Chapter 6: When Your Past Catches Up

‘Make love.’ Molly answered without any hesitation. ‘Now close your eyes,’ Lewis instructed, ‘Imagine you have a new boyfriend. He has just made love to you for the very first time. You have enjoyed it even more than you did today because he is your very own boyfriend who you want to keep forever.’

‘You fall asleep afterwards feeling very happy. You haven’t set an alarm because you are staying the whole night. When you wake up the next morning, you see his face on the pillow beside you. What is his Christian name?’

Molly had been having a lovely daydream as Lewis was speaking and had closed her eyes to concentrate on it. She wasn’t paying full attention to where she was. When he asked the question, she answered automatically, ‘Mark.’

Then opening her eyes in alarm, she looked at Lewis. He was smiling at her. ‘I think you have just lost a brother and gained a lover.’ he told her.

‘But I don’t want to upset him,’ she said, ‘How can I tell him?’

‘Why not tell him you did as he suggested and came to see me.’ Lewis told her. ‘Tell him you have got your past problem sorted and can now move on. Tell him you have really appreciated having him as a brother. But from now on you are ready to face life and your future as an only child once more.’

‘If he has been having similar feelings for you, that will release him from acting like your brother and enable him to see you as a girlfriend. If he hasn’t taken you to bed within a week, start looking at other men. You have the confidence to do that now.’

‘Stand up.’ he said. They had a long kiss as they hugged. ‘Go away and have a happy life.’ Lewis told her. ‘I’ll never forget today,’ she said, ‘Or you.’ ‘I hope you do in time,’ Lewis said, ‘Because that will mean you are really happy with your new partner.’

He saw her out and watched her walk away.

WEDNESDAY – GARDEN CENTRE

The following week Lester and Peter worked together a lot. On Wednesday lunchtime as they sat eating their sandwiches, Peter asked, ‘Have you had any nightmares since we last saw Lewis?’ ‘No,’ Lester told him, ‘Just lovely dreams. How about you?’ ‘I’ve been the same.’ Peter told him.

‘I had a dream about us firing Lewis.’ Peter said. ‘So did I.’ Lester admitted, ‘It was rather nice wasn’t it. But I’ve only had it once so far.’ he added. ‘So haven’t you dreamt on the other nights?’ Peter asked. ‘Yes,’ Lester said going slightly red. ‘The other nights were different to that one, but all the same as each other.’

‘Funny, mine were like that too,’ Peter told him. ‘I wonder if we were both having the same dreams?’ he mused almost to himself. ‘I just had my best friend in my dream.’ Lester said. ‘So did I.’ Peter admitted smiling at him. ‘Lester.’ he said, ‘Yes?’ ‘You are my best friend.’ ‘That’s good to hear,’ Lester told him, ‘Because you are mine.’

Charles had suggested that whilst he was working full time, he should take Sundays off. ‘You should have a break occasionally.’ he told him. Lester would have turned the suggestion down, but knowing Peter was off on a Sunday too, he agreed.

‘I’m not working Sunday,’ Lester said, ‘Do you fancy spending some time together. We could take a picnic lunch and go off on our bikes.’ Peter liked that idea and agreed.

When Peter told his Aunt Jenny, she was delighted. ‘I’m so pleased that you’ve made a friend’ she told him. ‘Why don’t you invite him back for dinner. I’ll do a Sunday roast for six o’clock or whatever time you want.’ A quick phone call to Lester and that was all arranged.

THURSDAY – LEWIS

Looking at his phone on the way home from school Lewis found an email from the holiday company he had written to. It said that it was company policy not to connect people, feeling that any couple who wanted that would exchange addresses or numbers during the holiday.

‘However, having read Garths letter, we have decided to make an exception on this occasion. We have taken this step because we have had a similar letter from Fiona. So, we have forwarded Garths letter to Fiona and Fionas letter to Garth. Both letters contain contact details so it’s in their hands now.’

‘Thank you for contacting us, we wish them every success.’

Lewis texted Garth. ‘Just heard from the holiday company. A letter from Fiona is on its way to you. Your letter is being forwarded to her. Good luck.’

‘Wow,’ came the reply, ‘That’s fantastic, thank you so much. I’ll let you know the outcome. Thanks again, Garth.’ It was followed by a row of thumbs ups and smiley faces.

SATURDAY – LEWIS

When they had closed the shop after their usual busy day, Mike and Lewis had a hug and a long kiss in the back room. Then as Mike went home, Lewis sat in the shop rewinding some tapes. He had had a request to come and see him from someone he had only met once before but they couldn’t get here until between five and six.

He was busy rewinding when he heard a knock on the shop door. Seeing the face that he was waiting for through the glass, he switched the video machine off and went and let him in.

They shook hands and went through to the back room. Lewis made them each a coffee. Sitting at the table with them, Lewis could see that his visitor was ill at ease.

‘Let me tell you a few things whilst we have our coffees,’ Lewis said. ‘First and foremost, nothing you tell me in this room will ever be repeated anywhere, without your express permission.’

‘Next, a lot of people when they meet me here think to themselves, I can’t possibly tell this young lad my problem. It’s far too embarrassing.

Lewis spotted a slight grin and knew his visitor had been thinking exactly that.

‘I have no idea how many people have been here to see me,’ Lewis told him, I don’t keep any records. But everyone has been able to relax and do exactly that eventually.’

‘Have you been able to help them?’ his visitor asked. ‘Yes.’ Lewis said. ‘Up to now, every one of them. That’s not particularly because of me. Most problems are easy to solve when you know all the facts. Especially if it’s not my own problem so I can look at it without any preconceived ideas.’

‘The hardest part is always getting the person with the problem, often one that has grown in their mind out of all proportion, to feel relaxed and safe enough with me to be able to give me the information. That usually means being able to share their intimate thoughts and embarrassing sufferings.’

‘Also, most people’s problems involve sex somewhere along the line. That bit is often the hardest to extract, especially if they have been attacked in some way.’ Lewis noticed an almost undetectable reaction to that.

‘But nothing in here will take you by surprise or hurt you.’ He explained all about that and saying ‘Pass’ or ‘Stop.’ He had already shown him his key in the lock.

‘Can you tell me how you came to contact me?’ Lewis asked. ‘When I met you at the police station last week,’ Reg told him, ‘I was puzzled about you. I asked Tom who or what you were, and he told me about some of your exploits.’

‘More to the point, he told me how they had come about. Then he assured me that although you were young, you knew what you were doing and could be trusted completely. The policeman in me said there was a lot of things he wasn’t telling me, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was absolutely certain that you can be trusted totally.’

‘I’ve had my problem for quite a while, and I’d become resigned to living with it for ever. I never thought there would be any way of dealing with it. I don’t know if you will succeed, I’m not even sure I can tell you about it yet. But after hearing Tom sing your praises, I thought it was worth at least trying to get another opinion.’

‘Well, if you decide to stay and try,’ Lewis told him, ‘You can get up and walk out anytime you want. No need to say why. If you’re not happy to be here we will never get anywhere anyway. But if you do leave, you’ll always be welcome to return.’

‘Do many people do that?’ Reg asked. ‘No, never.’ Lewis said. ‘Although I have sent two people home myself and suggested they return the next week because I thought they were struggling too much.’ ‘And did they return?’ ‘Yes.’ Lewis told him.