‘Hi Netta, it’s Kiki.’
Of course. Netta had been half-expecting her call. Kiki was one of her regulars – once, sometimes twice, a week – but she hadn’t heard from the lass for going on a fortnight now. It was hard not to worry about the people she talked to more than she spoke to her own friends and family sometimes.
In the two years she’d been working for the Family Listening Line, she’d handled hundreds of calls, some of them just a one-off quick chat, while others came from people who used the service in the very way it was intended – for callers to have a friendly ear at the other end of the phone.Morning Scotlandhad done a feature on it not long after it started, and they’d nicknamed it the ‘Call a Granny’ service, which was probably closer to the truth than the official title. Netta was a granny on call – someone who would listen, never judge and offer a bit of advice if she had any ideas that could help. People called to chat about everything, from marital problems, to advice on children, to practical questions like asking how long to put a steak pie in the oven. Others called because they just wanted to hear a voice because they were lonely.
The service went both ways too. Netta had a list of elderly people who lived alone and had signed up for a weekly call, where they could hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line. She tried to make those calls at the same time every week, because she knew that those people counted on her. And it broke Netta’s heart that for many of them, with estranged families, or friends who had all passed away, she was the only real human connection that they had. Netta knew how it felt to lose your partner. God knows, her Fergus hadn’t been perfect, but he’d left a hole in her life. That’s why she counted her blessings that she had Mandy and Blair, even if they were both busy with their own lives – Blair worked long hours with his electrical business but he called most days and dropped by at least once a week. Mandy had her hands full with her high-flying career as an event manager, and Netta didn’t see her nearly as much as she’d like, but that was something that she hoped would get better. She was just grateful to have people left in this world that she could love.
‘Hello, Kiki, pet. I was just thinking I hadn’t heard from you this week. How are things with you?’ Netta instinctively crossed her fingers when she said that. Kiki had it tough and Netta felt for the lass. She was raising her daughter pretty much alone, with no family to support her, so she tended to call Netta whenever she was feeling the need for a bit of moral support or cheering up.
‘Morning, Netta, I’m only on for a minute because Ava will be out of her bed soon, but I just wanted to let you know it’s her big night tonight. They’re showing the documentary at the drama academy.’
Netta felt a flush of heat creeping up her neck. She was normally a rule follower. Someone who stuck to the guidelines and the way things were supposed to be done, but she’d broken the listening service code when she hadn’t referred Kiki to another volunteer, after she’d discovered a crossover in their lives. Keeping their duties separate from their own personal lives was one of the core principals of working on the Listening Line, both for the safety of the volunteers and the callers, but when Kiki had told her last year that Ava had started attending the Moira Chiles Academy of Drama and Music, Netta – for some reason she still couldn’t explain – hadn’t said a word. Hadn’t admitted that she worked there. Hadn’t flagged the issue. At the time, she’d justified that by telling herself that the chances of bumping into Ava were slim, but, actually, their paths had crossed many times. She was a quiet young lass. Shy. Didn’t have much confidence. Netta sometimes thought she reminded her of her teenage self. Of course, she’d never mentioned to Ava that she’d had conversations with her mum, just as she never told Kiki where she worked – the confidentiality rule had to be left unbroken.
Netta heard what sounded like a fridge door opening and closing on the other end of the line and guessed that Kiki was making a cuppa while she chatted.
‘And how are you both feeling about it? Excited? Or is Ava nervous?’
‘Both, I think. There’s no telling if she’ll even be on it. The producers had everyone sign waivers, but it just depends what they’ve chosen to show.’
Of course, Netta didn’t confess that she knew that already. Everyone in the building had been required to sign release forms when the documentary crew had started filming, just in case they were in a shot or wandering across the background of a scene. Netta had gladly agreed, but unless they chose to show someone scoffing her home-made lemon drizzle cake in the canteen, she knew she wouldn’t get a second of screen time.
‘Well, just try to relax and enjoy it, love. You deserve a night out.’
There was a pause on the other end, and Netta let it lie, resisting the urge to jump in. She’d learned from experience in this role that sometimes a caller spent twenty minutes making small talk because they were trying to work up the courage to get to the big thing on their mind.
‘Netta, can I ask your advice? If someone mistreats you, do you think you should just walk away or should you hold them accountable?’
Netta felt her eyebrows lower as she frowned. ‘I think that depends, pet. Do you want to tell me more about it?’
Kiki had her answer ready. ‘Not today. It’s too long a story. But in general… I just wondered what you thought?’
It was a tough one. Netta felt this was an answer that required weighing up of the facts, insight and nuance, but Kiki clearly wasn’t going to give that now and yet she was waiting for an answer.
‘I think every situation is different…’
She thought back again to Fergus. Did she ever challenge him? Not really. Did she regret it? Sometimes.
‘I would choose whichever one you think will give you the best outcome. And whatever lets you sleep at night.’
It was the best she could do, and it came from a woman who’d been an insomniac for decades. Didn’t that say so much?
‘Thanks, Netta. I’ll think about that. You have a lovely weekend.’
‘You too, pet. And, Kiki… you know if you need an ear, you can call me any time. Any time at all.’
There was a tiny twinge of worry as Netta hung up the phone. Had she said the right thing? Should she have handled that differently? She made a mental note to keep an eye out for Ava later and just do a visual check that Kiki was okay. From a distance, of course. She’d already broken one rule on the listening service. Meeting callers in person would definitely get her sacked.
Anyway, no time to ponder that now, because the thought that had been circling in her mind came right back again. Two years to the day.
Time to go and visit Fergus, have a chat to him, bring him up to speed on life without him. No doubt he wouldn’t approve, but wasn’t that the flip side of the double-edged sword of losing him? It had left her alone, but at least she didn’t need to listen to his opinions on every aspect of her world.
He’d taken the best years of her life. All her teenage dreams and big hopes for her future. No, that wasn’t quite accurate. He hadn’t stolen them. She’d given them away, exchanged them for a young marriage and a family. And because of Blair and Mandy, she’d make the same choice all over again.
Besides, now she was in a different chapter of her life and there was no point in looking back, or having regrets.
Instead, she was going to focus on how much she adored her job at the Academy, the work on the granny line and the snatched moments with her family.
Fergus was gone. And now Netta McGonigle was determined to fill her life with more reasons to wake up singing.
