Better on our own - English

Visiting Pontypandy

I had finished my second week in Tonypridd today and had a quick shower at home. Now I was about to make my way to Pontypandy. The bus would be there in 10 minutes. I timed everything perfectly and was just in time when I left the house and went to the bus stop. I looked at the information board and found the poster for the autumn festival in Tonypridd, but also one for a Halloween festival in Pontypandy in 5 weeks. That could be funny!

"Are you going out, Niall?" I started when someone spoke to me and saw Penny coming past the bus stop, but paused for a moment and smiled. She must have just come from work, especially since she wanted to finish the reports there.

"I'm meeting Susen at the Whole Fish Café in Pontypandy. She's never eaten there before. I want to show her what she's missing," I explained to her.

"You really should. The seafood plate is divine. Say hello to her from me," she replied, smiling and giving a quick wave before moving on.

"Should I get you something from there?" I called after her as she stepped towards the gate into the narrow front garden of her house, just a few meters away. I knew too well what it was like when someone made you crave a dish with a simple and thoughtless statement and then you couldn't have it.

"No thanks. Cody took the bus straight to his father's after school, so I'm sticking with yesterday's leftovers. I don't want to throw anything away. Have fun and enjoy it!" she shouted as Mr. Evans' little white bus pulled up to the bus stop and opened the door. I saw her wave to Mr. Evans, who returned her greeting with a smile, before she went into the house and I got in with a greeting to the older bus driver.

Besides me and Mr. Evans, there was only one red-headed guy my age on the bus, and a middle-aged man in the back seat stretched out with his arms folded across his chest, his cap pulled low over his forehead, and a sandwich in one hand, but the sausage on it was already about to slip out. I grinned at Mr. Flood. I had met him during my internship and knew that he could be pretty scatterbrained. I crept over to him and carefully took his sandwich from his hand, wrapped it back in the paper it was wrapped in and placed it on the seat next to him.

"Thank you, young man. You saved me from having to clean a few nasty stains out of the upholstery tonight," Mr. Evans said and I looked up at the rearview mirror through which he must have been watching me the whole time. I nodded at him as I sat down, thanking him for his praise in that way. Still, I didn't see anything special in doing something trivial like that for someone.

I thought back to the last two weeks as I looked out the window at the area. It was really nice here and I could actually get used to staying here. I had always lived with my parents in Cardiff, even during my training at the academy, and now I was really away from home for the first time and was really fledging. Since this week, my Mom has only called every second evening and only burst into tears on every second phone call. I got along. I was strong! I only had tears in my eyes every third phone call.

However, I wasn't really fully fledged yet and I was looking forward to being able to take this last step, hoping that I would really get this chance and be able to look for my own apartment soon. It wasn't that I didn't feel comfortable with Penny. She actually gave me my privacy and I absolutely didn't feel like she was keeping an eye on me.

She actually seemed to be able to strictly separate her professional and private life. At the station I was the new guy, she was my superior, but above all we were colleagues. At home I was her lodger. No more and no less. Still, she was warm, greeted me when we passed each other in the hallway or outside, and offered help when I needed it.

So like last week she caught me at the door with my laundry as I was about to go to the laundromat in Newtown and showed me where her washing machine was and how to use this thing - besides, it was easier to track Lance down, than turning on a washing machine, but slowly I managed that too.