Someone Will Come

Copyright Oggbashan August 2020 (Edited December 2021)

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

This is inspired by the Lehar song: Einar Wird Kommen.

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It was my own fault for being stupid and impatient.

I had been out for a walk on Dartmoor, and I wanted to get back to the public house for a drink before they closed at two o'clock on this Sunday lunchtime in the early 1960s. There would be nowhere else open for miles, and I was thirsty.

I was descending beside the waterfall at Tavy Cleave when I stepped onto a wet, moss-covered rock while checking the time on my watch. Both feet slid from under me, and I came down on my backpack in a crash that knocked the breath out of me. My feet slid between two rocks and I either twisted or broke both ankles. Although I was able to extricate my feet, I couldn't put any weight on them. I couldn't crawl half a mile to my car, and even if I could I wouldn't be able to drive it -- and the pub would be shut by the time I got there.

I was able to crawl up and away from the waterfall that was soaking me with spray. I sat or sometimes flattened myself on the grass. When I had dried off in the warm sunshine, I extricated my groundsheet from my backpack and made a sunshade. The noise of the waterfall and the stream tortured me with my now insistent thirst, yet I couldn't get to the water safely.

I was cursing my own stupidity for looking at my watch when I should have been looking at where I put my feet. I had also forgotten to tell anyone I would be walking on Dartmoor so no one would notice I hadn't returned. It had been a spur of the moment decision and I didn't expect problems in summer.

I had decided to walk on Dartmoor to think about my recently ended relationship with Andrea. I had known that our attachment was failing for about a year. Eighteen months ago, she had been offered promotion that meant working in London. Even though I drove to London to see her about once a month, it had been a strain keeping the connection alive at a distance. But then she had been offered a year in Hong Kong. That would be very profitable and could enhance her career.

There was no way I could afford trips to Hong Kong. I had an expensive mortgage on the house I had thought would be our family home. That house and mortgage had been the obstacle that stopped me looking for a job in London to be with her. I could buy a house in Plymouth. I couldn't afford one in London without a substantial increase in income and the only positions on offer to me didn't pay enough. Maybe in five years' time when I had paid off some of the mortgage and I had been promoted I might be able to get a London position. But our relationship was failing under the strain.

Last Thursday I had the expected 'Dear John' letter from Andrea. I had been expecting it since I knew from mutual friends that she had found a boyfriend in Hong Kong. It shouldn't have been a shock, but I had hoped...

That letter ended my diminishing hopes. She was engaged and would be married in three months' time and would stay with her new husband in Hong Kong.

I had walked for miles in the hot sun. I had emptied my water bottle and although the stream was only a few yards away it would be too risky to try to get to it. My only hope was that someone would pass Tavy Cleave and get help for me. Until then? The tinkle of the waterfall tortured me with increasing thirst.

I looked at my watch again. Before I had slipped it had been twenty to two, just enough time to get to the public house before they shut. Now it was half-past three and there had been no one around. I leant forward to loosen the laces on my boots which were hurting because they were so tight around my swelling ankles. I didn't want to take them off because they provided some support. If I had broken my ankles, they might hold the bones in place.

I was thinking again, with regret, about Andrea. She had been more important to me than my career. But her career was more important to her than me or her extended family, all of whom lived in and around Plymouth. In Hong Kong she was earning much more than me. Her living expenses would be higher, but her salary was so good that she would still be much better off.

When her new husband returned with Andrea from Hong Kong they would probably work in London on even larger salaries. Their combined income now was more than twice what I and Andrea could have expected had she stayed in Plymouth with me. When they came back to London? Three times, four times? As a career move it was obvious. As a lifetime move?

Andrea had left me bereft, but I knew I was losing her when she went to London. I had over a year to appreciate that Andrea had ambitions that didn't include me. But it had still hurt to receive the letter that was the final ending.

I winced as I shifted my position slightly. My ankles were now hurting all the time. If someone didn't come past soon, I might be here all night. I had food but without water I might find it difficult to swallow.

I wondered. Was it that Andrea's ambition was greater than mine? Or that I hadn't enough? I had been buying my house for three years. At first, I had found the mortgage very expensive because I had bought a family house, not one for a single person. I had hoped it would be the home for us and children. Now, since I had had several annual pay rises and another one for achieving my professional qualifications the mortgage was affordable. In a year or so's time I could expect to be promoted and then earn what Andrea had been earning in London.

I heard someone singing above the waterfall. I shouted "Help!" but my dry mouth reduced that to a croak that was lost in the sound of the waterfall. The person scrambled down beside the waterfall. I threw off the groundsheet and waved my arm.

"OK. I'm coming!"

It was a female voice. I was slightly worried. A woman on her own couldn't move me. I squinted into the sun. The woman was large and heavy-built, but I was even larger and heavier. I lifted a hand to shade my eyes and look at her.

"Hello John," she said. "What have you done to yourself?"

I recognised her and her voice. This was Jane, Andrea's cousin.

"Hello, Jane," I said. "I have either broken or wrenched two ankles. I can't walk."

"Bugger! And I can't carry you. I'll have to contact the Dartmoor Rescue team and wait with you till they come. And the last bus leaves in half an hour. I'll miss it. Blast!"

"Where's your car?" I knew Jane had a car.

"At the garage. I took it in on Thursday because the brakes were not as good as they should be. Apparently, they need some spare parts. They've dismantled the brakes, but the parts won't arrive until Tuesday. I should have it back on Wednesday. Where's your car?"

"In the public car park opposite the pub. But I couldn't drive it, not with these ankles."

"But I could. OK. I'll go to the car park, use the public telephone there to contact the rescue people and then come back. OK?"

"I'd like a drink first. I'm out of water and I can't move to the stream. I've been here for hours close to water but thirsty."

"I'm out too. Got your water bottle, John?"

I reached into my backpack and gave in to Jane. She filled it from the waterfall and filled her own. She watched me as I drank before refilling my water bottle again.

"OK, now? I'll go and call the rescue service. I'll be back in about half an hour."

"Yes, thank you, Jane."

"You'll owe me. I'll need to drive your car and you to the hospital to get those ankles checked. I'll wait around and run you to your house. I'll have to let my parents know. They were expecting me for a meal this evening, but I think I'll be with you."

"Are you sure, Jane?"

She leant over and kissed me.

"Yes, John, I'm sure. I tried to ring you last night, but you were out."

"Tried to ring me? Why, Jane?"

"Andrea wrote to me as well. She asked me to look after you when you got her letter but mine wasn't delivered until yesterday morning. When did you get yours?"

"Thursday evening when I got home from work. Last night I was at the pub watching a darts match. I wouldn't normally have gone but I wanted company that didn't care whether I was with Andrea or not."

"We can talk about Andrea later. I'll go to get help. See you in about half an hour, John."

She kissed me before she left. She was back in about twenty-five minutes.

"I've rung the rescue service. They are fully stretched. A party of teenagers are missing. They set off to go to Cranmere Pool and should have been back for lunch. Teenagers missing lunch is serious. But they're sending a local farmer with his Land Rover. He should be here in about ten minutes."

He was. He stopped about fifty yards away. He and Jane helped me to the Landover before he drove us to the car park. I winced every time the vehicle went over a bump and there were hundreds.

At the car park the farmer moved my passenger seat back as far as it would go before, he and Jane carefully lifted me on to that seat. I gave Jane the car keys. She drove me slowly and carefully to the hospital's emergency department. She left me in the car while she went to get a wheelchair. It was an effort for both of us to move me from the car to the wheelchair. She wheeled me into to reception that seemed very quiet compared with my previous visits with drunken injured friends on a Friday night.

The nurse removed my boots and socks. Although that was a relief I watched in disbelief as my ankles swelled visibly. Within an hour my ankles had been X-rayed and found to be unbroken, just badly sprained and bruised. The doctor recommended icepacks, possibly large bags of frozen peas, and stay off my feet for two of three days. He authorised a wheelchair and a pair of arm crutches for the later stages. Jane and a porter loaded me back into the car. She stopped for a few minutes at a convenience store to buy four family packs of basic frozen peas before she drove me to my house.

One of my neighbours, who had been gardening out the front of his house, helped Jane transfer me to the wheelchair, into the house and then on to my settee with frozen peas around my ankles. Jane covered me with a blanket and went to the kitchen to make tea for us.

"How are you off for food, John?" Jane asked.

"OK. I went shopping after work on Friday."

"Enough for two for three or four days?"

"I should think so. Two?"

"You're in no state to be on your own, John. You couldn't even get to the toilet, and you couldn't cook. When the swelling goes down you might be able to move on crutches, but not now. I'm on leave up to and including Thursday and I'm going to be with you to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"Are you sure, Jane? That's asking a lot from you."

"Maybe. Perhaps I will want repayment, John."

"Repayment? How could I do that?"

"Simple. Andrea has dumped you. Her cousin Jane wants you. I've been jealous of Andrea."

"Jealous? Why?"

"You're a good stable bloke, John. You're sensible, courteous, financially prudent a bit boring but reliable. My recent men have been, how should I put it? Initially attractive but in the end all of them were arseholes. I knew you weren't, but you were Andrea's. I think she has made a mistake in dumping you. Perhaps she hasn't. She has changed and maybe her new man is more suited to who she is now. But when she wrote to me, she asked that I should look after you. I don't think she meant that as much as I'm going to have to do, but I'm going to anyway."

"Thank you, Jane. I need your help now to get to the toilet."

"You've got a downstairs one?"

"Yes, and it's large enough for a wheelchair. It was the old pantry."

"OK. I'll get the wheelchair."

She had put the wheelchair in the hall when she moved me to the settee. My ankles screeched at me as she helped into the chair, and again when I transferred to the toilet seat. I was sweating from the pain as she helped me back on the settee.

"Can I borrow your car again, John?" Jane asked.

"Of course. Why?"

"I want to go to my flat to collect overnight things and a change of clothing. And -- how about a takeaway meal this evening?"

"A takeaway sounds good. There is a Chinese about a hundred yards away. Their menu card is on the mantelpiece."

"Do they deliver?"

"Only for orders more expensive than we are likely to want. But, except of Friday and Saturday nights, they produce the order in about ten minutes."

I looked for my wallet in my jacket pocket and gave Jane two five-pound notes.

"That should be enough. What I usually have is marked in ink on the menu."

"OK, John. I'll be about forty minutes. Stay there. Don't move until I'm back to help you."

"Yes, Ma'am," I said mock seriously.

"I don't mean to be ordering you around, John, but those ankles won't heal unless you rest them, and I'll try to make sure you do."

Jane left. I lay on the settee thinking. Jane had gone further in a few hours than Andrea had ever done. Jane was driving my car and had my house keys. Andrea had never had my car or keys. I was helpless, reliant on Jane for everything. I had never had to rely on Andrea.

Jane had been jealous of Andrea and seemed to want me. Did I want to be Jane's? Did I have a choice? What did I actually know about Jane? Years ago, I had taken her out a few times. She had been pleasant company and I had enjoyed being with her but there was no real spark between us then. She wanted someone less conventional and then Andrea had hit me, and I was lost. I knew, from Andrea, that some of Jane's recent boyfriends had been arseholes, exploiting her. Would Jane take her revenge on me, now that I was helpless and dependent on her? Or was she enjoying it, being in the changed position of being in charge? The Jane I had known wouldn't, but now? Had she changed?

I didn't really know. All I knew was that Andrea had liked Jane and thought Jane deserved better that the men she had been with. Would I be better for her? Would Jane be better for me than Andrea? I should thank Andrea for suggesting to Jane that she should look after me after Andrea's 'Dear John' letter. How much did I trust Andrea's judgement? I had loved and appreciated Andrea including her intelligence. I was still sad that she had moved away, and Andrea had changed. But if Andrea thought Jane was right for me, and I was right for Jane, she was probably right. She knows both of us well even if we don't know much about each other -- yet.

I was feeling sorry for myself and cursing myself for my own stupidity. If I had taken more care, I wouldn't have sprained ankles nor would I have to rely on Jane for everything. I had been stuck by that waterfall waiting for someone, anyone, to come and rescue me. Jane had been the one who had come and now it seemed she had come into my life and would change that as well. Would that be another rescue? Or ultimately lead nowhere?

Only time would tell. What would happen tonight? I was in no state to ride Jane. Would I be her victim? Would that be a delight? Or an endurance test? Or would she be considerate and leave me time to heal?

Never in my adult life had I been so dependent on another. Jane was doing so much for me and would have to do more. Even if I was in the wheelchair, I couldn't cook for myself. I might be able to make a hot drink, but all my food was in cupboards out of my reach and the pans were in lower cupboards that I would have problems accessing. Ok, tonight was a takeaway, but tomorrow?

Obviously, I couldn't go to work and would have to report in as sick. Would Jane leave me all day while she went to work? No. She had said she was on leave until Friday. I couldn't even get to the toilet unaided. But if she took the time off work to look after me, I would owe her more than I could repay. I already did because she had rescued me from beside that waterfall and brought me home.

I was seriously worried. Although I had known Jane in the past and through Andrea and had liked her, I didn't know her well enough to understand how she would behave when I was helpless. So far, she had been great, but how would she be if I needed her for days?

Jane returned with the Chinese meal. She wheeled me into the kitchen and placed me by the kitchen table. I was surprised that my hands were shaking. After I had made a mess by dropping some of the food back on the plate Jane insisted on feeding me.

"Why, Jane?" I asked.

"Why what, John?" She replied.

"Why can't I feed myself?" I asked.

"Oh, that. You're probably suffering from delayed shock, John. You weren't seriously hurt so you ought to be OK by the morning. But now? I'll feed you and then make a bed for you on the settee. Even with my help you couldn't get upstairs."

She changed the settee into a normal size double bed. Since I bought the house, I had never used it as a bed. I had two spare bedrooms, but I had used the settee for occasional guests in my previous rented small unfurnished flat. She brought bedding down from upstairs and made the bed.

"OK, John," Jane said. "We're sharing this bed tonight."

She laughed at my shocked expression.

"Don't worry, John. You're in no state to DO anything or to have anything DONE to you. But if I was upstairs, I wouldn't know if you need help in the night. We're sharing the bed. That's all."

She changed the bags of frozen peas for ones from the freezer before she changed into pyjamas and got into bed beside me. She couldn't undress me because my ankles were too swollen to let my trouser legs pass them. I went to sleep being hugged by Jane. I was vaguely aware as she changed the frozen peas a couple of times during the night. I had to sleep in a fixed position on my back to keep the frozen peas in place around my ankles, I was very conscious of having a large attractive woman pressed against my side.

When I woke up in the morning, Jane had gone, and I could hear sounds of breakfast preparation in the kitchen. I sat up and took the now room temperature peas off my ankles. I was surprised that the swollen ankles had already reduced to much less than they had been last night. They were still painful when I moved but when I was still they were only a dull ache. I was surprised just how much the swelling had reduced since yesterday in the emergency department. It would still be painful to remove my trousers, but it would be possible.

Jane came back, transferred me to the wheelchair and took me to the toilet. She left me sitting there for a few minutes. When she wheeled me back into the living room the settee had been restored as a settee. She helped me on to it before putting packs of frozen peas back around my ankles. She then brought breakfast on a tray. Unlike last night I could feed myself.

After breakfast she announced that she was going to put me in the bath. I was slightly anxious, but she undressed me very carefully and supported me as I got into the cool bath. She washed my hair and then my back. I could see that the bruises were beginning to show on my ankles, but they were almost back to their normal size. Jane helped me out before drying me as a sat on a towel in the wheelchair. After the bath I felt much better, and I said so. She dressed me in a pyjama top and dressing gown. Getting pyjama trousers on my legs would have been painful.

"Don't be too ambitious, yet, John," Jane said. "You still need to rest those ankles for another day at least."

I was still worried that I was asking too much from Jane. I couldn't imagine Andrea being as patient with me as Jane was being. Andrea was too driven. Looking after an injured John might have frustrated her because she would have been wanting to do something else.