Through the wall, I can hear someone in agony or pain. ‘Ouch… it bloody hurts.’
I open the door and turn on the hallway light to see Oliver on the floor in my hallway, holding up his bare foot, and Jamie bent over inspecting it.
Oliver looks up at me. ‘Help, I think I have broken my foot.’
Jamie turns to me and smiles. ‘Hello again. He’s not had any beer tonight, but he has stubbed his toe.’
Oliver lets out a yelp. ‘Jamie, I havebrokenmy toe.’
Jamie rolls his eyes and looks at me. ‘Oliver got frustrated about something, kicked the kerb, and stubbed his toe.’
‘Will you stop belittling my serious injury?’ wails Oliver, clutching his foot.
Jamie bends over and studies Oliver’s big toe. ‘You’re moving it, so it’s not broken.’
‘It’s shaking,’ says Oliver. ‘My toe is broken so bad it’s trembling.’
His friend places a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’ll think you’ll live.’ He turns to me. ‘Oliver has a vivid imagination, which is great for writing books but not so good for minor injuries.’
I suppress a smile. Oliver nods and hauls himself to his feet. ‘You don’t understand, Jamie.’ He hobbles up the hall towards me. ‘Nelly, I’m sorry for waking you again. Do you have any painkillers?’
I go to the kitchen and get him some paracetamol and a glass of water. After handing them to him, I glance at Jamie. ‘What time is it?’
He checks his phone. ‘Two thirty.’
‘I have work tomorrow,’ I groan. ‘Goodnight, both.’
‘This won’t happen again, Nelly,’ calls Oliver. ‘I love your cat pyjamas by the way.’ I turn back, and he flashes me a smile which gives me a flutter in my chest.
17
Excitement floods my body seconds after I open my eyes – my curse has been lifted. This is the start of the rest of my life.
In the shower, I mentally list what I can enjoy now without my curse turning every touch into a steady stream of tragic romantic visions: concerts, nightclubs, socialising at busy bars, public transport, and travel. Rejoicing in my newfound freedom, I apply far too much Tropical Shower Foam Burst and reflect on how my head has long been filled with the endings of other people’s love stories. I will finally get to experience what it feels like to have a head full of everyday thoughts, like where I should go on holiday once I have saved some money, which bands are playing locally, and whether I should join a dating app. The latter makes me shiver. Considering what I know about love, this would require a lot of thought. The thought of being free from my curse is both exciting and a little unsettling, as I will not have it to guide me. Maybe I will just enjoy being vision-free for now?
There’s no sign of Oliver. As I am feeling saintly, I leave a packet of painkillers outside his door in case he’s in agony over his toe when he wakes.
Lenny must sense it’s a good day as he doesn’t try to escape.
Even the weather has come out to celebrate my new curse-free life. Above me is a brilliant blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds and a warm yellow sun.
I enter the bookshop and wave at Miranda, who looks shocked by my happy appearance. My first customer is Ken, who runs the local allotments. He’s buying a book on growing tomatoes. A year ago, my curse showed me that Ken was happy being single and spent his time talking to plants on his allotment. As I slip his book into the bag, I remind myself that my curse has gone. If I touch Ken, I won’t see anything. With a big smile, I hand him his paper bag and make sure our fingers brush. I groan as a flash of light hits. When it clears, I see the vision has changed. Someone new has entered his life. Ken has watery eyes, and his bottom lip is quivering. He’s listening to a man tell him he’s going back home to Australia and won’t need his allotment any more. My heart sinks.
The world goes silent as Ken talks to me. I reach for a boiled sweet. When the sound returns to my ears, Ken is explaining how the book is a gift for his new allotment friend, Eric. My heart aches as he goes on to describe their late-night talks, sitting in deckchairs on his allotment, sipping whisky and watching the stars. As Ken walks away, I close my eyes and let out a heavy sigh. My curse has returned.
It’s late afternoon. The bookshop is bustling. My curse has been busy since its blip. That’s the only logical explanation I can give for its disappearance. I am trying to forget the tragic, heartbreaking visions I have seen today. I’m watching eager book customers gather around Miranda’s new display table in the crime section, labelled ‘Suspicious Minds & Murderous Hearts’. Other customers browse the shelves packed tightly with spines in shades of moody blues, blood reds and shadowy blacks. The crime section has a lovely nostalgic feel, with a battered old leather armchair, a faded plaid cushion, and a table with an antique green light. Despite the murder and mayhem between the pages, it is the shop section where customers linger the longest and share theories about plot twists.
I can’t stop yawning today after Oliver’s toe incident.
I would love to sit in one of the bookshop’s armchairs and close my eyes, but that’s not going to happen.
‘Nelly,’ says a familiar voice. It’s Amber. She’s standing in front of me. ‘No one has emailed me yet about the balloon.’
I am flooded with relief. ‘That’s good.’
She shakes her head. ‘Last night, I heard Dad telling Sue from next door about how lonely he’s feeling.’
‘I’m sure that will pass.’ My loneliness comes in bouts. It feels heavy when I am in the middle of an episode, but it does pass.
