Tea in the park

“I think it’s going to rain today,” Kathleen was looking out the window.

“That’s the last thing I need. I need to find this book Kathleen, it has all my notes, my ideas.” Brian was flustered and desperate.

“I know, you’ve only been saying it since you came home without it yesterday. I will help you look again, let’s go now. “Kathleen took hers and Brian’s coats off the hook and walked out the door ahead of him. Then she went back to close it as he had already started off down the street.

“Brian, Wait!”

“Hello, excuse me, have you seen a black moleskin notebook? I dropped it around here yesterday” Brian was looking around and underneath the man sitting on a bench seat. Haphazardly lifting his bag.

“Hey, that’s mine” the man objected but Brian had already walked away.

“Sorry” Kathleen offered as the man started to get up, she had already begun to follow Brian.

It must be here somewhere. It must have fallen off the seat as I was reading. It's Steinbeck’s fault, he distracted me. “All great and precious things are lonely” Brian quoted aloud. “Maybe my book is destined to be lonely forever.” Brian lamented.

Kathleen rolled her eyes and kicked around in the sandpit. She didn’t enjoy the prospect of one of the children burying it in the sand. She decided not to mention it to Brian and he had already wandered over to the lake.

“Do you think someone picked it up and threw it in? Do you think it's duck food now?” Kathleen had become familiar with Brian’s melodrama.

“Let hope not,” she muttered as she ushered him towards a different bench.

“Are you sure it wasn’t this one?”

“Hmm?”, he said, without looking up. “Are you sure you weren’t sitting at this bench?” Kathleen repeated.

“No, I always sit at the other one, with my back to the water. It's too distracting otherwise, the sun glistening off the ripples, the breeze ruffling the duck’s feathers. The glint of the fish wondering if they will ever be caught.” I start to feel like Hemingway writing ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ and my mind wanders too much. No, it’s the other one, the view is dull and the noises of the park are blocked by these hedges.”

He turned suddenly, “The hedges… maybe someone put in the hedges… like a piece of rubbish…”, he trailed off searching through the neatly trimmed foliage. Kathleen joined him until she noticed a gardener looking at them strangely.

“Hey, what are you doing,” the gardener questioned, “I’ve spent weeks getting those hedges right again after…”

“Sorry, we are sorry” Kathleen interrupted, “we are looking for a notebook. Black. Leather. You haven’t seen it by any chance, have you?”

“A black leather notebook? In the hedges?” The gardener did not seem like he was going to be much help.

Brian became flustered, “Yes, man, keep up would you? Here in the park, I lost a book yesterday. It must have fallen off this bench”, he started walking over and pointing.” What have you done with it?” The gardener looked confused. “It won’t be much good to you, mostly shorthand. I don’t suppose you can read shorthand” Brian rudely took in the state of the gardeners' appearance.” Well?”

“I don’t have your notebook; I haven’t seen any notebook.” The gardener lumbered away not before he gave Brian a hostile look.

“Did you see that?”, he demanded of Kathleen, ”did you see the way he looked at me?” He has it and now he will keep it out of spite.”

“I don’t think he has your book, and I don’t blame him for not wanting to help. That was rude, its not his fault you’re… haphazard” Kathleen considered this word, she didn’t want to upset Brian more than he already was. This could go on for days and it was her sister’s wedding tomorrow, she didn’t want him carrying on in front of her family. Her father was already questioning her judgment regarding Brian. “he’s half-mad already, his writing is nonsensical.” She could already hear her father castigating her.

Brian was now questioning people walking around.

“Were you here yesterday?” He spat at two people strolling in the grass. They walked a little faster as his tone had increased to a level of panic Kathleen had only seen once before. Brian had misplaced a slipper. They had been looking at houses to rent. Brian had insisted on bringing his slippers to each viewing to test out the noise of the scuff they made on the floor. It needed to have the right sound as he walked around. “Too loud and it's distracting!” he protested when Kathleen suggested he leave the slippers in the car for the next one. He had eventually found it underneath the drivers’ seat, but it was not without a lot of shouting and strange looks from their potential neighbours.

Brian sat on the grass, his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Kathleen was preparing herself to console him when a little girl approached him.

“Oh..” Kathleen tried to stop her, not wanting this to end in tears because of Brian’s current state of behaviour.

“Excuse Mr.…” The girl was tugging at the sleeve at his wrist. He raised his eyes and looked at her.

“Go away, I don’t want any tea today.” Brian moved his hand as if to flick her away.

The girl’s mother approached, “Hannah, I told you to wait for me”

Hannah looked at her mum, and back at Brian. “I found your book,” she said quietly holding it out to him.

Brian froze for a moment and then raised his head.

He looked at her and then at the book in her hand.

“When you left yesterday it was on the grass underneath the bench, her mother explained, we tried to find you, but you must walk really fast. “

Brian was not even listening, he had already seized the book and started to walk away, astounded. Hannah followed him tea set in hand.

Kathleen turned to the mother, “Thank you, you have no idea how grateful I am. I didn’t think I was ever going to hear the end of this.” Hannah’s mother acknowledged her thanks with a knowing nod and called out to Hannah.

Kathleen waved at her as she ran past returning to her mother.

“So… you were having a tea party in the park yesterday?” Kathleen teased Brian when she reached him.

“Brain stopped and looked at her with a serious expression. She couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“This is astonishing, Kathleen. This is Hemingway’s lost suitcase all over again!”

“Hemingway’s manuscript was never recovered.” Kathleen reminded him.

“Aaah, yes Kathleen, but look here I have my book back. I’m luckier than Hemingway and look at what he achieved.” Brian convinced himself.

“I don’t follow.,” Kathleen's expression was quickly changing from confusion to disinterest, eager to close this chapter now that Brian had found the book.

“My luck is changing! Don’t you see, I should buy a lotto ticket” Brian remarked gazing away from her.

“A lotto ticket? you never buy lotto tickets.”

“Yes, right now.” He had already turned direction and was taking huge strides towards the main street. She would have to run to catch up and she really could not be bothered. She headed back to their apartment.

“Here you are,” Brian said as he walked through the door and saw Kathleen at the table. He was a little out of breath, I went back to the park, but never mind, you’re here now. I got the ticket.!” Brian’s expression was pure joy.

“good, can you help me finish packing for tomorrow?

“Absolutely!” Kathleen took pleasure in knowing that this mood of Brian’s would last until, all things going well, after the wedding.

The wedding went as planned and Kathleen’s father was in a pleasant mood, even discussing his latest book purchase at length with Brian.

“Agreed, the fine press editions of the classics are an essential element to a personal library, there are a number of small printing presses starting to reprint the classics as they should be.” Brian was beginning to interest Kathleen’s father. “I have an interview at one next week.” He raised his eyebrows slightly.

“That sounds promising,” Kathleen’s father had started to voice his encouragement of Brian in paid employment when his newly married daughter walked past.

“Congratulations Beth, this wine is very respectable” Brian stopped her from passing, she didn’t understand what Kathleen saw in him. “I’m glad you like it, Brian”, she hadn’t stopped walking not wanting to be party to a lengthy conversation on Brian’s dislike of modern literature or the current state of book stores. “Take this Beth, from me, bit of good luck.” He was giving her the lotto ticket he bought yesterday. It was tea-stained and as Beth thought he was handing her rubbish she left it on one of the dinner plates that now had remnants of her carefully chosen wedding cake.

“Well, if you didn’t want it... Brain trailed off as he picked it up and put in back in his pocket, wiping the chocolate that had found its way to his thumb on his jacket. “I’m not sure your sister understood my gesture.“ he remarked to Kathleen as she handed him another glass of wine.

How was the interview?” Kathleen asked him the next week when the drama had now been left to memory.

“It went well, the press they have is awe-inspiring and the binding on the books..”

Kathleen stopped him, she didn’t have the energy for his enthusiasm.

His expression changed and she was concerned with what he was about to say, “I won $20,000!” he did a bit of a skip towards her and she nearly dropped the cup she was holding.

“$20,000? but how?”

The ticket, don’t you remember, I checked it today and I won.”

“They accepted that? It had bits of dinner and afternoon tea on it.” Kathleen was incredulous.

“Of course, they did, the things you are concerned with Kathleen…” Brian lifted his eyebrows and gently shook his head.

She was shocked, the way Brian goes through life without concern, only an expectation that things will improve for him. “ Th..that’s wonderful really, what are you going to do with the money?”

“This… “, Brain was holding out a ring, antique emerald in a little blue velvet box.

“Say yes”,

“What?”

Brian’s face was pregnant with anticipation, his mouth and eyes wide open, paused on their way to a shout of excitement.

“Yes.” Kathleen was excited at the prospect of seeing how far this rabbit hole went.

He jumped and shouted at the same time half scaring her, she laughed and took the ring off him before it flew across the room.

He settled down. “Quick, put it on,” he said as he pressed the ring on her finger and walked over to the hook by the door. °I got this for myself.”

Kathleen stopped admiring her ring for a moment and looked up, “A used hat?”

“It’s not just a used hat, Kathleen. It’s about who used it. This one was worn by Fred Astaire in ‘Swing Time’, he put it on over one eyebrow and looked up at her, chin down. “I’ll take dancing lessons and you can be my Ginger Rogers.” He held out his hand to her.

Kathleen replied beaming, “No-one could teach you to dance in a million years. Take my advice and save your money”.