Chapter Nine

Aunt Jen had a huge decision to make.

CHAPTER NINE

The conversation with my sister went surprisingly well, for once. It wasn't all about Casey, well not much. She even promised to come visit Aunt Jen.

“Jemima and Nicholas are over chickenpox, so they're going to the in-laws at the weekend. Christopher says I look exhausted and could do with a rest, so he's insisting that I come home for a few days. I'll drive down Friday, and get back just in time to greet the new nanny.”

“Dolly will be in Dover, but I'll let him know you'll need the spare room.”

I only have one bedroom downstairs, so our guest room is upstairs in Dolly's territory. It's actually more of a 'guest box' or as Dolly puts it, hardly room to swing an ocelot.

“Oh no!” my sister protested the idea. “You can sleep upstairs. I'll need your room, it's so much bigger. And it's only for two nights after all.”

Typical Casey, wanting things her own way as usual. Visit now arranged to her exacting specifications Casey brought the conversation to an swift close.

“Got to dash Em. Meeting the girls for Pilates. 'Bye!”

Dolly had overheard my side of the conversation. When I hung up he was perched on the sofa, white as a sheet, hands half covering his face. There were tears in his eyes.

“I never imagined that” he whispered. “What can we do, Em? How do we help her?”

I sat down beside him and held out my hands. He took them. I knew how he felt, the feeling of hopelessness and despair

“It's like Peggy said. Jen set the bar with Uncle Lewis. We must be strong like she was, for her and for each other.”

“Will we be able to count on Casey? I remember how she was with your mum. In fact I'm surprised she's coming at all.”

“Hubby says she needs a rest” I enlightened him.

“Well I hope she doesn't tax Jen too much. She always wears me out”, Dolly added.

Even Lyndsay Roth was nice to me next morning. She was on patrol, taking one of her periodic tours of inspection around the building.

“Ms Jackson, how is your aunt?” she enquired, soto voce, as befits a library. So not her usual stentorian tones. “Oh dear, has there been some bad news?”

Mrs Roth must have seen something in my face, for she gently took my elbow and steered me out into the corridor.

“Let's go to my office.”

She even made me coffee while I told her about Aunt Jen's diagnosis.

“My mother went the same way. If there is anything I can do, lifts, time off, do not hesitate to ask.”

She sat down, opened the big desk diary and looked at me over her mock-shellac glasses. Normality prevailed. I took this as a signal to return to my labours.

Work over for another day, Dolly and I nipped back home to pick up the 'mouse'. One of the perks of living so close to our work place was no commuting, and as we joined the throng of people heading for home I was thankful for it. But the drive to Yewell Memorial gave me more time to worry about Jen. At work I could keep it at bay, otherwise it was constantly on my mind.

Jen smiled weakly when we walked through the doorway of Norris Ward. She tried to put on a brave face, but I could tell she was struggling. Like the Robert Frost poem, 'two paths converged in a yellow wood'. Jen had a mammoth decision to make. Should she take 'the path most travelled by' and have chemotherapy, or put her trust in the Almighty?

“Lewis was with me last time” she reminded us. “I don't know if I want to go through it again. I don't think I can face it alone....”

“You could give it a go, Mrs B” Dolly encouraged.

“But it would only slow the cancer down” Jen added. “No, I won;t have chemo again. It made me so ill last time, and there's no one at home to care for me.”

I held her hand. “You wouldn't be alone,, Aunt Jen. Dolly and I will be there for you. And Peggy and Peter, and everyone at St Sophia's.”

“But how would I cope at home after the treatment?”

I thought about that one, for maybe a nano second.

“I'll give notice at the library so I can look after you.”

“Don't be a silly girl” Jen scolded, making me feel about five years old again. “What would you go back to after I'm gone, with the job market as it is?”

I couldn't help my eyes tearing up. The situation seemed so hopeless. I had Googled ovarian cancer. When fluid starts to build up in the abdomen the cancer is already in control, creeping evilly throughout the body. It's victim has only a few months, or only weeks left, and Aunt Jen had been poorly for a while now.

A deep chasm had opened up in the world and the roller-coaster was plummeting downwards at warp factor ten. Neither Dolly nor I would dream of trying to persuade Jen to undergo chemotherapy. Whatever she decided we would be there to offer our love and support. Whatever the future held we would see it through as a team.

“I won't be in to see you for a few days, Mrs B”. Dolly changed the subject, trying to distract her. “I'm off to Devon for the weekend.”

“I'll look forward to hearing all about it when you return.” Jen gave him a weary smile.

“And Cassandra is coming down from London on Friday” I added quietly.

“I haven't seen her in ages” Jen sighed, then, a little brighter,” is she bringing the children?”

“Just herself.” That will be more than enough, I thought.

“You know I'll come back at the drop of a trilby if you need me” Dolly promised. “Just phone and I'll be here quicker than you can say 'Jack Nicholson'”.

Back in Yewell Dolly offered to come in with me while I checked on the bungalow in Richmond Street. But I wanted to walk home. The bad weather had passed on to pastures new, and I had thought up an excellent plan. Although I could rough it on the bus, all the way to Yewell Memorial and back again, there were other modes of transportation I could use. Lyndsay Roth had offered me a lift, which was unexpected and very kind. I was beginning to see a whole new side to her character. She wasn't the dour dictator she appeared to be at work. That was just her professional persona, a protective layer, to be donned each morning before she faced the working day head on. But I had a better offer, and just thinking about it made my heart race.

The Lotus was parked in the driveway of Daniel's house, but there was no sign of the Bonneville. With little butterflies of anxiety in my middle, (would he be in), I crossed the road and rang the doorbell. Daniel smiled when he saw who had come calling. A rosy hue lit up my world again, bathing everything in it's warm glow.

“Come in” he bid me, standing aside.

It was awfully tempting at the end of a long day, but I declined.

“Another time, I'm a bit tired this evening.” Daniel looked crestfallen. “But I wanted to ask you a favour” I continued.

“Anything. Ask and it shall be done.” He did a little bow. Funny boy!

“Dolly is going away for a few days.....”

“And you need a lift to the hospital?”

“If it will be no trouble. Only tomorrow. My sister is coming down, so she'll be able to take me on the weekend.” I gazed up at his handsome, bearded face, into his gorgeous blue eyes.

“It will be my pleasure. How is your aunt taking the diagnosis?”

I sighed, maybe a little too audibly. “She's been offered chemo, to slow the progress of the cancer.”

“And without treatment?” Daniel asked.

“She has about two months, maybe less.” I almost choked on the words.

“Will she go through with it, the chemo?”

“That's the billion dollar question” I told him. “She says no, not without Uncle Lewis”. I changed the subject slightly. “What time shall we say tomorrow?”

We arranged for Daniel to pick me up from work about six-ish. I started to walk away.

“Emily?” I turned at the sound of my name. “Chin up!” Daniel blew me a kiss and then he was gone.

My heart kept doing back flips all the way to the top of Perry Hill.