‘Yeah, no,’ Jacques said. ‘And I do not want to.’
‘So, whatdoyou want to imagine?’ Tommy asked, straightening a row of bells along the fencing.
‘World peace. Us getting through this festival with no one being struck by lightning like last year. Orla not winning the bean bag tournament because I will never hear the end of it.’
‘She would have to yell pretty loud about it if you’re gonna hear her from the UK.’
And there was Jacques’s reminder that tomorrow, Orla and Erin were going to leave and go back to England. He’d known it was inevitable from the very beginning but so much had changed. Except in the whirlwind that had been the last few days, having Burim as an additional guest, tackling Delphine and getting her to think about changing her mind about her treatment and making sure the festival was on track so Delphine had a bit less on her plate, there had been no time for discussion about what happened next.
‘I know,’ he replied to Tommy.
‘What does that mean?’ Tommy asked, picking up a discarded paper cup from the ground and crushing it in his hands.
‘I don’t know.’
‘So, you know or you don’t know?’
‘Tommy, we have a lot to do here. We have only thirty minutes before the Queen of theBrouetteis meant to come with a flaming torch and light the beacon.’
‘Knowing how much product Erin wears on her hair she’s probably gonna set light to that before anything else. Unless the lightning gets to her first.’ He laughed. ‘Then Burim would have to have a duel with the lightning ’cos that’s what Albanians do he told me.’
Jacques looked at his brother, adjusting Christmas décor, picking up litter, handing out sweets as they checked the perimeter fence where villagers and tourists alike were accumulating ready for the festivities. He wasgood. Inside him was the purest heart. He may not have a pre-determined lifepath yet and be worried about that but as far as Jacques was concerned his brother had so much time to work out what he wanted. There was no rush.
‘So, do you know?’ Jacques asked him. ‘Or are you making plans the way Burim makes plans? Just, with, slightly smaller biceps.’
‘Hey!’ Tommy said, striking his shoulder.
‘I am kidding,’ Jacques replied.
‘Well, I thought I’d let you cook me turkey. Stay for New Year too maybe,’ Tommy said.
‘I don’t know if we will have turkey. I do know that Gerard has promised Delphine lobster this year. I have no idea if he will be able to make this possible but?—’
‘Delphine should have what she wants though, right?’
The way Tommy had said it was poignant and the threat to his dear friend’s life was still very much hanging in the air amid the wonderful, over-the-top Christmas decorations she had co-ordinated around the village. However, Delphine had moved slightly on her first stubborn stance, thanks to Orla. He had watched as Orla’s ‘subtle’ had moved to ‘encouraging’ and then to ‘very direct’ in exactly the right kind of increments and Delphine was open to receiving help and advice on the next steps. It was definitely a much more hopeful situation than it had been.
‘Delphine always gets what she wants,’ Jacques reminded him as they walked back and headed towards the main Christmas tree. ‘She will still be getting what she wants when this version of thebrouetteis worn out.’
He looked at the wheelbarrow full of gifts and the surrounding plinths piled high with wrapped boxes for the charity, the sparkling trees covered from their bases to the glittering stars at the top with every ornament and trail of tinsel you could imagine. It was very nearly Christmas in thevillage he had made his home.Home. A word that had been unrecognisable in his world for so very long.
‘I thought, you know, after New Year, I could stay a little longer maybe,’ Tommy continued. ‘I mean, I don’t wanna get in your way or anything and I know we don’t know how things are gonna go with Delphine but, I could, help with the café or the shop and take care of Hunter.’
‘You don’t have to do that, Tommy,’ Jacques said, as they shifted back behind the barricade.
‘I know I don’thaveto do it,’ he answered. ‘Maybe I want to. Maybe I want to take a minute and think about what comes next. Maybe I want to take a minute and think about what comes next from Saint-Chambéry.’
‘Yeah?’ Jacques asked.
‘Yeah, I mean, why not. And maybe Delphine is gonna have to teach me to how to make the hot milkshakes so good.’
‘OK,’ Jacques said, slapping a hand to his back. ‘It’s a plan.’
‘Well, hold on, I said that was whatIwanted to do. It doesn’t have to beyourplan. Because I’m guessing your plan involves Orla, right? And that’s good. And, like I said, me and Hunter will be just fine.’
He didn’t know what came next for sure. He knew how he felt about Orla. He hoped he knew how she felt about him but the practicalities were quite a different thing.
‘Got it,’ Jacques answered with a nod. ‘So, I am going to catch up with Madame Voisin, why don’t you give Burim a hand?’ He started to stride away.
