The house was quiet, no builders, gardeners, no smelly Land Rovers showing up with tonnes of shit.
Just a quiet house, the man from Radio 4, Gran and myself, and lots of birds singing in what used to be the garden, and was now the vegetable farm.
Gran bustled about, sorting bedrooms out. She put Ambar in Adam's room, Dad and Adam up in the new flat, even though it wasn't quite finished.
"They'll be fine, they're men." Gran laughed. "Ambar needs more comfort."
And then, there they were. Pulling up in Dad's trusty, rusty old Golf, Ambar stuffed in the back.
She jumped out and sprang over to me, throwing her arms round my neck and pulling me in for a gorgeous kiss. My heart raced. She looked radiant.
"Jasper, you are all tanned and thin," she said. "What's happened to you?"
"It's shovelling shit. That's what has done it for me, Ambar. I'm not kidding!"
Dad came over, and he grabbed me in a bear hug.
"I missed you Jasper. How are you? Gran taking good care of you?"
"Of course, she's the best."
"I haven't been here for years. Looks like a building site." he said.
"That's coz it is! I'll show you around in a min." I said.
Adam and I hugged. "How are you bro?" I asked.
"I'm fine. Bit stiff and cramped" he said, stretching and bending his tall body.
"Let's just say it wasn't like our journey in the Range Rover! I've forgiven you about Trex. Can now see the funny side of it. Was huge on YouTube. Looking good bro! You been working out?"
High praise indeed from Adam.
"By the way, Amber's hilarious." he added "She should be a standup. What's for lunch? I'm starving."
That afternoon, I took some time with Ambar down on the beach.
"It's so beautiful Jasper. The last time I felt sand under my feet was when mum took us to Camber Sands Holiday Park in 2019. It was nothing like this. Wow, look at those cliffs and all."
"Those are the Black Vann cliffs, where I found the Ichthyosaur. I'll take you there later." I said.
"Hang on a minute, I thought it was Adam that found the dragon fish, at least that's what he said." I paused. "You're fibbing me, aren't you? You don't need to do that with me, Jasper."
"OK, he found it, but it feels like I found it." I said sheepishly.
"I get it. Let's just keep the facts straight! He found it, right? Say it Jasper, say Adam found the Ichthyosaur."
"Adam found the Ichthyosaur," I parroted through gritted teeth. It was painful, but she was right.
"Good. Now show me where it was, and where you got hit by the rock."
Along the way, I showed her the little fossils all around and she collected some, totally fascinated.
There were other hunters out as well, families enjoying the holiday weather. A few people were actually swimming.
Sea erosion had changed the shape of the cliff, had swept a lot of the landfall out to sea.
Still, I found the rough spot and we sat quietly on a flat grey rock. Ambar with her eyes closed. Gulls screeched overhead and the warm sun felt good on my face.
YOU ARE READING
Fossil Fools
Adventure'It's a bad idea to burn your ancestors' Jasper is Bone Boy, an obsessive fossil hunter. He unearths a spectacular Jurassic 'Dragon Fish' fossil which befriends him in the spirit world. Bone Boy discovers that The 'Grand Council of Fossil Elders'...
