‘I think that banner needs to go up to the left a bit, Oliver,’ I said.
‘Yep, definitely, lovey,’ agreed Pamela, unfurling another roll of bunting and handing it to her husband, Barry. ‘These need to go all along the side walls and then I’ve got more for outside,’ she told him sternly. ‘You make a start and I’ll come and check you’re doing it right.’
‘Yes, my little Obergruppenführer,’ grinned Barry, giving a sharp salute.
‘Oh, get away with you,’ chuckled Pamela. ‘And be careful on that step-ladder. You’re not as sprightly as you were, Barry Trott.’
‘You feed me too well, my sweet,’ observed Barry, patting his not-insubstantial belly.
‘Anything I can do to help, Caroline?’ asked Jim, his giant form creating a large shadow in the doorway. ‘It’s looking grand in here, by the way.’
‘Yes, it’s amazing what you can achieve with a clean-up and a lick of paint. I mean, it really needs to be completely renovated, but all in good time,’ I said, standing back to take in my surroundings. ‘Did Pamela tell you that we should get the National Lottery funding? Together with the money we raised, this place will go on for years.’
Jim grinned. ‘And they say community spirit is dead.’
‘Not in this street it isn’t,’ I smiled.
Since we won the hall just over three months ago, we had worked like dervishes to spruce it up. We had advertised the clean-up in all the local online forums and been amazed when a veritable army of helpers turned up to lend a hand. My ex-cleaner Rosie had given her time for free and organised the volunteers so that the whole job became less of a chore and rather enjoyable in some ways, as if we were all pulling together to do something worthwhile. Today was the day of the grand re-opening with the choir due to sing too.
‘Well there’s lots to do. Why don’t you help Mr Trott with the bunting?’ I suggested.
‘Please call me Barry,’ smiled Barry from his step-ladder. ‘Actually, Jim, my lad, how about we make use of your height and I pass the bunting up to you? I am basically five-foot-four in all directions, so it makes more sense,’ he chuckled.
‘That’ll be Mrs T’s cakes,’ teased Jim. ‘I’ve put on about a stone since I started singing with the choir.’
‘Oh, you boys,’ clucked Pamela, dismissing the pair of them with a wave of her hand. ‘I just know the way to a man’s heart.’
‘What have you made today then, Mrs T?’ asked Jim.
Pamela gave him an enigmatic smile. ‘That would be telling but it is rather special.’
‘Took all week to make. And I haven’t been allowed a single piece,’ observed Barry ruefully.
‘I let you lick the bowl,’ said Pamela. ‘Now hurry up with that bunting. Doly and Nat will be here with the food soon.’
‘How’s that now?’ asked Oliver, having adjusted the banner and climbed down from the ladder.
We stood side by side to admire it. ‘Perfect,’ I said, even though I probably would have moved it down slightly.
He planted a kiss on my cheek. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he said.
I gazed up at him. My darling Oliver. ‘Well, ditto,’ I said.
He raised his eyebrows. ‘This is new.’
I gave him a playful push in the chest. ‘All right. I know I don’t say it enough but for the record, I think we’re a good team and I’m looking forward to the future.’
‘To Taylor-made Bakeries?’
‘Are we definitely going with that name?’ I grimaced.
‘The focus group liked it,’ he grinned.
‘The focus group containing you, Natalie, Woody and Matilda.’
‘That’s a pretty broad demographic,’ he replied sagely.
‘We’ll see,’ I smiled, putting my arms around him. ‘But I think it’s going to be great working together.’
‘And you can cope without your Ocado shop?’
‘Natalie has promised to take me to Aldi every week.’
‘And Rosie?’
I shrugged. ‘I can clean my own house, Oliver. First World problems.’
He wrapped me in his arms and kissed me again. ‘See? I told you I was proud of you. You’ve been through a lot these past few months. I know it’s been hard but I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you look today.’
I stared down at my outfit. It was one I only wore for painting or gardening. ‘Really?’
‘Really,’ he said, kissing me again. ‘There’s something about you these days that’s different. You seem transformed and you’re even more beautiful than before. You coped so well with your Mum too. I know it knocked you sideways.’ He pulled me into a hug.
I felt my throat tighten at the memory. Mum had died at the end of August after a short illness. It had hit me very hard. There was the inevitable sadness at the death of a parent but at the same time, I felt cheated. I had only just got my mum back, only just started to get to know her properly, to understand what she had been through. It felt too brief and too soon.
Oliver had tried to tell me that it wasn’t my fault, that there was nothing I could have done. That it was pointless punishing myself. And yet, I had spent days crying, wracked with guilt and regret. I would sit in her room with her things around me, feeling the weight of sadness on my shoulders as tears streamed down my face.
One day I had found the Ella Fitzgerald CD we had danced to and tortured myself by listening to the whole thing whilst sobbing at the kitchen table. In the end Oliver had come running from upstairs because he thought I’d hurt myself, which was actually partly true because my heart did hurt. It ached with longing and loss.
In the end, it had been Matilda who pulled me to my senses.
‘Nanny wouldn’t want you to be sad,’ she said one day as we sat at the breakfast table, my eyes red and sore from weeping.
‘How do you know?’ I asked with the naivety of a child.
She looked at me as if the answer was obvious. ‘She loved you best of all. I could tell. When you love someone that much, you definitely don’t want them to be sad.’ She approached me and put an arm around my shoulder. ‘I don’t want you to be sad, Mummy,’ she added. I pulled her petite form to my body and hugged her tight, not wanting to ever let go. ‘It will be okay,’ she said. ‘You’re sad because she’s gone but she’s watching you from up in heaven and making sure we’re all okay.’
I nodded. ‘Thank you,’ I whispered. ‘Thank you, Tilly.’
She looked at me with surprise. ‘I like it when you call me that,’ she said.
‘Then I’ll call you that all the time,’ I smiled.
She nodded with satisfaction before reaching for my hand. ‘Come on, let’s go and do our nails to cheer ourselves up. I’ll let you use the purple glittery one if you like.’
‘Coming through!’ cried Natalie, bursting into the hall with a tray of food, grinning at Oliver and me. ‘Where do you want these?’ she asked. ‘Doly and Dev have made enough food to feed the whole street!’
‘Wonderful. Let’s put them over here for now,’ I smiled, gesturing towards the decorating tables that we had covered with crisp white tablecloths, courtesy of Pamela.
Doly and Dev appeared moments later, carrying more trays. ‘I will bring the hot-plates, curries and rice later on,’ said Doly.
‘Ooh, what have we got here?’ asked Barry, appearing at the food table and smiling up at Dev and Doly.
‘Shingaras, pakoras and samosas,’ smiled Doly proudly.
‘Delicious!’ said Barry. ‘I love Indian food.’
‘Bangladeshi!’ cried Pamela, bustling over. ‘Pardon my ignorant husband,’ she added with an embarrassed smile.
Doly and Dev laughed, waving away their concerns. ‘It’s all right,’ said Dev. ‘Most Indian restaurant owners are from Bangladesh, so we’re used to it.’
‘You should definitely be running your own restaurant,’ said Barry in admiration.
‘Please,’ smiled Doly. ‘Try one.’
‘Well, if you’re sure,’ said Barry, helping himself to a pakora. ‘Mmm, that’s the stuff. You’ll have to give Pamela the recipe!’
Doly blushed with pride. ‘Right, well, I need to get back to the kitchen. I cannot trust Hasan for long. He will either eat it all or let it burn. Natalie, are you coming back with us or shall I just bring Woody along with Tilly and my girls later?’
‘No, I’ll come with you. We need to get changed before the reception. Unless you need me here, Caroline?’
I shook my head. ‘I think we’re pretty much under control, thanks,’ I said, just as the sign at the far end of the hall came crashing down.
‘I’ve got it,’ said Jim. ‘Don’t worry.’
‘I’ll give you a hand,’ said Oliver, following him.
‘Controlled chaos?’ asked Natalie.
‘You’ve taught me well,’ I grinned.
Natalie laughed. ‘Cheeky mare. See you later,’ she smiled, waving over her shoulder as she followed Doly and Dev out of the hall.