January
When Reverend
Arielle Archer was advised by the Doctor that
she needed complete bedrest she insisted to Molly that it was precautionary, but her husband Harry corrected her
“It’s Preeclampsia and acute
anaemia”
“Then you must rest” Molly
said “We’ll get someone else to cover for you, I’ve been thinking for some time
that we need to get a curate to assist you”
If St Clara’s had still been
a Church of England Church a locum would have been supplied, but they weren’t,
so they had to make other arrangements.
In the past Henry Noble, for
whom Arielle had been curate for several years, had stood in for her, and over
Christmas, but he was working at the St Giles retreat on St Giles du Cabot so
he couldn’t cover all of her parochial duties.
However there was a someone
who had spent a prolonged period at the retreat following a long battle with
cancer.
Forty-year-old Justyna
Krajewska who was ready to leave the retreat but was unsure where her future
lay so Henry Noble had suggested St Clara’s, and had introduced her to Arielle.
Arielle liked her and in turn
suggested her to Molly, but obviously Molly would need to meet her for herself,
however there was a slight complication, as only a very select few knew that
Molly owned the Church, so a chance meeting had to be engineered, it was
decided that the New Year’s Eve service would be the best time.
It was a gloriously bright
morning, on New Year’s Eve, with a clear blue sky and not a hint of breeze or
the snow which was expected by the next day.
The Church was well attended
and there was a hum of chattering among the congregants as the news of
Arielle’s blessing was spread among the faithful.
Arielle was sitting on the
front pew with Harry in protection mode and Justyna sat with them.
She and Arielle were the same
age, but very different in appearance, both were attractive women, Arielle was
a small and delicately featured woman with bobbed brown hair, and pale
complexion due to her condition, whereas Justyna
Krajewska was a tall willowy woman, with shoulder length brunette hair.
They were joined by Molly,
who said
“Hello Arielle” and stooped
down and kissed her
“Hi Molly” she responded “Have
you met Justyna, she is a fellow cleric”
“Hello,” Molly said and shook
her hand “How do you like our little church?”
“I love it, I felt
immediately at home as soon as I set foot inside” Justyna replied
“Yes, it had the same effect
on me” Molly responded and smiled at Arielle.
Reverend Henry Noble took the
service, but Arielle did the reading, however that would be the last time
either of them attended St Clara’s for a while and the following Sunday Justyna Krajewska was in the pulpit.
Justyna was a tall willowy forty-year-old
woman, with shoulder length brunette hair, intelligent green laughing eyes, a
broad toothy smile and a warm open manner and altogether a very pleasant
demeanour and the parishioners took to her immediately.
She made a point of meeting
and engaging with as many of the Villagers as possible and in the week
following her second service she had been visiting a parishioner on Monday over
on the St Pierre Road, side of the river and was just walking back over the
footbridge when she met someone coming the other way.
He was a tall man wrapped up
against the cold with woollen hat pulled down to his brow, his chin hidden
behind his scarf, and his hands stuffed
into his pockets.
As he got closer, he suddenly
said
“Is that Justyna?”
“What?” she exclaimed
“It is Justyna” he said and
as his full face appeared she exclaimed
“Sam Richardson!!!”
They had met when she and his
wife Anjelica were in the oncology wing of the Pepperstock and District
Hospital where they were both undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
Justyna’s road to recovery took
her down the route of double mastectomy intensive radio therapy and chemo,
followed by a prolonged stay of six months at the St Giles retreat and she was
now cancer free, and thanks to reconstructive surgery and implants she still looked
like a woman.
Angelica’s road was a much
bumpier one and didn’t have a happy outcome and despite fighting every inch of
the way she lost the battle and passed
away while Justyna was convalescing at the retreat, unfortunately she was not
well enough physically or emotionally to attend the funeral.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m the locum Vicar”
“At St Clara’s?”
“Yes”
“You’ll have met Molly
Barrington then”
“Yes” she responded in a
puzzled tone
“She’s a force to be reckoned
with for a slip of a girl”
“I’ve met her, and she seems
nice” Justyna said “But what does she have to do with the church?”
“Well there wouldn’t be one
if not for her” he replied “But I’d better not say anymore, I mustn’t break a
confidence, you’ll find out soon enough”
“Why can’t you tell me now?”
“Speak with Arielle” was all
he would say
“How come you know so much? I
thought you were from Pipershaven”
“I am, but I came here to
build this bridge” he said
“And that’s how you came to
know Molly Barrington?”
“Yes, she owns this part of
the Village, which was derelict when she moved here, and now look at it” he
said “Like I said a force to be reckoned with”
“So is that why you’re on the
island, another project?” she asked
“No, I’ve been staying with
friends for the weekend, I just wanted to come and see my baby before I return
to the mainland” he said and patted the handrail
“That’s very sad” she said
and laughed
“I know” he agreed and added “Do
you want to get out of the cold and have a coffee?”
“Yes, that would be nice, it’s
not getting any warmer out here”
They
walked over the bridge and turned left and followed the path until they reached
the Galleon Coffee Shop and when they stepped in they were engulfed in a
welcoming warmth and were met with equal warmth of Jada Ellington’s smile as she stood behind the counter of the Galleon.
“Hello Vicar,” she said, “What
can I get you?”
“Hello Jada, anything as long
as it’s warm” she replied and laughed
“Yes, its bitter out there, you’re
brave for venturing out in it” Jada said
“Well a Cappuccino for me I
think please” Justyna said
“And a Macchiato for me” Sam added
latte and an Americano,
please” Danny said
“Ok if you want to take a
seat, I’ll bring them over” Jada said brightly
They chose a table close to
the counter and sat down
“I’m sorry I missed the
funeral” she said
“Don’t be, you had your own
battle to fight at the time” Sam responded sympathetically as Jada delivered
the drinks to the table
“So how have you been?” she
asked
“Keeping busy” he replied
“And has that worked?”
“Definitely” he replied “Thank
God for St Adelaide’s”
“St Adelaide’s?” she asked, “Do
you mean the Convent in Pepperstock Green?”
“Yes, that’s the one” he
replied
“When I was at the St Giles
retreat, there were a couple of Sisters from St Adelaide’s, and I heard from
them that it had closed”
“Yes, it did, but it has been
rescued from the developers”
Sam said proudly
“So what’s happening to it?”
“It’s being repurposed” he
replied
“As what?”
“A
place of reflection and healing, a retreat to escape from the world” he
explained “With different therapies and counselling”
“For the rich I
suppose” she mused
“No it’s a non-profit” Sam
replied
“Oh” she exclaimed “That’s
refreshing”
“It makes a change that’s for
sure” he agreed
“So what Civil Engineering have
you been doing up there?” she asked
“Access roads, and a
footbridge and a road bridge across the river to connect the Convent land to
the adjoining farm, which is where the Equine therapy will take place when it
opens” he said
“When will that be?”
“I don’t think they will be
fully open for another six months” he replied and ordered another two coffees’
“Did you say you’ve been
staying with friends for the weekend?”
She asked after Jada had
delivered their drinks
“Yes,
Carolyn Livingston and her fiancé” he
said
“I know Caroline, Howard is out Church Warden” she remarked “I’ve
only met her the once, but she seems very nice”
“It
was Caroline who recommended me for the bridge work”
Sam said
“Do you work with her often?”
“From time to time” he
replied “We’ll be working in Spaniards Creek again soon after St Adelaide’s is
completed “
“Really?”
“Yes, there is to be an
extension to Cliff Top Road and she the architect on the old Radar Station
project”
“What about you? how long is
your spell as locum?” he asked
“Six months” she replied “But I could stay on as Curate after that if I
wanted”
“So you’ll be around when the
work starts” he said as they got up from the table
“I will”
“Good to know, it’ll be good
to talk” Sam said and smiled, and he meant it because he wasn’t able to talk
about Anjelica with anyone else
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