Beyond Death (8 page)

‘Then when we lost Claire, I didn’t see the point any more. She always lived her life to the full just like my mother, and something changed in me.’

Losing her daughter must have been a lot to deal with, and now her marriage. Val’s heart went out to Marion and she put a hand over hers.

‘I’m so sorry.’ Was all she could manage but Marion seemed to appreciate the gesture.

‘So your sons don’t know?’

Marion shook her head. ‘Not yet, no. I was hoping that their father would tell them but it’s been two months and he still hasn’t said anything. Tony and Jim aren’t stupid and know something’s going on,’ she lifted her mug and took a sip of coffee. ‘If Graham doesn’t say anything soon I’ll have to, but it should be him, especially as they’ve got a half-sister.’

‘Oh, poor you, Marion. What are you going to do?’

‘I really don’t know. I feel the need to get away and do something useful. I can’t stand the pain and sitting around thinking of Claire every day is slowly killing me.’

Something clicked with Val. Although their circumstances were different she’d found another lost soul who seemed to feel exactly the same as she did.

‘I was having an affair when Ron died.’ Val blurted it out and now it was Marion’s turn to look shocked.

‘Oh.’ Val noticed her withdraw straight away and felt the need to explain.

‘It was stupid and he wasn’t half the man that my husband was. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life and now Ron’s gone and I can never tell him how sorry I am.’ She started crying and Marion reached out to comfort her. She knew what it was like to be the wronged woman, but was determined not to judge Val. Nobody knew what went on inside a marriage except the married couple and though Val had made a mistake, Marion could see that it was now destroying her. Val stopped crying and looked at her new friend.

‘He died of a heart attack the same night as Ron died. Ron dying was my punishment and I’ll never forgive myself.’

Marion gasped.

‘How tragic and how awful for you.’ Marion squeezed her hand. ‘You can’t blame yourself, Val. It’s a horrible coincidence yes, but not your fault.’

‘But it must be. If I wasn’t having an affair Ron wouldn’t have been on night shift and would never have died, and neither would Ken.’

‘It was their time, Val. They would have died that day whatever they’d been doing. That’s the way it is. Not easy to hear or understand, but that’s life I’m afraid. It wasn’t your fault.’ She smiled weakly.

‘You really believe that? That there was nothing I could have done to prevent Ron’s death, or Ken’s? Ken wasn’t half the man that Ron was and I don’t know what I saw in him. I’m so sorry.’ The last was said to herself.

‘Listen, you can’t change anything, Val. You need to try and move on.’ Marion knew that she should take her own advice but for the moment, felt an overwhelming need to comfort her new friend.

The irony wasn’t lost on Val.

‘Talk about the blind leading the blind,’ said Val.

They looked out of the window as a person dressed as a clown walked by. The clown seemed out of place among the casually dressed shoppers in the Mall and the women did a double take and looked at each other, the bizarre sight lightening their mood. Marion’s eyes twinkled and her smile turned into a giggle. Val chuckled and both women erupted into fits of laughter, releasing the tension of the previous months. Other patrons looked toward the booth in the corner and when Marion stood to make her way to the toilets, were surprised to see a middle-aged woman and not a youngster.

They both felt better for crying, laughing and talking and sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes on Marion’s return. An idea had been forming in Val’s head and she decided to run it by her new friend. At worst she would say no, but there was a chance that she might go along with it.

‘Marion?’

‘Yes.’

‘You know you said you want to get away and do something?’

Marion leaned forward, curious.

‘Well, have you heard of the charity People Against Poverty?’

‘Hasn’t everyone?’ Marion had seen the TV adverts requesting funds, the mental images of the poor children that had disappeared because of her own personal grief, now returned.

‘Well,’ said Val. ‘Would you consider working for them?’

‘I haven’t really thought about doing something like that.’

‘We could maybe do it together. Doing something for charity would make me feel better about myself and I would be happier if I had company. You seem to be at a loose end and we could really make a difference...’

Val stopped, and wondered if she’d made a mistake. Marion seemed to be looking at something in the far distance and Val wasn’t sure whether she was still paying attention. She couldn’t wait any longer.

‘Well?’

‘Do you know,’ Marion smiled. ‘That might just be the saving of me. When do we start?’

They chatted for a little longer about their families, the unfairness of life, but mostly about the opportunities ahead. The time flew and when the waitress asked if they’d like to order food they decided it was time to leave. They swapped telephone numbers and email addresses and Val said she’d do further research and let Marion know the outcome.

‘I’m not going to say anything to my children until I know whether we’ll be accepted.’ Said Val and Marion agreed that was a good idea. After an awkward hug, they departed in different directions, each woman with a new sense of purpose and a spring in her step.

Strike when the iron’s hot thought Val as she picked up the phone to dial the charity some time later. She knew that if she didn’t do it now she might lose her bottle. After a nerve-wracking but pleasant conversation, she hung up and called Marion with the news that their initial interviews, by telephone, had been scheduled for the following Tuesday. The woman had explained that subject to passing the phone interview and a police and criminal records check they could expect to be loaded onto a course within the next few months.

*****

Val was waiting for Carl and Libby to arrive and Ron awaited the arrival of his children with almost as much enthusiasm and anticipation as his wife. He hadn’t seen them since his funeral and was keen to see how they were getting on. Carl was studying Computer Science at Edinburgh University and although Ron was inordinately proud of his son, he had missed their Sunday afternoons together for the past three years. It was just as well that Carl was undertaking a project in London and had travelled down the previous night otherwise Val would have had to give him her news, whatever that was, over the phone. Libby, studying History and English at London University lived on the other side of the city and, Ron assumed, was coming home for the weekend.

They met outside on the pavement approaching each other from opposite directions. Libby hadn’t seen her younger brother since their father’s funeral and seeing him now reminded her of that awful day. They hugged for a long time until Libby stopped crying. She dried her eyes and did her best to look cheerful. She didn’t want her mother to see how upset she was in case it started her off. Carl gave his sister a gentle push and she walked up the concrete steps to the house followed by her brother.

Val had watched her children hugging and her daughter crying and was in floods of tears when she opened the front door, so Libby’s efforts had been to no avail. Carl quickly excused himself and made his way to the kitchen to make the coffee.

That’s my boy thought Ron smiling to himself. Carl was exactly like he was, beating a hasty retreat as soon as the women became emotional, or wanted to talk about their feelings. Carl returned to the lounge and Ron could see that Val was ready to impart her news.

‘I know you were both worried about me taking tranquilisers.’ Her children nodded. ‘You’ll be glad to know that I’ve stopped them and so far so good, touch wood.’ She tapped the table with her forefinger and looked up, brandishing a big smile.

Both glad to see their mother starting to look well again, Libby knew there’d been other changes. She hadn’t seen her mother for a few weeks and she sensed an air of optimism compared to the last time she’d been home when the house seemed to have been mired in a fog of gloom and doom. Although this was understandable Libby had still been relieved to return to the norm of university.

‘What’s happened?’

‘I’ve enrolled on a course.’

‘Oh, well done, Mum. Good for you. When do you start?’

‘Second week in January.’

‘That’s great. Which night?’ Said Carl, assuming that his mother was going to evening classes.

‘It’s a full-time course, Carl. On the outskirts of the city and I’ll be staying in a hotel.’

‘Oh, right. How long?’ Carl wasn’t sure how he felt about his mother going away for a course so wanted to hear more.

‘It’s only a week.’ She smiled again and Libby just knew there was more to this than met the eye.

‘Well good for you,’ said Carl and Val waited for the pat on her head.

‘Right, Mother, spill. The whole story.’

Val knew her daughter would pick-up the good news vibes. Well, her good news anyway. ‘The course is also a suitability test, and if I pass...’ she took a sip of coffee and picked up a biscuit deliberately keeping them in suspense and enjoying their anticipation.

‘Mother!’ said Carl, his patience wearing thin.

‘Have you heard of
People Against Poverty
?’

They both nodded. Always on the scrounge for other people’s well-earned cash, thought Carl unkindly.

‘Well, if they like me and I like them, I’m off to Zambia to work for them as a volunteer. Food and board’s included of course.’

‘But you can’t,’ said Carl, ‘it’s in Africa and too dangerous.’

Val sighed. ‘It’s not a war zone, Carl. I’ll be perfectly fine and I’ll be with a friend.’

‘I’m well aware it’s not a war zone, Mother, thank you,’ he harrumphed, exasperated. ‘They have malaria and other such diseases that we don’t have in this country.’

‘And I’m well aware of that, thank you, Carl,’ she adored her son but he could be damned patronizing at times. ‘I’ve already had the necessary inoculations in case I’m successful, you’ll be pleased to hear, and before you say it,’ Val raised a hand at her son to stop him interrupting. ‘I’ll come to no harm from having them.’

Libby knew that for some reason her mother felt guilty about her father’s death. She also knew that this course and new career would do her the world of good. She could see where the conversation was going, they were so alike and often butted heads. As usual when her brother and mother were at loggerheads she played the role of mediator.

‘Good for you, Mum. I think it’s a great idea. And who’s the friend?’

Carl interrupted before his mother had a chance to respond. ‘You aren’t serious, surely?’ He was in a strop now and Libby could see that logic wouldn’t convince him.

‘Carl, we have our lives ahead of us. We’ve lost our father but Mum’s lost her lifelong partner. Cut her some slack, please.’

Val couldn’t cope with an argument with Carl and sank into the settee, huge sobs wracking her entire body.

Carl rushed to her side and held her until the sobs subsided.

‘I’m sorry, Mum. It’s only because we worry about you.’ Val nodded in between the sobs.

‘It’s only for three months, and then I’ll decide what to do after that.’

‘When will you go?’

‘February if we pass the course.’ Now back in control of her emotions, she continued. ‘Will you come and look after the house while I’m away, Libby? You can bring a friend to keep you company.’

‘Of course,’ said Libby, ‘and who’s the friend going with you?’

‘Marion Sylvester.’ Said Val. The name didn’t ring any bells with Carl, but Libby knew she’d heard the surname before but the only one she could think of was the girl who’d died in her father’s taxi. She said as much to her mother.

‘That’s right. It is Claire’s mother.’

Both her children looked at her and wondered whether she had lost the plot.

‘I’ll be able to come home for Christmas after all.’ Was the best that Carl could manage as he planned to tell his mates he wouldn’t be going away with them that year.

Carl wasn’t the only one who was concerned. Ron wasn’t happy that Val was doing a course then going away, it was far too soon after his death as far as he was concerned, and she was still vulnerable. He’d been able to move Jay’s tablet bottle when he was with Claire and when he’d heard Val’s news had tried his best to cause a spiritual stir, to make them aware of his presence. He’d blown to create a breeze, had tried moving items by thought and had generally made as much noise as was possible in his current state. All to no effect. Ron shook his fists in frustration still shouting at Val not to go, even though he knew it was pointless. He’d need to find Claire and get her to assist him. If she refused, he would do his best to make her visits to the living world as difficult as possible.

Chapter 5

Ron had been calling for Claire on and off for days. He needed her help and was impatient to visit his family again.

‘Ah, you’re back,’ he said. ‘For a minute there I thought I’d lost you for good.’

‘How long have I been out of it?’ Claire stretched and yawned like a lazy lion.

‘Couple of months at least. After a while I was worried so kept calling Gabriella to find out what was going on.’

‘I thought she was too busy to, um, visit.’

‘She is.’ Ron chuckled. ‘After I got bored with my own company I kept shouting and she came and gave me a bollocking. Told me I was driving her nuts but answered a few questions anyway, before disappearing again.’

‘And?’

‘Well, apparently you are one of the few who can contact people through dreams, so soon after your own death. It normally takes at least two years, and even then not everyone is able to do it.’

‘Aren’t I the clever one?’

Ron shook his head at her smugness.

‘The downside, as you will have gathered, is that it takes a lot out of you. So use your gift wisely.’