Little Eden Read online

  Alice, at the age of seven, still had all of her imagination firmly intact.

  “Where’s Tambo?” Alice asked meekly.

  “He’s with Jack. Go and see if you can find him!” Sophie smiled, and Alice skipped off up the side aisle. She was met halfway by Tambo who was dressed in his gospel choir robe, but missing his usual big smile. Alice gave him one of the butterflies from her bouquet and he held it carefully in his hand.

  Only two years older than Alice, Tambo still had some of his imagination left to play with!

  They sat down together in the front pew, and whispered to each other under their breath in the secretive way that best friends do.

  “Sorry these flowers are so late!” Linnet said, still panting a little, and placing the bouquets around the doorway as decoratively as she could. The orders just keep coming in! I ran out of lilies hours ago. The Hospice and the World Peace Centre will be glad of them afterwards and the Women’s Refuge too. I never expected so many - did you?”

  “Never in a million years!” Lucy replied. “It’s amazing; it’s as if all the flowers in London have turned up here to be with Aunt Lilly. I knew she knew a lot of people, especially from the old days on the stage, but some of the people who have sent them - I have no idea who they are! They obviously thought a great deal of her though.”

  “I know! Linnet replied. “She was one amazing lady! Luckily, I had a few of the fabric flowers left, and Minnie had some butterfly and button posies in her shop. Have you seen Minnie? I thought she would be here by now - she went on ahead of us.”

  Minnie appeared from the shadows carrying several handmade paper and button flower posies, and smiled at her friends.

  “Oh, they’re lovely!” Sophie said, as Minnie arranged them around the font.

  “Aunt Lilly did like those!” Lucy giggled. “Do you remember when we both made one for her, Sophe? Mine fell apart and Mr T’s dog ate it! He pooped glitter for a week!”

  “Crikey, that was years ago!” Sophie recalled. “I remember that! Wasn’t that on your first craft workshop Minnie? Do you remember all the bunting we ended up with? Aunt Lilly went bunting bonkers! That was before it came back into fashion, mind you; when shabby wasn’t actually chic.” Sophie looked around the Chappelle and smiled. “That’s what we should have had - bunting!”

  Lucy giggled. “What with all the stained glass, the flowers, the candles and the people, it might have been going a little too far - even for Aunt Lilly!”

  Minnie couldn’t hold back her tears when she thought of Lilly who had been like an aunt to her too, and such a good friend to her own mother; God rest her soul. Linnet held her hand. “Come on,” Linnet said, kissing away a tear from Minnie’s cheek. “Let’s go and sit down.”

  As they glanced down towards the altar they saw the tall and effervescent Jack Fortune strolling up the central aisle.

  “Here comes Sir Walter Raleigh!” Collins murmured to Varsity as they watched Jack heartily shake hands with various guests as he passed by their pews.

  “Why do you call him that?” Varsity asked.

  Collins chortled and replied, “Because, if there was anyone in history he would have been, it would have been Sir Walter Raleigh; the handsome, globetrotting, arrogant devil!”

  “Is he the man who invented the bicycle?” Varsity asked thoughtfully.

  “No!” Collins laughed. “The potato!”

  Jack came to the Bartlett-Hart box pew and shook Collins’ hand whilst he winked incorrigibly at Varsity. “Good to see you, old chap,” Jack said and paid Varsity a compliment which, unusually, made her blush. “Robert with you?” Jack enquired.

  “Bobby’s up the top end with the Lawrence girls,” Collins replied.

  Jennifer leaned over and coughed, so that Jack would notice her.

  “Ah! Mrs Bartlett-Hart, you are looking as beautiful as ever!” Jack said.

  Jennifer smiled and replied, “Call me Jennifer, silly boy! How many times do I have to tell you? I hear you had to cut your trip to Mexico short to come back for this. That must have been very inconvenient for you.”

  “Not at all, Mrs…Jennifer…not at all! I would have come back from the ends of the earth to be here for Sophie and Lucy, and Tambo, and for Lilly too, of course.”

  “I thought you would have been too busy with all that you have to do!” Jennifer grimaced.

  Jack winked and smiled. “I am never too busy for my friends.”

  “Well!” Jennifer muttered to Collins, when Jack had gone up further up the aisle to greet others. “He didn’t come to your Aunt Elizabeth’s funeral! Where was he then? Somewhere like Kathmandu probably, digging up treasure, as usual. I suppose he considers himself a better friend to those Lawrence girls than to you and Robert, even though you went to school together!”

  When Jack finally reached the table of crystals he embraced both Lucy and Sophie at the same time. They melted into his chest, and his energy sent a wave of relaxation through them both. He didn’t say anything; aware that the agreement earlier that day was to say as little as possible. He just made a gesture by touching them both gently under the chin and smiling. They knew his meaning was ‘chin up - you can get through this - I see your strength’. He held Robert’s shoulder and shook his friend’s hand as they exchanged understanding looks. Jack took a bottle of water and said, “All present and correct? Shall I close the doors?”

  Sophie nodded, but knew Lucy was still waiting for Jimmy to show.

  Sophie squeezed her sister’s hand and whispered, “He must have got delayed in traffic.”

  Lucy shook her head, “I just got a txt a few minutes ago. He can’t make it! They had to delay filming again, and he couldn’t get away.”

  Sophie put her arm through Lucy’s. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I couldn’t! Linnet arrived.” Lucy frowned.

  “Honestly, I could throttle that Jimmy…” Sophie began to say, but Lucy put her hand on her sister’s arm to stop her.

  “Don’t start on him, not now!”

  Jack put his arm around Lucy. “Okay, old girl?” he said smiling. “Where’s J…” Sophie caught his eye and started shaking her head and mouthing “No”. Jack looked confused for a moment, looking round as if expecting to see Jimmy somewhere in the shadows. It was incredible that he had not come to support Lucy on such a day. But he diplomatically said nothing more and took her hand saying, “Come on, old girl - let’s give Lilly a send-off she would be proud of!”

  Chapter 2

  ~ * ~

  When everyone was seated, and the gospel and church choir had assembled themselves in the chancel, Jennifer sniffed loudly into her hanky as the Reverend Sprott sombrely climbed the winding steps of the resplendent pulpit to make his address. The golden eagle lectern was so high that if his oversized hat had not been so large he would have been barely visible to the congregation. What he lacked visually, however, he made up for in oration. He cleared his throat several times, awaiting complete silence, before commencing his address.

  “Now we are in for a long haul!” Collins murmured, and sat back in the pew as if getting comfortable for the evening.

  I will spare you, dear readers, Reverend Sprott’s sermon, as it was long and laborious and had little to do with Lilly and more to do with himself. But, Robert’s speech was, thankfully, a great deal shorter. Robert genuinely thanked and praised Lilly for all she had done for Little Eden and for his family; and he ended his heartfelt address with Lilly’s favourite version of The Lord’s Prayer:

  Our Father who art in Heaven;

  Hallowed be thy Name.

  Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done

  On Earth as it is in Heaven.

  Give me this day all I need to survive;

  Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.

  Lead me from temptation an
d deliver me from evil.

  For thine is the kingdom, the power & the glory of

  Love.*

  As the prayer came to an end - suddenly - everyone jumped! The organ had let out a wretched screech, followed by a long howl and a deep penetrating moan. Eventually, the searing noise gave way to the tune of Jerusalem* and the notes, naturally amplified by the high vaulted ceiling, sent a physical thrill through everyone. Rustling hymn books and the general murmur of ‘what page is it?’ led into a rousing rendition of the old English hymn. Lucy and Sophie felt too emotionally wobbly to sing and left it to Robert and Jack to let rip in their deep baritone voices. Jack deliberately sang out of tune at times to relieve the tension, raising a smile from the girls and Tambo - for which they were very grateful. Alice wasn’t sure if it wasn’t a bit naughty to sing out of tune because they were in a church and at such a formal occasion. But she noticed that the Reverend Sprott sang out of tune too, (though not deliberately) so she decided that perhaps one should just sing no matter what one sounded like!

  The Little Eden Gospel Choir soon took over the musical delights for the evening and soothed the hearts of the guests with their angelic voices, including a joyful rendition of ‘Get Happy.’*

  Then it was Tambo’s turn to sing in memory of his great-aunt Lil.

  Tambo had been singing since he was a toddler, and whenever he had felt sad he and Lilly would sing together. He had learnt that music cheered people up, and he liked to be able to ‘spread the happy’ as he called it, whenever he could. Tambo bravely stepped up to the front and Ginger, the choir leader, introduced him. He had chosen to sing, ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’* which was one of Lilly’s favourite gospel songs.

  Unexpectedly, Tambo suddenly lost his nerve, and stood, shaking, in front of the congregation. Ginger gave him a microphone and winked encouragingly at him. Tambo could feel his hand shaking, and he felt his heart beating faster. There was an awkward silence. Everyone waited for him to begin. Tambo was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to find his voice. His mind went blank. Stage fright paralysed him for the first time in his life. But then, he could swear he heard Lilly’s voice in his head saying, When in doubt, let go, let Goddess! Those familiar words rallied him now, and within seconds he had found his courage!

  With the gospel choir supporting him, he began to sing with confidence, but after the first verse, Tambo’s voice faltered again and tears replaced his song. The choir continued with the chorus as Lucy’s heart pounded with the desperate need to get to her son. She stood up in haste and tried to get out of the pew, but before she could, Alice had jumped over the wooden partition and in a flash she was holding onto Tambo’s hand, singing as loudly as she could. Tambo’s tears subsided at the sight of his friend. It was as if the whole Chappelle was suddenly ignited! A tangible wave of love flowed through hearts of the audience; causing some to smile and some to weep with a heady mixture of sadness and joy. Lucy sat back down in relief, trying to fight back her tears. Jack put his arm around her as she let a mixture of pride for her son and grief for her aunt wash equally through her chest.

  As Tambo finished the last line the congregation were enfolded within a deep sense of complete and utter peace…

  If I get there before you do, I’ll cut a hole and pull you through…

  If you get there before I do, tell all my friends I’m coming too…

  Swing low sweet chariot.

  Coming for to carry me home…

  Then all at once, everyone stood up and applauded loudly! Tears streamed down Tambo’s cheeks. He needed a hug, which he got, first from Alice and then from the whole choir who gathered him up in their embrace.

  The Reverend Sprott muscled his way to the front again and effusively thanked Tambo and the choir, then he launched himself into another lengthy sermon, which gave everyone time to recover their emotions, with the flower remedy in the bottles of water going down a treat!

  During the Reverend Sprott’s second sermon, Lucy snuck Tambo outside into the cloister gardens. The frosty night air had left sprinkles of icy dust on the trees, and the neatly mown grass in the Abbey courtyard looked as if it had turned from green to white in the moonlight. They walked over the crunchy carpet and amongst the cluster of silver birch, which seemed like elegant pearlescent elves, guarding the sacred Little Eden spring. Mother and son sat together on the ancient menhir, just listening to the water singing with the stones. All of sudden, they felt the fleeting chill of an unseen breeze rippling towards them through the trees. With a whoosh it tickled their noses and fluttered through their hair.

  “Did you feel that Mummy?” Tambo whispered.

  “Yes,” Lucy whispered back, rubbing her nose. “The angels are amongst us!”

  As quickly as it had arrived the breeze was gone. “I don’t think Aunt Lilly is far away,” Lucy said with a smile.

  “You think she is still here in spirit?” Tambo said excitedly, looking around, as if expecting to see Lilly as an apparition rising from the waters. But there was nothing to be seen. He wanted Lilly to visit him from the other side and hoped he wouldn’t be too scared if she did. Just to see her one more time, he was sure that would be enough to fill the chasm that had been gauged out of his chest. “Lilly said she would come and see me from Heaven if she could. Do you think she will be a ghost?” Tambo asked his mum.

  Lucy laughed. “No, a ghost is not the same as an angel. If she were a ghost, I would be very sad.”

  “Why?” Tambo asked.

  “A ghost is energy that is stuck. We want Lilly to have reached the Heavenly Realms, don’t we? Or, as Dr G would say - the Pure Lands.”

  “Jimmy goes looking for ghosts on TV, doesn’t he?” Tambo asked. “But they never see any, do they?”

  Lucy sighed and replied, “Yes, that’s what he does. But you are right, they never actually see any ghosts on camera. The technology isn’t advanced enough yet.”

  Lucy shivered. She was starting to feel the cold. “Do you want to go back in the Chappelle or shall we just go home?” Lucy asked him.

  “We can go back in,” Tambo said, looking serious. “Aunt Sophie will need us.”

  Lucy squeezed Tambo’s hand. “You’re always thinking of others. I’m so, so, proud of you. You sang beautifully today, and if we are lucky…” she paused and giggled…“Reverend Sprott might have actually finished by now!”

  As they reached the Chappelle door, Tambo stooped down to pick something up off the mat in the porch way. “Look, Mummy, a white feather! It wasn’t there when we came out. It must be from Aunt Lilly!” he exclaimed.

  Lucy felt overwhelmed with grief, and tears rolled down her cold cheeks and into her big woolly scarf. Tambo looked up into the night sky and saw another pure snowy white feather floating down from above, and yet there was not a bird to be seen. “He caught it gently in his hands. “Here, Mummy,” he said, “This one’s for you.”

  Without warning, they were startled by a loud clatter! They nearly jumped out of their skins! The wooden door opened towards them with a loud creek. It was Jack, come to look for them.

  The service was over.

  Back inside the Chappelle, Lucy and Sophie said goodbye to the guests, and invited most of them back to the Café for the wake.

  “I thought we might go with Lilly’s ashes to the crypt now,” Robert told Lucy as he ushered his mother towards the car.

  “The crypt?” Jennifer said sharply. “You didn’t say! Robert? Why didn’t you ask me about this?”

  “It was very kind of your husband, I mean ex-husband, I mean Melbourne…Mr Bartlett-Hart…to allow Lilly to be buried with the family,” Lucy stuttered.

  Jennifer ignored her.

  Robert opened the car door. He could smell the scent of warm leather waft into the ever more freezing air outside. “You won’t like it down there in the crypt, Mother, it’s dark and dusty, and you know how claustrophobic
you get.”

  “It’s my family crypt as well! Why shouldn’t I go?” Jennifer replied curtly. “I should be there, and besides, your father would have wanted me to represent him.”

  “The passageway may have flooded due to the rains last week. What about your shoes?” Robert added. “And, it’s not a formal ceremony, Mother, just Lucy, Sophie, Jack and myself.”

  “Oh! Goodness me! I know when I am not wanted!” Jennifer replied, and pulled the car door shut.

  Robert sighed as he returned to his friends who were huddling together in the Lych Gate to keep warm. He looked at Lucy and Sophie saying, “Are you sure you’re happy to go now? We could go in daylight if you’d rather?”

  “It makes no difference, old chap,” Jack chortled. “It’s always dark down there! You’re not scared of the dark are you?”

  “Boys, don’t start!” Lucy giggled, and put her arm through Jack’s. “Come on, it won’t take long! I would like to get Aunt Lilly settled in before bedtime. Then we can get back to a nice warm cuppa.”

  They wound their way through the Abbey courtyard and down the peculiar covered passageway, which separates Hilda-Guards Tower and the Abbess’s house. There, they reached the charcoal grey and much smaller church of St Marys, where they came upon a concealed oak door in the north wall of the chancel. Robert gave his phone to Sophie to hold as a light and rooted in his pocket for the key.

  “This phone is a bit sticky!” Sophie grimaced.

  “Mmm, so is the key,” Robert mused. “Oh, that will be glue! I was sticking the…never mind…let’s go in!”

  He opened the door and switched on the antiquated electric light inside. The single bulb was dim due to age and general muck. They followed Robert to another door: this one, not much larger than the first, was crossed with a rusty metal bar. It opened out into an even narrower passage where steep, well-worn stone steps, led down into pitch darkness. Robert turned on his phone again to light the way. There was a disturbing damp smell and they could hear the distant sound of rushing of water.