The Vanishing of Brandyn Taylor

Release

I guess my mum and Valerie decided to let me sleep in the next day, well technically the same day I suppose. I didn't wake until 1 pm, and when I did I felt groggy headed and tired, almost as if I'd had hardly any sleep at all. I knew it was the concussion, and to keep my mum quiet I played down how much my head actually did hurt. Valerie had been to see Rachel for morning visiting, and said she looked a lot brighter but was still a little out of breath. I told mum and Val about how much Bob and Linda had helped us out, and that the car was parked at the farmhouse. Mum, naturally being mum, wanted to meet them, and thank them. So I gave them a call to see if they were about. Linda said she was but didn't know about Bob, he was in and out seeing to various farm duties. Mum made us stop off at a supermarket on the way over, picking up flowers, chocolates, and wine. (She always did like to overdo things, but it came from having a kind heart really.)
When we pulled up at the farmhouse Linda was standing at the doorway talking to Bob. They waved and smiled when they saw us.

"Kiera, how are you doing?" Linda asked cheerily.

"I'm good thanks. This is my mum, Cathy, and this is Valerie, Rachel's mum."

"We can't thank you enough for helping our girls out so much." Valerie said, holding her hand out to shake Linda's.

"We don't do hand shaking here," Linda said. "But we do do hugs." She hugged first Valerie and then my mum. "It really wasn't much. We just called an ambulance and sat with the girls. Come in, come in, I've put a Victoria sponge in the oven. It should just about be done now. I'll make a nice cuppa. Bob are you having tea?"

"I've got some sheep to tend to but I'll be back in half an hour"

Linda Waited until Bob had shut the door before replying to us that Bobs idea of half an hour was the rest of the worlds idea of three hours.

"He always underestimates time that man. But he's a good un' and treats me and the kids well. Come on through to the kitchen while I put the kettle on."

We all sat at the large wooden kitchen table which had bench seats on three sides and chairs down one. The kitchen was lovely and cosy, and typical farmhouse style with a proper range cooker. I loved it immediately. Copper pans hung from a rack on the ceiling, and hanging baskets held herbs and fruits. Linda took the cake from the oven and set it to cool a little. We were soon sipping tea with fresh cows milk in it. It was delicious.

"So how is Rachel doing? Have they said much?" Linda asked Valerie.

"A slight collapsed lung but luckily it wasn't punctured. She has bruised ribs too. But they say she could be out in a few days." Valerie replied.

"I'm so glad to hear that, we've been so worried about the poor girl. You two must have had such a fright when you found out they'd been in accident."

"Oh we were, of course Kiera never told me she was taped to a board in the hospital." Mum said.

"To be fair mum, when I rang you I wasn't. I was walking about until Rachel told them I'd been injured too. The doctor asked me some questions and that's when they stuck me on that thing."

"Well better to be safe than sorry eh Kiera? But everything is ok with you, nothing broken?"  Linda poured me more tea as she spoke.

"Just bruised and a little battered, bit of a sore head still but I'm ok. This tea is lovely by the way."

"Ah concussion can last a few days you know, just be sure to take it easy. It's loose leaf tea that I use. I'm afraid I'm a bit stuck in my old ways, but I do like traditional things. The family have owned this farm since Bobs great grandfather brought it, I love living here."

"I don't think I could cope with the early mornings and long days." I said.

"Aii it can be hard work, but it has it rewards. The eggs and butter in the cake are from our own livestock, and the jam that I'm just going to put on is home made too, come to think of it the cream is from our own cows as well, i much prefer it over all this processed shop brought stuff, and as for organic, don't even get me started on that! Charging people twice as much for how things ought to be grown anyway."

Linda had got up while she was talking, and spread a thick layer of jam over one side of the cake, and an even thicker layer of fresh cream the other. It looked amazing and I couldn't wait to try some.

"So where are you all staying while Rachel is in hospital?"

"At a hotel between here and there." I replied.

"Well you can damned well go and check out, and stay here. Free of charge. And I'll not take no for an answer. We've no bookings until the weekend anyway, and even then aren't full. Young Kiera can stay here if she isn't up to visiting hospital with her bad head. If you check out by 3pm you shouldn't be charged an extra night, just a late check out fee which isn't much."

"Oh we couldn't put you out like that Linda." Mum started saying.

"It's not putting me out. I'll be glad of some company other than Bob. He usually snores all through my soaps anyway. Please, I won't let you refuse. If you makes you feel better you can pay for your meals. Half price though."

Valeria and mum smiled at each other, and I could tell they liked Linda already.

"That's that sorted then. Cake anyone?"

The sponge cake was amazing, by far the best I had ever had. Brandyn would love it, he always had loved what he called a proper old fashioned cake. I had to bite my tongue from saying as much though, or I knew I would end up telling my mum the whole story of why we came to Wales, and I'd never hear the end of it.
Valerie and mum left a short time later to visit Rachel, while Linda showed me to my room and told me to make myself at home. She showed me where the bathrooms were and said she'd be downstairs when I woke up. I was so glad of some quiet at last, not that chatting with Linda hadn't been great, but my head was banging still. I took a shower and got into some pyjamas for a nap.

Mum woke me up later, saying Linda had dinner ready for us. I decided to just throw on a jumper over my pyjamas and slob it for the evening. Valerie updated me on how Rachel was doing, while we ate a feast of roast lamb (no, I didn't even ask if it was one of their lambs, I didn't want to know where my food came from that much!) roast potatoes, carrots and peas all grown on the farm, and the most amazing gravy. Even the bread was home made. I could never have the patience to work this hard making so much from scratch, but you really could taste the difference in it. Bob came in half way through dinner, he'd only just finished seeing to the sheep, and the four of us laughed at Linda's remark of "see, told you he's no idea of time."