Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
It was drizzling as Mercury got out of the cab. The allotments were huge. Neatly planted vegetable patches stretched far ahead of him. Little sheds dotted around.
The backs of Edwardian houses lined the whole perimeter like the teeth of a beast that threatened to engulf this little oasis.
"Another worthy cause," Mercury said to himself.
He had tried to convince himself and Lotty that he could find just as much fulfilment at the Haka Allotments. Yet, he wasn't convincing either of them.
Nick hadn't been in touch. Mercury had given up even checking his phone now. It was the harsh truth that Nick had simply cut him off.
Mercury had been guilty of doing that over the years. Finding himself on the receiving end made him cringe with shame. This shit hurt.
Suddenly a cockerel crowed. Mercury nearly leapt out of his skin.
"Sorry. He takes his job very seriously."
Mercury turned to find a beautiful young woman smiling at him.
"Terri?"
"That's me and I already know who you are."
Mercury shook her hand.
"Please don't judge me on that," Mercury said.
"Are you a changed man?"
There was a glint in her eye that made everything she said seem like a dare. Mercury found himself warming to her immediately.
"You know what?" he replied. "I think I might be. How mad is that?"
Terri grinned. "Then let's finish the job by making a gardener out of you."
She clapped him on the shoulder and guided him to a large polytunnel over to the right.
"Is that seedling HQ?"
"That is the mothership."
They walked in and Mercury gasped. From the outside it had seemed like a normal small tunnel. Inside it revealed itself to be the first of many curling around the boundary.
"How did I miss all these?" Mercury asked
"It's easily done. They're a bit grubby outside," Terri said. "Come, I'll show you round."
The next hour was spent looking at all the plants in various stages of development. In the centre was a staff area with armchairs and a coffee table. It was cosy but fun.
Outside, the operation was just as impressive. Crops of rhubarb, lettuce, peas, blackcurrants and goodness knew what else. Terri picked a strawberry and handed it to him.
"Fresher than even your fancy restaurants can get it," she said. "Go on."
He bit into the succulent red berry. The flavour danced over his tongue. It grew in intensity as he chewed.
"God, that is amazing," he said, his mouth full.
The kids would love it here.
He caught himself. A tear pricked in his eye as he lowered the rest of the strawberry.
"You okay?"
After swallowing the fruit, he forced a smile onto his face.
"Yeah. Bit raw, you know?"
"I heard that your last placement broke down. That's it. You don't have to tell me anything else."
Mercury nodded. "Thank you."
"Two and a half weeks?"
"That's right."
She took his hands and turned them over. "I'd hold off on the manicures for now."
He snatched his hands back. "They're not manicured. You're going to eat those words."
The next few hours were spent transferring who knew how many plants from little pots to big pots. Then taking little bits of big plants and putting them in tiny pots. Mercury had had no idea how much work was involved.
I must thank Mrs Wimpole for the work she does on the gardens. Why the fuck would anyone choose to do this?
He stood up. A pain shot up his side.
"Ouch!"
Over the course of the day, volunteers had drifted in. A lady called Vi had taken to him.
"That's a muscle, my love," she said.
A few of the others sniggered.
"Already?" Mercury replied. "When I think of the money I've spent on personal trainers. One day down here and I could pass for The Rock."
They all hooted with laughter.
He smiled back. It was a relief that he was making a good impression. Yet everything was tinged with dark. Each story he overheard he wanted to tell Nick about. When he planted a seedling properly, he wanted to send him a photo. Every minute he yearned for him.
"Lunch break, Mercury," Terri called from the polytunnel.
He wandered up. "What about the others?"
"They're volunteers," Terri explained. "It's only you and me on the clock, my love. Come on."
She led him through to the seating area where he'd left his bag. He'd opted for a supermarket meal deal for lunch. He thought coming in with a doggy bag from The Nickleby Hotel might be a bit showy.
"Brew?" Terri asked.
"I'd love a coffee. Black, please."
She disappeared to the back. Mercury pulled his phone out of his pocket and settled back in the surprisingly comfortable armchair.
He had been wrestling with whether he should be the first one to break and just message Nick. He couldn't fight it any longer.
Opening a picture of some of his gardening handiwork, he sent it with the caption "Learning new skills."
It was a crap message but he didn't dare use any humour.
Almost instantly, it was read. Mercury held his breath to see if Nick was typing.
He wasn't.
A minute passed and nothing.
"Here you go," Terri said, plonking a mug of coffee down on an upturned seed tray.
"Oh, thanks."
Mercury rested the phone on the arm. He glanced. No message icon.
Terri unwrapped a delicious smelling wrap from foil. Mercury wrestled with the wrapper of his soggy cheese sandwich with less enthusiasm.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Not really," Mercury replied.
She bit into her wrap and chewed slowly, regarding him the whole time.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"You got involved with someone. You did, didn't you?"
How she had done that, he had no idea. Did he have it written across his forehead?
"I thought you said I didn't have to talk about it."
"You don't," she said, taking another bite.
Annoyingly, Mercury checked his phone. Nothing.
"Okay, fine. Yes I did. And it ended in the worst way imaginable and I didn't even get to say goodbye to the kids and…"
The words ran out just as his tears kicked in.
"Oh, shit," Terri said.
She darted forward and clasped his knees.
Mercury wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Mortification scorching through him.
"Ignore me," he said. "Like I said, it's all a bit painful."
"I have a big mouth. I'm so sorry."
He nodded. "You weren't to know. I am a changed man though. No matter what anyone thinks."
She grinned. "That's never a bad thing. We can't stay the same all our lives. I'll tell you my story some time. That'll really curl your hair."
An idea sprang up.
"Could you do that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Tell your story. On camera. I want my channel to feature real people like you. Not the plastic idiots I've been bumming around with. Please say you'll be my first subject."
She thought about it for a second.
"You're on."
Mercury had set up his laptop at the table in the window of the hotel room. Lotty lay on the bed watching a programme about finding love against all the odds.
"Can we change channels, please?" Mercury muttered. "Love is a lie created by greeting card companies."
Lotty threw an eyebrow pencil at him.
"Don't say that," she replied. "You're too young and gorgeous to be so cynical."
Mercury was editing the video he had shot with Terri. She had given him so much good stuff he was seriously considering making it a five-part series to run over the next week.
"I can't believe I cried at work," he said.
"Hey," Lotty said, muting the television. "From what I've seen of her, I don't think Terri is going to judge you. There's nothing wrong with feelings, Mercury."
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. Ever since that hideous dinner party, he hadn't slept properly. An hour here and there at best. He was exhausted.
The message to Nick remained unanswered. He hadn't dared to admit to Lotty that he'd even done it.
"I'll get the first clip online then we can watch a movie," he said.
Lotty watched him.
"I know you don't want to hear positive stuff at the moment but that interview is good," she said. "Any ideas who you're going to do next?"
He hadn't thought about it.
"I don't know. I didn't plan this one."
"It's the start of something."
Maybe she was right. If he properly threw himself into this, the pain of the last few weeks might fade away. Even just a little.
"Let's see what reception this gets."
"Does Nick still follow you?"
This was another thing that Mercury checked regularly. "So far."
"And you want him to see this?"
Lotty had the annoying habit of knowing what he was thinking most of the time. He hated that he was that predictable, even for one person.
"And realise his mistake?" Mercury asked. "That isn't going to happen. But I do want him to know I'm still carrying on with this change. Why shouldn't I? It's not the reason I'm doing it though."
If he said it enough times, he might believe it himself.