Better on our own - English

A Festival in Tonypridd

"Niall, here we are!" I heard Trixie calling to me as I came down the meadow where the fall festival was taking place. I looked around and saw my colleagues sitting at a table, from where Trixie and now Susen were waving happily at me.

Elliot, Arnold and Penny were on duty today and they were all sitting there too but in their uniforms. The station was just behind the park, similar to Pontypandy, so they wouldn't have to go far if an alarm was actually triggered. To my amazement, they were sitting together with Ellie, Elvis and his girlfriend Krystyna, this Ben from the ocean rescue center and his wife, as well as Susen. Tiny had probably stayed at the station or at Trixie's house. Even though the dog adored Penny, Trixie had taken a liking to the baby bear and given him a second home besides the station, which he seemed to happily and gratefully accept.

I was surprised to see that they were telling each other stories about crazy missions and laughing heartily together as I sat down on the bench between Susen and Krystyna. Elliot slid me a Coke that was still in one of the two baskets of glasses that someone had provided for everyone at the table. I took it from him awkwardly, casting a longing look at the one glass of beer inside. I wasn't a drunk or prone to overdoing things at parties, but one or two beer were still a part of a party and I liked to drink one beer every now and then. Plus, I hadn't had a drink in a long time.

Someone reached for the beer and I looked up at Ellie, who was sitting across from me and took the Coke out of my hand to drink it herself and give me the beer in return. Winking, she wanted to clink glasses with me and I did smiling.

"I don't think it's a good idea to give our rookie beer!" Elliot objected grumpily. "Just as he can climb, we'll have to get him singing off the flagpole later because he hung himself on it by his underpants!"

"I'm certainly not going to get drunk, Elliot, and as long as Tiny doesn't attack me, I have no reason to climb up the flagpole again," I answered him grumpily, which led to everyone warmly commenting and laughing on my escape from our giant baby bear.

But it didn't stop there and it was good to be able to sit together with everyone so casually, laugh and have fun. I also didn't miss how much Penny laughed that evening, encouraged by her old friends and reminiscing with them. I also didn't miss the fact that Mr. Jones was hardly ever mentioned, but it didn't seem forced or that anyone had to try hard to do so. It all seemed natural and everyone seemed to have internalized that there were certain topics that it would be better not to bring up with Penny by their side if they wanted to see her in a good mood.

Someone punched me in the back and I turned around only to see Sarah sitting behind us, who had obviously also punched Susen in the back.

"Don't you want to sit with us?" asked the young guy next to Sarah, who looked very similar to her, and Susen and I looked at each other questioningly.

"Get over there already. You should be hanging out with people your own age and not with us old cows!" Ellie shouted to us across the table, winking cheekily while Elliot insisted that he was neither old nor a cow - which immediately became a playful exchange of words to the amusement of everyone. Susen and I looked at each other and stood up to move to the other bench and sit between Sarah and the young guy who made room for us by sliding outwards.

The young guy introduced himself as Sarah's twin brother, James. Besides the two of them, the red-haired boy sat on the outside next to Sarah and I was surprised to see that he was that Norman we had heard so many stories about. A blonde girl sat in a wheelchair in front of the table and introduced herself as Hannah Sparks. A brown-haired boy with a cap opposite us was called Peter and was the brother of the pilot of the plane in Pontypandy. The dark-skinned girl with frizzy black hair next to him was the Floods' daughter, Mandy.