Two Old Friends
Uncle Malcolm was a mentor and an old friend of Mr. Digby’s at the Beaufort Estate. He was his mother’s only brother. Phil’s father had been an only child, so Malcolm was his only uncle. He had been out to the Estate with his uncle several times when he was delivering groceries. Then he met Cook and the housekeeper, he thought her name was Martha. Although the family had been invited to the Digby’s wedding, the pandemic was still preventing too many get togethers, so he didn’t get a chance to meet anyone else. He had often thought that Mr. Digby’s job had to be pretty cushy. What Phil didn’t know was that right now it was rather boring. His uncle told him of the parties that were once held at the Estate and how Digby, as the butler, welcomed the guests, served Hor d’oeurves and champagne, and ran everything like clockwork. Now there were no big parties, the Estate was much quieter these days. Before dismissing that avenue, he decided to talk with his uncle about it.
~~~~~
“Malcolm! Hello! I haven’t heard from you for a long time. How are you?” The telephone rang just as James was about to leave his office for lunch. He looked at it ringing, hesitated then at the last minute picked it up. Glad he did, he had been thinking about his old friend and thought it was time they got together. The pandemic and lock-downs had strained many friendships, but it was the solid ones that always managed to reconnect. It was often too easy to just let things pass. So James was very glad to hear Malcolm’s voice. “I’m fine James. Managed through the worst of the pandemic without being touched. Rita did get sick and was in hospital for a while, but hasn’t had that Long Covid that so many have suffered.”
James settled into his office chair. “I’m just about to go out to lunch in town. Martha is busy with Elizabeth so won’t be joining me.” He could hear his friend rustling around noisily. “Sorry, about the racket, James. I’m on kitchen duty, Cheryl’s off to a yoga class. The reason I called is about my nephew. You remember Phil, Rita’s son? Well, he wants some career advice and wants me to talk with you.” James laughed at the image of his friend on kitchen duty. “Leave the kitchen and come to lunch and we can talk. Is your nephew with you today, he should come too.” The squeal of a kitchen tap signalled that he would be coming to lunch. “No, he’s at work. Has a construction job. It’s a pretty good paycheque, but he’s not happy with it. Where should I meet you?” There was a final slam of a kitchen cupboard. “I’m going to the Bayside Bar & Grill and should be there in about 20 minutes……..Good……See you there.” Hanging up, James smiled. He was not a social man and good friends can be hard to come by. Especially when life and work keeps a person in kind of a bubble. He wasn’t sure what career advice he could give a young man, but he’d try.
~~~~~
Men are not big talkers until they get together over a meal. Then they can chatter on like two women friends. Malcolm and James shook hands and hugged when they met at the Bayside. “It’s been too long, James. We almost let it slip by, didn’t we.” James just nodded and smiled. “Come, let’s make up for lost time.”
“Gentleman, for two?” The tall blonde waiter, hair pulled back tightly in a long ponytail, dressed in the uniform black of waiters and servers, greeted them when they entered. “Thank you, yes, just the two of us.” The two men followed her obediently to a booth by a window looking out on a float home village on the water. “Your waiter will be Andrea. She’ll be with you in just a moment.”
~~~~~
Malcolm and James talked and talked. Andrea, their waiter, had brought them water, place settings, menus and after several false tries finally took their orders. Lunch had almost been forgotten in the time it took for them to catch up on their lives. Poor nephew Phil would have felt injured that his name had not even been mentioned! An empty plate and second cup of coffee later, Malcolm remembered the reason for contacting James. “I guess I’d better ask you about your career for Phil. I’m not sure he knows what your job entails. All he knows of it is what I have told him in the past when Mr. Michael was still alive. What’s it like now, James? How did you manage to get through the pandemic?” James ate his last bite of chocolate cake. Brushing crumbs from his mouth with his napkin, he thought carefully. “Well, it’s not the interesting job that I did have. I might as well be an accountant now. I’m surprised Mrs. Crawford keeps all of us on out there. She still seems to think we can make something of the old place. I did tell you that she’s not Mrs. Beaufort anymore? You remember Dr. Jeremy Crawford, Mr. Michael’s best friend? His wife died about the same time Mr. Michael did. Miss Emelina and Dr. Jeremy got together and married.” And they were off again, leaving Malcolm’s nephew in the breach. “No, I hadn’t heard that. Good for her. She was getting a little off her rocker after he died wasn’t she? How did she manage in the pandemic? You said her sister stayed with her?” James leaned back and laughed. “I’ve really left out some of the changes that have gone on in the past two years.” He looked at his watch, pulled out his wallet and signalled to the waiter. “Malcolm it’s past 2:30! Martha will be wondering what’s happened to me.” Just then his phone beeped. “Yes, there she is.” Putting his glasses on, he picked up his phone and answered the call. “You’ll never believe it, Martha. Malcolm and I have been at lunch for over two hours.”………. “He’s coming out to Estate with me”…….. “We’re just leaving now. See you shortly. Are you home or in the kitchen with Elizabeth?:…….. Closing his phone, he said “Elizabeth has fresh baking, Malcolm - it’s better than ever.” While James was talking to Martha, Malcolm texted his wife to let her know that he was going out to the Estate. She texted back that after yoga she had been to lunch with her yoga class and was now going shopping. “See you when you get back. Say hello to Martha and Elizabeth. Tell them I’ll be out to see them soon.” She always signed off with a hugging emoji.
~~~~~
“They talked in the shorthand of old friends and shared memories.”
~ Dee Henderson, Before I Wake
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