Parcel for you...Part 23

 

Spencer was standing at the window as the car pulled up outside. He rushed to the front and stood at the threshold, rubbing his hands and watching Annie as she lugged her holdall from the boot and swung it onto her back. The sight of the perfectly formed man in the doorway caught her eye and she lifted her hand in a stagnant waving gesture, not really knowing how animated to be since she knew she wasn’t dealing with a real animal.

 

He saw the wave as his cue to step forward. ‘Annie, my step-daughter, it’s so wonderful to meet you at last.’

 

Annie glanced at her mother but Vanessa had slowed down to a stop, her eyes widening in shock. It had never occurred to her that Spencer would see himself as some sort of a step-father figure. Annie already had a father, there was no gap to fill. She coughed and said, ‘I expect you’ll have made arrangements to see your father, Annie..’

 

‘Yes Mum,’ said Annie who was laughing now, ‘I’m meeting him at the weekend but I’d like to get to know my step-father too.’

 

Spencer stared at the young woman and sniffed her hair as she walked past him into the hallway. ‘Oh,’ he looked her up and down, ‘you’re wearing a drug rug.’

 

‘What?’

 

‘That particular item of clothing, your jacket, is referred to as a drug rug, commonly worn by hippies and young people at festivals.’

 

Vanessa touched Spencer on the arm and gave him a stern look. ‘Annie’s had that jacket for a few years, it’s her favourite.’

 

‘It’s okay Mum, I don’t mind,’ said Annie as she dropped her heavy bag down on the kitchen table. 

 

‘Not on the table, Annie! That bag’s been halfway round the world and we eat at that table.’

 

Annie huffed and pulled it onto the floor. ‘This jacket’s from a Nepalese market though, I got it on my first big trip. It’s not one of the ones you buy for a tenner at Boom Town, it’s yak wool, it regulates your body temperature and it’s naturally anti-bacterial.’

 

‘Good…but not very vegan,’ said Vanessa smugly. 

 

‘It’s second hand, Mum. Second hand clothing from animal products is aligned with my brand of veganism. It’s all about making the most of the animal, maximising what it’s given to the world with the greatest respect…otherwise you’re reliant on petrochemicals and that has many of its own pitfalls as we know.’

 

‘That’s how you got home, Annie, petrol. It got you home didn’t it.’

 

Annie ignored her mum for a few seconds while she rifled through the food cupboards, pulling things out and reading the labels. ‘You know, I looked into hitching on a cargo ship but it takes about twenty five days.’

 

‘I would be very worried about your safety, Annie,’ said Spencer, ‘you don’t know who you’d be travelling with. The main problem being that the law out at sea is a very grey area.’

 

Vanessa watched as her daughter began immediately to fill every inch of space; placing her phone on the table, her tiny handbag on the worktop, dusty shoes kicked off, her enormous holdall taking up the floor, boxes of teabags and various packets from the cupboards left on the surfaces. ‘Let me make you a drink,’ she said in an attempt to regain some control over her territory.

 

‘It’s okay, Mum, you sit down. I can make us all a drink.’

 

‘But you haven’t washed your hands yet,’ Vanessa said. She could feel her blood pressure going up and had to control the stress in her voice, ‘and you’ve been on a plane with all those people.’

 

Annie looked at her hands. ‘They’re clean,’ she said flippantly as she pulled three mugs out of the cupboard, holding her fingers inside on them.

 

‘Spencer can’t drink yet,’ said Vanessa shooting up from her chair, ‘he can have certain foods but not tea or anything.’

 

‘You’re very lucky, getting to see Amazon river dolphins,’ said Spencer, wishing to change the subject away from his digestive shortcomings.

 

Annie now had her hand inside a bag of dried prunes, she placed two into her mouth at once and began to speak with her mouth full. ‘Yes!’ she said animatedly, ‘I’ve got something for you, well for both of you actually.’ She got down on her knees, unzipped her bag and tipped the contents onto the floor.

 

Vanessa winced and looked away. She turned to Spencer and asked, ‘How do you know she’s seen Amazon river dolphins?’

 

‘I saw the photos on her social media. That’s how we communicated because you won’t let me have my own phone and Annie’s not private so that’s how I found her, on Instagram, on the laptop.’ He turned to Annie and said, ‘It really looks as if you’re living your best life, Annie. I’m so proud of you.’

 

Annie’s belongings covered the floor. She rifled through half shredded plastic bags filled with dirty clothing and half used toiletries, lip balms covered in sand, a pair of flip-flops and empty food packets. Finally she laid her hands on something large and rounded wrapped in brown paper. ‘Ah!’ she said, handing it to Vanessa.

 

‘What is it?’ said Vanessa, delaying the inevitable unwrapping and she rehearsed her delighted response inside her head. 

 

‘Open it,’ said Annie.

 

Vanessa found that the brown paper had worn thin under the strain of constant abrasion inside the holdall, it parted easily beneath her fingertips, revealing some carved ornament underneath. ‘Oh, it’s lovely, Annie. Is it handmade?’

 

Annie tutted, ‘Of course it’s handmade, it's a gourd, carved by a beautiful man on the market in Sacred Valley. You guys really need to visit. I’m going back..’

 

‘When?’

 

‘I don’t know, Mum, I’ve only just got home! I need to get some money off Granma, then I’ll be off again.’

 

‘Well thank you,' said Spencer, 'for our wonderful gift, Annie.’

 

‘Yes,’ said Vanessa quickly, ‘thank you, it’s really nice,’ she said, placing it on the window sill. ‘Shall we get some of your stuff up to your room now?’

 

Annie shrugged. ‘We can do, I’m not bothered. I don’t tend to unpack these days, just live out of bags.’

 

‘But don’t you have washing to do?’

 

‘Not really. I don’t think anything in those bags is particularly dirty. Have you got any sweet potatoes? My body’s craving them already. I don’t know how I’m going to cope with bland English food,’ Annie followed this comment with a fake crying sound.

 

‘Well I expect you’ll be glad to sleep in a proper bed,’

 

‘I have been sleeping in a proper bed! Where do you think I’ve been sleeping, on the floor of a cave?’

 

‘No but you know, I just thought a nice clean bed would be restful for you.’

 

‘It wouldn’t be safe to sleep in a cave in South America,’ said Spencer, ‘there could be vampire bats. I’ve taken my jumper and shoes out of the room, Vanessa, and changed the blankets like you said, so it's all ready.’

 

Annie looked at her mother then back at Spencer. ‘Was that your room, Spencer? I don’t want to steal your bedroom. Where will you sleep now?’

 

‘He’s fine on the sofa. It’s where he used to sleep when he first arrived, Annie.’

 

‘Really?’ Annie screwed up her face. ‘That’s not how I’d expect a married couple to be.’

 

‘No me neither,’ said Spencer, ‘but your mother likes her own space with Charlie.’

 

‘Oh Charlie! I forgot about him. I’d love to see him and have a cuddle.’