Commute - Camp NaNoWriMo April 2015

Chapter Forty - Home, James

The ride seems to take forever. We bump over thousands of ridges and bits of gravel in the uneven track, and I can feel my lunch rising in my stomach. It's not a good feeling, I can tell you that.

At last, we arrive at a small-ish, stone cottage. We pull into the field behind it, and Kind Farmer leads me round and through the front door.

His wife, a plump woman in her sixties - don't all farmers have to have plump wives? - appears in front of us. "Afternoon, Sam. Who's this?"

He looks at me for an answer. "I'm Maya McKenna," I tell her, and explain the whole sorry tale. By the end, I'm sitting in her kitchen, with a cup of tea and a plate of Bourbons on the table next to me.

"Call whoever you want," she says warmly, handing me the house phone. I ring Jamie first.

"Hello?"

His voice sounds tired.

"Jamie?"

"MAYA! Is that Maya? Please let it be you! Where the hell have you been? I've been out of my mind!"

I explain the whole saga to him again, and by the time I've finished he's in his car, driving towards us. I tell him that we need to drop off Tired Mum and Fat Kid as well.

"That's fine," he says, choked up with relief. "Anything you want, Maya."

I ring the rest of the numbers on the sheet, and I tell the story to each and every frantic relative/wife/roommate. When at last they're all on their way, I lean back in the chair and sigh.

"Thank you so much for the tea, Mrs...?"

"Drew," she tells me, clearing away the (now empty) plate of biscuits and my mug. "Mrs Drew, but please call me Emily."

"Thank you for the tea and biscuits, Emily. I really appreciate it."

"No, no, don't mention it. You've gone through a lot these past two days. It's my pleasure."

I hear the rev of a car engine outside, and jump up. "That's probably Jamie!"

I rush out into the yard, and sure enough, there is Jamie's silver Volvo. He climbs out and we run to hug each other.

"I was so worried!" he tells me. "Why didn't you call?"

"No mobile signal," I say. "I tried, believe me."

Soon enough, other peoples' friends and families turn up. When everyone has arrived, we walk down the track (along with Kind Farmer and Emily) until we reach the meadow where everyone is waiting.

It's a tearful reunion, I'll tell you that. There are a lot of hugs, frantic questions and why-didn't-you-call exchanges like the one Jamie and I had in the yard of the cottage. Only Tired Mum and Fat Kid are standing uncomfortably on the outside of the group.

I walk over to them and say "Do you want to come and get in the Volvo? We'll take you home."

Tired Mum smiles at me in relief. "Thanks, Maya." Then, she turns to Fat Kid. "Come on, Harry."

"NO!" shouts Fat Kid. "I don't want to go with stupid newspaper lady! I want to go HOME!"

"We are going home, Harry," says Tired Mum patiently, "Maya is taking us home. And don't be rude to her, please."

They both get into the back of Jamie's car. I climb into the front seat.

"Home, James," I say to him, and he sticks his tongue out at me and starts driving.