Stephanie
Present day
My team were smashing it out of the park. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Joyce, Val and Mr Yin – and the others – I’d have abandoned the mural altogether. It just seemed such a big job, and impossible to even start. But the residents had given it some extra oomph and then they’d kept things going and they wouldn’t let me give up.
‘Ta-da!’ Joyce said, when I got to Tall Trees a few days later. She handed me the new book and I looked in astonishment at the pages, which weren’t yet filled but weren’t nearly as empty as they had been.
‘How on earth did you do this?’ I asked, flicking through. ‘This is wonderful.’
Joyce giggled. ‘We decided to fight fire with fire.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘We started our own rumours about the book.’
‘What kind of rumours?’
Joyce exchanged a mischievous glance with Val. ‘I heard some celebrities were writing in it,’ she said, her face the picture of innocence.
‘That Richard Osman fromPointlesswrote a message, you know,’ Val said. ‘And that lovely Gary Lineker.’
‘Gary Lineker?’ I scoffed.
‘You’d be amazed who wanted to see if the rumours were true,’ Joyce said. She lowered her voice. ‘Kenny was first in the queue after we spread that one. And of course, once they had the book, then it made sense for them to write their own.’
‘Especially when they heard that there would be a cash prize for the most heartfelt entries,’ Mr Yin said, totally straight-faced. ‘And that a television crew were thinking about making a documentary about it.’
‘A documentary?’ I was almost speechless with the cheek of them.
‘For Netflix,’ Val said in triumph and the three of them collapsed in giggles.
‘I can’t say I approve of your methods, but the results are impressive,’ I said, leafing through the pages and admiring the many messages inside. ‘I owe you. Maybe I’ll add you all to the mural.’
All three of them looked thrilled at the idea. ‘Us?’ said Mr Yin. ‘Really?’
‘Yes, why not?’ I said. I nodded, thinking. It wouldn’t be hard to include some of the residents. I already had an idea about how to fit them in. Though perhaps I should include them all – even grumpy Helen. I didn’t want to annoy anyone.
‘So now you just have to paint the mural,’ Joyce pointed out. ‘We can’t help with that bit.’
‘When’s the scaffolding coming?’ Mr Yin asked.
I made a face. ‘I’ve not got a date yet. I keep chasing but they’re dragging their heels a bit.’
‘And when does the mural need to be done by?’
I groaned. ‘The council have planned a big unveiling at the end of next month.’
‘Next month?’ Joyce raised an eyebrow. ‘We’d better get on with it then.’ She called over to where Kenny sat in the corner of the lounge. ‘Didn’t you have a building company, Ken?’
‘I did indeed. My grandson Kyle runs it now.’
‘Can you get Stephanie some scaffolding.’
‘Course.’
‘Today?’
Kenny looked at his watch. ‘Today might be pushing it but I reckon I can get it for tomorrow. Would that work for you, Stephanie?’
