Summer Rain Part 3

Written some ten to fifteen years after the first two parts. Realised that the original title included "A romance in several parts" and two parts are not several. Also wanted to find out what happened to Eddie and Kitty. First idea fell flat, I just couldn't imagine them taking the actions I had them doing, so scrapped it and came up with this instead.


Eddie Leaves A Trail



Friday morning and Kate Harrison was awoken by her husband of fourteen years, Eddie, again. It was the usual way. It wasn’t his alarm going off (he was always already awake), it wasn’t him making any noise as he got out of bed or moving around downstairs, he was very quiet, it was the absence of his body next to hers in bed. Sighing, she rolled onto her back and tried to go back to sleep. She had been up late last night trying to finish another chapter in her second book. Her first novel had been a surprising success. She had been surprised anyway, Eddie hadn’t, he knew her writing had been so much better since she had become a freelance after the birth of their second child, another girl. That was something else Eddie hadn’t been worried about, most men seemed to want a son, and Ed truly was more concerned for her than the sex of the children. And he adored them both, Julie and Trudi, eight and six.
She rolled over, still thinking, suddenly concerned that she and Eddie had slipped into a rut. He still told her that he loved her, but it wasn’t romantic anymore. He had moved slightly upwards in the last 15 years, now a supervisor for waste collection, but she knew he had turned down at least one chance to go higher at a neighbouring council and she suspected that he had been offered other jobs closer to home, but he preferred to stay in his comfort zone. She, on the other hand, had worked as a reporter for both of the local newspapers, the evening one at first and after Julie, the weekly. With Trudi’s arrival she had freelanced for both papers and had started to write for magazines. The book had been Eddies fault, he was always talking about the old days on the bins so she had started to collect his stories together and they had blossomed into a comic tale which was apparently about to be turned into a TV show. She sighed again and got out of bed and padded downstairs.
Kate wandered into the kitchen just as Eddie was pulling on his boots. She looked around at the mess he’d managed to make just preparing tea and toast and sighed. He didn’t do it on purpose, but he was just unconsciously messy. Eddie looked up at her sigh and then around at the debris he’d left on the table. Knife in the butter, bread not wrapped back up, crumbs on the tablecloth, plate and mug unwashed and a ring where he’d spilt tea.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” He asked quietly.
“No, but you could at least try and keep the kitchen tidy Eddie. Even the girls are better than you.” For some reason Kate snapped back, rather than use her usual patient tone of exasperation.
“I was going to wash up you know, before I left” Eddie said, not wanting to get into their one continuing argument again, but feeling that he should try to defend himself.
“You always say that. Why not just keep things tidy as you go along?” She demanded
“Kitty, I…”
“Don’t ‘Kitty’ me Eddie. It’s been a long time since I was Kitty.”
Eddie looked down. This wasn’t how he wanted to start his day.
“Kate, I have to go or I’ll be late. Tell me what you want me to do when I get back.”
“I’ll have a list by then. Starting with the total lack of romance.”
“Fine. Whatever.” He closed the door quietly behind him and then she heard the car start up and leave. She sat down and slumped onto the table and started to cry, wondering why she sometimes said these things to him, hoping that he never took them to heart. The kitchen door opened and Julie came in.
“Why are you crying Mummy? Have you hurt yourself?” Kate smiled at her eldest daughter and patted her hand.
“No dear, Mummy’s just being a bit silly that’s all.”
“You and Daddy are all right aren’t you? Sarah’s daddy left when her mummy was crying.” Kate was shocked that the girl had made the connection, however tenuous and took her hand again.
“Now that will never happen to us will it?” she said, “Daddy would never leave us.”
“He does leave a mess though, doesn’t he mummy?” Kate kissed her daughter on the forehead and laughed.
“Yes dear he always has, and I should be used to it.”
“I’ll wash up for you both.”
“Okay, let me get you something to stand on.” Kate smiled.
“I am more than eight years old you know.”
“Yes, I do know, I was there when you were born.” Kate smiled at the girl, “All right then, I’ll dry shall I?”

Eddie Harrison walked into the office he shared with the other two supervisors, a worried look on his face. His old friend Alex was the early supervisor and looked up.
“What’s up Ed?” He asked.
“I think I upset Kitty… Kate this morning, but I’m damned if I know how” He sat down and pulled out a pencil and some paper.
“Why doesn’t she like ‘Kitty’ anymore?”
“Not sure, thinks it’s childish now I suppose” Eddie was scribbling furiously on the paper. Alex watched for a while then sighed.
“Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?” Eddie stopped and looked up.
“Kitty… Kate said something about a lack of romance as I came out, so I have a cunning plan.”
“Choccies and Roses?”
“Alex, I said cunning and I mean cunning. I had the idea a week or so ago when I taxed the bike, Kitty is going to be romanced to the full.”
“Don’t you mean Kate?”
“I know who I mean.” He stood up and looked out of the window, a smile creasing his face for the first time today. “Alex, why are two of our vehicles still in the yard?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t notice them.”

Kate was surprised when Eddie didn’t make any reference to the morning spat. And he was humming. Eddie hardly ever hummed. All at once a horrible thought wormed its insidious way into her head, he had someone else! She dropped the glass she was holding. Eddie rushed over to her, concern in his face.
“Kate, are you all right?”
“Yes, yes. I just … Just. Actually I don’t know what happened.” Kate looked into his worried face and knew, she just knew, how wrong she was. “Actually I was suddenly afraid I’d lost you.”
“You’d lost me.” He smiled as he picked up the shards of glass from the kitchen floor. “Kate, I still don’t know why you put up with me. When I think about it, I keep things tidy, but usually I don’t and...” She shushed him.
“It doesn’t matter.” Kate stood up, and then called up the stairs. “Are there two young ladies here who want to see their gran?” A pair of screams answered her, followed by Trudi and Julie bounding down the stairs with their overnight bags.
“What have I said about running down stairs, you pair?” Eddie said as he caught them both as they went past him.
“Sorry daddy.” They chorused.
“Go on, and don’t torment your gran too much.” Julie stopped.
“Does that mean we can torment her a little bit, daddy?” Eddie smiled. She caught on quickly, his eldest daughter. She must get it from her mother. He bent down and whispered to her.
“Yes, but don’t tell her I said so.” Julie giggled and followed her mother and little sister to the car. Eddie rubbed his hands, there was just enough time to organise a couple of more things for his cunning plan, and then he would have to act as he always did for the evening.

Kate Harrison was awoken once more by the absence of her husband. She was about to roll over when she remembered that it was Saturday morning, Eddie didn’t work Saturdays. Kate sat bolt upright and then heard his bike starting up. She jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, opening the kitchen door just as Eddie left. She called out but he didn’t hear. Kate was suddenly aware of the cold. Looking down she realised she was nearly naked out in the street and bolted back indoors. Eddie’s behaviour was worrying her. Then she saw the note on the table and her fears of the day before returned. Trembling she reached out for the note and opened it up. It read:

Darling, you said you wanted
more romance so here it is.
Follow the clues and hopefully
you’ll find what I found.

There was a damp newspaper with “Clue One” written on it. Kate sat down and scratched her head, what was he playing at? Obviously she would have to think like him. Slowly she stood up and went to get dressed. As she pulled on some clothes a thought hit her, wet newspaper! She knew where she had to be.

The close where they had first met had changed a little in Twenty years. Trees and bushes were taller or gone, extensions had been built and garages had been altered, but nothing major. The memory of that damp day more than twenty years ago welled up. Now she couldn’t believe how … well, shy really, the two of them had been, neither realising how the other might feel. Kate got out of the car and looked around, not sure what she was looking for. A paperboy was delivering the morning papers, so some things never change, she thought, and then she realised that the boy was coming over to her.
“Excuse me miss, are you Kate?” He asked her. She nodded yes. “A guy asked me to wait and give you this about ten minutes ago.” He proffered an envelope. Kate took it and thanked the lad. Inside was another message. It read:

My first surprise.

Kate furrowed her brow, trying to penetrate his meaning. Obviously this wasn’t a surprise so he must mean the first surprise she’d given him. A smile spread across her face and got back into the car, tooting her thanks to the delivery boy as she left the close.

The car park at the local centre hadn’t changed at all, different cars perhaps, but a car park was a car park. Kate walked toward the shops, knowing she was in the right place in general, but not sure which of two surprises Eddie meant. He might mean that initial kiss when he’d brought her home after their first date. Somehow she doubted that, although the memory of his face when she’d kissed him always made her smile. And the car park had also been the setting for their first split, and Kate knew that Eddie regretted that now. So, if it wasn’t that then… A memory came to Kate when she saw the old, old benches outside the shops. The look Eddie had given her when she had sat down beside him had definitely been one of surprise. She went over to the same seat and sat down. An idea struck her and she began to feel under the bench, but there was no envelope. The street cleaner who worked the centre on weekends came over to her. She recognised him from various events that the council had held. He held out an envelope to Kate.
“It wouldn’t stay stuck.” He explained. Kate laughed.
“It’s a good job you were still here then.”
“Actually I could have gone about twenty minutes ago.”
“Then why...?”
“Mrs Harrison, if Eddie had asked me to wait all day, I would have, a lot of us would. As it happens, I noticed the envelope under the bench after he’d left and picked it up. I knew you’d be the one looking for it.”
“Why me?”
“I know Eddie, and, well, your name is on it.” He smiled and left her with the envelope. She burst out laughing at her own seriousness. She looked down at the name ‘Kitty’. He was trying to tell her something. Kitty opened it and read the next clue.
Home turf. The second coming.

She walked slowly back to her car, absently waving the note. There was only one place Eddie could call Home Turf and it had been the scene of her return to his life. The problem was, she might not be able to get in.

Kitty had worried unnecessarily as it turned out. The council depot where the waste collection office was located was open. She parked outside what was now Eddie’s office and remembered that day when she had managed to get the assignment she’d been angling for. The look on Ed’s face, the grin that had split her face. She went over and knocked on the door.
“Come in Kitty.” It was a voice she knew, Alex, Eddie’s oldest friend. She poked her head around the door. “Or do you prefer Kate?” Alex smiled.
“As it happens, I’m mellowing back towards Kitty.” She smiled back. “Come on Alex; tell me what he’s up to.”
“Sorry Kate, Eddie wasn’t saying anything when he came in earlier. Just told me you’d be coming by and I was to give you this and I wasn’t to tease you.”
“So far you’ve failed abysmally.”
“I know, I can’t think why anyone would put up with me.” He handed her a motor cycle helmet, her old helmet. In it was an envelope. Kitty opened it and looked at the card inside. It read:

The night of the wet dance

She smiled at the memory that came to her immediately, that Friday night after the meal, the return to her motel, the gentle rain, Eddie leading her in a waltz around the car park. She got up to leave. As she opened the door Kitty turned to Alex.
“If you ever tell Eddie this I will hunt you down and kill you, but if I’d met you first who knows what might have been?” She tailed off as she pulled the door behind her. Alex sat dumbstruck and the door reopened. “Alex?” He looked up. “Only teasing!”
Kitty laughed at him, pulling the door shut again as a pencil hit it.

The motel she had stayed in when she first returned was on the edge of town. It was still doing a reasonable trade, but at the moment it looked nearly empty. Kitty pulled up and gazed around. There was a receptionist on duty and Kate felt that was where Eddie would have left his next instruction. She went over.
“Good morning. This may turn out to be a stupid question, but has someone left you a message for a Kitty Harrison?” The girl looked up. She was very pretty.
“Actually a very handsome man left an envelope for a Kate Harrison.” She said. Kate bristled.
“My husband, and he’s not available.” The girl laughed nicely.
“That’s almost exactly what he thought you’d say if I said he was handsome. He put me up to it, although…” She tailed off as she saw the look Kate was giving her. “My dad works for him, Mr Harrison was very helpful a couple of years ago when he was off with some industrial injury.” Kate mellowed.
“Yes, that sounds like my Eddie.” She smiled at the girl. “Have you been here long?”
“About eight months. It’s a bit boring at times, but it has its moments.”
“Like handsome strangers leaving enigmatic notes for their wives?”
“It’s a first, certainly. Oh, here’s the letter.” She passed Kitty another envelope. “If I could ask, what is going on?”
“I stupidly accused him of being unromantic. I think he’s trying to remind me of what he’s capable of.”
“Sounds, well, romantic.”
“Actually, it is nice, being reminded of past events and feelings too I suppose.” She smiled again, partly to herself, partly at the receptionist. “How is your dad now?
“He’s been back at work for almost a year, Mr Harrison found him some less strenuous jobs for a while, but he’s back on the bins again now.”
“I believe they like to call it ‘waste collection’ now.”
“Only higher up, my dad says.” Kate laughed.
“You’re right, even Eddie still calls it ‘the bins’ when he doesn’t think about it.” She waved the envelope at the girl. “Thanks for this; I’ll tell Eddie you liked him.”
“I … Well… Err.” The girl stammered. Kitty took pity on her.
“Or not if you prefer.” The receptionist breathed her thanks. Kate sat back in her car and read the note:
The first night of the rest of our lives

The Honeymoon hotel. An easy clue! And it was only over the other side of town. Neither of them had wanted to go far. She was still settling into her job on the paper, and Ed had been asked to take over as junior supervisor. As a consequence their honeymoon had only been a couple of days at the posh hotel just outside town. Kate started the car, beeped the horn and waved to the young girl as she pulled out of the car park.

Fourteen years! Kate could hardly believe how quickly time had passed. It was over fourteen years since they had spent those two passionate nights they chose to call their honeymoon in this beautiful place. This time she wasn’t certain whether to ask at the reception desk. She had a feeling Eddie wouldn’t repeat himself. Getting into the same room would have been problematic, so what would he have done? Dining room? But they’d hardly… Then she knew. It would be the kitchen. Ed had made friends with the chef then and maintained that friendship even after the man had retired. But he still came in on Saturdays, to help with lunch and sometimes dinner. She glanced at her watch, it was not yet noon. Kitty suddenly remembered she was supposed to be collecting the girls soon, then realised that Eddie knew this and would have arranged something. She walked to the kitchen door and knocked.

Kate’s mother dropped off her granddaughters at home, waving back as they waved her off. Trudi looked up at her father. “Daddy, where’s Mom?”
“My dear Tru, your lovely mother is being reminded of just how damn romantic your father can be.” The little girl giggled at him.
“You said a naughty word.”
“Did I? All right, what will it cost me to keep you two quiet about it?”
“Playstation!” They chorused in unison.
“Okay, just don’t ask me to play as well. You both beat me at everything.” Ed shook his head in mock despair. “It is very embarrassing to be beaten at football by two girls, even if they are as pretty as you two.”
“Can you beat mommy at football too?”
“Do you know, I don’t think I’ve ever played football with your mother?”
“Why?” Trudi asked.
“Don’t start, just go and play.”
“Why?” Julie chipped in, and then ran off laughing with her sister. Ed looked at his watch, Kitty should be at the hotel by now, he’d phone Dermot in half an hour or so.

“My dearest Katherine! I’m so glad to see you.” Dermot boomed as he saw Kitty come into the kitchen, let in by one of the other staff.
“At least you’re not pretending it’s a surprise.” She smiled back at him.
“What would be the point? You are too smart for me to try and fool you.”
“You old sweet talker. And you let Eddie talk you into helping him with this, well, treasure hunt.”
“Edward is such a persuasive man when he wants to be, my dear. Besides I want to read about how this turns out. You will be putting it down in writing for someone won’t you?”
“Actually, I hadn’t thought of that yet. But you’re so right, it could be an interesting article, it depends if he can sustain my interest to the end.”
“I think he will, I think he will.”
“Do you know where he’s leading me then?”
“What? No, no. I just know Edward can be really clever when he wants to be. And quite the romantic too, or so I’ve heard you say.”
“Yes he is, and I don’t know why I accused him of a lack of romance. He can be very thoughtful and usually is almost all the time. One bit of romance runs into another until I don’t notice it’s there until something happens and it isn’t.” She stopped, and looked as if she was about to cry. Dermot sat her down and put a cup of tea and a sandwich, one of his specials, in front of her. He patted her shoulder and put his clue down in front of her, then went off fussing around the kitchen, doing his thing. Kate picked up the note, opened it and read:

Six year stint

Kate smiled as she chewed on her snack. Well, Tru was six, but that wasn’t it. They had been married for six years when Julie had been born and she’d given up her job on the evening paper; that must be it. She got up, waving to Dermot, who appeared to be on the phone now, and went back to her car.

The paper was an old established one, it had been going for donkey’s years. Her old office was on the third floor. Reporting on the myriad local events had honed her writing skills to their current level. Having to write sensibly on everything from local politics to local football, latest film releases to all time favourite books, children’s parties, WI meetings, fetes, sports days, she had covered them all, and become good at so many of them, and the editor had wanted her back after Julie had been born, but she had felt that the less stressful job she’d been offered at the weekly would be a better option. Although eight years had passed since she had worked there, Kate saw a lot of people she knew, saying hi to some, waving to others. As she entered the newsroom, or ‘pit’ as they had called it, Kate felt a wave of nostalgia roll over her, and one special memory shone out like a beacon. She knew it was the one Ed wanted her to remember as well. The day after she had told him that Julie was on the way, he had sent around a string of presents on the hour from the moment the shops opened to the moment they had all shut. A box of chocolates, a bunch of congratulatory balloons, cards, a singing telegram, he sent them all. But the last gift, the truly romantic one, he had brought himself. A red rose somehow intertwined with a white rose tied with a bow and with a card that said simply “Thank You.” Her tears began to well up again and she had to sit down once more. Mike, a reporter who she used to work with, saw her and came over.
“Hello Kitty, we were wondering how long you’d be.”
“Hello Mike. I’m still on the right track then.”
“I suppose so. Ed was here this morning and...”
“And left a note for me?” Mike nodded and produced his envelope. Kate took it.
“I know this is going to be something about our tenth anniversary party.”
“How?” Mike asked.
“I think he wants to show me that although he can plan a romantic interlude, his unplanned ones are usually more memorable.” She opened the note:

What a bad singer.

Kitty laughed as she read it. “I told you.” She showed Mike the note. He looked quizzically at her. “Don’t you remember the party, when Eddie sang, or tried to sing “Romeo and Juliet”?” A light dawned in his eyes.
“And that leads you to where?”
“The local hall.” She got up and started to leave. “Must dash, there’s not many places around town he can send me now.”

The hall stood back off the road, surrounded by trees. The car park was a reasonable one and there was a grassed area around three sides. Kitty walked around the entire building looking for some clue. There must be one. After all, they had held so many parties here. Five or six birthday parties for the girls and an anniversary party for the past four years with another planned for later in the year. But the place was locked up. She was at a loss until she remembered the sequel to what Ed had alluded to in his clue. Later in the evening the two of them had been sat out among the trees and he had sung to her again. ‘Wonderful tonight’ had been the song and although his voice had still been awful, it seemed to catch the emotion of the song, and it had been just for her. She had loved it and told him so. Kitty searched for the spot and then saw a note taped to the tree. She tore it open and this time it said:

The most precious of all.

At once Kate turned and ran back to the car.

Eddie kept glancing at his watch. Julie looked up from where she was writing.
“Are you worried daddy?”
“I’m beginning to think maybe I was a bit obscure somewhere.”
“What’s obscure mean?” Trudi asked.
“It means difficult to understand.” Julie told her sister. Eddie was a little surprised she knew, but they were both always surprising him. He and Kitty must have got something right. He stood up and went to get his phone.
“I hoped I wouldn’t have to do this.”
“Do what?” The question came from the kitchen. Eddie span around. Kate and he embraced and kissed. After a while Julie piped up.
“Should we go to our rooms?” Eddie blushed while Kate laughed.
“No, that won’t be necessary. Come and tell mummy what you’ve been doing, then I’ll tell you where your father has been sending me.” Eddie left them talking and began to tidy the kitchen.

Sunday morning and Eddie Harrison was woken by his wife of fourteen years gently shaking him.
“Eddie, the children won’t be awake for hours yet.” Kitty grinned at him.