Page 15 of Echoes on the Wind (Borrowed Time #2)

A fresh letter from Mair arrived over the weekend, announcing her arrival on Tuesday and giving instructions to meet her at the omnibus stop. Eager to see her again after two months in Bryncoed, I was left with the job of convincing Mr Carter to give me half a day off.

He agreed, begrudgingly, on the proviso that I get through a slew of jobs that he’d drawn up. His list was longer than my usual day’s workload, but I had no other option than to get stuck in.

“You’re on fine form today,” Ellis said as he came into the barn around lunchtime. “You’ve done enough for two people.”

I grabbed a bale from the ground and heaved it up over my head, adding it to the stack I was working on, then turned to look at him in the doorway. “I’m finishing early,” I said, wiping the sweat from my brow. “I’ve cleared it with Mr Carter. Mair’s arriving today, so I’m riding down to meet her.”

He grabbed a bale and tossed it on the stack, then took a seat on the one that I was about to reach for, stopping me in my tracks. “That’s a shame. I was going to invite you to the pub for a drink after work.”

I sat beside him, taking my first break of the day, and sipped from my flask in an effort to cool off. It was unseasonably warm, and the work was making me sweat and itch.

“Thanks for the invite, but I can’t today. Sorry.”

“Why not?” he asked, and I raised an eyebrow at him as I took another drink.

“I just told you. I have to go and meet Mair.”

“Well, you don’t have to,” he replied, grinning. “Send Gwyn. She’s his sister, not yours. Come for a few drinks with me and then see her later. Everyone wins.”

His eyes lit up with a huge grin like he actually thought it was a good plan, and I rested my arms on my knees, leaning over as I shook my head and let out a huff. I was far too hot and bothered to get into it with him.

“Gwyn’s working, and I said I’d meet her. I haven’t seen her in ages, and I want us to catch up. We can have a drink another time.”

“Stop being so boring,” he insisted. “You don’t want to spend a whole afternoon entertaining a nagging woman. Come on. Let’s have a drink.”

“Ellis, I can’t,” I said, trying to be firm but polite. “Thank you, but no.”

He stood up as if to leave, and I hoped that it would be the end of the matter, but when he reached the door he unbuttoned his trousers and started peeing into the drain, making the atmosphere instantly awkward .

“You know, you don’t need Gwyn’s permission to have a beer. Every time I see you, you're with him. Doesn’t he have any other friends?”

He tried to keep eye contact as he spoke, but I stayed focused on my flask, waiting for him to finish. Did he think this was normal behaviour? He’d mentioned having a few brothers, so perhaps he just wasn’t shy about this stuff, but it just felt totally inappropriate in the moment.

When he was done, he came and sat down next to me again, as though nothing at all had happened. “So what do you say?”

“No!” I said, no longer attempting to mask my annoyance. “I have plans. I’m not changing them.”

He stared angrily at me for a second, then stormed from the barn without another word, leaving me to continue stacking the bales.

As the sun got higher, the barn became uncomfortably hot. My sweat-soaked shirt clung to my back, and the rough fabric made me itch. On the old farm, I’d have thought nothing of taking off my shirt in the warmer weather, but Mr Carter found it improper, so I settled for undoing its only two buttons, hoping what little breeze there was might cool me down.

The next hour was absolute torture, and my whole body ached from the heat and exertion, but I was finally down to my last bale. I bent over, grabbed the two thin ropes that were keeping it bound, and let out a huge breath as I prepared my final lift. Before I heaved upwards, though, I felt Ellis come up behind me, uncomfortably close.

He remained there for just a second before coming around to my side, but it felt unnecessary, and his lack of boundaries throughout the day, coupled with my agitated state, left me irritated. When he flashed me a smile, I turned my head away, with no effort left for pleasantries.

“Mr Carter needs you to stay for the afternoon,” he said.

His words tipped me over the edge, and I launched the bale across the barn in a rage, sending hay flying in all directions.

“What for?” I shouted, and as I squared up to him, his smile faded, realising how pissed off I was. “I’ve done a day's work in a morning. What more does he want?”

“He says the silo needs cleaning before the extra grain goes for storage, and…” he carried on talking, but I stormed away and threw a hand up to dismiss him.

I reached down for the broken bale but gave it three hard punches instead, before slumping down on it and dropping my head into my hands. The loose straw just made my itching even worse, and I pulled my shirt up over my head, letting it rest in my lap with my arms still inside it.

All along my skin, spreading across my chest and down my arms, little red blotches had appeared where my shirt had been rubbing. The cool air was soothing, but it was taking all my effort not to scratch and make it worse.

“That looks nasty,” Ellis said.

I could barely look at him, I was so annoyed. He crept towards me sheepishly, unsure of the reaction he might get, but still with that stupid grin on his face. When he reached me, he glanced around my shoulders and made an ‘ ooh ’ noise.

“That must really itch,” he said, tracing a finger along my shoulder. “I’ve got a shirt you can borrow that’ll be a bit lighter on your skin.”

I shrugged him off forcefully and shouted, “No!” to both his offer and his unwelcome touch.

He held his hands up as he backed off, but continued to grin as he leaned up against the barn door. “Go. I’ll finish here and cover for you. You’ve done enough today, and there’s no point in working in that mood.”

“My mood’s fine,” I snapped. “But I wouldn’t have done a day's work by lunchtime if I knew I had to stay. If he wasn’t going to let me go, he should have said so. He’s really pissed me off.”

“Then go, Tom. Honestly, it’ll be fine. If he comes looking for you, I’ll say you’re doing a delivery.”

I was still so annoyed that I couldn’t bring myself to thank him, but I gave him a nod and as much of an appreciative smile as I could muster.

I rushed from the barn before he could change his mind and spotted Gerwyn, one of the other labourers, storming angrily down the path. He was clutching one of the wheels from my bike, and when he got within a few feet of me, he slammed it on the ground at my feet.

“What the hell have you done?” I yelled.

“Me?” he shouted, clearly offended by the accusation. “You could have killed me.”

Ellis came out to see what the fuss was about and picked up the wheel to inspect it. It was buckled beyond repair, and several of the spokes were twisted and snapped “How’s this happened?”

“Him,” Gerwyn said, pointing at me. “Left it on the bloody grass and I went over it with the plough. I came right out of the seat,” he added, raising his elbow to show a cut on the back of his arm. “Two of the blades are broken, and I’m not paying for it when Mr Carter finds out.”

“I didn’t leave it anywhere,” I shouted. “Why would I?”

Every morning my routine was the same. I wheeled the bike across the yard and parked it in the gap between the privy and the coal house. I’d never put it anywhere else. I certainly wouldn’t leave it lying around in the fields. Especially when I knew that Gerwyn was turning the south field over. He’d come around first thing to tell us.

“Well it didn’t wheel itself,” he shouted back. “Pull yourself together, Tom, for god’s sake.”

He stormed off the way he came, and I contemplated chasing after him to argue my case. I didn’t know him well, since we worked in different areas, but I didn’t want him thinking I’d be so stupid, or that he could just shout at me like that without the facts.

The only thing that stopped me was Ellis.

“Doesn’t look like you’re going to get to your friend now.”

He stared at me over the broken wheel, and my eyes narrowed as his words sunk in.

“This was you,” I snapped, pointing in his face, and he stepped back, smirking.

“What? Tom, don’t be so stupid,” he protested .

“No,” I said, shaking my head. There was no other reason I could think of, other than him wanting me to go drinking with him instead of meeting Mair. “I know it was you, Ellis.”

“Why would I do that? Come on, Tom. Don’t be like that.”

He reached up and tried to put a hand on my shoulder, and I slapped it away. “You know I keep my bike in the yard every day. You spent half the morning trying to convince me to go drinking with you, and then all of a sudden my bike is wrecked? And I bet Mr Carter didn’t say that I had to stay behind, either.”

“Tom, you’re sounding like a crazy person,” he said, laughing, and I could feel my anger growing. “We’re friends. I’d never do that to you.”

“Bullshit,” I snapped. “Just stay out of my way.”

I grabbed the wheel from him and turned towards the yard, but I could hear his footsteps following behind me.

“I paid for it,” he shouted after only a few metres, and I spun around to face him. “I paid for your bike. Why would I pay for it and then break it?”

“That was you? Why would you do that?”

It hadn’t even crossed my mind that it might have been him who’d paid off my bike, and I wasn’t entirely sure that I even believed him, but I stopped and waited to hear him out.

“Because you’re my friend. You kept saying about having to make the payments, and I wanted to help you out. That’s what friends do, isn’t it? Help each other.”

“I didn’t ask for your help. You shouldn’t have done that. ”

“You didn’t need to ask,” he said, smiling again. “I was happy to. I wasn’t even going to tell you. And I’m not asking for thanks. I did it because we’re friends.”

I pressed my palm against my forehead and let out a long breath to calm myself down. “You may have meant well, but you shouldn’t have done it. I’ll be paying you back.”

I turned again and began to walk off, and once again he followed behind me. “You don’t have to. I don’t care about the money.”

“I’m paying you back.”

My mind raced as I ran down the lane towards town. Ellis’ confession made me feel uncomfortable and indebted, and I wasn’t happy about it at all. If I wouldn’t take money from my own brother, there’s no way I’d accept it from a man who I’d only known for just over a month. Or did he go behind my back because he knew I wouldn’t accept? If he paid for it, why did I still feel like he was the one who moved it into the field?

Who else would have done it? Gerwyn? Dylan? Wilhelm? Darragh? Mr Carter? I’d had no crossed words with any of them. But then, I’d never had any with Ellis, either. Would he be so petty over a beer?

I hopped the wall into someone’s farm, cutting out some of the distance, and ran through a cow field before joining the road again at the top end of town. The bells on the town hall chimed for half past the hour, so I already knew that I was late, but by the time I reached the omnibus stop, Mair was nowhere to be seen .

“Shit,” I said aloud, kicking my foot into the curb.

The warm weather and festival preparations had drawn out a crowd, and I weaved amongst them, keeping an eye out for her as I hurried past the canopy-covered shopfronts. I scanned the windows and peered down side streets, all without a sign.

As I decided to cut my losses and check at home, I spotted her on the other side of the street, dragging her bags along the pavement.

“Mair,” I called out.

She didn’t turn around, but I was sure it was her. She always walked as though she’d suddenly remembered she’d left the oven on, leaving everyone else to keep up or get out of her way. Her bright red hair, which defied any attempt at staying pinned in place, was also a giveaway, and it was blowing wildly from under her bonnet as she marched along.

I stopped outside the chemist and cupped my hands around my mouth before shouting her name again. This time I caught her attention, as well as that of quite a few others, and she turned around at the sound of my voice.

She took one look at me and dropped her bags, then planted her hands on her hips and began tapping her foot.

“Stay there,” I shouted, laughing at her dramatics, then I dashed out into the street.

“Tom, look out!” she screamed, and I turned just in time to see a carriage coming right towards me.

The horse let out a frightful noise as the driver pulled at its reins, and had it not been for someone grabbing my collar and hauling me out of its way, it would have gone straight over me .

“That was close,” he said, and I turned in his grip to see that it was Joseph who’d saved me.

I may have been out of harm’s way, but the damage was already done. The horse jerked left, pulling the carriage into the path of a donkey cart that went head first into its shaft. The cab rocked from side to side, almost tipping over, and by the time the driver brought the horse to calm, it was facing entirely sideways in the street.

“That’s twice you’ve saved my life, now,” I said, my heart racing.

I crossed back into the street to apologise to the driver, but before I’d gotten close, the door to the carriage swung open, and Mr Awbrey stepped out, looking furious.

“You!” he screamed. He came bounding towards me, fists clenched, and Mair and Joseph both ran into the road to my defence. “I should have known.”

“Mr Awbrey, I’m really sorry,” I said, hoping to calm him down. “I was–”

Before I could finish, his hand came out of nowhere, smacking me across the face in front of everyone. When he raised his hand to do it again, Joseph grabbed his wrist and shoved him back towards the carriage.

“How dare you,” Mair shouted, and she swung out with her bag, hitting him in the arm with such force that her clothes spilled out onto the road.

He straightened up and glared angrily at her, but she stepped up to him, shoulders straight, ready to take him on. It took both me and Joseph to pull her away again .

The crowd circling us on the street had grown considerably, and Mr Awbry stared around, offering fake smiles to play down the embarrassing scene he’d just created. When he brought his attention back to me, his smile looked considerably more strained, and he dropped his voice to a whisper.

“If I find so much as a scratch on that carriage, I’ll make you pay.”

“A scratch?” Mair said, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “On that thing? A good clean is what it needs. I couldn’t imagine riding around in something so filthy. The shame.”

It was true. Despite its grand design, Awbrey’s carriage had seen far better days. The outside was dull, scratched and dirty, and through the open door, I could see tears on the seat coverings.

Mair’s mocking brought stifled laughter from the crowd, and Awbrey could barely contain his rage as he stormed back into the carriage and slammed the door.

“That’s Gwyn’s boss,” I said, as Joseph and I began to stuff her clothes back into her bag.

“Well, he’s not my boss,” she replied. “Who does he think he is?”

We moved over to the pavement, and the crowd around us began to disperse as the traffic started moving again.

“Joseph, this is Gwyn’s sister, Mair Lloyd.”

“You’re exactly as he described,” Joseph said, offering her a nod, and Mair pursed her lips together and smiled, seemingly proud of whatever impression Gwyn had given about her.

“Good thing you were passing by,” she said. “Otherwise Thomas here would have ended up under that carriage, and I haven’t packed any of my funeral clothes.”

“I’m just glad you’re alright,” he said, turning to me.

“I really owe you. Come to dinner this weekend. Let me thank you properly.”

“Dinner?” Mair said, laughing. “So you’re going to make Nellie cook a meal, and that’s your way of thanking him?”

“I can cook,” I protested, folding my arms over my chest, and she threw her head back and let out a loud laugh.

“I have plans this weekend,” he replied. “With Betty. And you. It’s the festival. Are we not all still meeting?”

“Of course,” I said, shaking my head. “Another day, then?”

“I’d like that,” he replied. “If you don’t mind, I better be going. I’m running late to meet Betty. I’ll see you at the festival.”

We waved him off as he rushed up the street, and when I turned back to Mair, she took my chin in her hand, inspecting me. “It’s turning red,” she said, moving my face around. “How are your arms?”

“My arms?” I asked, confused. “They’re fine.”

“Good,” she said, taking off down the pavement. “You’ll have no trouble carrying those bags then.”

As we walked up the hill to the house, she filled me in on her journey from Cwm Newydd, then once we got home, Nellie ordered me upstairs with her bags to Betty’s room, where she would be staying during her visit .

When I returned to the kitchen, washed up and in fresh clothes, they were deep in conversation, so I poured myself a cup of tea, and joined them at the table.

“If he’d have come to my house shouting like that, I’d have put him through the door myself,” Mair said, switching to English.

“I take it you’ve heard about today,” I said, and Nellie raised an eyebrow at me over her cup.

“I don’t think you’ll be winning him to your favour anytime soon,” she said. “But to strike you? And so publicly? I don’t know how he’ll ever live down the shame.”

“I don’t think he much cares,” I replied before considering that I may have also incurred the judgement of the onlookers. “Besides, isn’t gossip generally frowned upon?”

“The thing about gossip,” Mair said, taking a sip of her tea, “is that people only dislike it when it’s their names on people’s lips. They’ll be only too happy to go away and talk about his behaviour. It’s only their own that they don’t wish to see discussed.”

“And I’m sure nobody will think any less of you,” Nellie added, sensing my concern. “He did hit you, after all. People have done far worse than accidentally step in front of carriages, without deserving of being assaulted for it.”

“And nobody here knows who I am,” Mair shrugged. “So I don’t care.”

“Shouldn’t Gethin be home by now?” I asked, noting his absence.

“He’s in Cardiff,” Nellie replied. She seemed disappointed, and she got up from her seat and began to fuss at the stove. “He has a meeting first thing, so he’s going to stay overnight and come back tomorrow.”

“Dreadful place,” Mair said, screwing her nose up. “Far too busy for me.”

A knock at the door brought us to silence, and Nellie rushed down the hallway to answer it. She returned looking much happier, with Mr Angove, the chemist, following behind her.

“This is Mr Angove,” she said, introducing him to Mair, and he took off his hat and nodded to her. “This is Mrs Lloyd.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he replied, before turning to me. “I thought I’d call in to see how you were, and bring you these.”

He placed a short stack of brown paper squares on the table, and a clear vial beside them, filled with a brown liquid and corked at the top.

“How kind of you,” Nellie said, smiling widely at his gift. “Isn’t that thoughtful?”

I looked to Mair for a hint of what it was but got only a shrug in return.

“Thank you,” I added, though I was still none the wiser. “I really appreciate it.”

He leaned in the doorway, folding his arms, and the top of his head was almost touching the frame. “Terrible business today. I’m sorry I couldn’t come out to help, but I was stuck in the shop.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “It was all something and nothing.”

He gave me a nod, then turned to Nellie, and for a brief moment they just sort of grinned at each other .

“Would you like some tea?” she asked, pulling out the seat beside her.

“I can’t stay. I just wanted to check that Tom was alright. If there’s anything else you need, you know where I am.”

“Thank you,” I said again as he dipped his cap and turned for the door.

“I’ll see you out,” Nellie said, and she rushed behind him down the hallway.

I picked up the brown paper and inspected it, trying to work out its use, and Mair grinned at me over her teacup. “Comes round a lot, does he?”

“Sometimes,” I replied. “Nellie gets her supplies from his shop on the high street.”

“And do all of his customers get a delivery service?”

Her comment was left hanging as the door slammed shut, and when Nellie returned to the kitchen, she was followed by Gwyn, arriving home from work.

“Look who I found,” she said, and Mair jumped from her seat and threw her arms around him in the doorway.

When they broke their embrace, she took his hands in hers, turning them over to inspect them.

“I can’t see any broken fingers,” she said. “So there must be some other reason why you’ve hardly written.”

She slapped him across the arm, causing him to burst out laughing and scoop her into another hug. When she pulled away from him, the whole side of her face was blackened with coal dust .

“So what’s brought about this visit?” he asked. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course, but it did all seem rather sudden.”

“Well,” she said, and she turned so that she was facing all of us. “I’m moving to Bryncoed.”