“Oh, that? The doctor recommended it. I told him to piss off, I’ve never needed help walking and I’m not about to start.” Her tone told me there was no point pushing the argument. “Oh look, there’s Llywelyn!” she pointed towards the end shop, and I tried my best not to stop and stare.
The second I had seen him at the train station, I had flinched away - at first because he reminded me of the bigger man who had been a part of my mugging. But then he smiled and it reached lovely blue eyes. I melted just a little bit inside then. And when he spoke with a low and steady voice with an accent that made me think of home I felt safe. In the van, he had interest in me and I thought I caught him looking at me once or twice, which was likely my own wishful thinking.
He was stood on a ladder and reaching up to a sign above the last shop, screwing in a lightbulb. He wore a beanie hat and a chequered blue shirt. His face was pale with dark brows and a brown beard. In the van I’d noticed it was speckled with little orange flecks. My eyes roamed down his body almost involuntarily. Where he was stood and stretching upwards he had exposed a strip of skin between his jeans and shirt, and as we walked even closer I could see a dark happy trail. It was all I could do not to lick my lips. Somehow, I’d ended up lusting after the sexiest man in Hiraeth.
“Hey, Llywelyn!” Nain shouted far too loudly as we approached. I winced. Llywelyn looked over and stepped down and off the ladder. My moment of perversion had been curtailed.
“Hello, Glynis. Hi James.” Llywelyn dusted off his hands on his jeans. “Out shopping?”
“Yes, we bought James a whole new set of clothes. He’ll look very dashing.”
I could feel my cheeks warming with embarrassment like I was 12 again. Did I imagine Llywelyn looking me up and down? His eyes seemed to linger on me, and his mouth curved upwardat the edges. He looked away, back into the shop. “Try now, Gwyn!” he shouted through the door.
The sign lit up, and Llywelyn smiled wider. “That seems to have worked.”
I tore my eyes away from him to look at the sign, and into the shop for the first time.
My eyes must have been like saucers as I took in what I saw. The shop inside was chaotic but kitsch, with all manner of crafting supplies. A pale, red-headed man of about 50 — Gwyn, I presumed — was stood grinning inside. The sign above the shop, now lit up in all its glory, readG&G Craft Supplies.
“Want to go in and have a look?” Nain asked. I was already walking towards the door and into the shop. The walls were panelled in light wood, but mostly covered up by the merchandise. In the window were baskets with skeins of colourful and soft wool, which I idly touched. Along the leftmost wall were rolls of patterned and strange fabrics, and along the right were paper crafting supplies and card in every colour.
“Creative soul, are you?” Gwyn approached me with a hand outstretched.
“You could say that,” I replied. “But it’s been a long time.” I shook his hand.
“This is James, my grandson,” Nain interrupted, almost getting in between us. “James, meet Gwyn. He and his husband moved to the village last year, they’ve been doing very well for themselves with this little shop.”
“Husband?” I asked automatically, then winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound…I mean…”
“Don’t worry James, I didn’t take any offence. Glynis is a keen knitter and one of our best local customers, she’s told us a lot about you.” There it was again, that big smile. The man seemed to be permanently happy. He had a bit of weight to him and grey in his ginger hair. “I’m just closing up. We never stayopen after 4pm, but if there’s anything you want let me know and we’ll get it bagged up.”
I thanked him and he went toward the back of the shop where there was a little till set up. I eyed the skeins of wool but shook myself.
“Want anything?” Nain asked. I looked up, beyond the wool, to where Llywelyn was putting his ladders back in the van. I looked back down at the wool, at the collection of needles and crochet hooks on the wall.
“No, I’m all good thanks. It’s been a long while since I’ve done anything like this.”
“Do you have any hobbies outside of work?” Nain asked. I didn’t answer. After a few seconds of silence she turned to Gwyn. “Nothing for us today, but I’ll be back in soon. I’m almost out of supplies.”
We exited the shop and Llywelyn turned to us just as he was getting into his van. “Much more on today, Llyw?” Nain asked.
“Nothing today, just going to head home and let the dog out.” Llywelyn leaned against the van. “Anything for you tonight?”
“Oh, I’ve got all the soaps tonight. English and Welsh language. We’re going to have hours of fun.”
I groaned, and Llywelyn gave me a significant look. “Send a flare if you need assistance.”
I smiled back. Nain tugged on my arm “Come on, James. We’re going to missPobl y Cwm!”
???
“And get out of my pub!” the woman on the television shouted at yet another unfortunate punter, and I stifled a yawn. I looked up at the clock. We had eaten food, and were on our third episode of some soap. They had all blended into one at this point and I no longer had any idea which character was which.
I tried to stifle another yawn, but failed. Nain paused the TV and gave me a long stare. “If you make another noise like that I’ll be kicking you out on you arse. Soap time is sacred time.”
“I’m…going to head out for a walk,” I said. I grabbed the knitted jumper from the carrier bag where it still sat by the lounge door. “I’ll see you soon.”
I didn’t know where I was planning on going when I left the house, but my eyes immediately were drawn to the moon reflecting off the sea below. I walked down toward the beach - or at least where the beach had been. The tide had come in, and the couple of boats in the harbour bobbed up and down on the waves. It seemed the whole village fell silent at night. I was the only person around, and most of the houses leading down to the beach had their curtains drawn. It was only 8pm at the latest, but the sun had set.
