The Waffle House on the Pier - Tilly Tennant Page 0,68
know you’re just looking out for me but I can’t give this up – not yet. I’ve already talked to Gammy about opening for longer hours so that would bring more money in.’
Henny raised her eyebrows as she poured herself some tea from her favourite Wedgwood pot. ‘And she’s agreed to this?’
‘Not yet,’ Sadie admitted. ‘But given time I think she will.’
‘Sadie, I know this has been discussed before, and I know you don’t want to hear it, but don’t you think it would be kindest to let your grandmother retire?’
‘She’d never let someone else run the waffle house without her.’
‘I know. I still think it would be best all round to let it close. Yes, it’s been here for almost fifty years, and yes, the town would miss it, but all things come to an end, even the Sea Salt Bay Waffle House.’
‘Ewan’s put you up to this, hasn’t he?’
‘No, he hasn’t. But now that you mention it he’s just as worried about you – both of you. He told me that your grandmother had a moment… in the car the other day. Your father and I have noticed them, and you must have done too. She’s an old lady and we have to accept that.’
‘But if we put her somewhere to rot then she’ll get old quicker than ever. We’ll lose her inside a year, I just know it. We have to keep her active, give her something to live for. The waffle house is that thing – I know it.’
‘I think you’re letting your emotions cloud your judgement.’
‘So what if I am? You say it like it’s a bad thing!’
Henny sighed and fell silent as she took a sip of her tea. Sadie threw down the slice of toast she’d been eating and stood up.
‘If you’ll excuse me,’ she began, always mindful of her etiquette where her mother was concerned, regardless of her mood, ‘I’m going to get ready for work.’
* * *
It didn’t take long for Sadie’s mood to brighten. The morning was fresh and clear and promised cloudless skies as a night fog began to lift from the sea. Sadie walked the cliff road, keeping close to the rocks in case of oncoming cars, but she needn’t have bothered because the road was quiet, as it often was. Her shoes crunched on fallen scree while gulls and curlews cried overhead.
When she arrived at the waffle house, Gammy and Graham were already waiting outside.
‘I forgot my keys,’ April began.
‘But we knew you’d be down shortly,’ Sadie’s dad added. ‘So we decided it was a nice day and, rather than go haring back up the hill, we’d sit here and look at the sea for a while until you turned up with yours.’
‘Good plan,’ Sadie said, smiling fondly at them both. Her dad wouldn’t say it, but he was on her side. She knew he was always on her side, but often he’d struggle to stand up to her mum to say so, because Henny’s personality was so forceful and often so formidable. It didn’t make him weak; it made him an ordinary mortal man – when it came to it, most people struggled to stand up to Henriette Schwartz. The only person who could give her a run for her money was Kat, but she was so much fairer-minded and didn’t often feel the need to. Even Ewan, as confident as he was, struggled to argue with his mother once she’d rolled up her sleeves and dug in, and, besides, he often agreed with her and so didn’t need to argue. And as for Henny’s own parents, they might attempt to cross swords with her but they never got far, as evidenced by the fact that Henny had married Graham, a man they’d viewed with about as much contempt as the groundskeeper they’d once had to sack for selling pheasants from their estate on the sly. ‘It’s a good job I brought mine.’
‘I knew you would,’ April said. ‘You’re learning so fast you won’t need me soon.’
Sadie paused for a moment, key in hand, and turned to look at her grandma. Had she heard that right? Only an hour before Sadie had been telling her mum that grandma would never give up the waffle house. Why would she say this now? Was it just a flippant comment, or could it be that on some unconscious level, even April was starting to see that she couldn’t keep it up for much longer?