Morgan could hear tapping and lifted her head and opened her eyes. To her amazement, the bedroom had disappeared, and she was now in her small office, the accounting books for the pub were spread open on a table next to a calculator, and a mirror image of herself was sitting down in front of them, tapping into the calculator while rifling through piles of receipts.
Morgan’s brow pulled together, forming two vertical lines. ‘I was wearing that blouse and skirt last week. Why are we here?’
‘I’m just showing you what your life is like at the moment. All work, work, work.’
Morgan shook her head and reached out for her sister. ‘I know what my life is like sis, I live it every day.’
As soon as she touched her, the small office disappeared, and she was standing behind the desk in the hotel lobby, looking up at the ceiling deep in thought. Marie pointed to the small hotel lobby. ‘What are you actually doing here Morgan?’
Morgan held her palms up, as if flummoxed by Marie’s question. Isn’t it obvious? I’m minding the desk.’
‘But why? The hotel is attached to the pub. The guests usually wander through to it if they need anything. You never did this when I was alive.’
Morgan opened her mouth to answer, but realised she had no real reason to give her sister for her presence behind the desk in the hotel. Whywasshe standing there looking like a gormless puppet?
Morgan shook her head. ‘I don’t know Marie.’
‘I have one more place to show you.’
In a blink of an eye the small hotel lobby had disappeared, and they were standing in the kitchen of the pub. Morgan was sitting by the counter peeling potatoes by hand.
‘We have a machine to do that. In fact, you were the one who bought it for the pub, so why are you doing them by hand?’ Morgan shrugged. ‘And look at the time. It’s half eight in the morning. What sane person would peel potatoes that early?’
‘I like to be prepared,’ Morgan said defensively.
Marie shook her head slowly. ‘No. You are doing unnecessary things and spending far too much time alone. It’s almost as if you are lonely.’
‘I’m not lonely. I have Pippa and Brett.’
‘Pippa has Oliver now, and my poor Brett has more of a social life than you, even though he is spending longer sleeping, or in a world of his own due to his dementia. Face it sis, you’re lonely.’
The solitary word hit her hard—lonely.
‘It’s been a long night. I bet you’re tired, aren't you?’ Morgan shook her head. Marie came up to her and gave her a hug, beforeyawning and stretching. The contagious action had Morgan mirroring her sister’s actions. She yawned and stretched as well, making her eyes naturally close. When she opened them, she was back in her bed lying down, and Marie was gone.
‘Marie,’ she whispered into the dark, but it was the howl of the wind outside her window that replied. She gasped. ‘It happened again.’
Sleep evaded her for a long time as she peered into the darkness, the image of her sister fresh in her mind. But what she couldn’t understand was the message behind the dream. Why was Marie taking her to periods in her days this past week? She didn’t need reminding of what she did every day...or did she?
Marie had been right. Her days were mundane, especially since Pippa had married Oliver and they had taken over the pub, and Brett had slowed down with his dementia, spending more time relaxing doing sudoku puzzles, or just socialising in the pub.
And then there were her friends. Katherine had gone to live with her elderly mother to take care of her. Christine had started a relationship with Tom and was all loved up on her days off. And Pamela had become even busier on the farm with new ventures. Marie was simply showing her she was at a loss. She had time on her hands. She supposed that was why she’d thrown herself into organising her own birthday party.
Morgan needed more in her life. No, she wanted more, and having visitations and ethereal messages from two of the closest people to her in the world who she’d loved very much were the go ahead not feel guilty about it.
Closing her eyes, she calmed her mind. Tomorrow she would do something different.
AFTER MAKING BRETT’Sbreakfast, Morgan called Lizzie, the housekeeper who cleaned the hotel rooms once guests departed.
‘Hello Lizzie love. I won’t be in this morning. I have to buy the final bits and pieces for my party, but I’m only staying local, giving my trade to the shopkeepers in the bay, so if you need me for anything, just give me a call... Okay love. Thank you and speak soon.’
She walked over to Brett who was sitting in his armchair scanning the local free paper and kissed him on the top of the head. He looked over his glasses at her. ‘Are you going into the pub kitchen to prepare food?’
Morgan shook her head with a triumphant smile. ‘No, I’m doing some shopping in the bay.’ She pointed at his chest. ‘Make sure you change your jumper before you go into the pub at lunch time, you have yolk spilled down you.’
Brett followed Morgan’s finger and chuckled. ‘So I do.’
She smiled and shook her head as she watched him try to scrape it off with his thumb nail and pop the residue into his mouth. ‘I’ll see you later love.’ She pulled on her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck twice before fetching her wicker shopping basket from out of the pantry. Stepping into her small office she picked up the pile of posters she’s made and printed off when she’d come back from her afternoon decorating the barn with her friends, remembering to pick up a sleeve of bluetac and popping them into the basket, before finally leaving the living quarters above the pub and heading downstairs to the side door leading outside.
