Page 39 of Whispers from the Past

‘Got it!’ she crowed triumphantly as she shuffled backwards into the room. ‘This is the scrapbook your mother and I put together. We started it when we were fourteen and your mum was given a polaroid camera. God we loved that camera! It was the thing to have and we took so many photos.’

Rose took the A4 scrapbook from Susie’s hands and opened up the first page that was adorned with the words Zuzu and RahRah’s Private Book - Keep Out. Turning the page, her heart stopped; or it felt like it had. Because staring back at her was her Mum. Dressed in acid washed jeans and a frilly yellow shirt. Susie was next to her in what appeared to be a Picasso inspired jumper of primary colours in different geometric shapes. She’d coupled it with what looked like a black plastic skirt.

‘I know. We looked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G,’ Susie laughed as she gently stroked her friend’s cheek in the photo.

‘Oh Susie. I just love this. Mum was always so sensible when I was growing up. I love seeing her like this.’

‘That’s how I remember her. She was so funny too, always making me laugh…usually when I’d just taken a sip of drink so that I’d spray it everywhere. We got into so much trouble at school. She’d make me laugh at the worst possible times and I wouldn’t be able to stop. Once, we were in the Christmas church service and our head mistress was in the middle of reading some bible passage about the birth of Christ. I foolishly looked across the aisle at your Mum and she was mimicking her, pulling the most ridiculous faces. I burst out laughing, which of course echoed in the church and everyone looked at me. Then your Mum bursts out laughing too. We had to be escorted out of church. We were, and still are, the only students in the history of the school to have been thrown out of church.’

Rose flicked through the book until she found a photo of her Mum, much older now but still at school. She was standing next to a man who she knew was her Dad. ‘I’ve seen a photo like this. Mum always carried it with her.’

‘We took a few photos of that moment. Your Mum and Dad had been going out for a few months and we were goofing around by the beach after school. She loved him so much. They loved each other so much.’ She reached over to hold Rose’s hand. ‘And they loved you. He didn’t get to spend long with you, but he doted on you something rotten.’

‘Mum never really spoke about him, she would always get too upset so I stopped asking.’

‘Well he could be quite stubborn when he wanted to be, and used to wind up your Grandad with the mess he’d leave everywhere. But he was good for your Mum. And remember that Triumph Vitesse I told you about? Your Grandad had been talking about your Dad helping them fix it up too, so I think a lot of the bluster between them was just for show. This thing you’ve got going on with Luke…’ Rose tried to interrupt, but Susie wouldn’t let her. ‘Don’t give up on him just yet. Your Mum and Dad could be so stubborn sometimes and they nearly didn’t go out with each other. It only happened because I dared her in a game of truth or dare to ask him out. She’d been mooning over him for weeks. Your Mum was even so stubborn that when she left with you she was so determined to leave everything in the Bay behind that I had to cling on to her to keep in touch. She had a pager, and I’d keep messaging her on it until she’d call me back from wherever you’d moved to next. It would have been so easy to just let you both go, but it was worth the effort to stay in your lives. The good relationships are always worth the effort, Rose.’

‘Thank you for clinging on to my Mum like that. If you hadn’t, I don’t know what I would have done after she died. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.’

‘And trust me on this. Luke is worth the effort too. I’ve watched him from afar since Hannah died and he’s been so lost. He needs a friend. He needs you.’

Chapter 14

🎵 Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day 🎵

Susie’s words had struck a chord with Rose, and she realised that she needed to try and talk to Luke properly during the week, but Thursday evening came round and they still hadn’t seen each other. The few messages she’d sent him had all been left unread. He’d been holed up in the garage and the days went by in a blur for Rose. Before she realised it, she was locking up the Book Nook and getting into Tony’s car. As she settled into the passenger seat, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed again in his choice of car. She knew it shouldn’t bother her, it was just a car after all, but she couldn’t help it. Rose just couldn’t understand why he’d drive this when he could have his pick of anything else.

‘Ready?’ Tony asked as she buckled up and pushed her unfair judgemental thoughts to the back of her mind.

‘Let’s go,’ she smiled back. She’d used this week to decide just to see where things could go with Tony. Her pros list consisted of various bullet points. When she saw how long the list was, she hadn’t even bothered with the cons. Everyone seemed so enamoured with him, and she could see why on paper. In the open glove box, Rose noticed a few CDs. One in particular caught her eye.

‘You like Green Day?’

‘Big fan. Had a Billie Joe Armstrong hairstyle back in the day.’

‘I haven’t listened to them for ages. Can I?’ She asked, gesturing with the CD.

‘Go for it.’

The CD player whirred awake and after a few moments ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ filled the cabin. Rose couldn’t help but air guitar along.

Tony laughed at her, watching her from the corner of his eye, joining in the drum beat on the steering wheel. Mentally, Rose added another pros to the list. Green Day had to be worth a few bonus points on the pros list at least. It wasn’t enough to cancel out the Daewoo, but it was good damage limitation at least.

‘Welcome to The Bistro. Mr Harris has put you down for the five course tasting menu tonight. I hope that’s acceptable?’ the maȋtre-d’ informed them as they arrived in the restaurant an hour later. An accident on B1447 had caused major delays, so they’d been sent straight through the restaurant on arrival. It was just after 9pm when they finally made it to Harris Hall.

‘Sounds perfect,’ Tony smiled as he took Rose’s hand to follow the maȋtre-d’ through to their table.

Fighting her first reaction to pull away from him, she found that the warmth of his hand was…nice. Another pro for the list. She relaxed her hand and let herself be swept over to their table. Her simple act of non-resistance paved the way for Rose to open herself to the prospect of more. During their five courses, she relaxed properly in his company. And she enjoyed herself. By the time the dessert was brought out, she’d decided that it was time to see where this could go with him.

‘Oh. This. Is. Amazing,’ she mumbled as she bit into the salted caramel crumble.

‘So good,’ Tony agreed as he finished his in three bites.

Their waiter for the evening came over a minute later to clear their plates.

‘Shall we grab a drink from the bar, and then go check out our room?’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ Rose agreed as she pushed back from the table, following Tony to the small bar which was nestled through an arched doorway at the back of what once would have been the library at Harris Hall.