Part of me wanted to throw the phone back in my bag, put my head on my lap and just drift off into a coma to try and sleep all this off. After all, my life was proof positive that you could keep that up almost indefinitely if you had nothing else to concentrate on. But I thought that Leonard probably deserved to know how his research was panning out, so I pressed on the message.

But it wasn’t from Adam Linley at all. It was from Al. Of the Big and Barnstaple variety, who’d put his number in my phone and handed it back with a wink to Norman and a “You know, just in case you want to call me on your way back through.” I’ll admit that just for a moment the thought had crossed my mind that there might have been something quite lovely lurking underneath that beard.

Hey. I don’t think you meant to send this to me, Sadie, because I’m pretty sure I wasn’t even in Edinburgh 13 years ago, ha ha. But I kind of wish I had been ;) Think you better resend it to the lucky guy! Hope the trip’s going well. Tell Norman to keep up the practice and tell Leonard to drive carefully. Might see you on the way back home. I hope.

Al (Big) x

After our recent near miss, the thought of having to mess around and resend that sensitive and compelling message all over again to the right person almost did me in, even though hearing back from the wrong person was interestingly pleasant. But then Leonard arrived back with strong teas and some handy skills. After taking over and making short work of cutting, pasting and resending the message to Adam’s number (Get to Know Your iPhone in a Day at the Morrab Library last year), he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. To regroup, I sincerely hoped.

He’d loosened his tie and his shirt was open at the neck to reveal a tufty bit of gray hair waving gently in the breeze. With his eyes closed and mouth slightly open, he looked almost like a baby, albeit a very wrinkly one that had just nearly killed us. I wondered how many near misses Iris had lived through in the Austin, and if, actually, that was the reason she didn’t seem to mind being left at home while he swanned off to Edinburgh with us.

I sat up straighter in my seat to try and ease the pain that had given up coming and going since Swansea and had taken up permanent residence in my stomach. I twisted slightly and it came with me. As I continued to stare at Leonard’s oblivious side profile it occurred to me that, actually, he hadn’t so much as dropped a mention of Iris’s name since we’d left Barnstaple.

31

Norman

FIRST RULE OF COMEDY:
Know how to handle the hecklers.

I DON’T KNOW what the word is for explaining how I felt when Leonard told us I’d got a place at the Duke Supper Club to do my show for the Fringe. I think it might have to be a brand-new word because it was actually like a whole bunch of feelings coming out like Pick n Mix. And they were ones you wouldn’t think would go together, like strawberry creams and liquorice, but I’m telling you they did.