Everything We Keep by Di Walker (good story books to read txt) 📗

There were a few customers already seated for breakfast, one reading a newspaper and the others looking at their phones. Agatha walked in through the wide-open doors and found a table at the end, but still facing the counter. She safely placed her suitcase between her chair and the window.

A young woman approached her, placing a table number down and a menu. ‘Are you waiting for someone?’ she asked. Her lopsided, gold name badge had her name Sissy written on it in capital letters.

Agatha took a ten dollar note out of the purse that she still held in her hand. ‘No.’ Spying the note, the woman placed the menu in front of her. ‘Okay, well. Here’s the menu. You order and pay at the counter.’

‘Yeah, I know. I’ve been here before.’ Agatha tried hard to make her voice sound casual, as if she walked around The Vale every morning, carrying a bright orange suitcase. Sissy paused for a moment, as if she wanted to say something but didn’t. She turned, and Agatha watched her walk back behind the counter.

Taking in a deep breath, Agatha scanned the menu. A hot chocolate didn’t seem an unusual choice now that she was inside the cool shopping mall. Add to that a cheese toastie and she would not need to spend more than one of her notes. Now that she knew she was close to Katherine; she wasn’t in a hurry. She sat back in the chair and watched a few more people walk past.

Positioned between two large palms in giant white pots was a bench. A man sat there, waiting. For a moment Agatha thought he was looking at her, watching her, but then, when he looked at his watch, she remembered that she too had waited there, once with Katherine, for the medical centre to open at 8am.

Agatha looked around her at the empty tables at the end of the café and decided that it would be safe to leave her suitcase next to the table while she went to order. A minute later she was back, and positioned herself again in her chair, her hand running over the top of the case, making sure nothing had changed. As the time ticked away, more and more people entered the mall. Most were in a hurry to get to their stores and prepare for opening. Some hurried in and then left again, with a small plastic bag of goods, from the supermarket.

‘Here you go. Hot chocolate and cheese toastie.’ Sissy was back, this time smiling as she placed down the plate of toast and the cup of hot chocolate. ‘There’s water over there. It’s self-serve.’

‘Thanks. Do you know what time it is?’

‘A little before eight. No school today?’

‘No.’

‘Lucky you.’ She paused for a moment and watched the passers-by. ‘This is a good spot for people watching,’ she said, not directly to Agatha, but as if she was thinking aloud.

The hot chocolate and the warm melted cheese didn’t last long. Agatha was hungrier than she thought and ate quickly. She instantly regretted it. She scolded herself for not taking more time. She was sure she knew how to get to Falcon Drive from here, but it would be a long walk. Agatha wasn’t sure what to do. She got up and went back to the counter. Sissy was there, having served another customer, ‘Something else?’

‘Can I have a piece of that cake?’ Agatha said as she pointed to the tall chocolate cake with far too much fake cream between each layer and topped with chocolate swirls.

‘The chocolate one?’ Agatha nodded and handed over another ten-dollar note. ‘Sure, I’ll bring it over,’ Sissy said, handing her back some change. Agatha turned to head back to her table. It took her a moment to realise that someone had stopped at the window and was looking directly at her table. Her heart skipped a beat and she froze to the spot. The figure put a hand to the glass, peering in, searching. Agatha stepped back. Her eyes widened, and her breathing quickened. Her suitcase! How could she get her suitcase? She took another step back, as did the person at the window.

‘Katherine!’ Agatha called out. ‘I’m here!’ She turned and ran to the door.

Hearing her name, Katherine moved quickly too, but she didn’t get far. Before she knew it, Agatha was in her arms, sobbing. She held her tight. ‘Agatha! I can’t believe it’s you! I saw the suitcase and I hoped . . . ’

If the onlookers were curious at all about the scene that had just unfolded, they were not going to be given an explanation. Katherine’s embrace of Agatha was not going to be quickly broken. She swayed the sobbing girl backwards and forwards. Finally, she dropped her arms from around her and held Agatha’s face in her hands.

‘What? I mean . . . Why? No. Right now it doesn’t matter. You’re here.’ Katherine hugged her again. Finally she said, ‘I have lots of questions but right now Rita’s in the car, she’s had a nasty fall and I have to get her into the doctor. Let’s get your suitcase and you can help me.’

They walked quickly into the café. Katherine remained at the counter while Agatha went to her table, the slice of cake had been delivered and was waiting. Agatha completely ignored it, grabbed her case and returned to Katherine, who had not taken her eyes from her.

They went the few metres to the door of the clinic and Katherine entered, returning moments later with a set of crutches. ‘Come on. Let’s get your case into the car and get Rita to the doctor. She will be so surprised when she sees you.’ She put her arm around Agatha’s shoulder and the two walked towards the exit.

13

‘I still can’t believe it,’ Rita said as she made her way towards her armchair. They had just returned from the radiologist, after having seen the doctor, who at the sight of Rita’s ankle,