tenor recorder, which is nearly as big as she is! The atmosphere is electric, almost cosmopolitan. There’s people coming out on their balconies I’ve never even seen before. The festivities carry on long into the evening, until the ever-lengthening evening light fades and people drift back indoors.
Thank goodness Marge seems to have stayed out of the way; maybe we haven’t been too loud or maybe she’s still looking for her other sandal. Who knows?
‘Phew,’ I say to no one in particular but hoping Sophia might still be there.
‘That was brilliant, Jack! Everyone loved it.’ Sophia is there. Of course.
‘I hope so – they certainly seemed to enjoy it and so did I.’
‘I had no idea half of these people live in this block! It’s crazy it takes a pandemic to get everyone to meet each other.’
‘True enough, and the same is true of us.’
‘Maybe,’ she says, and I can almost hear the smile in her voice, ‘but we haven’t exactly met each other yet.’
‘No. But I would like to ask you something.’ There’s a silence and I hope she isn’t put off after the last time.
‘Fire away.’
‘I just wondered if you would come out with me … or rather, stay in with me, on a virtual date?’ I hold my breath momentarily. It’s said, I can’t take it back now.
‘Oh.’
Well she hasn’t started screaming and yelling, which is a good start I guess. This silence is awkward though; I have no idea how to interpret it.
‘That would be great,’ she says slowly, ‘but I don’t think I can date a married man. It’s against my principles.’
Oh crikey. Is she joking now or being serious? It’s difficult to read people’s tone or meaning without seeing their body language. What is it they say? That eighty per cent of our communication is through visual cues? No wonder I’m struggling here. ‘Then I guess I’ll just have to wait until my divorce comes through. It shouldn’t be long.’ I hope it won’t be anyway, but with Laura it may be forever. I’m still relying on her to do the right thing and I’m not sure she will.
‘I guess I’ll have to wait then.’
How am I supposed to take that? I suppose I’ll just have to be grateful she says she’ll wait. That’s got to be a good thing hasn’t it?
Chapter 27
Sophia
‘Okay so is everyone sitting comfortably? Reasonably comfortably anyway?’ I’ve always wanted to say that. It’s such a storytelling stereotype – are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin.
The children are sitting cross-legged in front of me, each on a picnic rug they have brought from home. It’s a funny thing, sitting cross-legged. I mean why is it easy when you’re a child, then as you get older, you’re unable to do it any longer? Well – you can, but at the very real risk of not being able to get up again. The kids are all spread out at two metres’ distance from me, and from each other of course. This wonderful sunny day at the beginning of May is perfect for outdoor education day.
‘So first of all I want to thank you all for sending me such wonderful videos and pictures of the things you found in your garden. Zane, that stag beetle was a giant.’
Zane grins. ‘It was very big. My mum and sister started yelling and running away. But I thought he was mega.’
‘Yes he was beautiful, although I don’t think I would have wanted to pick him up.’
‘Neither did Mum or Lana – they refused to go out again ’til he had gone!’
I laugh. ‘To be fair, not everyone is into creepy-crawlies. I loved your picture of the hedgehog who lives in your garden, Lola. Have you seen her again?’
‘Yes.’ Lola nods. ‘She crosses quite often; we think she squeezes under the fence. We’ve started putting cat food out at night and it’s always all gone in the morning.’
‘That’s because a cat ate it,’ says Milo categorically, picking up pieces of grass and throwing them down again.
‘It wasn’t! We don’t have a cat,’ Lola protests, looking unhappy at the thought.
‘I expect it was the hedgehog,’ I placate her. ‘But you can always make a hedgehog feeding station and then a cat or another animal can’t get at the food,’ I suggest.
‘What’s a hedgehog feeding station?’ asked Milo, interested now, his piles of freshly plucked grass forgotten.
I hold up a picture. ‘They’re easy to make out of an old box or a storage unit – you’ll need a grown-up to