For Fair Love
eight
The afternoon creeps up rather quickly. I smell Grans muffins in the oven. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. I close my book and place it on the chair.
“Chas! Go get the door!” Grand calls from the back of the kitchen.
I twist the doorknob a few times until it tugs open.
Harry…
I blankly stare at him standing on the front step.
Grans keeps calling, “Chas, who’s at the door?”
It’s Harry.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in a whisper.
I should have at least said hello. He gives me a little smile.
“May I come in?” he asks.
Taken aback, I stutter, “Uh, sure, ‘course…”
I step back leaving him space to walk inside. I feel a little embarrassed at the state of my home. It’s small and cluttered with Grans old fashion furniture, which show their age.
“Is it the postman?” Grans asks through the wall.
I bite my lip. I don’t know what to say or do. Harry stands and takes a brief look around. I lead him to the breakfast table with two chairs.
“You can sit here,” I say. He sits. “Um, what’s up?”
“Nothing really. Well, there is one thing. How would you like to come to London with me?”
“What?”
Grans appear and sees Harry first.
“Why hello there,” she smiles oblivious, “Are you the new postman?”
“No, Grans,” I correct her, “It’s not the postman. This is… This is…”
“I’m Harry Styles,” he says, extending his arm to Grans.
“Oh,” she shakes it, “Prince Harry?”
“No, Grans,” I groan at this point, “Harry would like some tea. Can you make him a cup?”
“Right, right. You couldn’t be Prince Harry,” she laughs at her mistake, “You got curly hair.”
“Grans. Tea,” I say stiffly.
She nods, “Right, right.”
She huddles back in the kitchen. I hear the kettle boiling. Harry looks back to me.
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?” I ask, forgetting.
“I need you to come to London.”
I frown my face, “What for?”
“It’s a long story,” he sighs.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on TV or something? Why are you here?” I ask, almost laughing.
“Well, I’m here to get you.”
“Get me for what?” I ask.
“To come to London,” he answers.
“Why?”
“I just told you it’s a long story.”
I give him a confused look and try to register what’s going on. Grans comes with his cup of tea and disrupts us.
“Here you go. Be careful it’s quite hot. All I had was mint tea.”
“That’s just fine, thank you,” Harry smiles, accepting the cup.
“I used to know a Harry back in the war. He was a lieutenant. He looked so handsome in his lieutenant suit. When he came back from the war, he married one of my friends. Her name was Alice Williams. Oh god she was so pretty. She had blonde curls and blue eyes. Blue eyes just like Chas’. Oh how all the girls was jealous. She was quite lucky. I haven’t been in touch for some time. Hm, I wonder how she’s doing. The last time we chatted, she told me her grandson was an accountant. Oh yes, that’s a good job. To have a good job, one must go to school…”
Grans then looks at me, “Is he one of your friends from school?”
“Not really,” I say looking at Harry, still wondering why he’s in my house.
Grans looks at me, not satisfied with my answer. I sigh.
“He’s a guy on TV,” I sum up Harry’s existence for Grans understanding.
“Oh, you’re on the tele?” she asks him.
Harry sips his tea in silence.
“Would you like some biscuits, Harry?” Grans asks.
He nods happily, “I’d love some, thanks.”
Grans disappears again. I believe she’s going to call the neighbours and tell them a boy on TV’s over. We sit in silence. It’s excruciating. Grans comes back with his biscuits.
“Um, yeah. This is my Grans,” I say, forgetting to introduce her to Harry.
“Is there anything you need, Harry?” Grans asks with a big smile.
“Actually,” Harry starts, “I do need Chas to come to London. I hope that’s alright with you.”
“Eh! Harry?!” I shout.
“Oh, my. Chas going to London with a boy? I don’t know about that…” Grans whispers to herself.
“No, Grans. I’m not going to London,” I assure her.
Then, the doorbell rings again. I get up to see who it is. A lady in a fur coat with large sunglasses on her face walks right in. The house is stuffed with people now.
“Chas! Go get the door!” Grand calls from the back of the kitchen.
I twist the doorknob a few times until it tugs open.
Harry…
I blankly stare at him standing on the front step.
Grans keeps calling, “Chas, who’s at the door?”
It’s Harry.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in a whisper.
I should have at least said hello. He gives me a little smile.
“May I come in?” he asks.
Taken aback, I stutter, “Uh, sure, ‘course…”
I step back leaving him space to walk inside. I feel a little embarrassed at the state of my home. It’s small and cluttered with Grans old fashion furniture, which show their age.
“Is it the postman?” Grans asks through the wall.
I bite my lip. I don’t know what to say or do. Harry stands and takes a brief look around. I lead him to the breakfast table with two chairs.
“You can sit here,” I say. He sits. “Um, what’s up?”
“Nothing really. Well, there is one thing. How would you like to come to London with me?”
“What?”
Grans appear and sees Harry first.
“Why hello there,” she smiles oblivious, “Are you the new postman?”
“No, Grans,” I correct her, “It’s not the postman. This is… This is…”
“I’m Harry Styles,” he says, extending his arm to Grans.
“Oh,” she shakes it, “Prince Harry?”
“No, Grans,” I groan at this point, “Harry would like some tea. Can you make him a cup?”
“Right, right. You couldn’t be Prince Harry,” she laughs at her mistake, “You got curly hair.”
“Grans. Tea,” I say stiffly.
She nods, “Right, right.”
She huddles back in the kitchen. I hear the kettle boiling. Harry looks back to me.
“I’m sorry. What were you saying?” I ask, forgetting.
“I need you to come to London.”
I frown my face, “What for?”
“It’s a long story,” he sighs.
“Aren’t you supposed to be on TV or something? Why are you here?” I ask, almost laughing.
“Well, I’m here to get you.”
“Get me for what?” I ask.
“To come to London,” he answers.
“Why?”
“I just told you it’s a long story.”
I give him a confused look and try to register what’s going on. Grans comes with his cup of tea and disrupts us.
“Here you go. Be careful it’s quite hot. All I had was mint tea.”
“That’s just fine, thank you,” Harry smiles, accepting the cup.
“I used to know a Harry back in the war. He was a lieutenant. He looked so handsome in his lieutenant suit. When he came back from the war, he married one of my friends. Her name was Alice Williams. Oh god she was so pretty. She had blonde curls and blue eyes. Blue eyes just like Chas’. Oh how all the girls was jealous. She was quite lucky. I haven’t been in touch for some time. Hm, I wonder how she’s doing. The last time we chatted, she told me her grandson was an accountant. Oh yes, that’s a good job. To have a good job, one must go to school…”
Grans then looks at me, “Is he one of your friends from school?”
“Not really,” I say looking at Harry, still wondering why he’s in my house.
Grans looks at me, not satisfied with my answer. I sigh.
“He’s a guy on TV,” I sum up Harry’s existence for Grans understanding.
“Oh, you’re on the tele?” she asks him.
Harry sips his tea in silence.
“Would you like some biscuits, Harry?” Grans asks.
He nods happily, “I’d love some, thanks.”
Grans disappears again. I believe she’s going to call the neighbours and tell them a boy on TV’s over. We sit in silence. It’s excruciating. Grans comes back with his biscuits.
“Um, yeah. This is my Grans,” I say, forgetting to introduce her to Harry.
“Is there anything you need, Harry?” Grans asks with a big smile.
“Actually,” Harry starts, “I do need Chas to come to London. I hope that’s alright with you.”
“Eh! Harry?!” I shout.
“Oh, my. Chas going to London with a boy? I don’t know about that…” Grans whispers to herself.
“No, Grans. I’m not going to London,” I assure her.
Then, the doorbell rings again. I get up to see who it is. A lady in a fur coat with large sunglasses on her face walks right in. The house is stuffed with people now.