Sugar Plum Fairy

I picked up my household toolbox. I seemed to remember that Julie had some flat-pack furniture that needed assembling. I could leave the toolbox in the car.

Julie's flat had an entry system. I spoke to her through the intercom. She seemed tearful. She released the door and I walked up two flights of stairs to her front door which was ajar. I knocked and walked in. Julie rushed up to me, flung her arms around me, and hugged me fiercely. Why? She's Mary's friend, not mine. I'm just her friend's big brother.

I held her and stroked her hair gently.

"Why do I get such a welcome?" I asked.

Julie turned her face up towards me.

"I'm sorry, Colin. I'm exhausted. I have too much to do on my own. I thought I would be alone all weekend struggling to get this place habitable. A friend's help, especially from an unexpected source, is what I needed."

"OK, Julie. I'm here. I can be here for the rest of today and all day tomorrow if you want me. Where do we start?"

"With this," Julie kissed me on the cheek. "And a cup of coffee. We can plan what to do over the coffee."

We did. Julie wanted her bed erected first. She had spent the end of last night on the mattress on the floor. After the bed, she would like the kitchen and bathroom sorted out so she could use them.

The bed was easy with two of us. It would have been impossible for Julie to do it by herself. Once we had the mattress placed on it, Julie made it. She had somewhere to sleep. The rest of the bedroom was piled with boxes but she had a narrow route to the bed.

The kitchen should have been easy but the previous owner hadn't cleaned in months. All the surfaces and cupboards needed a thorough clean before anything could be put away. I had to go to the nearby Tesco supermarket to buy rubber gloves in my size and an assortment of cleaning materials. It took us until lunchtime to get the kitchen to a state that met my criteria. Julie might have been less fussy on her own but she knew she should start with a really pristine kitchen.

We left the kitchen to dry out. I walked Julie to the Tesco's cafe for lunch. The tinny carols playing throughout the store were irritating. I didn't feel in a Christmas mood.

I paid for the meal, as I had for the cleaning materials. I thought Julie had pushed her finances to the limit to buy this flat. I guessed she would be OK in a few months time but she was probably overdrawn at the bank now.

At the end of the meal Julie looked at me quizzically.

"I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, Colin, but why?"

"Why what, Julie?"

"Why did you ring me this morning?"

"I thought you might need some help. I knew that Mary wouldn't be available. She's helping Sonja."

"But you're not my friend, Colin. Sorry! I didn't mean it like that. Mary is my friend. You barely know me. You helped Mary carry things up to my flat last night. That was because she's your sister. But today? Why?"

"It's a long story, Julie, and probably not for a public place. In short I was facing a blank weekend. I might feel sorry for myself, confused, excited... I needed to get out of my flat to stop my thoughts going round and round in pointless circles. I was thinking of going for a long drive. I knew what I needed was something to do. I thought of you and the work to get your flat liveable."

"And someone to talk to?"

"Yes. That too. Someone who wasn't involved or committed. Someone who could help me sort my ideas out. Even if I didn't talk about it to you, just not being alone would help."

"I see." Julie seemed to make a decision. "Right. Let's get back to work. We can talk while we work. I'll try to help you with whatever it is. You are now considered MY friend. OK?"

"Yes friend Julie."

Julie held hands with me as we walked back to her flat. I had to reduce my stride. Julie is so much smaller than I. The top of her head is below my shoulder. As we came to the front of the block of flats I looked at our joined hands. I wasn't sure what I was thinking. Julie knew.

"Don't worry, Colin. I'm holding a friend's hand. Nothing more."

Back in her kitchen we started to put her kitchen utensils away. I connected the microwave and toaster while Julie started on the food. I noticed that she didn't have much of anything.

"Julie, how broke are you?" I asked suddenly.

"Broke? I'm busted. My Christmas will be minimal. I have got a part time temporary second job that will help over the next couple of weeks. I should be OK by when? March, April? I hadn't expected to have to pay rent for so long while waiting for this flat."

"The supermarket is open until midnight tonight and ten until four o'clock tomorrow. I'm taking you back there and stocking you up with basic food. It can be a loan for a year if need be."

"You can't!"

"I can. Why not? I can afford it. You can't."

"But..."

"But what? Friends help each other. Mary can't help like that. She's saving for her own flat. I've had mine for five years. My finances are sound, as yours will be."

"I should say no, Colin."

"There are no conditions. I don't want anything from you. I just want to help a friend."

Julie burst into tears. I hugged her as she wetted my shoulder.

When Julie was herself again we started on the bathroom. There was a dripping tap. I had a washer in my toolbox and that was soon fixed. Removing the accumulated lime scale took longer. While we worked I began to talk to Julie about Janet. Julie listened carefully, asking one or two questions. After we had finished the bathroom, we started assembling bedroom furniture. They were very basic flat pack items and as usual the instructions weren't as helpful as they could be.

We stopped for coffee when the bedroom furniture was in place. Julie could unpack her clothes later, or even over the next week or so, now she had storage units.

"Colin, you just need time," Julie said. "Whether you and Janet are right for each other, you don't know. You can't. You've had a few hours together. That's all. It's far too soon to work out what you two might be. I know Janet better than I know you. I like her. What she would be like as a girlfriend? I think she would be great once she can get over her last one. Both of you know things can go wrong, that first impressions aren't necessarily accurate. You don't need me to tell you what you already know. You and Janet need weeks, months perhaps, before you are ready to commit..."

"I think you are right, Julie."

"I'm not sure. What I think is that both of you want to be boyfriend and girlfriend. You need to put past ones behind you and start again. What is really worrying you is whether that need gets in the way of seeing the real person. Is Janet the right one, or would any sympathetic woman do? Both of you are easy targets for anyone at present. I don't think Janet would take advantage of you, but she might, because she wants someone too. The timing is your problem. Janet is stressed because of Sonja and her father.

Christmas is nearly here and that causes family tensions anyway. My advice is -- go out with Janet throughout January and see how you like each other at the end of that month."

"Thanks, Doc. You're probably right. Janet and I need time. Meanwhile, back to work. What do you want done next?"

"The washing machine, I think. It just needs the hoses connected. Can you do that? I'll put things away in the bathroom. OK?"

"OK, Julie."

The washing machine took longer than I thought. I had to re-glue the outlet pipe which had come apart when the previous machine had been removed. I was on my hands and knees when Julie came back into the kitchen. I turned around, still sitting on the floor, and explained what I had done. I started to stand up. I was still on my knees when Julie hugged me.

"Hey!" I started to protest but my mouth met her soft cleavage.

Julie let me go after a few seconds.

"Sorry, Colin. I shouldn't have done that," she said. "But I couldn't have mended that pipe. I would have needed a plumber and I can't afford one."

"Try to remember that we are friends, Julie. I have problems enough without being smothered by your breasts. I like your hugs and you are very huggable but..."

"But you want Janet, not Julie?"

"If there was no Janet, then I'm beginning to appreciate Julie..."

"But there is a Janet. Don't worry, Colin. I'm not going to seduce you. I might be tempted because you are doing so much for me, but I'll try to keep us as friends."

I stood up. Julie hugged me and snuggled against my chest.

"I could be tempted if Janet decides against you." Her hand stroked my cheek.

"But we have a lot more to do," I said.

"We do."

"And you need to make a shopping list for Tesco."

By six o'clock the flat was beginning to look less like a storage yard and more like a home. The kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom were as Julie wanted them. We had moved the empty boxes into the second bedroom. I could break them down to load into my car. There was a cardboard recycling container in the Tesco car park.

We stopped work at seven thirty. I put the cardboard boxes in the car and drove the short distance to Tesco. We stuffed the cardboard into the recycling bin, and went shopping for food. At first every item started an argument. If Julie wanted rice, she would pick up the cheapest discount packet. I asked what she normally bought. After the first half dozen items Julie accepted that I would happily pay for her normal purchases. She still protested when I added a second or third packet of her essentials. She had the storage space. I had the money.

It took several trips to bring everything upstairs to her flat, and half an hour to stow everything away. Julie slumped down on a kitchen stool when we had finished.

"I'm shattered," she said. "I've done for today. I've got a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen. I couldn't have done it without you, Colin. Now I should be nearly straight by Sunday evening."

"What now, Julie? Do you want a takeaway meal?"

Julie looked at me, then around the kitchen.

"I shouldn't. But the thought of starting to cook..."

"All you have to do is decide which takeaway, and it will be provided, or even delivered."

"Delivered, Colin? That sounds great. I just want to collapse in a heap."

I ordered takeaway Chinese. It arrived twenty minutes later. Julie and I sat on the settee in the living room facing the blank space where the television needs to go.

I left her about ten o'clock. She intended to have a shower and climb into her bed. Once I reached my flat I did the same. I slept peacefully, tired out.

I was back at Julie's flat by ten o'clock Sunday morning. I left at five o'clock. We were both tired but almost everything had been done. In the doorway Julie kissed me hard on the lips.

"Thank you for everything, Colin," she said. "I'll see you at the reception on Saturday."

She answered my unspoken question.

"My temporary job is at the restaurant. I'll be one of the waitresses serving the wedding party."

Julie kissed me again. Both kisses were more than friendly. I went down the stairs in a daze. Was Julie suggesting I could be more than a friend, or just grateful?

I resumed my normal routine until Wednesday evening. Mary picked me up from my flat. On the way to Sonja and Janet's house she said:

"Colin? What have you been doing? On Saturday you were seen holding hands with a petite blonde. Is there something you should tell me?"

"A petite blonde? Holding hands?"

I had to think.

"It was Julie. I helped her sort out her flat last weekend."

"Julie! You don't really know Julie. She's my friend, not yours."

"I think she's now OUR friend, Mary."

"And why were you holding hands with Julie? Why were you in her flat? I thought you wanted Janet."

"I do want Janet. I was confused after Friday night. I needed someone to talk to -- about Janet. I remembered that Julie had just moved in and thought I could help her. I could. She helped me think through my concerns about Janet while we worked."

"Are you sure that's all she did?"

"You know Julie better than I do. Do you think she would seduce your big brother?"

"No. She wouldn't -- unless you were unattached. But holding hands with her in public might give people the wrong idea."

"It might. But she was helping a friend."

"You should have come to me, Colin."

"I would have. But you were busy. Julie and I helped each other. We'll see her on Saturday. You could ask her then."

"On Saturday?"

"She'll be a waitress at the reception. It's a temporary job to help her finances."

"I didn't know that. You know more about Julie than I do."

"We did spend most of a weekend working together. I made up her flat pack furniture, installed her washing machine, helped put her bed together..."

"You didn't go to her bed?"

"No, Mary. I don't have that sort of relationship with Julie. She's a friend, no more than that. You've known her far longer than me. I was talking to her about Janet. Do you think Julie would drag me off to her bed?"

"No. I suppose she wouldn't. She'd treat you like I do -- a big brother who is a real softy."

"She seems to like me. I like her. If I had met her before Janet? But I didn't. I knew Janet when she was called Mary and working in the same office as me. I liked Janet/Mary then. I hope there will be more than friendship between Janet and me but that will take time. That really was Julie's advice -- get the wedding and Christmas over, see each other during January, and see where Janet and I are by February."

"That sounds like the Julie I know. Sensible, practical..."

"Not practical enough to assemble her own flat pack furniture," I retorted.

"They can be a pain," Mary admitted.

"I didn't enjoy putting them together, but they're done now."

"And Julie was grateful. How grateful?"

"She kissed me Sunday evening -- a thank you kiss."

"You didn't kiss her?"

"No."

"I hope Janet understands."

"So do I, Mary, so do I."

At Janet and Sonja's house Mary went off with Sonja. Janet was standing in the hallway, wearing a long dark blue bridesmaid's gown. The dress didn't match her informal hairstyle. She looked at me for a couple of seconds and held out her hand. I took it. She dragged me off to the kitchen.

"Who's the petite blonde you were holding hands with on Saturday?" She asked. She didn't seem angry.

"Your friend Julie. Mary's friend Julie. MY friend Julie."

"I don't yet have the right to object. I wish I did have. But why?"

"I was helping Julie sort out her flat, unpack, assemble flat packs. That sort of thing."

"And she held your hand?"

"Yes, Janet. She held my hand. She was feeling tired and stressed. So was I. She held a friend's hand."

"How long..."

"I was with Julie most of Saturday and Sunday. There was a lot to do and she had no one else to help. Those who might have done were here. Even if you were available I don't think you, Mary or Sonja would have enjoyed putting flat pack furniture together. I didn't."

"And Julie appreciated your help?"

"Of course she did. I appreciated what she did for me."

"And what did she do for you?" Janet's tone was almost ominous.

"She let me talk about how I feel for you. She gave me a friend's advice. That advice was useful. Even just talking to someone who isn't involved helped me through a weekend without you."

"You missed me?" That sounded better.

"Yes, Janet. I missed you. After you left on Saturday morning I was facing nearly two days alone. I was thinking of going out for the afternoon -- anywhere. But I couldn't face that without you beside me."

"You couldn't?" Janet's voice was more encouraging.

"No. I thought of Julie. I knew she had moved into her flat on Friday. I thought she might need help, or just someone to talk to. She did -- need help that is. She was someone I could talk to."

"And she was pleased with your help. How pleased?"

"Julie is a friend. She held my hand for a hundred yards or so, and when I left on Sunday she kissed me."

"You didn't kiss her?"

"No. The only person I want to kiss is standing here."

"Was that Julie's advice?"

"No Janet. Julie's advice was that we should get past the wedding and the arrival of Sonja's baby, and then take time to get to know each other better. I've spent more time with Julie this weekend than the total with you -- except years ago when you were called Mary. How long was it? Ten hours? For most of those hours I was drunk or asleep."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Janet admitted. "She's right. We have had only a few hours together and this week is cluttered. We won't have much of a chance to be alone together until after Saturday, will we?"

"No. We won't. And we'll probably be shattered on Saturday evening. You're coming to my flat then. But I think it will be Sunday before we can start as Colin and Janet."

"OK. I was worried when I was told you were holding hands with someone else only hours after I'd left you. But Julie is our friend. She can hold your hand any time she wants to. She can even kiss you. But -- please? Don't kiss her first. Kiss me -- but mind the dress."

We kissed. I had to lean towards her. Her bridesmaid's gown was very full skirted and held out with a hooped petticoat.

"Mary will let us know when we're needed for the wedding rehearsal. Sonja and I don't need it. We're doing it for Dad. He's worried about everything. We've arranged chairs in the conservatory to be the Registry Office. We'll rearrange them to pretend to be the reception. Sonja wants to practice with managing her dress."

"But she could do that anywhere," I said.

"Yes. This charade is for Dad. He'll walk her up the aisle and we'll go through the motions. The two grannies will stand in for the Groom and Best Man."

"And I'll be Uncle Stuart, taking pictures, and watching your Dad?"

"Yes. He should be coming into this kitchen shortly to meet you. In fact, he should be here now. I'll go and get him. Can you switch the kettle on? We three will have some coffee."

Janet returned, almost dragging her father into the room. I tried to make polite conversation. It was difficult because he wouldn't say more than a word or two as a reply. As he picked up his mug of coffee his hand was shaking so much he nearly spilt it. Slowly he began to relax but talking to a stranger was obviously a strain. I produced my camera and asked what photos he would like taken.

I was just trying to get him to talk. I demonstrated how my camera worked, taking pictures of Janet, then Janet and him together, and showed them the results. After a quarter of an hour he seemed to accept me as Janet's friend. Mary put her head around the kitchen door and announced that the rehearsal could begin. Janet's Dad paled.

"Mr Owens. Please pretend I'm your brother Stuart," I suggested. "Come on."

Janet took his arm. In the living room Sonja was waiting. As a sad Sugar-Plum Fairy her bump had been hidden. In her wedding gown her pregnancy was apparent. Now Sonja was smiling broadly.

"Dad?" Janet asked. "Sonja will take your arm. I'm carrying her train so I'm right behind you. Ready?"

He nodded. He didn't look ready.

I slipped past them, took photos of the group waiting for the bride, and turned to record the entrance of the bride. The two grandmothers acting as Groom and Best Man stood up and the others stood too. The bridal party didn't move. I turned back to those waiting, waved my hands and said:

"Dum Dum De Dum..." The start of the wedding march from Lohengrin. They caught on and started singing La, La...

Sonja started to walk. Her hand, instead of resting on her father's arm, was pushing him. He almost stumbled but got into step with the rhythm. I took several photos as they walked. Sonja reached the front. She turned to face the stand in groom and her father stood beside her mother.