Read Online Desperately Seeking Heaven by Jill Steeples - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jill Steeples
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only of myself. ‘Oh Jimmy!’
‘What?’
‘I thought you’d gone. Seeing you in the church amongst your friends, your coffin, I thought I might never see you again.’
‘And here I am,’ he said, holding his arms open wide, a big grin on his face as though this whole thing was a huge joke. ‘You don’t get rid of me that easily!’ His hand touched my face. ‘Come on,’ he said, guiding me by the elbow through the throng.
Wandering through the crowds I felt like a fraud. As if I was intruding on something I had no right to be involved in, like a gatecrasher at a party. I hung back, trying to blend in with the old stone walls of the church, but Jimmy wasn’t having any of that.
‘There’s someone I want you to meet.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ I muttered, beneath my breath. What was he thinking? It wasn’t as if he could exactly introduce me to anyone. My eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces. People were milling, chatting, their shock almost palpable. And then the crowds suddenly cleared and we came to a halt and I found myself, self-conscious and blushing, in front of Jimmy’s mum and dad.
‘Hello, dear,’ she said, brandishing a smile every bit as bright and wide as her son’s, as she took my hand in hers. ‘Thank you so much for coming. Jimmy would have been so thrilled to see so many friendly faces here.’
‘Yes, wouldn’t he? I’m sure he’s here somewhere overseeing it all, wondering what all the fuss is about.’
She threw back her head and laughed, the sadness in her eyes lifting for a moment.
‘I said exactly the same thing to Michael.’ Her husband squeezed her shoulder and gave me a warm smile. ‘When we were in the church I experienced the most peculiar sensation. An overwhelming sense of peace and harmony came over me. I’m sure Jimmy was there at my side, telling me that everything would be OK. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s absolutely true.’
‘No, not at all!’ I only wished I could tell her the truth. That Jimmy had indeed been at her side, but they would all have laughed me out of the church.
‘Jimmy loved a good do. Were you a friend of his…?’
‘Oh yes,’ I said, momentarily taken aback. ‘I knew Jimmy from London. We’d only recently got to know each other, but we were…’ I faltered.
‘Good friends,’ Jimmy whispered in my ear.
‘Good friends,’ I repeated, smiling wryly, sadness filling my heart. ‘I’m Alice. Alice Fletcher. I’m so pleased I could be here today, to be part of this.’
‘Yes, it was a marvellous service wasn’t it?’ She paused, a heavy silence filling the air, her eyes moistened with tears. ‘Are you coming to the pub for a drink and a bite to eat?’
Jimmy took my arm and shook his head.
‘No, I won’t thank you.’ It felt rude to be saying no, but Jimmy was very insistent when he wanted to be. ‘I’m sure you’ll struggle to get all these people in as it is and I really must get back to London.’
‘Of course. Well, we’re very grateful to you for coming, aren’t we, Michael? And if you’re ever up this way, then you must promise to pop in and see us. You know where we live, don’t you? Honeysuckle Cottage on the village green. You can’t miss us.’
‘Thank you. I’d like that.’
I felt a pang of regret for chatting with Jimmy’s parents so very briefly, our paths crossing fleetingly, knowing that, in reality, we probably wouldn’t meet up again. Why would we, without Jimmy being around? And yet here he was beside me, tugging at my hand, urging me to get a move on, playing an ever increasing role in my life.
‘Bye,’ I said, the word catching in the back of my throat.
She didn’t hear me. Rosemary and Michael had moved on, greeting the next group of people who’d come to pay their respects to their son and I was able to slip away, following Jimmy through the shadows of the churchyard.
Chapter Eight
‘What are you doing in there?’
‘I’ll be out in a minute,’ I called,
‘What?’
‘I thought you’d gone. Seeing you in the church amongst your friends, your coffin, I thought I might never see you again.’
‘And here I am,’ he said, holding his arms open wide, a big grin on his face as though this whole thing was a huge joke. ‘You don’t get rid of me that easily!’ His hand touched my face. ‘Come on,’ he said, guiding me by the elbow through the throng.
Wandering through the crowds I felt like a fraud. As if I was intruding on something I had no right to be involved in, like a gatecrasher at a party. I hung back, trying to blend in with the old stone walls of the church, but Jimmy wasn’t having any of that.
‘There’s someone I want you to meet.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ I muttered, beneath my breath. What was he thinking? It wasn’t as if he could exactly introduce me to anyone. My eyes scanned the unfamiliar faces. People were milling, chatting, their shock almost palpable. And then the crowds suddenly cleared and we came to a halt and I found myself, self-conscious and blushing, in front of Jimmy’s mum and dad.
‘Hello, dear,’ she said, brandishing a smile every bit as bright and wide as her son’s, as she took my hand in hers. ‘Thank you so much for coming. Jimmy would have been so thrilled to see so many friendly faces here.’
‘Yes, wouldn’t he? I’m sure he’s here somewhere overseeing it all, wondering what all the fuss is about.’
She threw back her head and laughed, the sadness in her eyes lifting for a moment.
‘I said exactly the same thing to Michael.’ Her husband squeezed her shoulder and gave me a warm smile. ‘When we were in the church I experienced the most peculiar sensation. An overwhelming sense of peace and harmony came over me. I’m sure Jimmy was there at my side, telling me that everything would be OK. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s absolutely true.’
‘No, not at all!’ I only wished I could tell her the truth. That Jimmy had indeed been at her side, but they would all have laughed me out of the church.
‘Jimmy loved a good do. Were you a friend of his…?’
‘Oh yes,’ I said, momentarily taken aback. ‘I knew Jimmy from London. We’d only recently got to know each other, but we were…’ I faltered.
‘Good friends,’ Jimmy whispered in my ear.
‘Good friends,’ I repeated, smiling wryly, sadness filling my heart. ‘I’m Alice. Alice Fletcher. I’m so pleased I could be here today, to be part of this.’
‘Yes, it was a marvellous service wasn’t it?’ She paused, a heavy silence filling the air, her eyes moistened with tears. ‘Are you coming to the pub for a drink and a bite to eat?’
Jimmy took my arm and shook his head.
‘No, I won’t thank you.’ It felt rude to be saying no, but Jimmy was very insistent when he wanted to be. ‘I’m sure you’ll struggle to get all these people in as it is and I really must get back to London.’
‘Of course. Well, we’re very grateful to you for coming, aren’t we, Michael? And if you’re ever up this way, then you must promise to pop in and see us. You know where we live, don’t you? Honeysuckle Cottage on the village green. You can’t miss us.’
‘Thank you. I’d like that.’
I felt a pang of regret for chatting with Jimmy’s parents so very briefly, our paths crossing fleetingly, knowing that, in reality, we probably wouldn’t meet up again. Why would we, without Jimmy being around? And yet here he was beside me, tugging at my hand, urging me to get a move on, playing an ever increasing role in my life.
‘Bye,’ I said, the word catching in the back of my throat.
She didn’t hear me. Rosemary and Michael had moved on, greeting the next group of people who’d come to pay their respects to their son and I was able to slip away, following Jimmy through the shadows of the churchyard.
Chapter Eight
‘What are you doing in there?’
‘I’ll be out in a minute,’ I called,
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