Chapter 10

Aidan woke up on Thursday morning, the last day of October, Halloween, feeling good, so good that he did a double check to see if the feeling was real or if it would evaporate like the morning dew. It didn’t. He felt optimistic and, he was sure, happy, and he knew he could trust those feelings. He sang in the shower and hummed a merry tune over breakfast. He felt almost giddy at the prospect of a day without depression.

He looked out of the window, and seeing a bright break in the clouds after the overnight rain, thought he would walk to work. It was only three miles after all. There had been a spell of cold weather with gale force winds, but temperatures had risen since, and though it had looked like rain most of the time, that day seemed more hopeful. He took an umbrella and strode out.

He allowed an hour for the walk, and made it to the office in three quarters, arriving at eight, before any of the staff. He filled and fired up the water heater ready to make tea and coffee for the troops and went to his office to get on top of the outstanding jobs. He was well into his in-tray when the first folk arrived. Over the past weeks his door had been firmly shut; today it was wide open.

Gerry, the trainee, passed the door, then came back and peered in.

“Morning Gerry!” Aidan greeted him with a wide smile.

He looked disconcerted, recovered and returned the greeting, before moving on.

Aidan giggled.

Much the same reaction came from the rest of the team. Vicky passed and returned his greeting without a second glance, but he heard “At last!” from her as she entered her own office opposite his.

Kathy was the only one who made a comment, and it was diplomatic in the extreme.

“Morning, Aidan!” she smiled, and was obviously relieved. “Welcome back!” she added with a giggle as she scuttled off before he could reply.

Vicky and Aidan had an office each, with the corridor between them, and they each sat facing their doors. Since both doors were usually open, they faced each other. Every time Aidan caught her eye he smiled broadly, and she smiled back. It became a joke as the morning progressed.

Then he got a picture in his head of the scene in ‘A Christmas Carol’ where Scrooge awaits Bob Cratchit on the day after Christmas. Scrooge had been converted by the Spirits, and he surprises Bob with his new cheerful and generous self. Bob thought him deranged at first. Aidan laughed out loud.

It was too much for Vicky: she crossed over to Aidan’s office.

“You don’t have to overdo it,” she said. “All this forced cheerfulness is unsettling the troops.”

“Sit down, Vic,” he said.

She sat, all attention.

“My cheerfulness is not forced; far from it. Last night, I had a phone call.”

“Sam phoned?”

“Sam’s mother phoned. Her dad was in the background.”

“And?”

“They wanted to thank me for what I did for Sam.”

“That’s nice.”

“They wanted to do it while Sam was out; they told me she didn’t want them to phone me.”

Vicky looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t she?” she asked.

“Well, it appeared Sam had just gone out with her boyfriend.” He paused for effect, and she looked very surprised. He continued, “Apparently they’ve been an item for a few years.”

“Oh shit!”

“Well put.” He smiled at her. “But it’s made me feel totally different about what I think of her, and I feel much better as a result. She lied, Vicky. There was no earthly reason to lie, but she did anyway. And she cheated on her boyfriend using me.”

“So?”

“She goes into the category of a woman I did a good turn for when she needed it, and no more. I’m back to normal, Vic. Life feels much better already.” He sat back and smiled. He then told her about Scrooge and why he laughed out loud.

“I’m so glad, Aidan,” she grinned, “I’ll tell the others you haven’t lost your marbles – no details though,” she added, and left.

He invited Vicky back to his place for an evening meal to thank her for supporting him and getting him back on track.They had a good evening, and she told him she had started seeing a new fella, called Brendan, a lawyer, who seemed to be a keeper.

Though it was Hallowe’en, there were no parties to go to; Hallowe’en is not celebrated so much in Britain, apart from urchins begging for money at the door with threats. Living in a block of flats above ground level, Aidan escaped their attentions.

The next morning, Friday, Kathy did not pass his door but came in.

“I heard you like opera,” she began without preamble. “That right?”

“Yes, I do,” he replied.

“Well, I’ve got two tickets for tomorrow night for Die Fledermaus. Wanna come?”

“Kathy I don’t know about that – you know, us working together.”

“No one else in the office likes opera. They all sort of agreed that I ask you.”

“Sort of agreed?”

Vicky’s voice came from across the corridor. “Tell him Kathy! He’ll be all right, trust me.”

“Tell him Kathy,” he repeated, grinning. She coloured.

“You’ve been so sad, I – I mean we – have been worried about you. Vicky told me you like opera, so I thought it might cheer you up.

“Anyway, on Wednesday I told her I had these tickets, and we all discussed it and we thought you you might be persuaded to come with me. Then yesterday you were much more cheerful, but Vicky said you might still like to go. So, will you – come with me, my treat?”

“Go on, Aidan,” Vicky called. “You haven’t been out for weeks.”

He had misgivings, but liked the idea, and gave in. “Thank you Kathy, I’d love to go with you. In return, you must allow me to take you to dinner beforehand.”

She smiled, “Well thank you kind sir,” she said, and she curtsied! It drew his attention to her beautiful legs. It came to him that she always, always, wore trousers to work. He had never seen her legs. Until today.

He shook himself and looked up to see her grinning. Busted!

“Kathy,” he protested, “I’ve never seen you in a skirt before. Very nice!”

“Glad you like them,” she laughed and waltzed off.

She had taunted him: ‘Glad you like them.’ Her legs, not the skirt. He would have to watch that girl very carefully in future. Far too forward! Especially if she started wearing those short skirts!

Vicky was still laughing. She came over.

“You’ve no idea how good it is to see you happy again,” she said, and kissed his forehead.

He growled, she laughed, and went back to her place.

He took Kathy to his favourite restaurant. They talked and talked – opera. She was an opera buff of the first order. She had seen Die Fledermaus eleven times and she was only twenty one years old! She loved the food and he loved her erudition.

Yes, she was very pretty. Wonderful figure, delicate facial features – small turned-up nose, big green eyes, and of course, the legs. She wore the obligatory little black dress set off with a neat intricate gold necklace and matching earrings. Lovely girl, and much too young for him, he assured himself, but a wonderful, incredibly intelligent young woman.

The opera was good. He took her to her home. She kissed his cheek.

“It was a wonderful evening,” she said, gazing into his eyes.

“It was for me too,” he said mustering all his honesty. “You have been a revelation. I’ve never met anyone who loves opera as much as you do.”

“And I’ve never met anyone who understands it as well as you do. Thank you, Aidan.”

They kissed cheeks again, then she left the taxi and ran for cover under her umbrella. He waited until she disappeared into her flats.

On a wet and windy November Sunday when Aidan saw no reason to emerge from his flat, he finally got up to date with his work, and then cleaned the flat thoroughly. He chided himself that he had been neglecting it and it showed. He felt virtuous after his efforts and while it was still windy, the rain had stopped, so he went to the pub that evening. There was no one there he knew, but he read his novel while drinking a couple of pints before going home.

The following week he actually enjoyed life, especially being alone at home. He began cooking for himself again, which cheered him further. On Wednesday he enjoyed the staff evening at the Plough, and on Saturday joined the group of husbands for ‘early doors’ at the pub.