Abigail?

I am currently having a digital clear out and I have come across several stories which I started but never got very far with. This is one is a real novelty, because I have not the faintest clue what it was going to be about - none at all! I doubt if I'll take it up again, but here is what precious little there is of the tale.

************

Holgate Hall is an old manor house standing in its own not inconsiderable grounds, at the end of a cornfield about half a mile up the lane from the village of Crimpton. If you approach from the village driving eastwards along the lane, or even if you stand in front of the last building at the eastern end of Crimpton, you would at first think that the house has been rather unfortunately erected right in the middle of the cornfield itself, but as you get nearer, it becomes obvious that the house and grounds punctuate two different fields, and there is a gate breaking up the hawthorne and holly hedgerow and a gravel path beyond it takes you up to the house.

It had just gone 11 o’clock at night.

Mrs Elizabeth Kensey was bent over her young daughter who was in bed, far later than was usually allowed, but the X Factor results show was on TV which she knew her daughter had badly wanted to watch, and even after that had finished, Mrs Kensey could not refuse what her daughter calls a ‘moonlight feast’ of tea and crumpets. No sooner had the last morsel gone down and the tea drunk than Uncle Ted, Mrs Kensey’s brother, made a fleeting late night visit.
*
“Apols’, Lizzie,” Ted said as he hugged and kissed his ‘little sis’, “docked at Portsmouth earlier on, and it’s a superfast turnround; off to Brazil tomorrow. Thought I’d better dash up here as I’ll be away again, for perhaps a year or more. Here! How’s my darlin’ Abs?!” said First Engineer Edward Turvall, turning to his niece, lifting her straight up from the couch, swung her up high, and then carefully lowered her to face height and hugged her.

“I’m fine, thank you, Uncle Edward,” replied Abs, but smiling and blushing with both pleasure and embarrassment.

“Blimey, Liz,” said Ted turning to his sister. “We ain’t the blee-, er, we ain’t the royal family.”

Ted and Elizabeth had had hard childhoods, but with two caring parents making themselves poor so their children would not have to be, they had studied hard and worked hard, Ted to be an engineer with the Packlow Line, a merchant outfit, shipping out mostly sugar, but anything at all if the contract was right. Liz had had a good, steady job as a PA for a now fading rock star, but it had paid very well indeed, and much to the surprise of Ted and the rest of the family as well as her friends, Liz had married her boss, and for ten years travelled the world, staying in the best hotels, meeting the rich and famous. He even bought the house and grounds and cornfields for them to be able to settle down and raise a family and run a small arable farm when he was no longer at the top of his game. But that had lasted for just on two years when Elizabeth had found herself deserted; the house and farm were soon to be in her name only as part of the divorce settlement, but without a clue as to how to run things. The cornfields were sold on, and now, despite being very wealthy still, led a very lonely life with just her daughter for company, and even then this would not last as little Abs was to eventually attend a private boarding school.

As the little girl was carefully plonked back on the couch,  Liz asked her brother to help her with the drinks, but it was really just to get out of earshot.

In the kitchen, just off the lounge, Liz put the kettle on, the noise of its commencing to boil helped to prevent Abs overhearing their conversation.

“I’m sorry, Ted, but Abs has been to such snobby schools that it’s hard to get her to lighten up, but she’s a love for all that.”

“Ooh ‘eck, Lizzie, I love the bones of her; sorry, I’m makin’ too much of things, as usual. Sorry.”

“Don’t be daft, Ted, we both love you to bits, I hope you know that. Anyway, how’’s things?”

“I’m fine, so much so I feel guilty for sayin’ so. Stuff me, more importantly, how are things for you. Has Nob’ead been in touch?”

“Bobby, Ted, Bobby’, don’t call him that. Yes, yes, he still cares about her you know, and he does call round, but I think we were both at fault if we both thought the old wife, kids and house caper was something he could cope with. I even think he still cares about me, but as I couldn’t or perhaps wouldn’t just drop everything, put Abs in yet another school and dash off to a six month tour of the Far East, the strain told in the end. At least we’re all friends still.”

“Mmm,” said Ted, unconvinced.

“But – Ted. . .”

“What?” said Ted, deciding to be the tea lady, seeing as Liz seemed to have forgotten about the just boiled kettle. He went to open the cupboard along the side of the kitchen wall when next thing, Liz again flung her arms around, Ted, she began to shudder and sobbed violently into her brother’s shoulders.

“’Ere! What’s up?! What’s brought this on?!”

Liz pulled herself away from her brother, wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her cardigan, bubbly snot followed from her nose as she tried to check the tears. “Sorry,” she said, as she took a piece of kitchen roll and blew her nose. “It’s Abs, Ted, she’s seemed poorly for a good while now, and I can’t get to the bottom of it.”

“Poorly? Seemed poorly? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what it’s all about, Ted. I’ve even been to the best private doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, the lot. They all admit she looks pale and seems tired, but they made extensive checks, and say there’s not a damn thing wrong with her! All they’ve advised is to ensure plenty of fresh air and exercise, and a good diet. I know they mean well, but I feel as if it’s a flippin’ pet dog they’re on about, not my Abs!”

“Mmm, you know – with lads, there’s always this for a year or two, and the diagnosis is always the same, if it’s not actually down to growing pains, then extreme fatigue seems to be linked to it somehow. But that’s lads, and that’s normally mid-teens and they soon perk up, but maybe there’s something similar for young girls?”

“I doubt it, Ted, I was a young girl too, remember?” she said with a wry smile. 

“I was just grasping at anything I suppose,” replied Ted. “But tell you what, Packlow are well catered for quacks wise: we’ve got the lot: GPs, surgeons, psychologists, and with them not having a list as long as your arm to get through every day, they do provide a damn good once over. We’ll get you an appointment with the best they have, what do you think?”

“Well, you work for them Ted, I don’t, will that be a problem?”

“I can’t promise they won’t charge, but even if they do, you’ve got the dosh, if you don’t mind my sayin’. But the thing is, if they can’t find anything, then it means there’s nowt to worry about.”

“Thanks, Ted, that is very good of you. How long will it take do you think?”

“I’ll set things in motion tomorrow; my guess, you’ll get an appointment, probably with an ordinary GP, as in an ordinary company GP, at first, in a few days. He may either tell you all is well and not to worry, or refer you on to the psychologist, maybe a psychiatrist, and that would be very shortly after.”

After a now much relieved Liz hugged her brother once more, they carried their tea back into the lounge. Ted was highly disappointed to find Abs had fallen fast asleep, not only that, he couldn’t stay much longer, he had to leave soon.

Liz went to carry her daughter up to her room, but Ted beat her to it. Abs was soon fast asleep in her own bed.

No sooner had Liz given her big brother a big hug and a teary kiss and a smily wave but still with glistening eyes, and waving until the car was out the gates and out of sight, than Abs woke again, realised she’d missed her uncle leaving, and sobbed herself.
*
Mrs Elizabeth Kensey straightened up, walked to the bedroom door, reached for the light switch a split second before closing the door, and retired herself, leaving Abs to drift off again while holding on tight to a plushie called Ema Sky, a present from Ted which he bought while on leave in Kochi, an old fortress and port town on the  Japanese island of Kochi.

 

Tags: confused,