers got out of their vehicles to stretch their legs. Some even stood on the foot panel of their cars to get a better view into the distance. You could see hundreds of rear brake lights shining in the distance as they disappeared into the horizon. It took over an hour for the vehicles to start moving again at a moderate pace. A mile farther along the highway, the cause of the problem emerged. On the hard shoulder sat a Mini Copper, its front end crumbled, with parts of its lights and front grill littering lane one, which was closed by the police. The vehicle the mini collided with was a Jaguar that had minimum damage to its rear bumper. Two police officers were interviewing the drivers of the cars.

As soon as all the motorists went past the accident site, the cars began to move again. Everyone gradually picked up speed. The smart motorway’s alert signs showed a maximum speed of sixty miles per hour instead of seventy. I was doing the top speed I was allowed continually, and before I knew it, the sign for Enfield Town came up. The area I grew up was only a few minutes away. Essex, which was my destination, was another forty-five minutes’ drive. I decided to go to Enfield before going to Essex. I indicated to get off the motorway, quickly manoeuvring the car onto lane one to exit.

By nine-thirty, I was parked outside my mother’s house. It was a still Sunday evening, not a soul in sight. The lights were on in the living room; they shone through the pastel green curtains that mum loved. I sat there until ten, just watching the house, wondering what mum was doing–probably watching one of her shows on TV.

How much I wanted to call mum, but I didn’t want to cause her any problems with Frank or get myself into trouble with the police. I dialled the next person who was close to me, Nick. When I told him where I was, he insisted we meet up. Ten minutes later, I was ringing his doorbell. I could hear footsteps inside, someone rushing to the front door.

When the door opened, Nick greeted me with a smile. “Hey, buddy, it’s great to see you again.” He embraced me with a bear hug, which I returned. When he released me, he cheerfully said, “I want you to meet someone.”

As we made our way to the living room. Nick kept on talking, not giving me a chance to speak. As we entered the room, Nick’s parents were seated on a double sofa. On the other three-seater couch sat a young lady. Instantly his parents got up to greet me. His dad with a firm handshake and his mum with a hug.

“This is Emma, Mike,” Nick said with enthusiasm.

She got up, with her hand stretched out for a hand gesture. Once we finished with the introductions, we all sat down.

Nicks’ dad grabbed the TV remote control; he muted the volume on the device. “So, tell us what you’ve been up to, Michael?” he said.

His mum got up, “Hold that thought, Michael,” she said as I was about to speak. “Let me make some hot beverages first. Remind me again; it’s one teaspoon of coffee and one teaspoon of sugar with a little milk?. Right.”

“Yes.” I quickly replied.

Until his mum came back with the drinks, Nick gave me a more in-depth analysis of how he met Emma at the annual Christmas party held at the University Forum. Emma was a little embarrassed, being the main subject of the conversation. Nicks dad noticed this and tried to show Nick some facial gestures to slow down a little, but my friend didn’t get the hint. I guess he was excited to show off his girlfriend. I don’t blame him as Emma was a beautiful young lady. In the end, Nicks mum saved Emma when she came with our drinks.

It was my turn to be the main attraction. I told them about Birmingham and what I was doing when I was there. I left out the part with Jason and the casino adventure I had. Once I finished, Nick’s mum and dad attacked me verbally about my studies. “What about your studies, Michael,” Nicks dad said. They both got off my case when I told them I had applied for next year and was accepted.

“What are you going to do until then? Where are you going to stay?” Nick asked.

I looked at Nick and smiled. “You know, I thought my grandparents were dead. They’re alive and live in Essex. Mum told me on New Year’s Eve.” My eyes misted up as I told my best friend.

Nick and his family were delighted with my news. ‘Wow,’ Emma said, and she had only known me for one hour.

It was nearly midnight when I left. Nick’s parents insisted that I stay the night, but I had already booked a room at the Holiday Inn in Essex. “The hotel is only one mile from my grandparent’s place,” I told them.

Nick and Emma walked me to my car; my friend embraced me before entering the Golf. Emma did the same instead of a direct handshake.

With the car started up, Nick said, “If things don’t work out, give me a call.”

“Good luck,” Emma said.

“You two take care of each other.” I smiled at Nick and Emma. I shifted the Golf in gear, and I was off. I stuck my hand out of the car window and waved goodbye to them. I watched them wave back through the rear-view mirror before I turned the corner. I was happy for Nick that he had found someone to love, and it seemed Emma had the same feelings for him as well.

I took the A406 to Essex, taking me through Edmonton, Tottenham and Walthamstow. I felt a deep sadness, seeing all these places again after so many months. Many memories flooded my head as I drove through all the familiar streets. As I exited South Woodford, the blue road sign showed me to go left to get onto the M11. This brought me back down to earth. Instead of taking the motorway, I went straight, taking me to Gants Hill and then onto the A12. The GPS on my smartphone took me the rest of the way to Brentwood. The moment I entered the Holiday Inn car park, the voice on the GPS announced, “You have reached your destination.” I reversed the Golf in a parking space near the entrance of the hotel. Opening the car door, I felt the January breeze on my face. I grabbed my rucksack and headed for the main entrance of the hotel. The double glass doors slid apart as I got near the doorway, closing behind me instantly.

The lights in the lobby area were dimmed, except for the reception desk, which was overcast by spotlights. A member of staff was waiting for me to approach the desk.

“May I help you, sir?” The receptionist said in a broad African accent.

“I have a room booked for tonight under the name Porter.”

He looked at me, not taking his eye off me. “The booking is for two adults. Will somebody be joining you? I hope you won’t be making any noise, disturbing other customers.”

“Hey, it’s just me. I didn’t change it to one adult when I made the booking. I’ve been driving for a few hours. All I need is a good night’s sleep.” I signed the registration form, and he handed me my key card while he explained how to get to my room.

He saw me looking at his name tag on his blazer. “Is everything ok, sir,” he worriedly said.

“Everything is alright, Duke. Any chance of getting something to eat at this time? I am starving.”

“I’m sorry, Mr Porter, Room Service closes at eleven.”

“I’ll have to wait till morning,” I sadly said, rubbing my stomach.

“Can you wait one moment, Mr Porter?” Duke said. He disappeared in the back, reappearing a moment later with two plates, the contents covered with cling film. “If you like to follow me, sir.” I accompanied him to the bar area, where he stopped and placed the two plates on one of the small round tables in the lobby, then vanished into the bar area. He emerged a minute later with two coke bottles and a bowl of potato chips.

Duke decided to share the night teams’ dinner with me since his colleague called in sick. He apologised for being abrupt with me when he first saw me. He explained to me what youngsters do during the weekend. One or two of them book a room and invite some more friends to have a party.

It was almost two in the morning when I went to bed. At least my bellies rumbling had stopped.

Chapter 14

I overslept, waking up at ten the next day. After a quick shower, I headed for the restaurant, hoping it was still open for some breakfast. When I got there, the staff had already removed most of the items from the buffet.

The restaurant manager approached me. “The restaurant is closed, sir, but we can make an exception for one person. Do you have any preference on what you would like to have for breakfast?”

“Whatever is available,” I responded.

He called one of the waitresses, “Jade, can you seat the gentleman at one of our window tables, please.” Jade was not too happy with the order her manager just gave her.

The breakfast was delicious. Tony, the restaurant manager, arranged a full English breakfast. The service I received from Jade, the waitress, wasn’t something to write home about. Every time I looked at her, I would receive a look of daggers in return. I couldn’t help it. Her beauty inspired me.

Once I had finished my breakfast and got up to go, I needed to say something to her. “You would look more beautiful if you smiled at the guests. You might even earn some tips.”

“Are you hitting on me?” was her reply.

“If you don’t enjoy your job, I’m sure there’s something out there that is for you.” I attacked back. She stood there with her mouth gaped open. I hurriedly left before she had the chance to say something that would get her in trouble with her manager.

When I went to pay for my breakfast at the Front Desk, the receptionist told me that it was complimentary from the Night Manager, Duke. I thanked the young lady, then check-out.

I took a drive around Brentwood. I wanted to see and examine the place my mother grew up. The truth is I was stalling from meeting my grandparents. Once I found the towns small shopping area, I parked the Golf in the local car park. I strolled down the high street, eventually taking a break at a corner coffee shop. The interior of the place had the sixties look to it. The shop fittings looked original from those times, but the furniture was modern with a sixties design. I sneaked a few shots with my smartphone, sending them to Tim. He responded at once with a message, ‘That’s an idea. Maybe I’ll give the shop a facelift.’ I returned a massive emoji thumbs up; I smiled to myself.

After ordering a double Americano, I sat by one of the windows to enjoy my beverage as I watched the people going up and down. Most of them seemed to know each other as they greeted one another. Brentwood seemed a small and close community, unlike London and Birmingham, where no one knew each other. Whatever couple I saw, which looked over sixty, I wondered if they were my grandparents. I finished the last of my coffee, which gave me that bitter taste of its strong scent. A few seconds later, my adrenaline kicked in, giving me the strength to go and meet my grandparents.

A quarter of an hour later, I found myself parked outside my grandparent’s bungalow. It was a well-maintained building with various plants in the front garden, neatly planted in rows. I sat in the car, staring at the property for God knows how long. When I decided to get out of the car and make my way to the front door, it seemed like I was taking one step forward and two steps back. Getting there eventually, I rang the doorbell twice with no response. I turned to leave and then decided to knock on the door. I banged on the door with my fist this time, being careful not to hit the frosted glass. Someone was inside. I could see the shape of someones frame coming towards the door.

“Just a minute, I’m coming.” It was a female voice which I recognised, but from where I couldn’t picture it.

When the door opened, I took a step back. This time it was me standing there with my mouth gaping open. Jade stood there in front of me with her arms crossed across her chest. “I’m look… looking for Mr and Mrs Por… Porter,” I stuttered.

“Are you stalking me?” she responded. “You better go before I call the police!” she yelled.

Composing myself, I raised both my hands in a surrender gesture. “I’m just looking for Mr and Mrs Porter. I’ve probably got the wrong address. I’m sorry for disturbing you.” Turning, I started to leave.

“Wait,” she called. This time she wasn’t so aggressive. “You have the right address.”

When I turned to face her, I’m sure I saw a glimmer of a smile. “Are they in?”

“No.”

“Have they gone out? Will they be back soon?” I asked, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, they’ll be back in about four weeks from today,” she said with a smirk on her face. “With your help this morning, I couldn’t take them to the airport because some people don’t go by the hotel rules.” she was on a roll again.

I let her finish before I made my surrender gesture again. “I’m sorry about that.” I stood there looking down at my feet, thinking of what to say. “I guess they’ve gone on holiday?”

“You ask too many questions. If you’ve finished, I have things to do. Why do you want to see them? Do you want to leave them a message?” She was ready to close the door in my face.

I stared at her for a moment. I wanted to scream at her and say, ‘They’re my grandparents. That is why I want to fucking see them.’ Instead, I said, “I had a small car collision with Mr Porter. I just wanted to see if they are ok. I’ll see them when they come back.” What’s wrong with a little white lie? I wasn’t about to tell a stranger they were my grandparents. I turned and made my way back to the car. I heard the front door slam behind me.

I headed back to the hotel and booked for another two nights. Once I was in my room, I fired up my laptop, connecting to Facetime. Mum answered after a few rings. She asked me if I was in Brentwood, to which I responded with a nod.

“My friend, Janet, called me late last night and told me that your grandparents have gone for a month to Spain.” Mum was quiet for a moment before she carried on. “I would tell you to come home until they get back, but you know the situation here, son.”

“Don’t worry about it, mum. I’ll call Tim tomorrow; maybe they need some help at the cafe. Then I could come back in a month.

“Why don’t you sleep on it and decide what you’re going to do in the morning,” mum advised me.

I agreed with her. Since Frank was at work, it gave mum and me some time to have a chat. When she heard the front door open, she quickly said goodbye, blowing a kiss to me before cutting the connection.

Stretched out on the bed, I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my mind out in space. With a smile on my face, I thought it wouldn’t be long for a month to go by until my grandparents got back from their holidays. Simultaneously, Jade took over my thoughts with her beauty as I wondered how she knew my grandparents.

After a short nap, I woke up, and I was famished. I considered ordering some room service; then I decided to go to the restaurant. By the time I got ready, it was almost nine in the evening. When I got to the dining area, Tony was busy speaking with some guests. The hostess asked me if anyone else was dining with me before she showed me to a table. Once I was seated, I scanned the area to see if I could see Jade, reaching my vision beyond the restaurant towards the bar. When I didn’t see her, I figured she was off or only worked in the morning.

On seeing me, Tony came over to my table with a menu in his hand. “Good evening Mr Porter. You are staying with us for another night.”

“Two more, Tony.” With a hand gesture, I signed him to get closer. “It’s Michael, Tony. Call me by my first name.”

He smiled and handed me the menu. “Our special tonight is sea bass, sir,” he announced.

Without opening the menu, I asked, “What steaks do you serve?”

As he read the menu, he began to tell me the steaks they served. “We have the sirloin, rump, ribeye…”

I interrupted him midway. “The ribeye steak, mash potatoes and vegetables, please. Is the steak a reasonable portion? I’m famished.”

“I will have a word with the chef.” Taking the menu, he disappeared into the kitchen.

An hour later, after eating an enormous ribeye steak I had ever seen. I was ready to ask for the bill when Tony called one of the waitresses to bring me a piece of cheesecake and a hot beverage. I was the last customer in the restaurant. Tony’s staff began to prepare the tables for breakfast in the morning. He sat at my table while we talked. My tongue was burning to ask him Jade’s next shift, but I didn’t want him thinking contrarily of me.

Once I was back in my room, I jumped into the shower then straight to bed, falling asleep instantly.

The next day I was up from the crack of dawn. By six, I headed for the Front Desk. As I approached the reception, Duke greeted me with a nod; I returned the gesture. He came out of his work area to greet me with a firm handshake.

“You’re with us for another night?” he said.

“Two more, Duke. And by the way, thank you for breakfast yesterday. You didn’t have to do that.”

“It was my pleasure,” he smiled.

The restaurant was across the lobby from reception. You could see the staff preparing the tables for breakfast. My vision went straight to Jade. “What time does the restaurant open for breakfast?”

“At seven, sir.”

“Is there anywhere I can get some coffee, Duke? I don’t want to ask the young lady setting up the tables. I felt her wrath twice yesterday, and it isn’t pleasant.”

“What, Jade, she’s always going over the top for customers. Let’s go to the bar; I’ll make us some coffee.”

Seated on one of the barstools I watched, Duke worked his skills as he prepared two cappuccinos. I would look towards the restaurant every so often at Jade.

“She’s a beauty, isn’t she? If only I were thirty years younger.” Duke said. She saw us gazing at her. We both instantly looked away.

“How comes you’re staying with us longer?” Duke asked.

I explained that I needed to stay in Brentwood for a month or even longer if necessary, not giving him too many details. Knowing my luck, he knows my grandparents as well.

“You’re not planning on staying here for a month, are you? It’s going to cost you an arm and a leg for a month. Unless you have money to burn?” He smiled.

That’s when I came up with an idea. “you wouldn’t know if the hotel is hiring, would you?”

He looked at me for a moment. “What can you do?” he asked while he took a sip from his beverage. “Do you have any skills?”

“I’ve worked in a cafe in the kitchen for a few months, but my real skill is cars. I’ve studied Automotive Engineering for two years, so I know my way around cars.”

“Cars!” Duke said. He kept staring over my shoulder. “Here she comes.”

“Who?” was my response? I swung the barstool around instantly.

“Hi, Duke,” Jade said. She stood not more than a meter in front of me, looking into my eyes. “Hi,” she greeted me with a smile.

“Hi,” I responded.

Duke took the empty cappuccino cups and put them in the dishwasher. He said, “I finish at eight if you have an hour to spare. I know someone who might have a job vacancy still available. With that said, Duke disappeared to the reception, leaving me alone with Jade.

“Hey, I want to apologise for yesterday,” I said.

“Don’t worry about it. I think I overreacted. I should be the one apologising.” She smiled. We stared at each other for a moment before either of us said anything. I was in heaven.

“I know it’s not seven yet, but any chance of having breakfast,” I said with fear in my voice.

“I think we can arrange that without me biting your head off.” We both chuckled as we made our way to the restaurant.

The breakfast was delicious, as was the service. Jade looked after me more than enough, making up for the previous day. I have known this young lady for two days, and she has started to affect my feelings. Maybe I’ll ask her out on a date when all this drama in my life is over. Why wait? Why not make my move now. Perhaps she’s already seeing someone? I was way into my fantasy to see her approach my table.

“I hope you enjoyed your breakfast,” Jade said. With a smile, she continued. “The service was slightly better today.”

“It was perfect, a lot better than yesterday. A five-star rating.” I got up, and again there was that uncomfortable moment where I wanted to say something. I wanted to say more but couldn’t think of anything. Instead, we said our goodbyes, and I left.

I went back to my room to get ready to go out, spending that extra bit of time on what I would wear. My grooming was ok before, but now I was a bit more particular about what to wear. This girl was affecting me.

When I got to the Front Desk, Duke was doing a handover with the morning shift. As soon as he finished, he grabbed his coat to go. Exiting the main entrance of the hotel, I glimpsed towards the restaurant. Jade was busy serving coffee at one of the tables.

“I noticed some positive energy between Jade and you.” Duke chuckled. “I saw the way she looked at you. I think she likes you.”

“No. She’s just been polite.”

“Believe me. I know when I see love.”

I took a last glimpse towards the hotel, hoping to see her before getting into Duke’s car.

Chapter 15

It was a wet drizzly morning; the sky was dark, covered in grey clouds. It didn’t take long for the rain to start pouring down. We hurried to get into Duke’s car before we got drenched. Once he started driving, I didn’t want to distract him with questions while he was trying to concentrate on the road from the heavy rainfall as he headed out of Brentwood towards Shenfield.

We reached our destination as the cloudburst had stopped. It turned back into a drizzle. Duke parked the car in the bay of one of the five units of an industrial estate. The first from the left was a tyre shop selling new and second-hand tyres. Next to that was a carpet warehouse. Where Duke parked was a mechanics garage. The other two units on the right specialised in installing kitchens. It was a small industrial estate, concealed away from any residential properties.

Before we got out of the car, I said to Duke, “I guess you have just brought me to a job interview in which I haven’t prepared myself.” In front of me was the entrance to the garage. The work area was large enough to fit two average size vehicles if you reversed them in. There was enough space on the wall behind the cars for tools. Between the entrance and the cars, there was just about enough area to work. It was a tight workspace.

“This is my cousin Moses garage,” Duke said, showing me a man in mechanics overalls, leaning inside the engine bay of an old Volvo estate. “He’s a religious man, so be careful what words you use when you speak to him. He’s a pastor to the local African community during the weekend.”

I looked at the name above the shop entrance, which said ‘Hope Garage’. I turned to Duke, I said, “With the name Moses and a sign that says Hope, I wouldn’t have guessed that he was a man of God. If I get, the job does that mean I have to go to church every Sunday.”

Duke chuckled. “Let me introduce you to my cousin.” He called out, “Hey, Moses, what are you up to, pastor.”

As soon as he turned, his vision went on me. I noticed straight away that Moses wasn’t very friendly to strangers, primarily men my age. He just looked at me from head to toe before his eyes wondered to Duke. “Duke, you saw how it turned out with that other young man you sent me last time. He didn’t know the difference between an air filter and an oil filter.”

Duke was speechless; he was embarrassed by the situation.

I began to walk towards the Volvo, going past Moses. “What’s the problem with the estate,” I said.

He followed me, stretching his stride to get ahead of me. We both stopped at the Volvo’s engine bay. “When you rev the engine, you get black smoke coming out of the exhaust. A lot of black smoke,” he emphasised.

“What work have you done on it?”

He looked at me for a moment before he answered, ” I have changed the air filter, checked the catalyst on it and the engine compression. I’ve been on it since yesterday,” Moses said with frustration in his voice.

“Is it ok if I start the engine?” I asked.

There was that look again.

“Have faith in me,” I smiled.

With the engine running, I found the fault within a few minutes. One of the air hoses, which balance the air and diesel mixture, had a slight split in it. It was difficult to see the damage behind the hose, and the cut was tiny. Over the engine noise, I yelled, “Do you have any duct tape or anything similar?” He grabbed a roll of tape from his tool bench and gave it to me. I wrapped the hose a couple of times with it, then revved the engine hard. The black smoke emitted from the exhaust was minimal. “Is that better now, Moses?”

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Michael.”

“When can you start, Michael?” Moses smiled.

“I need to change into my work clothes, and I’m ready. Is an hour ok with you?”

“I’ll be waiting for you. I’ll order the new hose, hopefully by the end of the day. We’ll have this job done.” Moses smiled.

Duke dropped me off back at the hotel. He left straight away to go home, as he needed to get some sleep. I quickly unloaded my car with the few things I had. The hotel concierge appeared from nowhere with a trolley to help me take my stuff to my room. Before going to my bedroom, I extended my stay for the next month, paying for a week in advance. Before reprogramming my keycard, the receptionist went to the back office. She returned with another lady, who introduced herself as the Front Office Manager. I explained that I would be staying for a month, as I have some business to attend to in Brentwood. Her sight went at once on the trolley with my belongings.

“Can you hold on a moment, please, Mr Porter,” the manager said. She started typing on the computer keyboard, studied the monitor, and did more typing before finishing with a tap of the enter button. She made a new keycard and handed it to the concierge. “Take Mr Porter to room 215, Charlie.” She turned to me, “Since you are staying with us for some time, I’ve upgraded you to a nicer room. Have a pleasant stay, sir.”

I followed Charlie to the room. The bedroom was much more prominent when I entered it, with a small living area with a kitchenette.

“Not bad, Charlie,” I said.

He smiled.

I tried to help him with the suitcase and the few boxes, but he wouldn’t let me. By the time I went to the old room to collect my stuff, Charlie was gone when I returned.

It was eleven when I got to the garage. The parts for the Volvo had arrived. It didn’t take me long to take off the old hose and replace it with the new one. After making a few adjustments to the diesel mixture, the black smoke had cleared completely.

Moses would be on top of all the jobs that came in that week, checking my work. I worked up to Saturday, late in the afternoon. Before I left, Moses called me into his office.

“Michael, you know your way around cars. I was shadowing you this week to see your work, but next week you’ll be on your own.”

“I thought I was on my own this week, doing all the work.”

He smiled. With the calculator in his hand, he hit some numbers. “Are you ok to work six days a week, Michael?”

“That will be ok, sir.”

He did some more calculations on the calculator. “On a couple of the quiet days, you can have the morning or afternoon off,” Moses said. He turned the calculator around, showing me the three digit figure on the small grey screen. “That is per week,” he announced.

I did my estimates in my head. The figure he showed me covered the hotel for the week, plus two hundred pounds left over for food. I was happy with that. We shook on the deal, and he paid me.

Sunday, which was my day off, I was up by seven. I wanted to have an early breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant. It wasn’t because I woke up and I was hungry. It was because of someone working there. Yes, you guessed it. It was Jade.

At eight, I was the first guest in the restaurant.

It was just Jade and me in the dining room. The chef was present as well, but he was busy in the kitchen. While I had breakfast, Jade and I chatted. It was awkward, as she was on duty. I asked her if she would like to go for some coffee when her shift was over. She politely declined my offer. Quickly finishing my breakfast, I got up and made my way to the host desk, where Jade finished her shift paperwork.

When she saw me approach her, she smiled. “The first one in, the last one out,” she said.

“I swear, I’m not stalking you.” I apologised. “The breakfast, It’s incredible here.” We both chuckled. After the laughter had subsided, our eyes met. I turned away. “I’m sorry for staring,” I excused myself.

“I declined your offer because I’m not a big fan of coffee,” Jade stated. “I like going to the movies, though. Pick me up at five. I live next door to Mr and Mrs Porter.”

When I parked across the street from my grandparent’s house, I felt a heaviness on my chest as I walked past their gate towards Jade’s front yard. I believe it was the suspense when I was going to see them in a few weeks. I rang the doorbell, within a few seconds, the front door opened. I looked down to see a young girl present, not more than ten years old.

“Mum, Jade’s boyfriend, is here!” The young girl yelled.

Jade appeared from nowhere, running towards the young girl trying to put on her stilettoes. “You are so dead, Elizabeth!” Jade screamed. The young girl ducked past her, disappearing into one of the rooms. Jade stepped outside, pulling the front door to close.

You could still hear the young girl inside. “Jade is right; her new boyfriend is hot.”

I tried not to laugh.

Jade’s face went red. She grabbed me from the hand and pulled me towards the gate. “Let’s go.”

I won’t get into too many details about my first date with Jade, but I can say it was one of the best days of my life. We carried on seen each other every day. I did become a regular customer at the hotel’s restaurant, mainly in the morning for breakfast. Jade covers the early shifts, as she is doing a full-time course at university. Her dream is to become a solicitor. She wants to follow in her father’s footsteps. Between Jade and I, we have a love for similar movies and music. That could be due to the reason that we have a year age difference. She’s one year younger than me. Her hobbies are reading and long walks. She is not into fast cars, but I’m working on that. Our future is too early to know. I know that I am very fond of her, and I hope she is also.

By the end of the week, it will be three weeks we have been dating. Also, my grandparents will be coming back from their holiday. I haven’t told Jade yet that they are my grandparents, as I don’t know how it will work out when introducing myself to them. I guess she will know soon enough.

Chapter 16

The day my grandparents came back from their holiday. Things didn’t work out as I had planned. The little white lie I told Jade when I first met her had backfired on me.

It was late afternoon on Monday. I was still at the garage, working on a classic Mercedes. I had spent half of the day taking off and fitting new track rod ends. The majority of the time, I was struggling to take off the old ones. It was supposed to be finished by five, but it took me much longer to get it ready. My original plan was to be out of the garage by five and meet with Jade by six. I was going to tell her then about my relationship with Mr and Mrs Porter. That was the plan before I introduced myself to them. I should have told her earlier, but I can’t change the situation now.

With the car reversed over the garage pit, I made the last adjustments on the rods. There was the sound of a car pulling up in front of the garage. I didn’t take much notice of it until the loud slamming of its door. Heavy footsteps marching in my direction made me look.

“Why did you lie to me?” It was Jade.

I put down the spanners I was working with and climbed out of the pit. Jade was not too delighted to see me; the expression on her face showed it. “Let me explain to you,” I said.

“Explain what, Michael.” her eyes were moist. She was upset. “You lied to me. You don’t even know Mr and Mrs Porter!” she yelled.

I turned away. I didn’t dare to look at her in the eyes. “Please, give me a chance to explain,” I pleaded.

There was the sound of more car doors closing. I turned to see who it was. An elderly couple approached Jade. The lady stopped by Jade’s side and put a cardigan over her shoulders. I didn’t see the ladies face as there wasn’t much light illumination where Jade was standing. The gentleman advanced towards me. He was big, like a rugby player with broad shoulders. When I looked at him, I saw my mother’s eyes.

I turned to my side, resting the palms of my hands on the Mercedes bonnet. I leaned forward and stared at the cars chrome emblem. “Let me explain,” I repeated.

The gentleman, which I presumed was my grandfather, was only a few feet away from me. In a deep clear voice, he said, “Do you know how much grief you have caused this young lady by lying to her?”

From the moment my mother told me my grandparents were alive. I have been playing different scenarios in my head on what to say to them. Now that I have them in front of me, I’m speechless.

“My husband asked you a question, young man. Do we need to call the police to get some answers? Why were you sneaking around our property?”

I turned to face them. Jade and the lady were standing next to the gentleman. My eyes misted up. She was the spitting image of my mother but more aged. There was an unexpected change in the lady’s face. From anger, it turned to sadness. She raised her hand and pointed her index finger towards my chest.

“Oh, my God. Where did you get that crucifix which is around your neck?” The lady asked.

I raised my hand to my chest, clutching the cross. I held it tight. “It was a gift from my mother,” I said.

On the back, it says. ‘To our loving daughter Francis.’ The lady said. She was waiting in anticipation for confirmation.

I checked the small gold object, verifying with a nod that the words she told me were engraved on the inside of the cross. Jade and the lady raised their hands to their mouths, both of them shaken up. The old boy, on the other hand, was a tough cookie. He wasn’t too convinced. Once I showed them a photo of my mother and me together, he was satisfied as well. It didn’t take long for his eyes to mist up.

My grandmother was assured that I was her grandson. She embraced me, kissing me on the cheeks, then the crucifix. She continuously said, “Thank you, God, for this day.” Her tears were running down her cheeks. Jade rubbed her back, comforting her. Looking at me, Jade smiled, and with the movement of her lips, she said, “I love you.”

Moses was in his office. When he heard all the commotion in the garage, he rushed out to see what was happening. After I explained to him everything and why I was in Brentwood, he nodded his head. “This all makes sense now. A person of your knowledge does not belong in a small garage like this. That is why you stayed in Brentwood.” Moses said.

I introduced him to my grandparents. Moses praised me as one of the best mechanics to work in his garage. I’m sure my grandfather seemed a foot taller than when I first saw him. My grandmother’s smile glimmered. After been lauded by Moses. He gave me the next day off. When I tried to protest, he said, “Enjoy the time with your family.”

My grandparents insisted to take me home to their house, but I told them that I would go to the hotel to freshen up first. Jade would not leave my side.

I drove like a maniac back to the hotel. Thank God Jade was with me, nagging me to slow down. The police would have indeed stopped me from speeding if she wasn’t with me. I had a quick shower, but getting dressed was time-consuming. Jade wouldn’t keep her hands off me. “I told you to wait in the lobby. I knew this would happen,” I laughed while she tried to tickle me.

We eventually got to my grandparents. When I entered their cottage, instantly, I felt at home. Family photos covered the walls–most of them of my mother when she was in her teens. I studied each photograph, Jade, by my side, holding my hand tightly. Tears began to run down my cheeks.

“It was a stupid argument. Stubbornness, that’s what it was.” My grandmother said. She came next to me, staring at the photos.

When I turned, my grandfather was standing at a distance. I could see his lower lip trembling.

“I’ve prepared something for us to eat,” My grandmother said. She led us to the dining room. A round oak table was set up for four people: plates, soup bowls, cutlery and glasses. The works, it was like a table set up in a high-class restaurant.

I couldn’t take my eyes off my grandfather.

“Come on, Michael, take a seat.” My grandmother said. “Jade and I will bring the food from the kitchen.”

My grandfather and I responded to my grandmother’s order simultaneously, taking a seat opposite each other. Yes, my grandfather’s name is Michael. My mother named me after him. Until the ladies came back, we both sat in silence. My grandfather was staring down at the tablecloth while I scanned the room at the pictures on the walls.

“It was my fault,” he said.

I snapped my head around to face him. I just stared at him. I didn’t know what to say.

“Your mother wasn’t to blame. It was all my fault. I should have listened to her. We should have talked. Now my grandson is a stranger to me.” His lower lip began to tremble.

Before I could respond, the ladies were back with the food. My grandfather and I helped them to put the plates on the table. Before he could retrieve his hand, I put my hand over his. “You’re not to blame,” I said. “I’ve brought my laptop with me. After we’ve eaten, we’ll call mom on Facetime to speak to her.” He smiled.

The food was exquisite for a short time it took to be prepared. When I complimented my grandmother for the delicious food, she had cooked. She confessed that it was something she had pre-cooked and had in the freezer. After our meal, I insisted on helping with cleaning the table. The ladies wouldn’t let me clear anything. Jade beat me to the sink when I went to do the washing up. She wanted to give my grandparents and me some time alone.

There I was with my grandparents in their living room. My grandmother was asking me questions about mum and me. She wanted to know how our life had been for the last twenty years. It took my grandfather a while to open up. When he started to apologise, again. My grandmother said, “Let’s not dwell on the past, honey.” My grandfather was a big man. He was double the size of my grandmother, but you could see that she was the boss in the house. She had a lot of respect for my grandfather, and they seemed to love each other very much.

It was nine when Jade emerged with a tray of beverages. As she put the drinks on the coffee table, I pulled my laptop out of the messenger bag, setting it up in front of us. “Are you both ready to speak to my mum?” I asked.

My grandmother began to stroke her hair back, trying to fix it even though it was perfect. Once she was ready, she turned to my grandfather. “Are you ready, love?” she asked him.

“Are you ok, Grandad?” I asked him before opening the laptop lid.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

I fired up the device. Once it was ready, I pressed the Facetime icon. The ringing chime began. She answered on the second chime.

“Hi, mum,” I said.

She was quiet.

“You’ll never guess where I am, mum?”

I turned the laptop around to face my grandparents. For a moment, they both stared at the screen in silence. Mum was quiet as well. Like they were one, my grandparents raised a hand and stroked the screen on the device.

“Francis, honey, how are you?” My grandmother said.

“I’m doing well, mum. How are you and dad?” I wasn’t facing the screen, but I could hear the emotion in mums voice.

“Oh, honey, we miss you so much. Francis, sweetheart,” Grandad said. “I want to apologise.”

Jade and I left the room to let my grandparents speak with mum. They talked for a good half-hour. When we returned to the room, both my grandparent’s faces were sparkling. The Facetime screen was off.

My grandfather said, “The screen just went blank.”

“The internet mum has is not very good,” I said. Frank must have got home from the pub, so mum switched off the IPad.

We stayed a while longer before Jade and I left. Jade surprised me by asking me if she could stay with me for the night. I won’t get into too many details, but we got to sleep in the early hours of the morning. It was a long day. I was out cold after the third round.

Chapter 17

Life was turning around for me. My grandparents put everything on hold in their life. Moses eventually gave me a week off instead of one day to spend some time with my family. My Grandmother insisted that I stay with them, but I didn’t want to intrude into their life so suddenly. I used the excuse that I had already prepaid a week in advance at the hotel.

Every morning after having breakfast, I would go straight to my grandparents and spend the day with them. I would see Jade at the restaurant to have my full English breakfast and late in the evening. During the day, she had her studies and university.

My grandparents were both retired, but they were very active pensioners. They helped at the local church with charity work. My Grandmother, Maria, assisted at the food bank with families who needed help. Grandfather, Michael was a professional photographer before he retired. He has a shop in Brentwood, which was his studio. Now he uses it as a workshop to teach amateur photographers the trade–all free of charge.

This week was an extension to the month they had in Spain. We would sit and converse for hours. I had so many questions to ask them about them. The feeling was mutual; they wanted to know more about my mother and me. I told them all the positive things about my life, leaving the part with Frank, as I didn’t want to distress them. I guess this is something they would find out about shortly. They were eager to go to Enfield to see mum, but mum and I kept stalling it. We all chatted every day on Facetime. I agreed with mum to call her in the morning before she went to work. It was good because, at that time, Frank was at work. I think they have suspicions about what’s going on, but they haven’t said anything to me yet.

My Grandmother always tells me to respect Jade and any other young lady and not to mistreat women. They are very fond of Jade; they adore her. She is always helping them with chores around the house and shopping journeys for them.

On one occasion, the three of us were in the kitchen. My Grandmother was chopping up some greens, prepping them for boiling. I was sitting on one of the kitchen stalls near her. Grandad, buried behind his newspaper, was busy reading.

Out of the blue, I said, “Jade stayed at the hotel last night. I don’t know.” before I could finish my conversation, my Grandmother cut me off.

She turned to me, putting the kitchen knife down on the chopping board; she pointed her index finger at me and said. “You respect that young lady, young man.”

Still, behind his paper, grandad responded, “You listen to your grandmother, Michael.”

I looked at both of them in turn first before I answered. “What I was going to say. I don’t know if Jade feels the same way I think about her. What do you think, Grandmother?”

“What do you think? You men are all the same, blind to what is going on around you.” my Grandmother responded.

My Grandfather folded the newspaper and put it down on the kitchen table. He said, “Here we go, you’ve triggered her off now. She’s going to tell us one of her stories when we first met.” He chuckled. Grandmother and I joined in.

The week was over. I went back to work. Moses was glad to see me, as the business had picked up. My grandparents insisted I stay with them. They made a few changes in the guest room, making it more homecoming for me. When I moved in, they fitted a flat-screen tv on the wall while I was at work. I protested, but it was a no-win challenge. Grandad went to the workshop with his students and Grandmother to her charity responsibilities. She would make sure when her two favourites males finished work, they would have a lovely hot meal waiting for them at home.

Three weeks had gone by since I met my grandparents. Life was good. The only thing that was missing was mum. I couldn’t bear the thought of how much mental abuse she was subjected to by Frank. I’m sure my grandparents saw the sadness in my eyes when they mentioned her or when we called her. The final straw came when mum stopped calling us or answering her Facetime. She would telephone us instead, claiming that she dropped her Ipad and the screen cracked. The telephone calls went on for a few days; my grandparents insisted on visiting my mother, but on the other hand, they didn’t want to be forceful towards her.

I had to say something, talk to someone. I was going crazy from worry. It was late on Saturday night when I broke down. Jade and I were out for a drink. It was late; I was very reserved towards Jade all evening, but not with the alcohol in my glass. It was after midnight when we left the bar. I insisted on driving us back home. Jade commanded on taking a taxi after seeing how much alcohol I had consumed. I tried to win the argument, but I gave up when I noticed I was wrong. Jade kept her distance from me in the taxi ride back to her house. I would spend the night at Jade’s tonight as her parents and sister were away for the weekend. When we got home, Jade paid the taxi driver before I could respond to pay him. She got out of the car and marched towards her front gate. I jumped out behind her.

“Wait, let me talk to you!” I called out as I was staggering to keep up with her.

She turned and looked at me before she talked, “Look at you. You can barely stand.” She took a deep breath. “All evening, I was invisible to you because you were busy cradling your drink, and now you want to talk.” She turned, opened the gate and started walking to the front door. “It’s better you go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Please, Jade,” I responded in a whisper.

She heard me in the quietness of the night. “This better be worth it, Michael.

Ten minutes later, I was sitting at her kitchen table with a cup of black coffee in front of me. I had both my hands wrapped around the cup, feeling the warmth of the porcelain, looking at my reflection in the brown liquid.

She stood at a distance from me, besides the counter, with her beverage in her hand. “I’m all ears, Michael!” She came straight to the point.

That is when I revealed my life story to Jade. The only thing that was missing was the violin music in the background. I didn’t notice her near me. That is until she sat opposite me and put her hand on top of mine until I finished talking.

“You have to tell your grandparents as soon as possible,” Jade said.

“I can’t now. It’s two in the morning.” I responded.

She got up, strolled over and sat on my lap. She wrapped her hands around my neck and kissed me on the lips. “No, silly, you tell them in the morning.” She then looked up at the ceiling. “Now we go upstairs.” She bit my bottom lip giving it a little tug.

The next day we were having lunch at my grandparents. Once lunch was over, Jade kept on looking at me and gesturing with facial expressions to say something. My Grandmother saw her first, and then my Grandfather caught on as well.

“Is everything OK, Jade,” my Grandmother said.

“Are you going to say something, Michael!” Jade screamed.

“Say what?” my grandparents said in synchronisation.

I started telling them everything. The story became intense when Frank came into our life. My Grandmother put her hand over her mouth in shock, but grandad took it harder; he got up and started marching up and down the dining room, saying and showing with hand gestures what he would do to Frank when he saw him.

“Michael, calm down and sit down,” my Grandmother said to my grandad.

“I wasn’t there for my daughter when she needed me. It’s not going to happen again.” He went marching out of the house towards his car. We all chased after him with jackets in hand, including his blazer.

Eventually, we took my car. Jade and my Grandmother were seated in the back. Grandad and I, in the front. I was driving, and being honest; I am surprised my Grandfather didn’t tell me to pull over to take over the driving. Hearing that I was thrown out of my house, grandad became furious.

“Michael, your blood pressure,” my Grandmother said.

That comment fueled him up more. “You’ll see blood pressure when I meet that little weasel, who likes to prey on defenceless women.”