‘Well,’ said Bill, ‘you certainly took care of them, mate! Remind me not to get into an argument with you in the future!’ and they both smiled grimly.
Bill picked up the shotgun and looked in the cab, finding a half-full box of cartridges. He said it would do for Phil and put it in the van. They lifted the other guy’s body into the passenger seat between them and closed the door. Jamie went back into Wickes and came out with two bottles of paint thinners, which he sloshed around the truck’s interior and over the bodies. Bill got in the van and started it while Jamie lit a piece of rag and threw it through the window. The flames built quickly and by the time they were back on the main road the truck was engulfed in flames. They continued with their work at the farm and got the place finished by the end of August.
On its completion Jamie, Jane and Megan went there for a celebratory lunch and a small opening ceremony. Jane and Megan were excited to see the result and they weren’t disappointed. Bill had tacked a length of ribbon across the doorway and they let Megan cut it before they all went in. Unbeknown to them all, Phil and Sophie had got hold of some party poppers and set them off when Megan cut the ribbon, and they all jumped and laughed.
It wasn’t yet filled with their furniture, but the structure and décor were finished. The living area was painted in white silk emulsion to maximise the light. Megan’s bedroom in the partitioned-off area at the back was painted in a pale green, which she loved, and there was a surprise in there from Sophie. Jamie hadn’t known until fairly recently that she was an accomplished artist, but when she had told him of her intention he was delighted. Hanging on the wall was a beautiful framed pencil sketch of Max that she had done for Megan. She loved it and hugged Sophie while thanking her. There were some ornate candle holders attached to the wall for lighting, and several bookshelves.
Jamie had measured the living room carefully to determine which furniture from the bungalow would fit and had marked spaces for them. In the gaps between they had installed shelf units and bookcases they had collected from stores in the area, and there was a space against one wall for the dresser from their kitchen. The stove in the lounge sat on ceramic tiles, with space next to it for storing logs and there were more candle holders on the walls. The concrete floor throughout had been swept and scrubbed and Jamie had sealed it with several layers of acrylic varnish. To brighten the place up and to make the floor warmer underfoot there were lots of thick rugs in various ethnic designs that went well together. On the wall opposite the door hung three framed photos: Jane with her mum and sisters outside the De La Warr Pavilion; Megan with her parents, and Jamie with his mum, brother and sister. Jane and Megan were touched and hugged him.
In the kitchen the old units had all been repaired and painted in white gloss and there were new cupboards on the walls and many storage shelves in every available space. The range cooker had a storage area for logs next to it and the hand pump above the sink had been repaired and painted in white enamel metal paint.
The thing Jamie was proudest of, though, was the lighting he had installed. He had collected several solar-powered LED floodlights and installed them throughout the place. As the building faced south and would get maximum sunlight he had installed the solar panels on the roof there and extended the cables inside to wall switches. The solar panels charged up the lead-acid batteries and would give them plenty of light when fully charged.
Upstairs in the loft space above the kitchen they had partitioned off an area for Jane and Jamie’s bedroom, with its own door. Jamie had decided they wouldn’t need the whole space as their bedroom so there was an open area at the top of the stairs like a landing. It had a small table and two chairs next to a dormer window, with a view out across the yard, and a cupboard for storing linen and bedding. Jane and Megan were thrilled with everything and they thanked Bill and Jamie for their hard work, telling them it was fantastic and giving them both hugs again. Bill and Jamie had big grins on their faces and nodded to each other.
They then took them all outside to show them the other thing they were rather proud of. Behind the building, a few yards to one side, they had built a composting toilet. It was raised on stilts, with four steps up to it, and was enclosed on all sides, with its own door. It had a corrugated steel roof and there was another solar-powered light in there with a sensor, which would come on as soon as they went inside; it even had a proper toilet seat fitted. Jane and Megan had both been wondering what they would do for a toilet, but hadn’t said anything, and they were surprised and delighted with it.
‘Well,’ Jamie said, ‘I can’t take credit for that, apart from helping to build it. The design was all Bill’s idea. They’ve got one like it on the other side of the farm, but we thought we’d need one a bit closer to home. The underside is open to the air all round. Waste breaks down naturally and you’ll be surprised how little smell there is, really. We haven’t worked out what we’ll do when all the toilet paper stocks are used up, but we’ll think of something.’
They went back to the farmhouse, where Emma opened a couple of bottles of Prosecco that Phil and Sophie had got from Tesco’s warehouse. They raised a toast to their friends’ new home and looked forward to them coming to live at the farm with them. After that they sat down to eat a lovely meal that Emma and Sophie had prepared for them, and it was a happy and relaxed occasion. Jane and Jamie were now looking forward to moving into their new home in less than two months, and to be living with these people who had become such good friends.
By mid-afternoon, though, Megan’s arm was hurting and she’d suffered a couple of dizzy spells, so they left after hugging everyone and thanking them for lunch. Back home, they gave Megan some painkillers and she went off to her room for a sleep. Jane made some coffee and they sat in the conservatory with the sun coming in through the tomato plants, talking about their new home.
‘I can hardly believe it’s the same place I saw three weeks ago. You two have done a fantastic job and I’m really proud of you,’ said Jane, kissing him.
‘Thanks, hon. I’m pleased with it, too, and I’m looking forward to moving in and making it our home. I know we’ll have a lot less space than here, but we’ll get used to it.’
‘I’m glad about the composting toilet! I was wondering for a while what we were going to do. I had visions of having to tramp off across a windswept field to some bushes every time I needed the loo!’ she added, and they both laughed.
‘Moving away from the sea will be my biggest regret, though,’ said Jamie. ‘I’m going to miss the sound of the waves breaking on the beach in the evening.’
Twenty-seven
As they moved into September, summer started giving way gracefully to autumn. Megan’s condition continued to improve and the spells of dizziness and nausea grew less frequent. Her arm improved greatly, too, and she was able to manage without the sling, though it was still rather stiff and painful.
Many apples and pears in the area were now ready for harvesting and they made several trips in the first two weeks to pick them.
‘How do we know if they’re ready for picking?’ Jamie had asked Jane beforehand.
‘We cut one open and look at the pips; if they’re dark brown then they’re ripe and if not then we leave them.’