The Five-Year Plan

‘That’s lovely, Katie. But I can manage, thank you.’

‘Well, if you’re sure.’ She shrugs and then bends her knees to peer through my window. Outside, a red Vauxhall is pulling up in the car park. ‘Oh my God, that’s Danny. He’s early! Why is he so early? Sorry, Orla. I’m going to have to go and change before he sees me in my uniform. Give me a call if you need anything.’ She runs out in a blind panic.

The lad in the car seems to be combing his dark hair in his rear-view mirror, so I think she has time to change. Struggling to my feet, I hobble and hop to my now steamy bathroom and am almost in tears by the time I get there. According to the Internet, I should be trying to use my foot more now, but it’s so painful I can’t face it. I think about giving the bath a miss, but then catch sight of my grotty hair in the mirror and realise I’ve got baked beans down my pyjamas. I am pretty gross.

Getting into the bath is awkward, but I manage. I prop my bad ankle on the side so the bandage doesn’t get wet and set to soaping the rest of my body. I even manage to reach the shower head and wash my hair. I’m feeling pretty good about myself when I realise that actually getting out of the bath is not going to be easy. The bottom and the sides are slippery with bath oil, and I can’t get enough grip with my good leg to push myself up. My first attempt ends up with me slipping back down and jolting my bad ankle, and I howl in pain. I’m going to have to call Katie to get me out. The indignity of it makes me cry and I spend a couple of minutes feeling sorry for myself before realising I can’t actually call Katie because my phone is out of reach on the closed lid of the toilet. I get angry then, cursing my mother and Katie because this is surely all their fault for making me wash in the first place. And why did Katie put bloody bath oil in? How stupid can you get!

My anger gradually subsides and I realise I’m being ungrateful and need to think logically if I’m going to get myself out of this predicament. Perhaps if I empty the bath of water, it might be easier. But then, if it isn’t, I don’t want to sit here cold and wet. I could always refill it, but I know my hot tap comes out at a temperature close to boiling, so that runs the risk of scalding.

It’s better than sitting here in rapidly cooling water though.

I’m floundering around, trying to pull out the plug when the doorbell goes. I freeze, wondering who it is. Katie has a key, so it can’t be her.

Maybe it’s Mum? ‘Mum?’ I shout, and then realise I sound like a child and stop immediately. Whoever is out there won’t be able to hear me from the bathroom anyway.

The doorbell chimes again. I try and fail to get out of the bath one more time. Water splashes over the sides and I whack my elbow and swear at the pain. My phone vibrates violently from the toilet, its face lighting up with Aiden’s name.

What does he want now? The man’s a nuisance!

There’s a long loofah on the side, and it occurs to me that I might be able to use it to draw my phone close enough to reach. I edge it closer, my tongue between my teeth, and just as it gets to the point where it’s about to drop from the seat onto the floor, I manage to reach it with my fingertips.

Aha! The phone is mine!

I’m not sure Aiden’s the best person to speak to in my current situation, but I answer it anyway.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, where are you?’ Aiden sounds put out, which annoys me because what right does he have to expect me to be in when he didn’t even tell me he was stopping by? He doesn’t even know me! And what’s he doing here anyway? Is he some kind of creepy stalker?

‘Why do you want to know?’ I snap.

‘Because I’m ringing your doorbell and there’s no answer. I’ve brought you something.’

‘What have you brought me?’ I’m no less suspicious and I know I sound it but can’t help myself.

‘It’s a surprise,’ he says, and I’m surprised by how cheerful he sounds when I sound so crabby.

I rack my brain for what he might have brought for me. I hope it’s not flowers or anything cringey like that. I detest being given sentimental gifts and hate opening presents in front of anyone. Even my mother. I know I’m weird, but I can’t help it.

‘So, are you at home or are you out?’

‘I’m at home, but I can’t come to the door right now.’

‘Why? Are you okay?’

I pause. Should I tell him or not? I don’t want him to think I’m incapable of looking after myself, but then I do need help, and maybe he can get Katie to come and help me out.

‘Yes. Well, I’m kind of stuck in the bath.’

‘You’re stuck in the bath?’ He sounds alarmed. ‘What are you doing having a bath? Can I help?’

‘You could go and get Katie from upstairs.’

‘I’ve just seen Katie. She’s just gone off in some guy’s car.’

‘Nooooo she hasn’t!’ I groan and put my head in my hands. ‘I tell you what, can you put a note through her door telling her to come and get me when she gets in from wherever she’s been?’

‘Orla, you can’t stay in the bath until she comes home! You could fall asleep and drown.’

‘I won’t fall asleep. I don’t feel sleepy in the slightest.’

‘Don’t be stupid. Have you a spare key hidden anywhere?’

‘No! I don’t want you to come in, anyway!’

‘Well, it’s either going to be me or the fire brigade. Which would you prefer? One guy who has already had you vomit over his boots, or three or four burly firemen?’

‘Now that you say that, that’s the stuff of fantasies. I choose the firemen.’

‘Orla, be serious. I can help you.’

I scowl at the wall for a moment. ‘Did I really vomit on your boots?’

‘Just a bit of a splatter. Nothing much.’

‘Still gross.’

‘Yeah, so I’ve already seen you acting like the exorcist and have no interest in your body other than getting it out of that bathtub.’

‘Well, you still can’t get in. Katie’s got my spare key.’

There’s a noise like the rattle of the door handle. ‘Yeah I can. The door’s open.’

‘What?!’

‘Yeah, you really should watch your security. Anyone could walk in while you’re naked in the bath.’

‘Don’t just walk in,’ I shout in a panic.

‘I can’t leave you stuck in the bath, Orla! Is there a towel to hand or anything else you can use to cover yourself up?’

‘Erm, yes.’ I grab the bathmat from the floor and submerge it in the water, covering up the front of my body. It’s a pretty obvious solution really, and my panic subsides. I can hear him outside the door. ‘Okay, you can come in now,’ I say.

The door swings open and Aiden fills the doorway. I glance up to see he’s wearing a faded blue denim shirt and black jeans and then look back down at the bathmat that’s covering me. I feel so vulnerable and humiliated right now, I can’t even look at him.

‘Hi,’ he says, as if he sees me sitting in a bath every day. ‘How do you want to do this? Do you want me to pull you up from under your arms or lift you bodily out?’

‘Under the arms is fine,’ I mutter.

‘Okay then.’ He takes the bath towel from the radiator and tucks it under his left arm before bending to help me out. I feel his hands under my armpits before he lifts me up so I’m sitting inelegantly on the side of the bath. My backside squelches on the wet plastic and Aiden giggles.

‘Child,’ I say darkly.

‘Sorry.’ He straightens his face and wraps the towel around me so I can drop the sodden bathmat back into the bath, and then he supports me so I can swing my good leg over the side and stand up.

‘Thanks,’ I say stiffly. I know I should sound more grateful, but I feel so embarrassed and ashamed I can’t even look at him.

‘No problem. Do you want your robe?’

‘Yes, please.’ I’ve never been so glad to put an item of clothing on in my life. Annoyingly, I need his help for that too, and he holds it out to me so I can put my hand into the sleeve while I use the sink for support.

‘Your present’s outside,’ he says, smiling at me in the reflection of the mirror.

‘I don’t want a present,’ I say ungraciously. ‘I hate presents.’

He looks at me for a moment as though I’m from a different planet. ‘You’ll like this one,’ he assures me. ‘I promise you.’

I growl at him. I don’t even mean to, it just happens. Luckily, he doesn’t seem offended and helps me out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. There, leaning against the end of my bed, is a crutch. It is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

‘Ta-daa!’ he says. ‘I found it in Ivy’s garage. She had no idea she had it, but said she’d broken her foot back in the Nineties so it must be from then. Anyway, I thought you might be able to use it, unless you’ve got one already? They should have given you one at the hospital, really, but I think they thought we lived together so you’d have help anyway. Maybe we should have been clearer that you lived alone and were a stubborn idiot who refuses help of any kind. Anyway, shall I put the kettle on while you get changed?’ He waits for me to answer but I can’t actually speak at that moment. I feel as overwhelmed as I would be if I’d just been given the keys to a new car. ‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he says, and disappears into the kitchen.

The crutch is clearly old and a bit battered, but I don’t care. I stroke its length lovingly and then pick it up and try it out. It takes a bit of practice but I’m able to move around my bedroom and then make my way to the kitchen. Aiden is unloading the dishwasher. I watch him in amazement for a moment before hobbling over and wrapping my arm around his waist with my face pressed into his back in an awkward hug.

‘Thank you,’ I croak.

‘It’s no bother at all,’ he says pleasantly.

‘And you don’t have to unload my dishwasher,’ I tell him.

‘I know I don’t, but I want to.’ He smiles down at me then moves over to the kettle as it starts to boil. ‘You should let people help when they want to help, Orla. It makes them feel good about themselves. So you see, you’re actually helping me by letting me help you, because it makes me feel good about myself.’

‘Oh, okay then. In that case, you can make me some soup too.’

‘Soup? Is that all you’re having for tea?’

‘I don’t want toast, and you told me the other day that was all you can make. I figure opening a tin of soup might not be too difficult.’

‘Come on, Orla. You can’t live on soup.’

‘I like soup.’

‘What else do you have?’ He opens a cupboard door and peers up at the empty shelves.

‘Nothing. I haven’t been shopping, have I!’

Shutting the cupboard door, he turns to look at me. ‘I’ll go shopping for you then.’

‘You can’t go shopping for me!’ I laugh incredulously. ‘Why would you go shopping for me?’

‘Because you need to eat, Orla. And besides, what did I say before? You’re making me feel good by letting me help, remember.’

‘Yeah, but this is your time. I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than go shopping for me.’

‘Orla, make a list and shut up.’

My stomach growls loudly and he raises an eyebrow. ‘I tell you what,’ I say. ‘I’ll do an Internet shop and get it delivered tomorrow, but right now, you can go to the chippy and get us both some chips.’

He thinks for a moment. ‘How are you going to unload your shopping tomorrow?’

‘I have a crutch now. I’ll be okay.’

‘I tell you what, I’ll go and get you some chips, and while I’m out, I’ll get you bread and milk and some bits and bobs from the corner shop.’

‘You don’t have to do that.’

‘I know I don’t, but I want to.’ He picks up his keys from the side.

‘Are you going to eat with me?’

His eyes dart to the side as though he’s trying to decide what the correct response would be. ‘Yes?’ he ventures.

‘Good.’ I smile and hand him a twenty-pound note from my purse. ‘Get whatever you want. My treat. As a thank-you for rescuing me from the bath.’

He looks at the twenty-pound note for a second, and I see him weighing up whether he should take it or not before he plucks it from my fingers and folds it into the back pocket of his jeans. ‘Okay, I’ll be back shortly.’ He takes my cup of tea to the coffee table, then points at the sofa. ‘Sit down and put your ankle up.’

Chapter 5

I watch him go out to the pick-up truck and drive off before using the crutch to get to my bedroom and change into my pyjamas. I’m astounded by his kindness. I don’t think I’ve met anyone like him before. Especially as he’s a near stranger.

Aiden returns about half an hour later, with a shopping bag full of supplies and chips for us both. I watch from the sofa as he gets plates down from the cupboard and opens drawers looking for cutlery. ‘What have you been doing today?’ he asks as he carries the plates over and sets them down on the coffee table.

‘I worked from home. What have you been doing?’

‘Just going through trail cam footage and looking for signs that the otters are out.’

‘And are they?’

‘Nope.’

‘So it’s just a waiting game?’

‘Yep.’

‘Sounds like it can get pretty boring.’

‘It can do, but it’s also wonderful when you do get some footage so it’s well worth the wait. I’ve got a friend who’s setting up a sensory forest for children with special needs and he wants me to help, so I might go and help him for a couple of days. It’s only local. You might be interested in that for your paper, actually.’

‘Oh yes, that sounds good.’

‘I’ll let you know when I’m going. You can come along.’ He bends to eat the chip on the end of his fork. ‘How did your boss react when you told him what happened to your ankle?’

I sigh, still worried that Phil’s not going to let me do any more solo interviews. ‘He said I shouldn’t have gone down to meet you on my own. Like you were the big bad wolf or something.’

‘Well, just about everyone you know has told you the same thing now, so … you know.’ He shrugs. ‘At least you know not to do that in future.’

‘Hmm, yeah, well I’m worried he’s going to insist I accompany him everywhere for another six months now. This was my chance to show him I could manage on my own, and I blew it.’

‘Oh no, don’t say that.’

‘It’s true though, I have,’ I say gloomily. ‘I wish I hadn’t told him what really happened and just made something up instead.’

‘It’s always best to be truthful. I can phone him and tell him you did a fine job of interviewing me, if you want?’

I laugh. ‘No, it’s alright. I sent him the article and he was happy with it. He’s just worried about my safety now.’

Aiden smiles. ‘Do you like working on the newspaper?’

‘Yes, I love it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. Well, not work on the Hawksley Gazette, specifically. The aim is to get one of the bigger, national papers one day, but this is a great start.’

‘So, you’re how old?’

‘Twenty-two. This is my first job after graduating. I did a journalism course and then got taken on by the Gazette.’

‘Do you not find all the crime and stuff depressing?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I flicked through Ivy’s paper the other day and it was full of bad stuff happening, people getting arrested for drug dealing and robberies. There was a story about a road closure because of a fatal car crash and then a stabbing and a factory closure. Even the lighter stories were about the hospital parking prices going up and a beloved oak tree being cut down in the park.’

‘Oh, I forgot about the tree in the park.’ I scribble a note on the pad. ‘I need to link that to our eco-blog section of the website.’

Aiden shrugs. ‘It’s only a small town. How can there be so much bad shit happening in such a small town? I don’t get it.’

‘There’s always bad shit happening. Where there’s people, there’s shit. I know what you mean though. I spent last Monday compiling a list of local people who’d been convicted in court recently. I’m sure there are more good news stories out there, it’s just that readers seem to want to read the bad stuff.’

‘Really? Now that’s depressing. See you covered the tree being chopped down, but not the story about the three thousand trees that are being planted on the old landfill site two miles away. All the bad stories fuel people’s paranoia and make them want to isolate themselves.’

‘Yeah, maybe you’re right.’ I sigh, feeling a bit despondent. ‘But it’s important that people know what’s going on on their doorstep. So what about you, then. Did you always want to be a nature photographer? How did you get into it?’

He shrugs and chews on another chip. ‘Where I grew up in County Wicklow, it was very green and rural. I used to spend hours bird-watching with my father, out and about among the mountains so it grew from that, really. I suppose I never set out to be a photographer, it was just a natural progression. I studied ecology and conservation at university and my student job was in a wildlife park. Just in the gift shop – nothing to do with the animals, really, but I started going out and photographing them during my breaks and it grew from there. I entered some competitions, sent my photos off to magazines, made myself a website, Instagram and Facebook page, and went travelling with my camera.’

‘Where did you go first?’

‘I travelled around Europe at first. I had no money so I got jobs in bars and restaurants to pay my way. Stayed in the cheapest accommodation possible and just took photos of the local wildlife when I could. I started in France then worked my way down to Spain. Nothing happened for a while and my parents weren’t happy. Then I found a colony of wolves and started photographing them and that was when I started to make a bit of money and make a name for myself. Since then, I’ve been all over the world. There are still places I want to see, and things I want to photograph, so it’s not like I’m saying I’ve done it all already. But I’ve been to some amazing places and seen some wonderful things and I’m still as excited about it as the first time I picked up a camera.’

‘Wow, that’s amazing. What’s been the highlight of your career so far?’

‘Finding the wolf colony, because it was a complete accident. I was out walking, photographing the landscape, and suddenly there was just this wolf. Luck was on my side and I was positioned just right so she couldn’t see or smell me. Here, give me your laptop and I’ll show you. I am so in love with wolves it’s unreal. Honestly, they are the most captivating animal. Just the expression in their eyes and the way they interact with each other. I could have lived there, watching them, forever.’

Pushing the plate aside, he takes my laptop and brings up the web browser. He types in his web address and brings up a gallery of breathtaking photographs. ‘Here,’ he says, turning the screen to face me. There is a photo of a wolf with bright yellow eyes against a backdrop of a sapphire sky. ‘This is the alpha male of the pack. I called him Hercules. And this one here,’ he says, scrolling through and bringing up a photograph of a wolf cub licking its mother’s chin, ‘is the image I was nominated for an award for. But I didn’t win, so it’s bollocks. And here …’ He gets up and moves around to sit on the floor in front of me. ‘Here is the pack on the move, down the mountain.’

He takes me through the rest of his photographs. There are stunning shots of birds, lynx, bears, beavers and deer. There are landscape shots too, and photos of him on location, sitting outside his tent on a snowy mountainside, wrapped up against the cold, and another of him next to a river, tinged green by the forest canopy above his head. I’m fascinated and enthralled. He talks at length about all the different places he’s stayed and the animals he’s seen. The friends he’s made along the way. I don’t have to prompt him to tell me anything.

‘It’s so wonderful to see your passion for nature,’ I say, when he comes to the end of the photographs on his website. ‘It’s clear that that’s what drives you to do this work.’

‘Of course, and I want to inspire that passion in other people too. More than that, I want to inspire compassion for these animals and the planet itself. I want to show people how magnificent it is and educate them on why it deserves our protection.’ He flicks through more of the photographs. ‘It’s so amazing. I want to take everyone on a journey, educating them on what’s out there. People are so wrapped up in their own lives, their own worlds. So many people living in cities. I could never live in say, London, for instance. I don’t know how people can breathe.’

‘I want to live in London,’ I say. ‘One day, anyway.’

‘You do? Why?’

‘It’s such a wonderful place. So vibrant and exciting. Plus, that’s where I’d need to be to get a job on one of the big nationals.’

‘More doom and gloom?’

‘Probably,’ I admit. ‘But on a bigger scale. I don’t want to be stuck here in Hawksley for the rest of my life.’

‘You don’t have to be stuck anywhere, Orla. The world is your oyster, as they say.’

‘Yes, if you’re prepared to live in a tent! Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.’

Aiden sighs and clicks off his website. ‘Yeah, it’s not for everyone.’

‘Have you ever had your own flat or house or anything?’

‘No.’

‘Do you think you ever will?’

He’s silent for a moment. ‘I don’t know. Maybe. I suppose there may come a time when I can’t or don’t want to live like this anymore, but for now I like it.’

‘Where do you store all your equipment though? Surely you must have hundreds of pounds worth of photography equipment. Who’s going to insure you if you keep it in a tent? And what about the camping equipment for different climates. You had at least four different tents in those photographs. Do you just throw them away?’

‘Sometimes, if they get damaged in storms or what have you. Otherwise, I store them at my parents’ house.’

‘Your poor parents.’

‘Yeah, I leave a lot of my stuff with them, to be honest. But they’re very good about it.’

‘Do you go and see them a lot?’

‘Not a lot, I suppose, but when I can. At least three or four times a year, and I go home for Christmas.’ He looks towards the window, and I sense he’s about to leave. It’s gone nine o’clock and the daylight is leaching from the sky. ‘I suppose I’d better go,’ he says. ‘It’ll be too dark to find my tent if I leave it too late. Besides, you need to rest.’

‘Okay.’ I feel disappointed. I could carry on listening to Aiden all night. ‘Thanks for showing me your website and telling me about yourself. It’s been fascinating.’

He laughs. ‘I hope I haven’t bored you.’

‘Of course, you haven’t. And thank you for all your help tonight, and for the crutch. It’s officially the best present I’ve ever had.’

‘Steady on now.’ He laughs and gets to his feet. ‘Well, I’ll be seeing you, Orla. Take care of yourself.’

‘You too. Good luck finding your way back to your tent.’

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.