Kate & Alf

Relieved, Kate thought to herself that she really must be out of sorts to fall for Hypochondriac Hilda’s latest stunt. ‘A bluebottle?’ She glanced at the little lady now lying angelically in her blue nightgown, her straight, grey, pixie-cut hair sticking up awkwardly in places.

Clearly recovered and bright as a daisy, Hilda threw back her floral duvet and shuffled her weight to the edge of the bed, gripping Kate’s hand as she struggled to stand.

‘Yes, it’s been in here the whole night buzzing away, keeping me awake. It was only as I heard you on the stairs and was about to call out that it flew into my mouth!’

Helping Hilda walk the short distance to the en suite, Kate returned to the dresser, selecting Hilda’s ‘Monday’ outfit.

‘Goodness, that’s terrible, Hilda. Especially as it’s the third time this has happened. What with the bumble bee and the spider last month…’

A small sigh came from above the washbasin, where Hilda was gently soaping her face with a flannel. ‘I know, dear. I am beginning to wonder if the Lord has other plans for me. Don’t forget the cockroach, either. It’s only a matter of time before those eggs it laid in my ear canal begin to hatch.’

Kate smiled broadly for the first time that day.

Hilda was patting her frail frame dry with a small towel as the first of the questions came unexpectedly. ‘So, dear Kate, you’re ever so quiet and we all know that it was your surprise party this weekend. Don’t keep me in suspense. Anything special happen, dear?’ she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Kate blushed and inwardly grimaced.

By the time she had helped Hilda to dress and guide her walking frame to the breakfast room to join the already nearly full tables, she had divulged the highlights of her weekend. She wasn’t one for lying – it wasn’t in her nature – but instead of focusing on the main disappointment, she instead concentrated on the few special markers. Namely, her new puppy, Sam, who she’d already grown to adore.

Just as she was about to continue her round, she smiled weakly as she saw a squat, rounded woman with flame-red hair approaching. Her heart sank a little. Fellow care- worker Tasha lived up to her Scottish reputation and fiery hair. She also had such a loose mouth Kate was in no doubt that the details of her party would be wormed out of her and circulated around the entire home before the first spoonful of porridge was even served.

‘Morning, luv, you look tired. I heard you were late – and Steinbach’s on the prowl today.’

Kate averted her glance from the care rota on the wall. She still had three residents to attend to for the breakfast shift. ‘Morning! I know, it was just my luck that he caught me on the way in.’

Tasha angled her body and discreetly took her electronic cigarette from her pocket and faced the wall, inhaling deeply. ‘So how’d it go? Did he propose? Where’s the ring – come on let’s have a look!’ Using her free hand, she reached out for Kate’s.

Feebly holding her own ringless hand out, Kate waved it in front of Tasha, trying to hide her embarrassment. ‘No proposal, unfortunately, but it was such a lovely party. I had a great time – Alf really did go to town on the thought behind it. Plus he got me a puppy.’

Tasha spluttered on her electronic cigarette vapour. ‘He got you a puppy? What the blooming hell did you want a puppy for?’ She looked at Kate with an incredulous expression.

Kate felt her face flush with heat and hoped her cheeks weren’t burning a bright- crimson colour. ‘Oh, he’s very cute. We’ve called him Sam. I happen to feel it was a lovely gesture. Alf’s already commented how much more of a family home it feels now we’ve got Sam – and I have to say I agree.’

Tasha replaced her cigarette in her pocket and raised an eyebrow mockingly. ‘Well, I suppose it’s good practice for you – all those pisses and shits you’ll be cleaning up will be great preparation for when you decide to have your own wee ‘un.’

Flinching at her choice of words, Kate raised a warning eyebrow as Steinbach appeared on the far side of the room. ‘Best get back to work. I don’t want to be caught out a second time today.’

Grateful to Steinbach for the reprieve, Kate felt her heart aching as Tasha’s words echoed in her mind. She mounted the stairs towards Alan’s room and tried not to allow the recurring agony she’d desperately spent the past twenty-four hours squashing. It had been four years since the miscarriage; four years without either of them really acknowledging the elephant in the room that lurked silently between them – the prospect of future children and the loss of the child they had created. Sure, Alf had made the odd reference to the future with a family of their own. But gifting her a puppy? Was this his way of trying to pacify her quiet need for something more? She couldn’t help but torment herself with the underlying reasons of his gift choice.

She’d tried to share her concern with Megan – although rather cryptically and indirectly, for it seemed no one, even Alf, was truly aware of how the miscarriage still affected her. Yet Megan hadn’t questioned his motives in the same way that she had… her friend’s theory was set upon the puppy being a tactical distraction to delay the proposal further.

Internally, she couldn’t find much peace around the answer. Alf had never been of a manipulative nature…Surely he hadn’t assumed that a puppy could replace her deeper yearning for a child?

Taking a deep breath, she reached the top of the staircase and turned right into the corridor, determined to stop the negative thoughts and concentrate on the notion that his heart had been in the right place when he’d considered the puppy as something she would love. It was of little consequence that he hadn’t given a second thought to the fact that both of them worked and a puppy needed constant attention…

‘Ah, there she is, the very woman I was hoping to see on this fine Monday morning.’ Alan stood tall and wide in the doorframe wearing a cream tweed woollen suit and brandishing a shiny silver pocket watch in her direction.

‘Morning, Alan.’ Kate smiled, always happy to see the man who transported her to a flamboyant and well-mannered bygone time. Despite nearing eighty-eight, he was as able-bodied and fit as any man half his age.

Picking up his copy of The Times from his sideboard, he gently closed the door behind him.

‘There isn’t anything much I need assistance with this morning, Kate, yet I would be honoured if you’d accompany me on the short journey to the breakfast lounge.’

‘Of course.’

Walking carefully beside Kate, Alan felt compelled to ask. ‘I couldn’t help observing the frown on that beautiful face of yours as you approached. Is something rather the matter?’

Never being one to pry and more likely to discuss quantum physics than one’s personal life, Alan’s question caught Kate off-guard. Was she really emitting such a distracted energy that even Alan had needed to comment on it?

Trying to lighten her mood, she shyly brushed a stray hair from her face and gave a nervous giggle. ‘I had a bit of an unexpected turn of events this weekend, if I’m honest. Not exactly panning out the way I had thought it would. The result was that my partner gifted me with a puppy. It’s the cutest little thing, but I guess I’m a bit worried about how I’ll cope. What with working all day and it being left to its own devices…’

Alan nodded silently, considering Kate’s predicament. He wasn’t a man of many words when it came to relationships, especially since living out the last seventeen years of his life as a widow at Oak Park. Yet he’d heard a thing or two along the grapevine about Kate’s partnership. Her admission didn’t sit well with him. He’d been expecting to hear news of a marriage proposal. At least, that’s what the women had been discussing at dinner last night.

‘Why don’t you allow me to have a word with Mr Steinbach. We’re at a loss for animal companionship here and I’m sure I’d not only be speaking for myself when I say we’d welcome a puppy amongst our ranks. Your daily shift ends at four – I’m more than certain we can find a way to keep the little chappie entertained and out of trouble whilst you work.’

Kate felt an overwhelming surge of relief and gratitude as she looked up into Alan’s smoky grey eyes in surprise. ‘Oh Alan, would you really do that for me?’

‘Well, I can’t make any promises – you know how stiff Steinbach can be at times. But I’m certain if anyone can, it’s me that can convince the old fellow.’ He winked at Kate.

Reaching the breakfast room, Alan promised to inform Kate as soon as he’d had a chance to speak with Steinbach.

Vivian took another generous sip from her can of Guinness and looked at the clock on the wall of her sitting room. Kate was running late. Not that she minded; she rarely bothered with the breakfast round – she’d never been able to stomach a morsel of food before eleven anyway. But today was special – their Kate was likely to be full of beans about her proposal. They couldn’t wait to hear the full details. They only hoped things had gone as she’d expected and Alf hadn’t let her down.

‘I bet you it’s Hypo Hilda’s fault – probably got a case of incurable warts to moan about.’

Lillian chuckled at her friend’s comment, fidgeting nervously with the buttons on her cardigan and ignoring the gentle grumbling sounds from her stomach.

‘Oh, I do wish she’d hurry up, Viv – I ain’t half hungry.’

A knock at the door caused them both to smile in excitement. ‘Come in, love, we’re all ready for you.’

Kate opened the door in a flurry and swept into the room briskly, clutching the Tupperware box of birthday cake to her chest. ‘Morning, ladies. Sorry I’m late. Alan asked me to walk him down to the breakfast lounge and then I got caught up with Hilda – she had a fit and choked on her boiled egg.’

‘Good riddance, I say’ Vivian piped up, eyes immediately scanning Kate’s ring finger and noticing its lack of sparkle.

‘Viv, you mustn’t talk like that!’ Lillian scolded. ‘It could be you next.’

‘Over my dead body’ Vivian retorted, taking another generous gulp of Guinness.

Turning her attention to Kate, Lillian quickly took in her harassed appearance and tell-tale lack of engagement ring. She stole a glance at Vivian, who pursed her lips ever so slightly in disappointment. It was just as they’d feared.

‘So how was the party? Did you have a nice time? We’d like to hear all about it. Come and sit down,’ Vivian said tactfully, patting the spare seat they’d purposely prepared for Kate’s arrival.

Looking into the kindly eyes of her two best friends and charges at the care home, Kate felt her façade crumble even before she’d sat herself in the comfortable chair they’d set out especially for her. ‘Oh, Viv, Lil – I feel so stupid…’

Hiccupping through tears, for the first time in twenty-four hours Kate could finally open up about her feelings on the matter.

Vivian and Lillian sat quietly as they listened in silent compassion to young Kate’s dilemma. Neither commented or tutted in the usual way they would behave towards the other residents, because for both of them Kate was like the daughter they’d never had. And both of them could feel the disappointment and pain in each word.