Once they’d got the hamper out of the boot they carried it up the short path and Sam let them in. After shuffling along the narrow hall he backed into the small lounge where they deposited it on the sofa, both with a sigh. The room was neat and tidy, very cosy but a bit on the chilly side which prompted Sam to switch on the fire, the bars of orange quickly flickering into life.
Unbuttoning his overcoat he gave her a smile. ‘Right. That should warm the place up. It looks like we’re home alone so I’ll put the kettle on, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back in a tick.’
Leaving Leonora alone he turned to the right and she listened to the sound of cutlery clinking against crockery as she pondered the photographs on the wall, and as she did, a little bit of Sam’s puzzle clicked into place. Moving from one to the other she pieced together a visual history for her new friend, looking closely at the faces of who she suspected were his parents, maybe brothers and sisters and a photo of a ship, the name on its stern very familiar to her.
When Sam came into the room her head turned and she pointed at one of the photos. ‘I recognise the name of this ship.’
He came over and stood by her side and smiled. ‘Ah yes. TheHMT Empire Windrush. My uncle sailed on it from Jamaica back in 1948. He docked in Tilbury, the first group of settlers from my hometown, Kingston. They were so full of hope, my uncle was anyway. He inspired me to follow him when I was old enough.’
Leonora was fascinated. ‘I’ve read about this and seen it on the news. You were so brave, leaving your family behind to start a new life so far away from home. I never realised you were from Jamaica but now I come to think about it, I can hear it in your accent, ever so faintly. Maybe because you speak so nicely it’s not so noticeable. What did you do over there?’
‘I had hoped to be a teacher but my family didn’t have the money to pay for my education. I never lost my love of learning, though, and broadened my horizons the best I could with books, which is what brought us together.’ He smiled at Leonora.
Moving along she pointed to a family photo. ‘Are these your parents and is that you, the tall one at the back? Goodness, you are so handsome.’
‘Yes, that’s my mother and father and two sisters, with me at the back, the only son who was such a disappointment.’ The sadness in Sam’s voice was unmistakable.
‘Oh no, why? I can’t imagine you disappointing anyone, Sam.’ Leonora could see the wistful look in his eye and wondered if she’d gone a bit too far, after all, this was the first time he’d opened up about his private life but he answered immediately.
‘My father was a preacher and a strict man, so let’s say our relationship was troubled, whereas my mother was an angel and I adored her. Sadly she was caught in between two men at odds with each other and it caused her great pain and sorrow. It was one of the reasons I left.’
Leonora swallowed down the lump that was clogging her throat and was just about to ask why, when the sound of a key in the lock interrupted their conversation and Sam smiled before calling out,
‘In here. And we have a visitor so no swearing.’ Sam smiled again and winked at Leonora who was thrilled at last to meet his better half and after hearing what he’d just said, hoped even more that she was a nice lady.
All eyes on the door as a figure entered the room. Her heart flipped and she tried hard not to show surprise when a tall, stocky man walked into the lounge, unzipping his jacket and giving her a warm smile.
Sam made the introductions. ‘Leo, this is my partner George. He has a fondness for berating people with expletives which is why I warned him you were here.’ Sam gave her a wink.
Shaking the hand that was offered Leonora knew immediately that George was a nice man because his dark-brown eyes were kind, a genuine smile of welcome lit up his face and when he spoke, there was a northern lilt.
‘Lovely to meet you, pet. Now, has this lazy bugger put the kettle on? He always makes a start but never quite manages to put the tea in the pot.’ He unwound his scarf to reveal a small swallow tattoo on his neck.
‘Lovely to meet you, too, George. I was just looking at Sam’s photos and hearing all about his voyage and yes, I do believe he’s put the kettle on but how far he got is anyone’s guess.’
George shook his head. ‘Give us a minute and we’ll bring it through. Come on, Sam, get Leo some of that cake I made and I’ll do the tea.’
They bustled off, leaving Leonora alone. She took a seat on the end of the sofa that was placed against the longest wall, squashing in beside the hamper. Taking in the cosy room she admired the large seascape that was hung on the chimney breast. The walls were decorated with tasteful flock wallpaper, the matching curtains still open against the fading December light and while she waited, she imagined a life for Sam and George.
She pictured them sitting in their armchairs on either side of the fire. Sam reading and maybe George too. There were books lining the shelves, oddly enough the same as her mum had at home.Robinson Crusoe,Anne of Green Gables,Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,The Old Man and the Sea. When she spotted the record player on the sideboard under the window, she added music to their list of enjoyments. By its side was a neat row of vinyl records, albums from the looks of them and she instantly recognised the cover at the end,La Bohèmeby Puccini: her mum had the exact same one at home. Fancy that.
She was about to get up and have a nosey at the others, fully expecting there to be some Beatles classics in there when Sam and George returned, the latter placing a tray on the coffee table in the middle of the room before they both took their seats. George on the left of the fire, Sam on the right. It made her smile, their synchronicity. They were like bookends and both seemed rather chuffed to have a guest.
George spoke first as Sam leant forward and began pouring the tea from a huge pot decorated in a Japanese ukiyo-e print. ‘Sam tells me you live over Macclesfield way and that we once visited your family garden centre. We love garden centres, don’t we?’ He looked to Sam who nodded as he poured. ‘And historic buildings like the one close by, we did both in the same day.’
Leonora could see that George was a natural chatterbox and very comfortable with strangers compared to Sam who was more reserved. She imagined being sat next to George at lunch and knew without a doubt she’d have heard his life history by the time she’d eaten her yoghurt.
‘Gawsworth Hall, yes, that’s literally five minutes from our place. We used to go there when we were kids, me and my two sisters. There’s a churchyard close by where we dared each other to walk through at night.’ She was going to sayand my goth sister’s favourite place to get smashed,but thought better of it.
‘Yes, I remember you have sisters? See, there are so many things other than books we haven’t talked about properly but we are always in such a rush at work, always something to do and a clock to watch.’ Sam passed her a cup and saucer. ‘Be careful, it’s hot, I’ll let you add your own milk and sugar.’
Doing just that she answered Sam’s question. ‘Yes, Rosie is the eldest and Vi is the middle sister, I’m the youngest. We’re actually named after leading ladies from the opera. Rosina, Violetta and Leonora. It was my mum’s idea apparently. She’s named after an opera, too, Carmen. I saw your records so I expect you’ll recognise them.’
When she looked up she noticed that Sam had stopped mid-pass and George was looking rather taken aback, one hand hovering as it waited to receive his cup and saucer. Worried that she’d offended them in some way Leonora placed the spoon back on the tray and asked if anything was wrong.
George appeared to have lost his voice so Sam spoke instead. ‘You say your mum is called Carmen?’
‘Yes, why?’ There was definitely something wrong because the air was pure static.
