The taxi driver took her case over to the lobby entrance. ‘You have good time, ma’am!’ he said with a smile. Annabel thanked him and handed over the fare, plus a little extra for a tip. She wasn’t sure if she had got the currency conversion right – was it two Singapore dollars to a pound, or two pounds to a dollar? – she’d have to check with Emma.
Beside the entrance was a large screen with a series of buttons. Annabel’s brain felt like cotton wool, she was so tired.But she dug out her phone and reread Emma’s message with the entry instructions. Relief flooded through her when, after pressing a series of buttons, a friendly voice came through the intercom. ‘Hi Annabel! Come on up; level 10.’ She shouldered her tote bag, dragged her suitcase and weary body into the lift, and pressed the button.
Seconds later, the door pinged open and there was Emma, a wide smile on her face and her bright eyes twinkling. In her late thirties, she was younger than her cousin Jenny, but there was a clear family resemblance in their shared dark colouring and mischievous smiles. Annabel loved their positivity and the fact that they always looked as if they were up to something. Wearing a long, floaty dress with her hair in loose waves around her shoulders, she was the epitome of summer chic. Annabel, in contrast, was anything but. Still in her travelling outfit of yoga pants, trainers and hoodie she felt hot, grimy and disgusting by comparison.
‘You made it! Welcome to Singapore!’ Emma wrapped her in a big, floral-scented hug and Annabel felt herself relax into it. She was so exhausted and had come so far that this little act of welcoming kindness made a lump form in her throat. She swallowed it down and returned the greeting.
‘It’s so good to see you again, Emma!’ she said. ‘And thanks ever so much for having me!’
‘Oh gosh, no problem at all! I was delighted when I heard you were coming! Here, let me take that,’ she continued, reaching for the suitcase. ‘Now come on in!’ She led the way across the hall and into the apartment.
They stepped into a softly lit open-plan area and Annabel followed Emma’s lead and slipped off her shoes. The apartment was modern and shiny, with a lounge off to oneside and a dining area on the other. Sizzling sounds and delicious scents wafted through from the slightly open kitchen door beside the hallway. A corridor led off the lounge area to doors beyond, which Annabel presumed to be the bedrooms.
It was much cooler inside, thanks to the gently humming air conditioning units, and she enjoyed the cool feeling of the tiled floor against her bare feet.
‘Right,’ Emma began after parking the suitcase, ‘what do you need first? You must be shattered! Drink? Shower? Food? Sleep?!’
Annabel stifled a yawn and quipped, ‘All of the above! I’m just not sure in which order!’
Emma chuckled and with a ‘Come on in!’ pushed open the door to the kitchen. ‘Gloria,’ she addressed the older Filipino lady with long, dark hair who was stirring a pan on the stove. ‘This is our friend Annabel. Annabel, this is Gloria, our lovely helper. We’d be lost without her!’
Gloria turned and smiled, still stirring. She gave a slight nod of her head and said, ‘Pleased to meet you, ma’am!’
Annabel smiled in reply.
‘Let’s get you some water. Warm or cold?’ Emma asked, taking a glass from the cupboard. She saw Annabel’s confusion and explained, ‘Ah, well the water in the tap is always lukewarm, you see; the air temperature here rarely drops much below thirty degrees so the pipes are always warm.’ Annabel asked for cold and Emma reached into the fridge for the water jug. She filled the glass and handed it to Annabel, explaining, ‘Just top up the jug from the tap if it’s ever running low.’
Annabel gulped down the icy-cold water while Emma checked with Gloria when dinner would be ready.
‘OK then.’ She checked her watch. ‘We’ll eat in about half an hour, if that’s OK with you? Tom should be home by then.’ She smiled at her guest. ‘Glass of wine? Or fancy a cuppa?’
Annabel couldn’t help but chuckle. Although her accent was much more neutral than her cousin’s, Emma’s northern background revealed itself on this last question. ‘Gosh, you just sounded so much like Jenny just then! Yes please, a cuppa would be lovely.’
‘Ha! I’ll take that as a compliment . . . I think!’ She grinned impishly and went to fill the kettle. ‘Go and make yourself comfy on the sofa and get ready to fill me in on my cousin’s latest shenanigans!’
Annabel made her way through to the lounge, enjoying the tranquil ambience of the place. The lamplight cast a soft glow and mellow tunes were coming through the TV speakers. She curled up in the corner of the sofa, nestled among a collection of soft cushions, and breathed in the scent of the nearby candles.
The apartment was elegant and stylish, with little evidence of Emma’s young twins apart from a collection of framed family photos on the sideboard. Daniel and Leila were six years old and had recently started kindergarten in the same international school where Emma worked as a music teacher. Annabel had never met them, but saw from the photos that they were mini versions of Emma and her husband, Tom. Gap-toothed and grinning in the pictures with their proud parents, they looked like such happy children.
‘I don’t know how you do it,’ Annabel said as Emma appeared, a mug in each hand. ‘Most of my friends who have kids live in a state of general chaos, with toys permanently decorating the carpet! This place is amazing!’
Emma raised a wry eyebrow, ‘It’s all for your benefit, you know; you should have seen the place half an hour ago – frantic tidying up before sending them off to bed just before you arrived!’ She grinned at Annabel. ‘Here you go, madam; one builder’s tea with milk. Cheers!’ Annabel took her mug and clinked it against her host’s.
‘Cheers! It’s so good to finally stop!’ she said, closing her eyes for a moment. ‘The flight seemed to last forever. I honestly don’t know how you can fly back and forth like you do.’
‘Well, it’s not much fun and it’ll take you a few days to get over the jet lag, but just make yourself at home here and take your time. You’ll probably nod off fine at bedtime, but most likely end up wide awake in the wee small hours! I’ve got some melatonin if you want to try it; it’s natural and will help you get back to sleep.’
They chatted as they drank their tea, with Emma asking Annabel all about life in Bath and enjoying hearing the titbits about her cousin Jenny’s recent dating adventures. She roared with laughter as Annabel regaled her with the tale of Jenny accidentally matching with one of her students.
Emma’s phone pinged and she reached for it to read the message. ‘That’s Tom. He’s bringing our friend James home for dinner, I hope that’s OK?’ She frowned in concern, but Annabel smiled and nodded.
‘They’ve been out watching the rugby this afternoon,’ Emma continued. ‘James has had a tough time recently; nasty separation.’ She pulled a pained face. ‘It was a long time coming, though, and, to be honest, heisbetter off without her. But she’s just taken their daughter back to live in the UK, so it’s all a bit raw for him, poor guy. Honestly though, you must be shattered; do just make yourself at home and don’t feel you need to bepolite. Have some food and then go and pass out whenever you need to!’
They finished their tea and Emma helped Annabel with her luggage and showed her to her room. There was just enough time for a shower in the en suite bathroom before dinner, and Annabel stood for a long while under the rainfall shower head, luxuriating in the feeling of the hot water on her weary body. It took all her efforts to get out and dry off, and she fought against the temptation to get straight into bed.
As she dressed, in a long, pale blue, cotton dress, she heard male voices: Tom and his friend had arrived. She ran a brush through her towel-dried hair, gave herself a quick spritz of perfume and a dash of lip gloss, and with a deep breath she went out to say hello.
‘Here she is!’ Tom stood up from the sofa, whisky glass in hand, and beamed at Annabel. ‘It’s so lovely to finally meet you, Annabel! I’ve only ever heard good things about you!’
