No Wings to Fly by Jess Foley Read Free Book Online Page B

cook. When the food was ready they sat down together. As they ate, Mrs Shalcross spoke approvingly of her son-in-law, and his diligence in his work, but complainingly of her daughter who, she said, did not visit her nearly often enough. For her part, Lily ate her pork and potatoes and greens, and thought of the young man who would soon be waiting at the park.
    When the meal was eaten Lily made tea, and afterwards did the washing up and then prepared to say her goodbyes. ‘Can’t you stay a bit longer?’ Mrs Shalcross pleaded, to which Lily replied with a feeling of guilt that she could not, but that she would try to stay longer on her next visit. Minutes later she was out in the lane.
    The distance was not so long to the recreation ground, and Lily could have walked it in a relatively short time. Sheforced herself to move at a fairly slow pace, however, for it was a warm day, and she did not want to perspire. As she drew nearer the park she could hear faintly on the summer breeze the sound of a brass band. Soon afterwards she came in sight of the gates, and moments later she saw Joel as he got up from a bench and started towards her. He was taller than she had remembered.
    ‘Lily! Well, hello!’ He stopped before her, his mouth in a wide smile. Lily returned his hello, and asked whether he had been waiting long.
    ‘Just twenty minutes or so,’ he replied. ‘I’ve been listening to the band, and doing a little sketching.’ He was carrying under his arm what looked to Lily to be a small file or book. He held it up and said, ‘My sketchbook.’
    ‘You’re an artist.’
    He laughed. ‘Oh, I wish I were.’
    ‘Are you good?’ she said.
    ‘Hmm. Perhaps just good enough to know that I should be so much better.’ He turned and gestured towards the park’s entrance. ‘Shall we go in?’
    She nodded. ‘We might as well.’
    Side by side they walked through the iron gates into the park. There were many other people there, making the most of the fine weather and a day off work, sitting and lounging on the grass in the sun while the band played. The bandstand was not large, but the eight or nine musicians made up for their small number with their enthusiasm.
    Joel suggested that they sit for a while, and they chose a spot a little distance from the bandstand, in the shade of a rowan tree. There Lily set down her bag and sat on the grass. Joel sat down beside her. The band was playing ‘When You Come Home Again’, and some of the sojourners sang along with snatches of the familiar words. Joel sat in silence for a little while, then said to Lily, smiling, with a sigh, ‘This is splendid. Really excellent.’
    ‘The music?’
    ‘Everything. The music, the sunshine.’ He paused. ‘Seeing you again.’
    She said nothing, and they sat for a while without speaking, just listening to the music, then Joel said, ‘I wasn’t convinced you’d turn up today.’
    In disregard of the doubt she had felt during the week, she said, ‘I said I would.’
    ‘Yes, I know you did . . . Still . . .’ A moment passed, then he said, ‘Do you miss your home?’
    ‘Sometimes. I miss my father and my brother, and my little sister.’
    ‘You don’t mention your mother.’
    ‘My mother died,’ she said, ‘when my younger brother was born. We’ve got a stepmother – and things are different.’
    Aware of a change in her tone, Joel said, ‘Don’t you get on with her?’
    ‘It could be better.’ She paused. ‘But anyway, it’s not so bad. I shall be going home to see them all again soon.’
    ‘That’ll be nice. When did you last go for a visit?’
    ‘In the spring. Just for the weekend. The time before that was at Christmas. That was a short visit too.’
    ‘And when are you going next?’
    ‘In three weeks.’
    He nodded. ‘I’m sure you’ll be glad of the break, won’t you?’
    She gave a sigh and smiled. ‘Well, I have to admit that my life here with the Haskins can really become rather boring at