meant for office work and storing nursing equipment, but it was more like a drapery store. A hand towel fell from a variety of sheets and clothes cramming the surrounding shelves. I picked it up, and trying to find a space to shove it back, said, ‘I learnt two things about the Captain this morning. One, he can easily and quickly get out of a bath and two, a cold one’s a great way to sober him up. Mind you, with all his squeals and protests you’d have thought his wife would have lain low, but she came through to investigate.’ I mimed a pistol to my head. ‘She insisted she fill the bath instead of me doing it and she’d help him get back in. It was completely obvious to her that I wasn’t competent enough.’
I didn’t add that Ginny had also said she was protecting her husband against flighty pieces, a remark which had thoroughly interested the Captain and thoroughly annoyed me.
The remark might still have rankled had Sister Shiach not seemed so pleased. Clapping her hands twice, she said, ‘Well, that’s just fine. And there was me feeling sorry for her! She can get on with helping him. It’ll save me the hassle of visiting. There’s lots more people needing my time than the bloomin’ Saunders-Hewitts. I’ve only really been going there to support her, but it sounds like she’s managing fine, if in her own way.’
‘Well, to tell you the truth,’ I said, ‘I think she quite enjoyed the experience. She must have. She actually threw off her kimono, pulled off her necklaces, shouted, “Look! Charles, I’m casting my pearls before swine,” then she dived in. There was a bit of a splash,’ I reflected. ‘You’re lucky to see me. For a minute I thought I’d be washed away in a tidal wave. Anyway, I got out before I could see any more creative uses of a loofah.’
Chuckling, Sister Shiach opened a green book with a list of names and columns beside them. She took a red pen and put a tick beside the Captain’s name. ‘To show he’s had a visit,’ she explained, then she stroked a line through it. ‘There! I’ll give him a follow-up call, tell him he’s off the books and I’m so pleased he’s able to bathe himself but to keep an eye on his wife when she’s there too. It’d be good for him to take some responsibility for her for a change.’
Had Jomo had a watch, he’d have been checking it. As it was, he was studying the door with fixed interest then running to his mistress and pawing at her boots. I wished I had boots like hers. They looked far more useful than my trendy numbers, which leaked and seemed to embrace the cold. My toes were sore when they weren’t itching. Maybe I was getting chilblains. Sensible boots would probably solve the problem. Thinking about the bell-tent lady and how exposed to cold she must be made me feel lucky I’d such a simple solution.
Sister Shiach shrugged into her coat. ‘Okay, Jomo, we’ll go. Come on, troops.’
As I got into her car I said, ‘I didn’t get round to asking you last night, but were the bell-tenters all right?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really. It was so cold I was anxious about them. It was a good thing I took them soup and the mum wasn’t too proud to take it. The stove was going great guns so I thought that as long as they didn’t put their tent on fire they’d survive.’ She wiped the windscreen with the back of her gloved hand and peered up at the sky. ‘Thank God the weather’s better today. Still, I think Mum’s beginning to realise she can’t go it alone. I’m going to have a word with her doctor today. See if we can get her a house. I bet there’ll be one near Bell shortly.’
Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she continued, ‘From the way she spoke yesterday, her present neighbour’ll soon be wanting a shift. She’s not going to stay at the end of Bell’s tongue for long. What d’you say, Jomo?’ Thoughtfully, she stroked his head.
Jomo stood up to wag his tail, which made Sister Shiach nod
I didn’t add that Ginny had also said she was protecting her husband against flighty pieces, a remark which had thoroughly interested the Captain and thoroughly annoyed me.
The remark might still have rankled had Sister Shiach not seemed so pleased. Clapping her hands twice, she said, ‘Well, that’s just fine. And there was me feeling sorry for her! She can get on with helping him. It’ll save me the hassle of visiting. There’s lots more people needing my time than the bloomin’ Saunders-Hewitts. I’ve only really been going there to support her, but it sounds like she’s managing fine, if in her own way.’
‘Well, to tell you the truth,’ I said, ‘I think she quite enjoyed the experience. She must have. She actually threw off her kimono, pulled off her necklaces, shouted, “Look! Charles, I’m casting my pearls before swine,” then she dived in. There was a bit of a splash,’ I reflected. ‘You’re lucky to see me. For a minute I thought I’d be washed away in a tidal wave. Anyway, I got out before I could see any more creative uses of a loofah.’
Chuckling, Sister Shiach opened a green book with a list of names and columns beside them. She took a red pen and put a tick beside the Captain’s name. ‘To show he’s had a visit,’ she explained, then she stroked a line through it. ‘There! I’ll give him a follow-up call, tell him he’s off the books and I’m so pleased he’s able to bathe himself but to keep an eye on his wife when she’s there too. It’d be good for him to take some responsibility for her for a change.’
Had Jomo had a watch, he’d have been checking it. As it was, he was studying the door with fixed interest then running to his mistress and pawing at her boots. I wished I had boots like hers. They looked far more useful than my trendy numbers, which leaked and seemed to embrace the cold. My toes were sore when they weren’t itching. Maybe I was getting chilblains. Sensible boots would probably solve the problem. Thinking about the bell-tent lady and how exposed to cold she must be made me feel lucky I’d such a simple solution.
Sister Shiach shrugged into her coat. ‘Okay, Jomo, we’ll go. Come on, troops.’
As I got into her car I said, ‘I didn’t get round to asking you last night, but were the bell-tenters all right?’
She shook her head. ‘Not really. It was so cold I was anxious about them. It was a good thing I took them soup and the mum wasn’t too proud to take it. The stove was going great guns so I thought that as long as they didn’t put their tent on fire they’d survive.’ She wiped the windscreen with the back of her gloved hand and peered up at the sky. ‘Thank God the weather’s better today. Still, I think Mum’s beginning to realise she can’t go it alone. I’m going to have a word with her doctor today. See if we can get her a house. I bet there’ll be one near Bell shortly.’
Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, she continued, ‘From the way she spoke yesterday, her present neighbour’ll soon be wanting a shift. She’s not going to stay at the end of Bell’s tongue for long. What d’you say, Jomo?’ Thoughtfully, she stroked his head.
Jomo stood up to wag his tail, which made Sister Shiach nod
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