Taking a shortcut home, on a path behind some sand dunes, he was approaching a junction ready to head back towards the apartments. Unplugging his earphones, he pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at it. He had received a couple of texts, one from his mate asking if he fancied a pint later, and one from his mum. He realised guiltily that he hadn’t been to visit for a couple of weeks, although he did message her regularly.
‘Mum, hi. How are things?’ he asked, deciding to give her a call.
He was sitting on a bench admiring the view of the rolling sea beyond.
‘Hello, Declan.’ His mum sounded happy to hear from him. ‘Oh, you know, not too bad, love. How are you?’
‘I’m fine, Mum. I was calling to see if it was okay to pop over tomorrow actually,’ he told her.
He supposed the call was prompted by a stab of guilt, although he was thinking of visiting his mum sometime soon.
Not that he had a problem with his mum. They were in regular contact, but what with work, and the weekends going so quickly, the time seemed to fly by. But he ought to try harder. She had become good friends with the bloke next door, and maybe in some way it subconsciously absolved him from calling round as often as he should do, which was shocking really when he thought about it.
‘That would be nice, love. Will you be having Sunday lunch?’ she asked.
‘Are you making a roast?’ He smiled, her lunches conjuring up happy memories of times gone by when the family would sit around the table. Things had changed so much since then.
‘I could do, although Norman next door suggested a carvery at the pub. Come with us if you like?’ she offered.
‘No, you go for it, I’m only joking. A cup of tea will be fine. I’ll bring some of that lemon cake from Satterthwaites Bakehouse that I know you like.’
‘Lovely. I will have to share that, though; the doctor told me to watch my sugar after my last blood test, remember?’
Did he? Had she told him that?
‘A little of what you fancy should be okay, though, hey. See you tomorrow, Mum.’
He decided he would go and see her straight after Sunday morning football. They chatted for a few more minutes before he stood up to head off.
He had been thinking about his mum’s comments, trying to recall the conversation about her blood sugar, so he hadn’t paid much attention to the two blokes who walked past, both wearing black hoodies.
He was blindsided by the searing pain in his head as the punch landed. The younger bloke had tried to grab his phone, the latest iPhone model, but he gripped it tightly to his chest. His whole life was in that phone. He landed a strong punch on one of the pair, who fell backwards onto a patch of grass. He squared up to the second bloke then, who ran away, quickly followed by his friend.
He realised they were just kids as he watched them running off, and pulled a tissue from his pocket and dabbed at the blood running down his cheek. The bloke must have been wearing a ring. The cut below his eyebrow was a few centimetres away from his eye and it could have caused some real damage. What was wrong with the world today? he thought to himself as he walked on, his heart still beating wildly.
Walking up the path to his flat a while later, he saw Jess and Maisie were just heading out, both dressed in summer dresses.
‘Oh my gosh, what’s happened to you?’ Jess’s hand flew to her mouth.
‘You should see the other bloke,’ joked Declan. ‘I fell over whilst running.’ He smiled brightly at Maisie before whispering to Jess that he had been mugged.
‘I held on to my phone, though.’ He raised it and managed a smile.
Maisie frowned as she studied Declan’s face.
‘That looks sore. Our teacher tells us to get a wet paper towel if we have an accident,’ she told him innocently.
‘That’s what I will do, then. Well, kitchen roll will have to do.’ He smiled. ‘Are you off out somewhere nice, then?’ he asked Jess.
‘Just a bit of shopping in town. Maisie has a friend’s birthday party next weekend, so we are going to buy her a present; I’m also meeting a friend who has a daughter the same age as Maisie. We’re going to the museum,’ she told him.
‘I’m going to see the mummies,’ said Maisie. ‘We are learning about Egyptians at school.’
‘Cool.’ Declan smiled at Maisie, who reminded him of Dorothy fromThe Wizard of Ozin her gingham dress and plaited hair. ‘Have a nice time.’
‘And you. I hope the rest of it goes well, after your fall.’ Jess raised her eyebrow at him.
‘Cheers. Catch you later.’
