The sound of the kettle boiling drew Richard into the kitchen. He paused for a moment at the door and watched as Susie flicked up the switch and poured the water into the teapot in one fluid movement. Ever since she'd read Memoirs of a Geisha she paid great attention as to how she poured out the tea and he got a lot of pleasure out of watching her. She looked up and smiled at him and he gave a chuckle of appreciation.
'You'd have been the queen of geishas my love.'
Susie blushed. He never failed to quicken her heart even after all these years.
'Just time for a nice cup of tea and then we'd better be off. ' She nodded towards the table and he took in the vast array of cakes all neatly wrapped in cellophane . He peered at them and read out the labels in Susie's neat handwriting.
'Chocolate truffle Fudge cake, Lemon Mousse sponge, Coffee and walnut sandwich, Orange blossom gateau,' Wow Susie The Legend is about to shake up the village and tickle the taste buds of the entire population, all three hundred of them.'
Susie giggled, 'I'm not a legend, you are! How many bullseyes did you get in a row in the Darts Team last week? Come on finish your tea and let's be off. Mary Green, the president of the Women's Institute said to be there at 2pm on the dot. I feel a bit nervous actually.'
Richard pulled her towards him and she put her head on his shoulder breathing in the smell of his aftershave. She sighed and drew back to give him a kiss.
'We have done the right thing moving here haven't we Richard? I miss the village and our friends. It seems to be so hard to make friends here. It is nice to be nearer to the grandchildren though and Jemma and Matt seem so much happier now. '
Richard kissed her back.
'We definitely did the right thing. Our daughter's happiness is the most important thing and life was getting too much for her, four children, a husband always travelling and a career as a psychologist. Young women have got a challenge to keep the show on the road. Jemma needs us. It's going to be fine, you'll see. It will give us a whole new lease of life.'
Susie looked at her husband with admiration. He always knew how to reassure her. She ran her fingers through his hair which although now streaked with grey was thick and soft to the touch. She had always got such comfort from being near him.
The village hall was already full when they arrived. Susie looked around for the other members. She caught sight of one of the women, Brenda who was about her age and tried to catch her eye but another woman came along and they both looked at her, giggled and went towards the kitchen. Susie sighed, it was like being back at Primary school trying to fit in with this group. Richard had finished carrying in the cakes and was standing by the stall looking rather out of place.
'You go Richard and I'll ring when I'm ready to come home. Good luck in the match.'
As Richard drove to the pub, a wave of doubt came over him. Sometimes he really missed their Yorkshire village. It was so different here in the south, but that was where his son-in-law needed to be for his work. He knew their daughter needed them and he loved looking after the children. In a very short time he and Susie had noticed a huge change in Jemma and her family. There was laughter and love in the home again. The toddler, Harry, was gaining weight, the five year old twins were speaking properly, and Isabelle the eldest at eight was doing much better at school. The teachers said it was probably from having her grandparents to meet her from school every day and take her home for homework and a good meal. Only Susie sometimes seemed at a loss without her old group of friends. She had always been shy and found it difficult to make friends. Making all the cakes was her way of giving.
The darts match was ready to start when he entered the Black Dog. A cheer went up when they saw him. Mike the captain of the team called out,
'Here he is our legend from Leeds.' He raised his pint mug to the captain of the visiting team and shook his head.
'No chance mate, you're all losers. You'll be the ones buying the drinks tonight.'
It was as the match was near the end that Richard's phone rang, he was poised ready to throw an important dart. A groan went round the group
'Switch it off mate, it's too tense here for chats.'
He looked to see it was Susie and all he could hear was sobbing. He turned his back to the men and spoke in a whisper.
'Calm down Susie, what is it love, what's happened.?'
Then he caught the sense of her words from one sob to the next, something about none of her cakes had been sold, no-one trusted them. and something about a salmonella risk.
He put the phone down and turned back to the men. They were looking at him with concern and worry on their faces, the game momentarily forgotten.
The first to speak was Mike, he was a big man but his voice was low and gentle,
'Anything we can help with Richard ?'
The bar staff and stopped serving and the whole pub had gone very quiet.
Richard looked around at all their kind faces and beamed,
'Yes there is. Tell you what, the losing team has to go and buy all the cakes on the W.I. stall at the village hall.'
There was a burst of laughter, sighs of relief and then the game was soon over.
That evening Jemma came round for a meal with the children. Matt was in Dubai and they all spoke to him on Skype. Richard held up the cup he'd won playing darts. Harry raised his beaker and tried to say 'cheers', Isabelle read out a story she had written and the twins sang a song they had learned at nursery school. Matt beamed at them all and then looked at Susie sitting quietly with Harry on her lap.
'What about you Nanna Susie? I'll bet you've won the hearts of all the villagers with your wonderful cakes.'
There was a giggle from Jemma. She hugged her mother.
'The darts team from the next village went in and bought the whole lot. The W.I was amazed, they'll be talking about it for years! No man has ever dared to go in there before.'
Getting ready for bed that night Susie put her arms round Richard and whispered in his ear,
'I'm glad we came to live here Richard, I feel it's going to be alright now.'
She was surprised when her husband burst out laughing.
'What's so funny Richard.'
Richard pulled her back towards him
'Just as long as the darts team don't get salmonella.'
'You'd have been the queen of geishas my love.'
Susie blushed. He never failed to quicken her heart even after all these years.
'Just time for a nice cup of tea and then we'd better be off. ' She nodded towards the table and he took in the vast array of cakes all neatly wrapped in cellophane . He peered at them and read out the labels in Susie's neat handwriting.
'Chocolate truffle Fudge cake, Lemon Mousse sponge, Coffee and walnut sandwich, Orange blossom gateau,' Wow Susie The Legend is about to shake up the village and tickle the taste buds of the entire population, all three hundred of them.'
Susie giggled, 'I'm not a legend, you are! How many bullseyes did you get in a row in the Darts Team last week? Come on finish your tea and let's be off. Mary Green, the president of the Women's Institute said to be there at 2pm on the dot. I feel a bit nervous actually.'
Richard pulled her towards him and she put her head on his shoulder breathing in the smell of his aftershave. She sighed and drew back to give him a kiss.
'We have done the right thing moving here haven't we Richard? I miss the village and our friends. It seems to be so hard to make friends here. It is nice to be nearer to the grandchildren though and Jemma and Matt seem so much happier now. '
Richard kissed her back.
'We definitely did the right thing. Our daughter's happiness is the most important thing and life was getting too much for her, four children, a husband always travelling and a career as a psychologist. Young women have got a challenge to keep the show on the road. Jemma needs us. It's going to be fine, you'll see. It will give us a whole new lease of life.'
Susie looked at her husband with admiration. He always knew how to reassure her. She ran her fingers through his hair which although now streaked with grey was thick and soft to the touch. She had always got such comfort from being near him.
The village hall was already full when they arrived. Susie looked around for the other members. She caught sight of one of the women, Brenda who was about her age and tried to catch her eye but another woman came along and they both looked at her, giggled and went towards the kitchen. Susie sighed, it was like being back at Primary school trying to fit in with this group. Richard had finished carrying in the cakes and was standing by the stall looking rather out of place.
'You go Richard and I'll ring when I'm ready to come home. Good luck in the match.'
As Richard drove to the pub, a wave of doubt came over him. Sometimes he really missed their Yorkshire village. It was so different here in the south, but that was where his son-in-law needed to be for his work. He knew their daughter needed them and he loved looking after the children. In a very short time he and Susie had noticed a huge change in Jemma and her family. There was laughter and love in the home again. The toddler, Harry, was gaining weight, the five year old twins were speaking properly, and Isabelle the eldest at eight was doing much better at school. The teachers said it was probably from having her grandparents to meet her from school every day and take her home for homework and a good meal. Only Susie sometimes seemed at a loss without her old group of friends. She had always been shy and found it difficult to make friends. Making all the cakes was her way of giving.
The darts match was ready to start when he entered the Black Dog. A cheer went up when they saw him. Mike the captain of the team called out,
'Here he is our legend from Leeds.' He raised his pint mug to the captain of the visiting team and shook his head.
'No chance mate, you're all losers. You'll be the ones buying the drinks tonight.'
It was as the match was near the end that Richard's phone rang, he was poised ready to throw an important dart. A groan went round the group
'Switch it off mate, it's too tense here for chats.'
He looked to see it was Susie and all he could hear was sobbing. He turned his back to the men and spoke in a whisper.
'Calm down Susie, what is it love, what's happened.?'
Then he caught the sense of her words from one sob to the next, something about none of her cakes had been sold, no-one trusted them. and something about a salmonella risk.
He put the phone down and turned back to the men. They were looking at him with concern and worry on their faces, the game momentarily forgotten.
The first to speak was Mike, he was a big man but his voice was low and gentle,
'Anything we can help with Richard ?'
The bar staff and stopped serving and the whole pub had gone very quiet.
Richard looked around at all their kind faces and beamed,
'Yes there is. Tell you what, the losing team has to go and buy all the cakes on the W.I. stall at the village hall.'
There was a burst of laughter, sighs of relief and then the game was soon over.
That evening Jemma came round for a meal with the children. Matt was in Dubai and they all spoke to him on Skype. Richard held up the cup he'd won playing darts. Harry raised his beaker and tried to say 'cheers', Isabelle read out a story she had written and the twins sang a song they had learned at nursery school. Matt beamed at them all and then looked at Susie sitting quietly with Harry on her lap.
'What about you Nanna Susie? I'll bet you've won the hearts of all the villagers with your wonderful cakes.'
There was a giggle from Jemma. She hugged her mother.
'The darts team from the next village went in and bought the whole lot. The W.I was amazed, they'll be talking about it for years! No man has ever dared to go in there before.'
Getting ready for bed that night Susie put her arms round Richard and whispered in his ear,
'I'm glad we came to live here Richard, I feel it's going to be alright now.'
She was surprised when her husband burst out laughing.
'What's so funny Richard.'
Richard pulled her back towards him
'Just as long as the darts team don't get salmonella.'
