Lost and Found

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Monday 6th April 2009

A week until the Wedding from hell, and it seemed that it was the topic of conversation on everyone’s lips. Amelia was glad of the chance to leave the village and travel into the rolling countryside on yet another visit for Cole. She’d found the perfect place for his dream  in the heart of Oxfordshire, but the owner, a titled Lord living his life in Hollywood wasn’t interested in selling.  So her hunt resumed and she was viewing two places today.

She was glad of some alone time, and yet again grateful for Mrs Young who repeatedly gave her some form of respite time. Secretly she thought that the widow was glad of an avenue of interest as she’d confessed to being bored since she’d retired, and the banter she had with her father was hilarious. No one put him in his place as well as Sylvia!

After viewing the properties she made a few notes, sketched a few annotated diagrams, then snapped a few pics on her phone. Driving home she was in a particularly good mood, singing along to the radio, she’d tuned in to a cheesy station and was glad no one could hear her belting out Cher and Take That songs. She was laughing to herself after a particularly high note when the radio cut to ‘Just dropped in’, one of the big songs from her favourite film...The Big Lebowski...as she sang the words, her mind travelled back to that day, her sixteenth birthday, and Sol buying her the DVD.

                “I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in,” she sang through the streams of tears that had suddenly replaced the happiness. She’d not thought about Sol, or rather she’d not allowed herself to think about Sol, but more than a few times mainly at night he’d broken her resolve, penetrated her mind. Each time she’d rolled over into her pillow and buried her tears. This time she wasn’t in the privacy of her bedroom and as the song ended and numerous others came and went she found the tears were still there sneaking out. So she pulled the car over and fought to regain her composure.

Half an hour later she parked the car outside her home, as she was locking the door, Sylvia appeared at the door.

                “Your father is at the pub with Bill and Mike from the Bowling team, he’s having a great time!” Spotting Amelia give a sigh of relief, Sylvia smiled at her, “fancy a cup of tea? Without being rude, you look dreadful!”

Suddenly Amelia was exhausted, she felt as though she was living a double life, she was being pulled in so many directions both emotionally and physically, and this seemed like the final straw, she was sick and tired of trying to be everything to everyone...poor Sylvia, she had it all. Snot, tears, whimpers, sobs; it all came out as she sat on the sofa beside the older woman who whilst looking concerned, did not seem shocked.

                “Dearie,” she hugged Amelia as the tears flowed, “I always knew there was a reason why the Tanner boy disappeared. Your father looked on him as a son, then he was gone...” She shook her head, “I didn’t think it was this though! Amelia love, you only have one life, and I don’t know whether that’s worth living pleasing your father. You should follow your heart too...You only get one chance love.”

Amelia shrugged, “I don’t know, I only get one father Sylvia, and I chose him. Sol is long gone. I have to live with that, and I’ll do the right thing by my father. I’m trying to get out of the golden boy’s wedding invite, but my father isn’t taking the hint.”

Sylvia pondered the words for a moment, “I think that’s going to be an event we should all be at love. I’m looking forward to it. Go to it, then have a long hard think about what you REALLY want from life!”

Later that night as she lay in bed she wouldn’t let herself think of the Utopia she desired, where her father could live in some form of harmony with the man she’d had to push away - again.