Chapter 11

I had a busy weekend; I had stopped up late on Friday night to watch a box set of some cheesy American comedy series. I woke up late on Saturday morning and after a shower and shave I headed out for a walk. I was determined to get back on my running, but I knew there was no way until I had my plasters cast off. But I could walk and walk I did, I headed down to the harbour and treated myself to a good breakfast before walking out over the headlands and along the coastal path.

The scenery was amazing, it was the sort of view you never get tired of. I walked for two hours and then two and a half hours back. As I trudge up the lane to my house my legs were like lead.

I was lucky with the weather as well, I got home and had another shower and when I came down to the kitchen, I saw that it was raining cats and dogs. I made up a meal plan as the kettle warmed up.

I made a coffee and then did some online shopping. First, I did a food delivery shop, plenty of vegetables and salad. Then I ordered some new running shoes and kit to replace the stuff the paramedics had cut off. That was all on a seven-day delivery but that was cool. I was going to have to do a fair few long walks before I got back to running.

Then I hit amazon and ordered an e-reader, it was something I had been umming and erring about, but I decided there and then to order one. Then I downloaded a couple of new albums to add to my iTunes account.

Once I had done all that I made another coffee and sat down and fell down a YouTube back hole.

It was early evening before I turned the laptop off and made my dinner, I just opened a can of soup and made some toast.

Then I watched TV for the rest of the evening. I was in bed well before ten o’clock. The following morning, I was up with the lark.

I decided to shower when I got back, so I got my walking gear in and put some cash in my pocket and headed out for a walk. I walked up the lane and entered some woods, there was a path that led to the coastal path. Yesterday I had walked north, today I walked south.

The path was muddy and littered with puddles after last night’s rain.

There were a few dog walkers and joggers around, some I knew to say hello to and some who were lost in their own thoughts. After two hours I turned back and headed back toward the town.

There was a coffee shop I used sometimes that did great blueberry muffins and I headed toward it. The small town was busy. Lots of holidaymakers walking around, and the beach looked busy as well. In another month, the holiday season would be over, and the place would be deserted. It was that sort of town.

I managed to get a table in the coffee shop and ordered a coffee and a muffin. It was nice to sit in the window seat and watch the world go by. I sat there for a good hour and had another coffee before I headed home.

I put a pie in the oven and took a long shower before settling down to watch TV.

Emily was early on Monday morning, I had not been out of the shower long, but I was dressed.

She rang the bell, and I opened the door, she came in and hung her coat up.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Is it?” she replied and went into the kitchen, I followed her in

“Would you like a coffee before you get started? “I asked.

“If I wanted one, I would make one, okay??” was her answer, “Right what do you want me to do today?”

“Erm, okay well there is still some ironing to be done,” I said and wondered what I had done to upset her.

“Right, I will do that,” she said and went to the cupboard under the stairs and returned with the iron and ironing board.

“Look is there something wrong?” I asked, trying to be friendly.

“Why do you think there is something wrong?” she asked, her voice surly and grumpy,

“You just don’t seem yourself today,” I said and smiled hoping to get on her right side

“Look I am here to do a job, and that’s that, okay, so let’s cut the small talk and I can get on with my job,” she said, there was venom in her voice.

“Okay yes, let’s...” I started to say but she just interrupted me

“Good, as long as we know where we are, “she said, the scowl on her face told me that it was no good arguing with her. this was a different girl than I had met the first time she had come to visit.

“Yes, that’s fine with me,” I said.

“Good,” she said and shot me a dirty look.

“Okay well I will leave you to it,” I said and went upstairs, I got my walking shoes on and headed back downstairs. I popped my head around the kitchen door,

“I am off for a walk, maybe see you later?” I said and gave her my best smile

“Yea whatever” she retorted without even looking around at me I left her and walked down to the harbour.

As I walked, I wondered if I had said or done something to piss her off. I could not think of anything but hey women are a strange breed. I walked around, enjoying the sun, and then walked back through the park. It was still weird walking past where the fight had been, and again I did stop for a few seconds before moving on.

As I walked on my head returned to Emily and what I might have done to piss her off. I tracked back over stuff we had talked about, there was nothing I could think of that might have pissed her off. It was all very weird.

By the time I had reached home she had gone but there was a nice pile of ironing on the end of the bed. When I went into the living room, I could see she had dusted and hoovered.

I put the oven on and cooked a frozen lasagna and while it was cooking, I prepared enough salad to last me a couple of days. I checked my email and had a bit of a surf around the internet while the food was cooked. There is nothing like going down a YouTube black hole to waste a bit of time.

I ate at the dining table in the kitchen, then I did the washing up and watched rugby for the rest of the day. I did not eat that evening, and I was in bed before nine, and my sleep was disturbed. I had so many thoughts running around my head. Some good and some bad.

I was up and awake before six, so I got my walking gear on and headed out. The walking was doing me the world of good I was sure of that. I walked down into the town, around the harbour and then out along the cliff, walking the coastal path. Yesterday I had walked for two hours and felt tired. I was sure if I did the same again for a week I would start to get back to some sort of fitness.

I walked with my head up, watching the birds. I had never been a bird watcher, but I decided to hit amazon for a pair of binoculars and a bird spotting book. The coastal path had a multitude of different birds, and it would have been nice to know what they all were. As they say, every day is a school day!

I got to a path that led inland and would lead me back toward the town, I took the turn and said hello to a couple of walkers that were heading toward me. The path led down into a small wood and then followed a stream that I know flowed out into the harbour.

The sun was now getting higher in the sky, and it was nice to be out on such a great morning. I entered the town and walked down to the harbour. The smell of coffee and bacon sandwiches drew me to the coffee shop.

I sat outside and ate the best bacon and egg butty I had had in a long time; the coffee as always was great. Then I walked home and wondered what mood Emily would be in, it half crossed my mind to ring social services and ask for someone else but that was almost admitting defeat I needed to sort this out and find out what was up with her.

I did not find out that day as when I got home, I had an answer machine message to say she was off sick, and they could not find a replacement at such short notice.