While I have ten minutes' peace
The car to which the two children were led were similarly incongruous, both with Dr Walker's physical appearance and what they ahd gathered of her from their parents' solicitor. An ancient looking jeep, with mud spattered up the sides, the back seat covered with cardboard boxes and old tartan blankets. Dr Walker popped the trunk, and heaved in their suitcases without a grunt. Emily hovered behind her, and slid in the backpacks and guitar case before slamming the door down. "You'll both have to fit in the fron seat, I'm afraid, but it looks like there's plenty of room. Neither of you turned out to be an obese American."
"Canadian," Aaron corrected automatically.
"Which is in North America, is it not?" Dr Walker replied loftily.
Emily rolled her eyes at her little brother, and held the door open for him to climb in first. He widened his eyes, shook his head, and mouthed 'no, you!' Emily sighed loudly, "Come on, I'm tired."
The engine roared to life, and an unpleasant cloud of black fumes poured from the exhaust. Making a face, Aaron scrambled into the jeep and purposely left little room for his sister, who had to cross her legs and hold her breath to pull the door shut without bruising her hip. "Shove over, for crying out loud," she grumbled at him, groping about in the upholstery for her seatbelt clip.
Dr Walker did not wait for them to strap in, before putting the car into gear and accelerating out of the space. She didn't look at the two of them, as they bickered as quietly as they knew how, but glanced into her mirrors as she traversed the car park and pulled out onto the main road. "It's been a long flight, and I don't imagine you're in much mood for conversation," she said, effectively silencing them both. She pulled out into the right hand lane and began driving faster than Emily thought was entirely safe on such small roads. "If you want to sleep, I completely understand."
"Thank you," Emily said quietly as Aaron yawned. It seemed only a few moments before his eyes were falling shut, his head lolling gently on Emily's shoulder. She looked shrewdly at the young doctor, then reluctantly shifted her arm, resting it more comfortably around Aaron's shoulders, his head rolling to rest in the crook of her arm. Dr Walker continued to focus on teh road, determinedly ignoring the two teenagers beside her. Emily was uncertain whether this was a good sign or not; nor whether she should try and start a conversation, whether Dr Walker had said they could sleep just to be polite.
As though reading her thoughts, Dr Walker glanced across at Emily. Her eyes looked greener in the daylight, Emily thought, her head beginning to feel muggy with sleep deprivation. Something that might have been the trace of a smile curved Dr Walker's thin lips. "Sleep," she said softly. Emily closed her eyes to blink.
When her eyes reopened, the car was pulling into a small parking lot. Emily rubbed her eyes with her left hand, the other arm still trapped beneath her gently snoring brother's head. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked, her voice cracking as the words turned into a wide yawn.
"I think you might have," Dr Walker said in a tone of mild amusement. "Wake up your brother, I'll get the cases out of the trunk."
Emily nodded, still yawning, and shook Aaron's shoulder gently. "Wake up, brat. We're here."
"Don't be dumb," Aaron said muzzily, turning his head away from the sunlight that was now reluctantly filtering through the low cloudbase. "It's two hours between Manchester and Bangor."
"And you slept through it, Aaron. We're here now. Come on, we have to help with the cases."
Aaron heaved a sigh, and pushed himself up, holding up his own weight and blinking groggily. Emily flattened his hair again, which was now standing in unruly tufts at the crown of his head. She frowned at the stubborn mess. It needed a cut, but Aaron wouldn't listen to her. That was one advantage to not being the grown up anymore. Now he'd have to listen, she supposed. Emily turned abruptly and pushed the door open, hopping neatly down onto the tarmac. It was a little warmer, but she still crossed her arms across her atomach, shivering in her thin sweater. Aaron jumped down, sweeping past her to the back of the jeep to grab his rucksack. Emily closed the door with a heavy, metallic thud. She noticed a man walking towards them, bundled in a thick sheepskin sweater. He was smiling a wide, toothless smile, and raised a hand in greeting. Emily smiled her lying half-smile and raised a feeble hand in return. "No problems, then?" he called out before he had reached them.
Dr Walked slammed the trunk, taking a case in each hand again. "I didn't give it a chance. Don't think I pressed the break more than four times between each journey." Her mouth hooked upwards on just one side in a crooked grin, showing sharp-looking white teeth and rich pink gums. "It's belching some nasty stuff out the back, though. You should get it seen to."
The old man shrugged, running fingers through long, wavy white hair. "No money for that, pet. It'll be fine until it falls off its wheels completely." He frowned at the suitcases in her hands. "You alright with that? Want a hand?"
"We're fine, thank you, Gwyn. But I should get these kids home. It's been a long journey for them."
Watery blue eyes turned on the pair of them, appraising slowly through the milky beginnings of cateracts. "Aye, home and a strong cuppa tea, that'll set em right."
"Indeed," Dr Walker replied. "I'll see you in the week, Gwyn. Diolch, hwyl!"
Dr Walker did not smile again, or wave, but turned abruptly on her heel. She turned away from the cottage at which they had parked and back towards the road, walking those same long, determined strides. Emily frowned, turning to to Aaron. He looked similarly confused. "Come on," their new guardian shouted over her shoulder, "These are quite heavy and I'd like to get home before the sun gets back behind the mountain."
Emily picked up the guitar case and followed at a pace, grabbing Aaron by the sleeve to ensure he did the same. They had to trot once more to catch up with teh surprisingly fast young woman. "You don't live there?" Emily asked.
"No, I don't," was all the response she received.
"Well, do you live far away?" Emily was already out of breath from playing catch up, and looked hopelessly at the long road and its thin sidewalk, flinching as a lorry passed close beside her.
"That depends on your perspective, I suppose," came the haughty reply. She turned down a footpath that looked like it led into a forest. "The walking is necessary, I'm afraid," she grudgingly admitted. "Pedestrian access only, or I would have dropped you off. It's not more than ten minutes." She hitched the cases in her hands, sturdying her grip on the handles. Emily wished to herself that Dad had let them get new cases when they last went on holiday, some of those ones with wheels.
And the relatives return. *Sigh* perhaps a little more tomorrow.