“So…Where were you off to in the rain there?”
“Oh, well, I…” he stops to think. “I was going somewhere.”
“Sure,” I smile at him, taking his hand; he looks at it for a second, then smiles too.
“Would you like something to eat?”
“No, love, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble,” I say, getting up. “I’ll bring you a scone, what do you say?”
“That would be lovely. Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back.”
I go quickly over to the counter, where Vic is waiting for me.
“So?”
“I don’t think he has any idea who I am or…where he is,” I say, casting a glance over in his direction. “We should call someone.”
Vic ponders this for a moment, then has an idea. “Riley!” she says, grabbing her phone. “She works at the theatre in town.”
“Right! At the Gate Theatre. We can Google the number.” I scroll through the phone, looking for the right number, then press call. A man with a high-pitched, kind voice passes her on to me right away. I explain the situation to her calmly – I don’t want to make her worry – and she tells me she’ll let the family know immediately to come and get him. She doesn’t offer me an explanation, and I don’t ask. It’s none of my business.
I’ve known the O’Connors for a while. They come into the café every so often, and I’ve got to know Ian and Riley for a few months now, but we’re not close enough for me to ask about something so delicate. Unfortunately, looking at Mr O’Connor sitting at the table now, so lost and alone, I realise that this is, indeed, one of those situations, and I can’t to anything other than feel my heart restricting a little.
