Barton Green.

Chapter 11

The cup I had been holding shattered as it hit the floor.

Joe jumped up off the sofa and grabbed my wrists just before I lifted any of the broken pieces.

"You'll cut yourself lass." Was all he said. He lowered me down into the chair again and went to the kitchen.

I heard the questions as he asked for the cleaning products and even found myself answering them. All I could think about and all that was going round in my head was that he knew Jonathan. I was one step closer to finding out what he meant to my Aunt.

I sat there watching as he cleaned the floor. Sweeping up all the broken pieces and putting them in the bin. He boiled the kettle and freshened the tea pot. Soon I was holding a cup of sweet hot tea.

"Drink up lass. I'm sure there are more questions in that pretty little head of yours than ever before."

We sat in silence and I sipped the strong sugared tea.

I knew he was waiting for me to speak first but I couldn't form the words and get my mouth to say them. My mind was reliving my life trying to sort all this new piece of knowledge and make some sense of it.

I smiled as I remembered long summer days being chased through the grass in the park. The wind whipping my hair round my face as walked hand in hand along the beach looking for shells. I may not of had my parents there for all of it but I still had a wonderful childhood.

Aunt Kate was a great playmate and cook and teacher. If she didn't know the answer we would walk hand in hand to the Reference Library in the High Street. There we would pour over books, searching until we discovered our answer. Where the stars went in the day? How to say hello in Japanese! Why oil and water don't mix? Our quests were varied and as wide only as my imagination.

I asked her all sorts of questions but never about her! How could I have known so little about her? When she was my world?

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Only then did Joe speak.

"Sometimes we are to close and can't see the woods for the trees!"

I lifted my eyes to meet his.

"When we're young" he continued "we think our family are going to live for ever. So we put time with them off until tomorrow. Unfortunately sometimes tomorrow never comes. She still lives you know. I see her smile when you do. I hear her laugh when you laugh. I know that someday you'll see that to."

"Oh Joe." I wailed. I put my cup on the table and flung to my knees by his feet. Holding him round his waist I cried like a little girl who as cut her knee and he hushed like only a grandfather can.