Albatross Read Online Free PDF Page A

she wasn’t even there.
    And, since it seems to be the time for stories of the past, she too once upon a time used to smile and hum as she worked. On occasion even, on days when humming simply wasn’t enough, she used to sing too.
    But of late, her love of singing, and of cooking, of everything in fact, it seemed, had vanished.
    Geoff had watched this decline with sorrow in his heart. As he had witnessed only that evening, in their short car journey to the pub, there was only one thing that seemed to stir any kind of emotion in Jen nowadays.
    And that was her dear sister, Clare.
    He frequently glanced across at her as she prepped meals and desserts for him in a robotic, melancholy state.
    Yet again he sighed, not knowing what could be done.
    Waiters and waitresses dipped in and out throughout the night and Jen and Geoff waltzed round the kitchen together, dipping and weaving between fridges and ovens and pots and pans in an intricate dance. There was a rhythmical perfection to their harmony, and even a comedic element about it, as the overly large chef and the, in comparison, seemingly undersized young girl, worked flawlessly together. They’d had plenty of practice after all.
    Again, it was something Jen had used to love, and they had laughed many nights of work away in their comical routine.
    Used to love.
    The whole situation saddened Geoff greatly.
    There was a new lad who had recently started, who often appeared looking more than a little overwhelmed, but Jen had cocooned herself so much that she didn’t even know his name.
    She did however, know Laura.
    Laura Patterson.
    Businesswoman.
    Owner of The Rusty Oak.
    Having spent years helping her father run the pub, for it had been in their family for more than a few generations, Laura treated The Rusty Oak as if it were an only child.
    She was caring and friendly and gave everybody anything she could, but the second anybody started to get rowdy, she came down on them in a heartbeat.
    It worked very well, and she was very good at it. Though she was only slight, and not overly tall, her voice could be both kind and stern, and her light hair and eyes could be both caring and fierce.
    Laura had always had a soft spot for Jen too, and whenever Clare had popped in, she always gave the both of them drinks and food on the house.
    If not because she was fond of them, then at least because without young Jen, Laura knew that Geoff wouldn’t manage alone in the kitchen, regardless of how fast he could move.
    Something that had always tickled Clare when she visited was Laura’s jumpers. Every day she wore an identical woollen jumper, be it green or yellow or blue or red, or any colour under the sun for that matter.
    Clare had always been convinced that Laura had hundreds of these jumpers all lined up in her wardrobe, all in varying shades of every colour and design, and found the whole idea quite ridiculous and hilarious.
     
    Eventually, late into the night, the last of the guests, and more often than not the rowdiest of the lot, were shooed out of the door by Laura, though admittedly quite some time past closing.
    Jen was just about finished cleaning up in the kitchen, scrubbing and drying the metal work surfaces ready for the next day.
    Soon enough she bid Geoff and Laura and the waiters and waitresses, whose names she could not recall, goodnight, informing them that she was off to meet Clare so that they could walk home together.
    “Ok dear…” Laura replied, smiling warmly, though the look in her eyes was not dissimilar to the look in Geoff’s.
    “Stay safe…” The portly chef called after Jen as she disappeared into the night, and once she had vanished his gaze met Laura’s, and they both took a deep, shuddering breath.
    Geoff tentatively, almost even nervously, led Laura into the kitchen and reached out with one enormously pudgy hand to the fridge beside where Jen had been working.
    Opening the door slowly, allowing the cold air to rush out with a slight hiss, they