The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (226) All Saints’ Day

 

 

November

 

For ten years Andrew Jessup and Yolanda Torres had lived together in the town of St Pierre.

It was when they were planning their wedding in the Parish when tragedy struck, and a riding accident left her paralysed and brain damaged and in need of perpetual care.

Andrew was fortunate that he had his own design business and was able to work from home at last three days a week safe in the knowledge that the people who worked for him could handle the day to day without his input.

He was also financially secure enough to have private nursing care for Yolanda, while also benefitting from a large family support network which still held strong even after six years.

In late October it was the turn of Yolanda’s youngest sister Evelyn to spend a week helping out.

Evelyn didn’t live in the St Pierre, she lived and worked in Spaniards Creek, so she stayed in the spare room for the week, and because she lived away Andrew didn’t see her very often.

Evelyn was six years younger than her sister and was as different physically as it was possible to get, they were both beautiful with  lovely figures, past tense in Yolanda’s case, she was short and curvy, brunette and brown eyes, while Evelyn was a tall skinny, redhead with green eyes.

 

Andrew and Evelyn had never had a falling out but had always been a bit standoffish with each other although there was no animosity between them, but being in the same house together for a week was not something Andrew was looking forward to, but he knew he had to make the best of it.    

They decided to give each other a wide berth and that all went fine until All Saints Day, which was Yolanda’s birthday, Andrew always thought that was very appropriate as he always saw her as a Saint for putting up with him.

There was a constant stream of visitor all day bringing flowers, cards and best wishes, and more crucially as the day went on, alcohol, so by the time the last of the visitors had left both Andrew and Evelyn had drunk a glass or two too many.

 

The pair of them were clearing up before turning in and in their befuddled state were trying to navigate around the kitchen, and more importantly around each other, when they found themselves standing face to face.  

 

At which point she grabbed him around the neck and kissed him, hungrily and passionately and when she broke away, she exclaimed.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry.”

And then she ran off.

 

Andrew finished the tidying and turned off the lights and after kissing Yolanda good night he went upstairs to bed.

But as he passed by the spare room door, he could hear sobbing, and he couldn’t ignore it.

So, he knocked lightly on the door, and when it opened Evelyn was standing there with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“I’m so sorry” she said and threw herself into his chest “I’m such a despicable person, please forgive me I’m so, so sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for” he assured her.

“But…”

“Absolutely nothing” he added.

“But I kissed you” she said, “a proper snog.”

“I know and do you think it would have gone on as long as it did if I hadn’t wanted to do it too.”

“Really?” she said, “but I didn’t think you liked me.”

“I like you too much, that’s the problem” he explained “So I kept you at arm’s length.”

“I’ve wanted to do it since I was 16” Evelyn said.

“And was it worth waiting 14 years for?”

“Very much” she replied, “But now, I want more.”

“Me too” he admitted “but you know we can’t, don’t you?”

“Yes” she replied.

“Does Yolanda know how you feel?” he asked.

“I’ve never told her” Evelyn said, “And now I’ve betrayed her.”

“No you haven’t” he assured her and then they just stood in silence embrace for an indeterminate time until she asked.

“Will there ever be an us?”

“One day, if you want it” he replied.

“I do, so very much.”

“Then it will happen, but we have to be strong for Yolanda” he said and then kissed her on the forehead and turned to go back into her room.

“No more tears” he said.

“No more tears” she agreed.

 

The next morning Evelyn arrived downstairs with her case and in response to his unasked question said.

“I thought it was for the best, I can’t trust myself now I’ve tasted forbidden fruit.”

“I’ll miss you” he said and walked towards her and kissed her on the forehead.

“Kiss me goodbye properly” she pleaded and without hesitation he complied, and it was everything that the sloppy enthusiastic exchange of the evening before was not, because this kiss didn’t taste of excessive Pinot, it tasted of love.

 

That night after the nurse had left, he was sitting beside the clinical hospital furnishings holding Yolanda’s hand in his as his thumb gently caressed its back when the phone rang and when he answered it, it was Evelyn,

“Hi Andrew, thanks for putting up with me this week” she said.

“It was no hardship” he said his thumb still caressing Yolanda’s hand.

“I suppose you’ll be sleeping in the chair beside my sister tonight.”

“Yes” he replied.

“She’s lucky to have you.”

“Your time will come” he said.

“I know but that makes me sad” she retorted “Because to get you I have to lose her.”