Page 44 of The Second Chance Supper Club
It was Sunday, and after a less eventful morning in the shop – in fact, she’d rather enjoyed it, feeling much more confident in the role – Cath was heading over to Kirkton to meet Maria in the care home.
She had made a batch of shortbread last night, despite feeling shattered after her busy day.
It had actually been a nice way to de-stress, the rolling of the dough, cutting it out, the kitchen filling with aromas of toasted buttery baking.
And, she now had a generous tub of biscuits for Maria to share with her fellow residents and the staff.
The home was in an old vicarage, a Victorian stone-built property with large lawns and gardens with pretty shrub borders.
It was on the edge of the town, nestled in the valley beside open fields.
Cath parked up, and entered a porch area, pressing a buzzer to announce herself to the lady in the reception.
As the door released and she walked in, the house had a welcoming and homely feel to it.
The entrance hall was light and airy. There were fresh white and yellow chrysanthemums in a vase on a mahogany circular table, and the wallpaper was a cheery floral.
A smell of cabbagey-cottage pie, no doubt the residents’ lunch, lingered.
The lady who’d answered the buzzer came out to say hello, and let Cath know that Maria was up and in the day room.
She offered to take her through, realising that she was a first-time visitor.
‘I hear the lads are at a wedding?’
‘Yes, that’s right. Family down in London.’
‘Ooh, lovely. And do let them know Maria’s been fine. We have already messaged them, but I know Andreas was particularly concerned about leaving her.’
‘Ah, that’s good news, and I will do.’
‘Well, here we are, and that’s Maria, just over there by the window.’
If Cath hadn’t been shown, she reckoned she would have soon worked it out. Despite her thick grey hair and wrinkled skin, which was far paler than her son’s, she had a look of Andreas across those dark eyes, still with a twinkle, as she looked up. She also had her arm in a cast and sling.
‘Hello, Maria, it’s Cath. I’ve brought you some biscuits. Shortbread, I’ve made them myself. And there’s plenty there, if you want to share.’ Cath set the tin down on the coffee table beside her.
‘Why, that’s lovely of you, spoiling me. Those other two, yesterday, came here with all sorts. We had some with our tea. Beautiful it was … a big sponge cake, and chocolatey little squares.’
‘Oh, chocolate brownies, I bet.’ It sounded like Lily had been baking too. ‘That was Nikki and her niece who came to visit you.’ They’d said they’d call in too, Cath remembered, so that Maria would have company on both days.
‘Very nice of them. Nikki … that was it. And Lily. Pretty girl. Lovely to see the young ones coming in. Get fed up with all these oldies at times.’
Cath had to smile. Maria was talking as though she was a ‘young one’ herself.
‘So, how are you feeling after your fall? How’s your wrist doing?’
‘Not so bad, not so bad. Silly old boot, aren’t I, falling over like that.’
‘Of course you’re not. These things are easily done,’ said Cath. ‘Oh, and I’ve heard from Andreas. I can show you a couple of photos of the wedding on my phone.’
‘Ah, that’d be marvellous. I’d love to see that … And our Eleni, I bet she makes a beautiful bride.’
‘She does indeed.’ Cath firstly showed Maria the image of her great-niece in all her wedding finery.
‘ Omorfi . Beautiful!’
It was lovely to see the elderly lady’s face light up.
‘Do you have a mobile phone, Maria? Then I can send them over for you to keep.’
‘Well, I do, it’s back in my room. But I don’t know how to work the darned thing … or remember my number, come to that. Andreas is always showing me how to do things on it, and then telling me off when I forget.’
‘Don’t worry. The mobiles can seem complicated if you’re not used to them. I’ll ask one of the team here for your number before I go, and I’ll send them on anyhow. They can find them on your phone, and show you them when you want, that way.’
‘Thank you.’
Cath then scrolled on to the image of Andreas and Dan. Maria looked like she might burst with pride. ‘Oh, so handsome the pair of them.’
One of the carers came over, and asked both Cath and Maria if they’d like a cup of tea from the trolley, before serving the hot fragrant liquid in little green cups and saucers, and placing them on the coffee table before them.
‘Thank you. Oh, can I help you?’ Cath offered, realising it might be tricky for Maria to drink with her broken wrist.
‘If you can just put it there, to this side of me, then I’ll be fine, thank you. I’ve worked out how to do rather a lot with my left hand. Needs must.’ Maria, though frail physically, seemed bright as a button. Cath was very much warming to her.
‘Okay, there you go.’
‘So, how do you know my boy, Andreas?’
Cath explained how she’d recently moved into the village, and how kind Andreas and Dan had been to her.
She mentioned the Supper Club and how their friendship had grown.
‘Ah, Andreas has told me about you … so you are the lady who cooks like an angel, with the fuckwit of a husband.’ Well, Cath hadn’t expected that, she nearly spat out her tea.
But yeah, the cap fitted.
‘I suppose I must be.’ She smiled, shaking her head with mirth.
‘Better try one of these shortbread, if you’re the canny cook.
Don’t let them all see, mind.’ She glanced around the day room furtively.
‘Like a flock of crows this lot when there’s food about.
Ena over there, she’d eat six biscuits on the trot, easily …
and Arthur …’ She pointed to a tall, skinny man who was dressed fairly smartly, but on closer inspection was wearing faded black suit trousers and a white shirt marked with …
gravy stains, perhaps? He’d evidently nodded off, his head slumped to one side, bless him.
‘Yes, with Arthur, the whole tin’d be gone. Hollow legs that one.’
They chatted easily over tea and biscuits, Cath asking what Andreas had been like as a child.
‘Hah, full of himself. But joyous, always a sunny child.’ ‘Sounds like he hasn’t changed much,’ Cath agreed.
Cath then talked about finding her feet in the village, and how lovely it had been to start meeting up as the supper group. They had a bit of a giggle over Nikki’s Seventies night.
Maria reminisced about coming over to London in the mid-Sixties, and life as a young married woman in a new and exciting, yet sometimes overwhelming city, with her handsome Greek-Cypriot husband, Theo.
She told how his brother had already made the move, and had helped find Theo an office job within the London-based Greek shipping industry.
Andreas and his older sister, Alexandra, came along soon afterwards.
Their little Greek-Cypriot community, many of whom still lived in the Palmers Green area of North London, sounded supportive and fun.
That’s where the wedding was this weekend.
This lovely old lady had a sparkle about her, and had certainly taken life by the horns back then, soaking up life in the capital, and creating a new home for her and her young family.
All too soon, it was time to go, as it was apparent that preparations were being made for supper time, with chairs being shifted in the adjoining dining room and staff busying themselves.
‘Well, I’d better get away now, Maria. Shirley will be waiting for her supper and a walk.’
‘Ah, you have the little dog. She’s a character, that one. Keeps the boys on their toes, good on her. Well, you get yourself away. And thank you so much for taking the time to visit an old girl.’
‘It’s been a pleasure.’ Cath was standing up and popping her jacket back on, realising that she really had enjoyed Maria’s company. And it felt good to be doing something kind. She quickly added, ‘Maria, would it be all right to visit you again sometime? Would you like that?’
‘Of course, I would, Kopela mou. It’s brightened up my day.
’ ‘Ko-pela moo?’ Cath queried.
‘ It means “My Girl”. The old lady was smiling warmly, the deep creases etched around her eyes showing her age, her long life. Maria reached out her good hand towards Cath, who gave it an affectionate, gentle squeeze.
‘Ah lovely. Well, that’s settled then. I’ll see you again soon, Maria. Take care.’
With that, Cath was on her way, with a very warm glow inside.