The Empty Room Page 19

  “Yeah something light not like the burgers from last night,” Karen joked.

  “Yeah nice. I’ll eat anything at the moment. I’m so hungry.”

  Karen just started laughing,

  “No, I might give the hash brownie a miss this trip and go smoke something later on,” I remarked.

  “Yeah cool, grasshopper?” Karen asked.

  “Yeah we can go check it out for sure.”

  “Oh and some jazz place,” Karen asked.

  “Yeah, be cool to see if that little place is still around,” I replied.

  We just sat around for a while eating and laughing, enjoying a few bottles of water, while I kept an eye on the dinosaur, who was just laughing and eating. I was thinking about pretending to be a walrus but I gave it a miss and just before we went to walk out, I had the space cake, as Karen just looked on and smiled.

  I was pretty-good to be fair the Van Gogh paintings looked interesting through out I whole time there.

  As we sat around in the park just outside for a while. In no hurry to try to get anywhere on the footpaths again, especially in the state that I was in. Karen was just laughing at me. I was feeling pretty-good, but was always on the hunt for food. Finally finding a burger joint across from the jazz bar we were gonna try and find again later that night.

  “Hey do you just want to duck into that bulldog place a few shops down?” Karen asked, as we left the burger joint.

  “No, we might as well head over to the Grasshopper, that way we can check out the menu and have a look around on the way there,” I said.

  Agreeing Karen took my hand and lead the way, worried I was about to overdo it but in the end, we didn’t stay there long, and while on the way back to the hotel a few hours later we had been to the sex museum, and Madam Tussauds, which was just as good as the one in London I thought.

  “Hey the Grasshopper was great, so chilled, a bit smokey though,” Karen said, before she started laughing.

  “Yeah it was nice to have a look inside for once,” I commented.

  As we seemed to have walked over the same bridge twice, only running into the night concierge on the way back to the hotel which helped us out a lot.

  He just laughed at us, before telling us he’d send food up and he’d take care of the Edam trip we hadn’t yet planned for tomorrow, thanking him we made our way up to our room.

  “Oh man what a day, how are you feeling?” I asked Karen.

  “Yeah really-good a little tired but looking forward to tomorrow, I might go grab a quick shower, won’t be long,” Karen said, heading to the room to get sorted.

  I chilled out on the couch watching more American sitcoms and laughing at how bad it was. The room service arrived just as Karen was getting out of the shower.

  “Hey Karen, room service is here,” I remarked, poking my head through the door.

  “I’ve told you before Phil, that line won’t work on me,” Karen replied, smiling my way.

  “Oh ha ha, are you hungry?” I asked.

  “Yeah won’t be long,” Karen said, drying her hair and sorting out some clothes to get washed also.

  Walking back out, laughing at me with my plate of chips with my feet on the couch stretching out.

  “Hey are you gonna get some clothes washed here?” Karen asked.

  “Yeah there should be a pile of clothes for washing somewhere,” I said, filling my mouth with chips.

  “Oh cool, I’ve got some to add to that pile.”

  “Alright, I’ll ring the front desk later so they can sort it out tomorrow,” I replied.

  “Nice,” Karen said, grabbing a plate and loading it up with some food and joining me on the couch by sitting on my legs.

  “You know if you waiting a second I would have moved.”

  Karen just laughed.

  “Nah this is comfy, wait until your legs fall asleep,” Karen said, smiling at me.

  “Yeah, looking forward to later, let’s get sorted and head back to the Jazz club.” “Do you want to go tomorrow night instead?” Karen asked.

  “Yeah, no hurry,”

  “I’m just a little tired that’s all, I thought the shower might’ve woken me up a little bit, but I think it’s done the opposite,” Karen remarked.

  “No, that’s all-good, let’s have an early one and hit the ground running tomorrow.”

  As we both sat there on the couch watching TV in Amsterdam. A few hours later going to bed, laughing when Karen rolled over and whispered in my ear,

  “Not tonight, I’m a little tired.”

  “Huh, so am I,” I said, laughing back and falling asleep.

  Waking up the next morning the concierge had rung and I asked him about the laundry services and getting some room service for breakfast, which was all taking care of and a few hours later we joined a van full of New Zealanders and Australians on a day trip to Edam and cycling around the dykes and then taking in a display of clog making and a cheese tasting.

  We both looked at each other as we joined the others introducing ourselves before the tour leader told us what was going on and we found ourselves having a great time. I watched Karen as she was cycling to make sure she was alright, she got a little bit tired but would reassure me she was fine. The rest of the group was really-good, and we had a few laughs as well as taking a few group photos, in Edam. Karen found some more postcards and asked me how we were getting back to London as some of the others in the group were driving back and asked if we would like to join them.

  “Hey thanks guys, but we’re flying back tomorrow morning,” I said.

  “Oh nice,” a few of them replied.

  Karen just beamed and told a few of them what we had been up to. The others were astounded at how much we had done and seen. We told them about the jazz club if they wanted to join us, they were more than welcome, a few had been there last night. Making our way finally into the clog making display, Karen was staring at the fields across the road, covered in different coloured tulips.

  “Hey Phil, they look really cool. I wonder what each colour means?” Karen wondered.

  “Well let’s see this display and ask someone,” I replied.

  “Yeah sounds good, smart aleck,” Karen said, laughing, not lost on a few of the others.

  As we all wandered in the kid doing the display was really-good, we laughed when we thought we should have and we had a great time, the cheese store just next door, was a surprise. For some reason, we weren’t expecting to see the same kid giving us the talk on cheese as well. It wasn’t till later on, when we were outside. Karen and I walked over to the kid and asked about the different coloured tulips and what they all meant.

  “Well the red tulips are symbols of a passionate love, the yellow ones are associated with jealousy and hopeless love, white tulips are for if you need to apologise to someone; pink are for an expression of happiness and confidence,” the young guy told us.

  Karen just squeezed my hand and thanked him, just as the van turned up and returned us to our hotel.

  “Hey we’ll hopefully see you guys later at the Jazz bar,” I commented.

  As Karen agreed and a few of them said they’d be there while the others said they would try, we walked into our hotel and up to our room finding all our laundry had been done and was in pile on our bed.

  “Oh man, this is awesome, only way to travel, I’ll have to thank Audrey when I get back,” I remarked.

  “Oh really why’s that?” Karen asked.

  “She set a lot of this up as we’ve been going along, well she helped outline most of it, not really knowing how long we’d stay in each place,” I replied.

  “Oh nice, I’ll have to thank her as well this trip has been great,” Karen mentioned, walking over and giving me a hug.

  “So where do you want to go for dinner?” I asked.

  “Well let’s get ready and go for a walk,” Karen replied.

  Just in that moment beaming at me with a smile that she had, that could light up a room, and we both laughed as
we walked off to the bathroom to have a shower.

  Finally, after getting something to eat we made it to the Jazz bar.

  “Hey you guys finally made it,” one of the girls from the group remarked, as we walked in and they were all in there.

  “Hey I’m gonna go and get everyone a round of beers,” I whispered in Karen ear.

  “I’ll come and help you,” Karen insisted.

  As we both walked over to the bar and the group from the van noticed a few beers being lined up of the bar, and started cheering.

  Walking them over and placing them on the table in front of everyone as they all moved around a little bit, stopping the band that gave us a filthy look as the group stopped cheering.

  “I’m so sorry, can I get you guys a drink,” I said, to the band.

  They just laughed and went back to playing.

  Great way to end the day at a jazz club I had enjoyed the first time I had been to Amsterdam and leaving the following morning feeling a little bit damaged.

  18

  The Storm after the Calm

  “Wow, thanks so much that trip was incredible,” Karen insisted.

  Just as the car pulled into my drive way and we got through the front gate.

  “Yeah so much fun, thanks for agreeing to come along, can’t wait to get inside.”

  As the butterflies started to build up in my stomach.

  I hadn’t told Karen but I had rung her mum and asked her permission.

  I was so happy that it was gonna be a surprise, I had emailed Hannah and asked her to put the lime green bag, that I had in my wardrobe, onto my bed the night before we had flown back. After spending all that time together, at least a month or two around Europe and some time in Asia. I had come to think there was something here I never wanted to lose. Just as the car pulled up outside my place we jumped out and I grabbed the bags tipped and thanked the driver who told me not to worry about the tip.

  I told him back not to worry about it and take it. Then gave Karen the key to the door and went to the boot of the car and took out our bags and tried and catch a few breathes.

  Somehow the driver must have seen this a few times, cause just as Karen got to the door, he wished me luck and helped carry some of the smaller bags to the door.

  “Yeah cheers man, I might need it,” I agreed.

  Grabbing, the bags and walking through the front door, I go to put them in the lounge and turned the jug on. I quickly checked the fridge and Hannah had put a bottle of champagne in there.

  Awesome Hannah, I thought to myself.

  Just as I saw Karen walking to my room, I walked in after her. Standing still with her hands over her mouth, she looks back at me.

  “No, Phil! No, why?”

  “What do you mean Karen?” I asked.

  “Why did you have to go and do this,” Karen angrily said.

  “Karen the last few months have meant the world to me.”

  “You know what’s gonna happen, why would you do this?” Karen angrily asked.

  “I can’t fight this anymore, you know this,” Karen added.

  I stood there still, speechless,

  “I told you in Asia I wish this would last for ever, looking up at Taktsang Dzong from the parking lot,” I replied.

  “Yeah, but not like this, I can’t keep fighting and I don’t want you to see me, why Phil?” Karen said, as tears streamed down her face.

  “Well I was thinking,” stopping talking for a second.

  “What do you mean, you don’t want me to see you?” I asked.

  “I have cancer and very little time left.”

  As she left my room and walked into the kitchen to use the phone.

  “Hey Karen, you don’t have to leave.”

  “I can’t be here right now, I need to go and think,” Karen insisted.

  Calling the taxi company and grabbing her bags and staring at me.

  “I’m really sorry, but I can’t do that, to you or to me.”

  Dropping her bags and walking up to me to hug me tighter than she’d ever hugged me before.

  “Thank you Phil.”

  I was stunned and lost for words, I tried to get her to stay, but no words come out of my mouth. Nothing I could have done would have changed her mind; nothing I could have said would make me understand what was happening.

  Yet with that she was walking back to the front door and leaving.

  I was left there standing, feeling nothing. Lost.

  “Wow, that did not go to plan,” I said to myself as I headed back to the kitchen to turn the jug off.

  Finally turning my phone back on, I tried not to look at my messages.

  Thinking stuff it. I’ll have a shower and head down the road to get something to eat and have a pint, slightly beside myself in shock.

  It wasn’t long till I’m chucking my bags into my room, putting the lime green bag with the same coloured box back into my top draw.

  Before heading down to the main road to find somewhere to eat and chill for a bit. After checking my phone and seeing a message from Hannah. Texting her the news she asked me where I was going to go and she’d meet me there. Audrey had also left a message and asked me to ring her back. Though for now I was a little bit hungry and could go a beer. I thought I was kidding myself walking down the main road, I knew where I was going and as soon as I stepped into The Dukes Head, I had ordered a steak meal and a pint and grabbed a seat and quietly text a few people to let them know I was back. Not expecting them to text back straight away let alone see Mike walk into the bar.

  Walking over towards me I asked.

  “Um, shouldn’t you be at work bro?”

  “Nah day off, just got your text, thought I’d see if you’d be here, great guess.”

  “Yeah man, I just ordered a steak but if your thirsty I’ll grab a jug and another glass,” I said.

  “Nah that’s all right, I’ll go order something to eat as well and grab a jug and glass while I’m up there,” Mike replied.

  Getting up and heading to the bar I took a few more sips of beer and refill my glass when he sat back down. A few minutes later my steak arrived.

  “So what happened with Karen?” Mike asked.

  “Does Hannah tell everyone what I’m up too?”

  “Yeah probably, oh that reminds me, she’ll meet us here,” Mike added.

  “Well, in that case, I’m gonna get another jug,” I commented.

  Just as I got stuck into my steak and Mike helped himself to a couple of chips.

  “Oh man, I need a good steak,” I remarked.

  As I go to take a bite.

  “But, I guess, this will have to do today,” I commented laughing.

  Just as Mikes steak arrived and he took a bite and understood what I was saying.

  “So how far away is Hannah?” I asked Mike.

  “Ha, check your phone.”

  Just as Hannah and Audrey walked in.

  “Oh well played bro,” I said.

  Just as Audrey came over and sat next to me.

  “Hey, are you ever going to call me back?” Audrey asked

  “Yeah at some stage tomorrow I was thinking, I just got back and needed something to eat and a couple quiet beers,” I replied.

  “Well, I need a drink as well.”

  Getting up to get a bottle of wine for her and Hannah.

  “So, how’d it go?” Hannah asked.

  “Yeah, really-good Hannah,” I replied, shaking my head.

  “Wow, so what do we do?” Hannah asked.

  “I don’t know? I guess wait and see.”

  “See about what?” Mike asked.

  “I think Phil here, was going to pop the question to Karen today and as you can see it went really well,” Hannah mentioned.

  “Oh man, I’ll go get another jug,” Mike insisted.

  Standing up and leaving me and Hannah there alone. He walked up to the bar quickly to talk to Audrey. To no doubt fill her in.

  “So what can I say?” Hannah asked
.

  “Nah, it’s okay Hannah maybe let’s have a few more beers then make fun of me,” I joked smiling.

  “Yeah, no-worries douchebag,”

  Just as Audrey and Mike re-joined us.

  “Hey are you sure you should be drinking Audrey, I don’t want to put you in a taxi again and get another ear full, from Meredith,” I joked.

  “Yeah, I heard about that,” Audrey replied.

  “I bet, possibly at the time as well,” I said, laughing back.

  “Yeah, she didn’t hold back that morning,” Audrey laughed.

  “Took a lot of dinners and flowers,” Audrey added.

  “Well, there’s a florist right around the corner for later-on.”

  “So we having a big night tonight?” Hannah asked.

  “Why don’t you see if Meredith can get a babysitter it’s still pretty early and come out?” Hannah asked Audrey.

  “Yeah, great idea I’ll be back soon,” Audrey insisted.

  Getting up and walking outside to ring her better half.

  “That steak wasn’t that great,”

  “Yeah man, but filled the gap,” Mike added.

  “So where did you go wrong?” Hannah asked.

  “Probably coming back was the first step, but we had a great time,” I replied.

  “Yeah man seemed like it,” Mike remarked.

  As I just stared at Hannah wondering what’s going on here. Hannah must have thought this as well.

  “Yeah, I’ve been seeing a guy from work the past few weeks and Mike here went to university with him,” Hannah remarked.

  “He mentions all the postcards you’ve sent back bro,” Mike said.

  “Well, to be fair Karen made me send them,”

  “So this dude coming out tonight?” I asked.

  “Nah he’s off to a stag do, which I have to leave soon and go and join,” Mike commented.

  “Well, good to see you again bro,” I said.

  “Yeah man,” Mike replied.

  Just as Audrey got back to the table.

  “Well, good news, Linda’s gonna watch the kids and Greg and Meredith will meet us at the boathouse later,” Audrey mentioned before walking up to the bar to get another bottle and jug for the table.

  “Oh nice, should be a fun night,”

  “Always welcome to pop back out bro,” I said to Mike.