In November, Megan Thomas moved into Flat 4 of East Cliff Lodge, after it was hastily vacated by Emily Waugh who was reconciled with her ex-husband, and moved back in with him.
Megan was an only
child and had spent all of her adult life nursing her invalid mother.
It was a thankless
task, for her mother Edith was a bitter and demanding woman who put her timid
daughter through the proverbial ringer.
When Edith finally
shuffled off this mortal coil the overwhelming feeling that Megan had was one
of relief.
At the funeral she
looked every bit like a mournful daughter, but she was not grieving, it was
just that life with Edith had drained her with the result that she was pale and
drawn and she looked five years older than her 47 years.
Not that she ever
had a lot of flesh on her bones, the years of being her mother’s skivvy had
kept her thin and left her with a gaunt expression.
After the funeral and
the reading of Edith’s last will and testament, Megan decided it was time for
her to take stock of her life.
Although her
mother had left her comfortably off in the financial sense but she was left with
no family, no friends, no profession and most of all with no discernible purpose.
It took Megan several
weeks to come to terms with her situation and to decide what path she should
follow with her new found freedom.
Her mother Edith
was a tyrant who imposed all of her draconian rules and Victorian prejudices on
her dutiful brow beaten daughter.
Her mother hated
the country so they lived in the city, Edith hated dogs so Megan wasn’t allowed
a dog, and she didn’t like Television so TV’s weren’t allowed in the house.
She decided what
books she shouldn’t read, what clothes she should wear, and what thoughts
should occupy her mind.
And over the years
of her servitude there were a million other petty little dictates and prejudices
Megan had to adhere to and Edith revelled in them.
One of Edith’s
prejudices was driving, Megan didn’t drive, because
her mother thought car drivers in general were vulgar, and for women she didn’t
think it was ladylike.
The
day after the funeral Megan had her first driving lesson.
Finally three
months after she had buried her mother Megan made a life changing decision, the
first of many, the house that Edith called home and Megan called a prison was
put on the market.
It sold within a
week.
Megan’s next
decision was to fulfil a lifelong dream of living in the country but she lacked
the knowledge of how to proceed, her new found freedom was in the hands of
someone not equipped to use it, yet.
So she spoke to
the family solicitors, Stanislas, Boivin and
Champeaux and instructed them to find her somewhere to live in the country.
As luck would have
it her Solicitors also administered the Lakeside estate, in Shallowfield and
the Dancingdean Forest which was how Megan Thomas came to move to Teardrop Lake.
Once she had moved
in to her new home, her first action was to buy a dog.
She didn’t know
what sort of dog she wanted other than the size.
The dog couldn’t
be so big that it took her for a walk and nor could it be one of those
ridiculous creatures that celebrities carried around in their handbags, other
than that she was open to anything.
She read through
the advertisement in the Shallowfield and Childean Chronicle
and there were a number of dogs for sale but the one that caught her eye was
placed by Erica Pritchard, an elderly lady who lived in a bungalow on the
Childean Road in Shallowfield.
The
advert stated that the lady was not looking to sell the dog but she did have to
meet the potential recipients before she let him go.
When
she realised it was an elderly lady it did put her off somewhat.
She
had had enough of cranky old women to last her a life time.
But
Megan phoned the number anyway and arranged a mutually convenient time for her
to go round.
Even
though Megan could now drive she decided she would walk to Mrs Pritchard’s bungalow,
which took her about 35 minutes.
Any
misgivings she may have had about elderly ladies were immediately dispelled
when she met Erica.
She
couldn’t have been any more different to her cantankerous mother.
Erica
was lovely and so was the dog, it
was a honey coloured American Cocker Spaniel called Skipper, wagged his stump
of a tail frantically as Megan made a fuss of him.
“Well I
can see he’s made up his mind about you already”
“He’s
adorable” Megan said “How can you bare to part with him”
“Well
I have to admit it’s not through choice” she replied
“I’ve
reached the point where I’m struggling to look after myself let alone that
little fella” she explained
“So
I’m moving into sheltered accommodation, and unfortunately he’s not allowed”
“That’s
really sad” Megan said
Erica
made up her mind within a few minutes that Megan was the right person to take
on Skipper.
But they still sat
talking for over an hour before Megan took her leave.
Megan wrote down
her phone number and handed it to Erica
“If you let me
know your address I can bring him to visit you”
“Would you dear?”
Erica said “That would be lovely”
Megan thought
Erica was crying as she waved them off but she just returned her wave and
carried on.
The next thing she
got herself was a Television, but she didn’t like it, a lot of the programs
were quite distasteful and the language was appalling.
Her Mother Edith didn’t
like Television, and Megan had to admit she had a point.
Edith also thought
everyone on TV was a degenerate but Megan thought that was stretching the
point.
Over the years of
her servitude her only friends were the books she read because although her
mother sanctioned what books she could read she was unable to actually influence
her choices.
Megan just got whatever
books from the library she fancied.
Those books and
there wonderful characters would always be her friends and when she discovered
something called a Kindle her circle of friends grew exponentially.
So after she moved
into her flat that was how she filled her days reading books and taking Skipper
for long walks in the woods.
And the effect on
her was startling, she had lost her unhealthy pallor and gaunt appearance and
her skin had a healthy lustre to it.
And even her copper
coloured hair had body and vitality, her new life on Teardrop Lake certainly
seemed to agree with her.
It was on one such
walk on a cold and damp November morning two weeks or so after her life began, that
Megan and Skipper went up to Coopers Folly.
According to Wikipedia there were two Folly’s in
the area around the Lake the first one was built in the early 19th
century by the local Nobleman, the 8th Earl of Dancingdean who had
it built for himself, in the style of a Castle Keep.
He was an exceptionally vain man and so he had the
an area of Forest cleared on top of a hill and had the Folly built there and then
so everyone around the lake would know whose it was he hoisted his standard high
above the turret.
Wikipedia went on to say that second was erected as
an act of retaliation by Ezekiel Cooper who lived on the opposite side of the
Lake.
Ezekiel was not of the nobility, he was a self-made
man and he made his money in the cotton Mills of Lancashire, and he despised
the Nobles and the way they looked down on him.
So in response to the Earl’s construction he had
built an even gaudier Folly of his own in the Victorian Gothic style.
Like his noble adversary he built his atop a
deforested hill and had his standard flying.
Megan took Skipper
to see the latter building, she hadn’t seen it before and she wasn’t sure she
liked what she saw.
“It’s hideous
isn’t it?” a voice behind her said
Megan turned around to see a tall slim woman close to her own age with Slavic
features.
“It is rather” Megan agreed
“I am Angelika” the woman said with the hint of an accent
“And this fellow is Paris”
Paris was a chocolate coloured
Labrador
“Megan” she said and shook her hand “and this is Skipper”
“That’s a lovely name” She said
“It’s short for “Golden Skipper Delight”” Megan said and Angelika roared
with laughter
“No I meant Megan is a
lovely name”
“Oh I see” she
said and laughed “I always thought it was rather a dull name”
“Nonsense it’s an Anglo
Saxon name which means “Little Pearl”” Angelika explained
“Really? I didn’t
know that” Megan responded
“I have seen you before from a distance I think” Angelika said
“That’s right” Megan said “but I haven’t been up here before, we’re new
so we are still exploring”
“There is a lot to explore” Angelika agreed “perhaps we will meet again
sometime on one of your explorations”
“I hope so” Megan said and then they went their separate ways
Angelika Schmeltz was not, like Megan, a newcomer to Teardrop Lake she had lived in Coopers Hill Cottage, on a hill high above the Southern Perimeter road, just a stone’s throw from the Folly, for 30 years.
She was only 18
when she left her native Netherlands and moved in with her lover and she had never
regretted it for a moment but death visited them five years earlier and she
still hurt.
She was an elegant
looking woman with striking looks and mesmeric green eyes full of sadness.
Her short
strawberry blonde hair was now streaked with grey.
Like Megan,
Angelika had also been left comfortable after her bereavement but unlike Megan
she did grieve and still grieved.
She filled her days
reading old detective fiction, watching old movies, doing jigsaw puzzles and
missing Charlie.
Angelika was not
made to live alone, she needed company, but nor was she a natural mixer and she
didn’t form attachments easily.
Her first
impression of the lady at the Folly was a favourable one and she hoped she
might bump into her again.
A mutually
beneficial friendship might well develop if they could find some common ground.
They were both
soppy about their dogs so that was a start.
The next morning
Megan went to St Mary’s Church in Shallowfield.
A strong Christian
faith was the only common ground between her and her mother and they maintained
a regular attendance.
She was a little
nervous as she walked in, she was quite self-conscious being the newcomer, but
she was made very welcome, firstly by the Ben Shenton, the vicar, and then by his
wife Olivia, who took her under her wing and introduced her to some of the
congregation.
During the service
Megan looked around to see if the lady with the chocolate Lab was there but she
couldn’t see her.
And there was a very
good reason why Megan couldn’t see Angelika at St Marys because Angelika hadn’t
been to Church since Charlie passed.
She was angry with
God for taking the love of her life and she was very unforgiving.
It was a week after
their first meeting, on a crisp frosty autumn morning, when they met again.
The sky was a brilliant
blue and the leaves crunched underfoot and the air was the freshest she had
ever known.
It was the dogs
who spotted each other first.
Megan and Skipper
had just left East Cliff Lodge and were on the road about to head down the
hill,
Angelika and Paris
were coming the other way the latter considerable faster than the former.
“Good morning”
Megan called brightly, she was hoping to run into her again at some time.
“Morning” Angelika
said breathlessly “That dog will be the death of me”
“He’s hardly
panting at all” Megan pointed out and laughed
Angelika would
have laughed if she’d had the breath for it she just about had enough breath to
say
“Well he’s a lot
younger than me”
When she had
completely got her wind back she asked
“So where are you
off to?”
“Nowhere
special we’re still exploring” Megan replied
“We’re
off to Lovers Leap” she said
“Lovers
Leap?” Megan repeated “I didn’t know there was one”
“Yes
it’s a rocky outcrop above the cliffs, on a day like today the view is spectacular”
she enthused
“Would
you mind if we tagged along?” Megan asked hopefully
“Not
at all, I would appreciate the company” Angelika replied and smiled
The
cliffs that Angelika mentioned were an extension of those that formed part of
the northern side of Teardrop Lake and formed the natural border between the
Teardrop estate and the Dancingdean Forest proper.
Lovers
Leap was so called because it was where desperate and broken hearted lovers
would leap to their deaths although there was no evidence that anyone actually
had but it made a good story.
It
wasn’t a long walk from where they met but it wasn’t an easy one either.
The
dogs reached the top first and then Angelika and some distance behind was Megan
who was extremely out of breath.
“I
thought you had decided not to come” Angelika said jovially
“You
must have the constitution of a mounting goat” Megan retorted
“The
legs certainly” she agreed and laughed
By the time they
reached Lovers Leap Megan was panting worse than the dogs and as she walked
onto the shelf that was “Lovers Leap” and took in the vista it took away what
little breath she had remaining.
“Wow” she said as
she looked out across the russet hues of the deciduous Dancingdean Forest
stretching into the distance and they sat down on the rocky shelf.
“This is my
favourite place” Angelika said “Charlie and me used to come here often”
“I can see why”
Megan said
Angelika almost
cried but managed to stop herself.
“It’s different
every time I come here, but it’s always special”
The walk back down
wasn’t much easier on the legs than the one up was.
And when they
reached the road Megan said
“Gosh I’m pooped,
I could do with a cup of tea”
Megan was
unaccustomed to social etiquette so she just added
“Why don’t you
join me?”
“I’d love to”
Angelika said pleased that she appeared to have found the friend she was
looking for.
Megan on the other
hand hadn’t had a friend since she left school so she was particularly pleased
to have found a kindred spirit.
The yomp up to
Lovers Leap was the first of many walks the four of them took in the forest, all
of them ending in Tea or Coffee at whoever’s home they finished up nearest to.
On the first of
December they had walked up to the Tower which was at the Southwest corner of
the Lake.
The Watch Tower was reputed to date back to the time of the Armada but the
truth of that had been disputed and in truth nobody actually knew even
Wikipedia was vague on the subject.
But when they got there Megan found it a bit disappointing, it was not
dissimilar to the towers you see dotted all over the Mediterranean, not that
she’d ever seen one other than in a book.
While they were there the heavens opened so they beat a hasty retreat
back to Coopers Hill Cottage.
Angelica opened
the door and they both kicked off their boots in the lobby and discarded their
coats.
And when they went
deeper inside Megan was staggered to see the difference in the place since her
last visit two day earlier.
There were
coloured lights, garlands and baubles everywhere.
“Goodness me” she
exclaimed
“Charlie always
went overboard with the decks at Christmas so I’ve kept up the tradition” she
said wistfully
“Have you not put
yours up yet then?”
“I don’t have any”
Megan confessed “Mother didn’t like decorations”
“Well “mother” can’t
spoil your fun anymore” Angelika said “So tomorrow morning I’m going to take
you to Shallowfield Garden Centre, they really know how to do Christmas”
Angelika would
accept no argument and picked her up in her old Mondeo Estate and drove her to the
Garden Centre.
Once inside Megan
was like a child in a sweetshop at the end of rationing.
She didn’t know
where to look first, Angelika had to rein her in a bit at times otherwise she
would have bought the whole shop.
By mid-afternoon
with Angelika’s help Megan’s flat was every bit as generously decorated as Angelika’s
Cottage was.
Megan was
absolutely thrilled, her mother would have hated it.
She had never done
Christmas to any degree, other than the religious aspect.
There were never
any festivities, no decorations, no presents, not even Christmas cards and very
definitely no fun.
So this new
experience made her tingle all over and with Angelika she felt a real sense of
family.
Over the next week
or so the walks were foreshortened by the weather which was not conducive to
prolonged country walks, but the dogs had to be exercised so some exposure to
the elements was necessary.
When there was
finally a break in the weather the dogs were given a thorough walking and at
the end of it the four of them where shattered.
As they were on
the south side of the lake Angelika said
“Let’s go back to
mine for lunch and then we can watch “It’s a Wonderful Life””
“What’s that?”
Megan asked
“What’s what?”
Angelika replied
“It’s a wonderful
something” she said
“It’s a Wonderful
Life?” Asked Angelika
“Yes?”
“It’s a Classic”
Angelika said
“A Classic what?”
“Movie, James
Stewart, Donna Reed, Clarence the angel?” Angelika said but Megan looked at her
blankly and responded
“I’ve never seen
“It’s a Wonderful Life””
“Then you my dear
are in for an absolute treat” she said and put her arm through Megan’s and they
pressed on to the cottage.
At the end of the
film both women were in tears
“That was
brilliant” Megan said dabbing at her eyes with her hankie
“I can’t believe
you’ve never seen it before” Angelika stated
“I’ve never seen a
film before” she said
“Not one film?” Angelika
asked incredulously
“No”
“Well you’ve
started with a corker” she said
“I will have to
introduce you to some more films”
“Will they be as
good as that one?” Megan asked
“Some of them will
be even better” Angelika replied
“Then I can’t wait”
she admitted
After that they
spent every afternoon in either the flat or the cottage watching classic
movies, and Megan loved them all.
For Angelika
watching Megan experiencing Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert in “It happened
one night” or James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan in “Shop around the Corner”
was almost as special as the movies.
One day when she
was on her way home from Angelika’s, Megan had to pinch herself to make sure
she wasn’t dreaming that she was happy or that she was just remembering the
plot of book she once enjoyed, because she was enjoying her new life and her
new friendship so much.
Megan had been so
unhappy for so long she didn’t realise just how unhappy she was until it was
over.
It was only six
months since her mother Edith had passed away but it seemed like a lifetime and
in those six short months she had begun to live.
She never in her
wildest dreams imagined she could ever be happier than she was at that moment.
A few days after
they watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” together Megan and
Skipper were just leaving Angelika’s to go home and as she was planning to go
to the Carol Service at St Mary’s that night so she decided to ask Angelika if
she’d go with her and her response surprised her.
“No,
no” Angelika
said adamantly “I haven’t set foot inside a Church since Charlie passed”
“But it’s only Carols” Megan said
“No! I am still too angry with God for taking my Charlie” she said
“Well if you’re sure” Megan said brightly
“Quite sure”
“Ok then I’ll see
you tomorrow” she said and left it at that, Megan didn’t want to push her too
hard because she didn’t want to risk upsetting her, their friendship was too
important to her than that.
And as Angelika
closed the cottage door she hoped she hadn’t been too blunt with her, the last
thing she wanted to do was hurt Megan in anyway, but she wasn’t ready yet to
forgive God.
Megan went to the
Carol service alone and thoroughly enjoyed it and she went to the Sunday
service a few days later but she didn’t ask Angelika on that occasion though
she hadn’t given up on her, she would bide her time.
The day after it
was a foggy day, one of those days when the fog clung on all day.
They took the dogs
out in the morning but the freezing fog got into their bones so they cut the
walk short and went back to the cottage.
Just before lunchtime
Coleman
Bowers knocked loudly on the door.
He was a proper old country boy in his late fifties with white receding
hair and a matching wiry beard.
He worked at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel as an odd job/handyman and part
of his duties was to take his Skiff around the lake twice a week delivering the
mail and small parcels.
But that day he was in a van because he was delivering Door Wreathes, Holly boughs and sprigs of
Mistletoe.
The Shallowfield
Lodge Hotel took advance orders for them and then Coleman delivered them on his
rounds.
“I’ve already
delivered your’n to the flat” he said to Megan
“Thanks Coleman”
she replied
“Can you hang this
sprig on that nail?” Angelika asked pointing up at the beam.
“Yes’m” he replied
and adopted a broad stance before reaching up.
At which point they
both kissed him beneath the mistletoe, just a peck on each cheek, but that was
enough to make him turn beetroot red, and leave the cottage unceremoniously.
Both of them fell
about laughing at his reaction and then Angelika held the mistletoe above Megan’s
head as she adopted Coleman’s distinct stance and she kissed her, but unlike
with Coleman it didn’t stop at a peck, in fact it didn’t stop at all, and the
recipient didn’t run away red faced into the fog.
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