Youll be thinking I must be really frustrated going on about Teddy the hunky bart & now Fran the dishy paraplegic! Could be Toms right & theres something in the Sandytown sea breezes that gets the red corpuscles bubbling but I know that really my interest is purely professional Ive given men up remember!
Finally I got him talking about himself fascinating though as far as my research is concerned I soon realized Franny doesnt fit in at all. His thing is 3rd Thought have you heard of it? I recall in my 1st year at uni going to a talk given by a guy called Frere Jacques in dads terms very much a daft bugger! who founded the movement. Lots in it about modern living making us lose touch with death the need to establish a hospice of the mind & a lot of similar gobbledygook which us smart 1st year psych students all rubbished like mad but the guy himself was gorgeous had an aura & a lovely ass. Frannys the same except his aura aint pure white like Frere Js more shot silk changing & mysterious & I didnt get the chance to check out his ass! Anyway thing is with 3rd Thought theres no physical therapy involved no taking up your bed & walking not surprising really guy in a wheelchair isnt likely to get far promising miracle cures. So nothing here for me except I really enjoyed talking to him & including him in my research gives me a good excuse for doing it again! So we ended by exchanging mobile nos & email addresses before he went off to Big Bums.
Anyway thats it for now. Spent the afternoon after a sandwich in the pub meeting the rest of the inhabitants of Sandytown every single one of them it felt like! then back here to Kyoto. Quiet night in reading & hammering the kids at snap! Make sure you answer this one sis. Dont see why you should get the details of my wild life in Sandytown while all I get from you is a pregnant (?) silence. So no prevarications I want dirt I want dimensions!
Love
Charley xxx
12
FROM: charley@whiffle.com TO: cassie@natterjack.com SUBJECT: camomile tea!Hi! Still no word. Working on the Headbanger principle that the only thing that travels faster than bad news is crap through a goose Ive not started worrying yet!
Here excitement piles on excitement not sure if Ill be able to bear much more!
Thats called irony by the way just in case youve completely forgotten everything Mr big-Dickenson at the comp taught you in English though I dont suppose you heard much of what he said above the roar of your randy hormones!
First Toms sister Diana turned up! None of the strong hints Id had about her oddness prepared me for the reality. Not bad looking small & trim full of words & fuller of energy or so it seemed to me though by her own & Toms account she spends so much time lying at deaths door she must be a real hindrance to his milkman!
Death must be on hold today way she came bursting in at Kyoto like a small tornado.
I am just arrived she proclaimed let me sit down (which she did) your raw sea air a tonic I know for some is too savage for my weak constitution. Where are the dear children (jumping out of her chair) I must see them at once & this is Miss Heywood I know you from Toms letters my dear its true Tom a fine complexion no trouble with your circulation Tom how is your ankle? let me see (here she knelt & pulled up her brothers trouser leg & folded down his sock) looks fine to me very little swelling (not surprising as she was looking at the wrong ankle) you say the Willingdene healer played a part? an interesting acquisition too late for me of course years of misdiagnosis by incompetent MDs have put me beyond hope of healing but I work tirelessly for others
As I listened to Diana rattling on I began to understand Toms preoccupation with alternative medicine. In his beloved sisters eyes alternative was mainstream she was into alternatives to the alternatives!
Finally Tom got a word in asking where her luggage was assuming she would be staying at Kyoto causing Mary to wince before the polite smile formed but relief was on its way.
such was of course my intention said Di but as you know I have been ever industrious in singing the praises of Sandytown Tom & as you may have noticed I have been instrumental in persuading a friend of mine seeking a holiday destination for herself & her teenage neices to choose Sandytown rather than one of the less salubrious resorts so I thought I would drop in on her at Seaview Terrace to check that all was as perfect as I had promised
& was it? asked Tom.
alas no she said Unfortunately one of her neices had slipped while scrambling over some rocks on the shore damaging her leg not too seriously but sufficient for her to wish to recuperate at home & naturally her sibling went with her. I found Sandy that is my freind Mrs Griffiths undecided whether to follow their example or stay on by herself. Seeing the danger that her early return might start a rumour that Sandytown beach was unsafe whereas the truth is as you know Tom we have some of the least slippery rocks on the east coast I immediately offered my services both as co-tenant & as a conduit into the best circles of the district both of which offers Mrs Griffiths that is Sandy was delighted to accept. Beleive me only my sense of responsibility for the good name of Sandytown & by implication of yourself Tom would make me inflict this disappointment on you & Mary
She looked for applause which Tom gave her while Mary managed to murmur something about typical kindness & all I could think was unaccountable officiousness!
Tom full of brotherly concern for her frail constitution insisted on driving her back down to the Terrace with me invited along too I suspect in my capacity of St J Ambulance trained physician in case the shock of the sea air brought on a seizure!
Sandy Griffiths even though introduced as a vegan warrior! had no outward signs of the kind of dottiness I suspect must be a precondition of chumming up with Deaths Door Di. 40 something strong handsome face with a peculiarly disturbing stare I thought she looked pretty good for someone who presumably existed on sprout fricassees & nut cutlets. She made us v welcome. Tea was produced camomile for Diana of course! Typhoo for the rest of us plus some v nice cream cakes which Di thrust aside with shudder declaring that one bite would be the death of her. All the more for me! I noticed that Sandy G had a nibble too so not a total vegan! Nor it seemed to me a particularly close buddy of Dianas which made me wonder how shed let herself be manoeuvred into having Di as her live-in guide. Tried some subtle probing but Sandy G fixed me with her stare so I backed off. Maybe being called Sandy makes her feel as proprietorial about Sandytown as Diana clearly does!
Tom clearly sees nothing but his sisters good points. He really is a sweetie. I find Im becoming as anxious as Mary that some people might be tempted to take advantage of his good-nature.
2 more excitements then Im done. I dont want to risk over-stimulating you!
After we left the Terrace driving back through the town we saw Franny Roote hauling himself into his car. The ease with which he did it reaching out to fold up his wheelchair & swing it into the back suggested long practice & my heart ached for him. OK I know what youd say all that stuff about handicapped people finding expressions of sympathy & offers of assistance patronizing but I cant help it. Hes a young guy & hes missing out on so much young guy stuff it breaks me up so there!
Tom pulled alongside & called hello there Franny! hows things
great he said giving me a big smile & how are you Charlotte?
fine I said nice wheels.
Idiot thing to say as it was a small boxy MPV chosen I guess because the sliding doors made things easier.
yes he said I dithered between this & the Porsche for a long time
But he gave me a big grin to show I hadnt really offended him.
Tom said you wont forget the planning committee meeting at the Avalon on Friday
such excitements said Fran the committee on Friday Lady Ds hog-roast on Sunday then less than a week to recover before the Festival be still my foolish heart!
Tom who doesnt do irony said with concern Fran is there a problem?
no no grinned Franny of course Ill be there Charlotte will you be staying on for the Bank Holiday weekend & the great Festival of Health?
no Im heading home this Saturday I said.
Tom looked devastated tho Id made it clear this was my plan & Franny winked at me & said then why not let Tom bring you along on Friday not to the meeting wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy but Lester will be laying on some booze & snacks afterwards. Its the Festival action committee so all us therapists will be there great chance to pick their brains for your thesis & Ill be first in the queue!
Tom thought this was an excellent idea & I was rather flattered by Frans keenness to see me again. (OK I know Im anybodys for a kind word!) Also I wouldnt mind seeing the inside of the Avalon so I said why not? giving Franny my best smile.
great he said look forward to seeing you then
me too I said meaning it.
Dont know whats happening to me! Maybe Sandytowns one of those magic places like Brigadoon or Oz that you stray into then get taken over by.
Yes thats it definitely a magic place. But what colour magic Im not yet sure!
Write soon before I forget the real world out there!
Lots of love.
Charley xxxx
13
How do, Mildred!
Dont recall when Ive slept for so long if you dont count being in a coma! Must have needed it cos when I woke up this morning I felt more like my old self than any time since Id been here. Went for my physio session with Tony. Said he were pleased and suggested I finished with a massage. I said no thanks, thinking it were one thing doing knee bends with Tony on hand to steady me if I keeled over, quite another to be lying on my face with my bum in the air while he took a running jump at me!
Then this strapping blonde appeared, lovely smile, said her name was Stiggi and she was sure she could help me, wouldnt I change my mind? So I did.
It were grand, nice and relaxing. Too relaxing. Suddenly lying there face down with her straddling me back, I realized I were close to embarrassing myself, so when she tried to turn me over, I let on Id dozed off. She wandered off to do something and I scrambled into my jim jams and dressing gown. Hadnt got dressed so fast since that time thirty odd years back when I were banging Sergeant Pocklingtons missus and I heard his size fifteens coming up the stairs! All I need now is a bit more red meat on my plate and Ill soon be ready to make Cap eat her
Hang about. Im coming oh, its you.
Hi there, Mr Dalziel! Howre you doing? Hearing good things about you so I thought Id drop by to check you out for myself
Oh aye? Well, take a look, lad. What you see is what you get, isnt that what them ET anoraks say?
IT I think you mean. Yes, they do, but it doesnt really apply in my line of business any more than I expect it does in yours. We both know theres no art to read the minds construction in the face, right?
If youre trying to say you need to be a trick-cyclist to be a good cop, youve come to the wrong shop. Im not saying it never comes in useful but Ive got clever buggers working under me to do the fancy stuff. Me, its collars Im interested in fingering not souls.
Souls? Interesting choice of word, Mr Dalziel.
Sorry. Limited vocabulary. Dont have the Latin so Ive got to make what I do have go a long way.
I believe it. And its a journey Id like to make with you if you let me. To lay it on the line, Mr Dalziel, physically you seem to be back on stream after your little glitch. Youre looking good
Id look a lot better if they stopped feeding me like a prize greyhound.
Ill have a word. But as I was saying, how fast youre recovering from the mental trauma of your experience, only you can say. I hope pretty soon youll trust me enough to feel able to say it, but thats entirely up to you. Howre you getting on with the audio-diary, by the way?
Eh? Oh that recorder thing. Sorry, went right out of my mind. Cant even recollect where I put the bloody thing.
Thats OK. Im sure it will turn up. So, before I go, anything I can do for you, apart from seeing you get more red meat on your plate?
One thing, theres a guy lives locally, name of Parker. Says he comes up here sometimes.
Tom Parker? Oh yes, I know Tom well. Important man round here. Hes got big plans for Sandytown, him and his partner, Lady Denham.
Her in the pub? Youre not saying hes shacked up with her? Nay, I met his missus, at least I assumed she were his missus
No, sorry, I was using partner in its old pre-permissive sense. Their union has much to do with Mammon and nothing at all with Hymen.
No need to talk dirty. Any road, I owe him twenty quid. Mebbe if I gave it to you, you could pass it on?
Happily. But better still, Im having a little get-together tomorrow lunchtime. Tom Parker has persuaded me that the Avalon ought to play a major role in this Festival of Health hes organizing to launch the hotel. Were meeting together, some of my staff and his alternative therapists, to make sure we all understand our roles. Afterwards therell be drinks and snacks and therell be a few other people there to help things swing along. Id be delighted if you could join us, and if you did, then you could repay your own debt, couldnt you? Im a great believer in a man repaying his own debts; that in some ways is what my work is all about. So, wont you come?