Ghost Song

Chapter 1

ONE

PRESENT DAY

Meryl Watkins carried a tray of drinks over to one of the many tables surrounding the stage at the far end of the pub that she ran with her husband Mike.

The bar was heaving, even more so than it usually was on a Friday night. Meryl put it down to a combination of the snow that had fallen the previous evening and which was now lying several inches deep on the ground, and the fact that once a month she and her husband played host to a live band at the pub.

Tonight, they had a folk group consisting of four cousins. One man was on drums with another playing guitar, then there was one girl on the flute with another on guitar. The one playing guitar was also the lead singer.

They had never had this group in before, but they came with a recommendation from a couple of other landlords who Meryl and Mike knew through the industry.

They were Romany travellers who performed all over the world, and although they had never released any albums they were always asked to perform again by their hosts when they were next in the vicinity.

Meryl rushed back over to the bar where there were already at least five customers waiting to be served, on top of the ones that her husband and their two other barmaids were in the process of seeing to.

The players were already setting up their equipment on the tiny stage, and the two girls had already received several wolf-whistles from some of the males in attendance. Meryl did consider whether she needed to make an announcement to keep them in order, but the two girls appeared to appreciate the attention and responded by blowing kisses out to the crowd.

The performance was due to start at nine-thirty, and just before the long hand on the clock reached the six Meryl felt an icy blast as the outer door to the pub opened and one of their regulars shuffled in from the cold.

The old man had been in every night at the same time for as long as Meryl could remember.

He never spoke to anyone other than to say please and thank you when paying for his drink, and he always sat in the far corner away from the other patrons to enjoy his ale in peace.

Meryl noticed the shocked look on the old man’s face when he realised how crowded the bar area was. For a moment he stood in the doorway gazing around at the packed interior, and Meryl was convinced that he was contemplating venturing back out into the cold without his usual two pints inside him.

On an impulse Meryl handed a customer their change and apologised to the next one in line as she made her way around the bar, and she grabbed the old man by the arm just as he was turning to leave.

The man looked up with a mix of shock and confusion on his face until he realised just who his assailant was.

Meryl smiled broadly. “It’s a bit busy in here tonight,” she explained, “but there’s an empty table at the back, just for you.”

With that, she carefully guided the old man through the crowd until they reached their destination.

Once he was seated, Meryl offered, “The usual, is it?”

The old man smiled, “Yes please,” he answered, and Meryl patted him on the arm as she went back to the bar.

Having served a couple of her regulars, Meryl returned to the old man with his usual pint of strong ale.

She placed it on the table in front of him and as he opened his wallet to pay, she held her hand over his. “First one’s on me, today,” she said with a wink.

The old man thanked her, politely, and Meryl left him to go back to the bar.

The band introduced themselves and began their set.

Their music covered an eclectic mix of tunes but they had arranged these so that they all stayed within the folk/country genre they had promised, and by the end of their first set the crowd were all joining in with all the well-known songs they covered.

When the band took their break, there was a sudden surge of revellers aiming for the bar to replenish their drinks.

In between listening and serving Meryl kept an eye on the old man in the corner, and as he drained the last gulp of his pint she began to fill his next glass.

She managed to make her way through the crowd just before the old man was about to rise to try and fight his way to the bar. His face lit up when he noticed Meryl approaching his table, and he slumped back down in his chair and began counting out his money in anticipation of her arrival.

“Oh, thank you so much,” the old man sighed, “I was dreading fighting my way through that lot to get to the bar.”

Meryl laughed. “I don’t blame you,” she replied. “I’m just glad that I’m on the other side of the bar, we’re really busting tonight.”

The old man nodded and handed over the correct change for his pint. “They are very good,” he remarked, nodding towards the empty stage.

“Yes,” Meryl agreed, “first time we’ve had them here, but it won’t be the last. I’m glad you are enjoying their performance.”

“Oh, I am, very much so,” the old man smiled.

“Well, I had better get back to the bar before there’s a riot, the band will be back in a minute to complete their set. I hope you’ll stay until the end.”

The old man nodded. “I will, thank you.”

After a ten-minute break the band returned to the stage amidst tremendous applause and more whistling.

The lead singer acknowledged the crowd’s appreciation, and before they started their second set she took a few minutes to introduce the individual members of the band. The girl on the flute was her cousin, and the two men were both her brothers. They all acknowledged their appreciation for the crowd as each one was cheered in turn.

Their second set went as well as their first, with the audience equally enamoured by the band’s performance and willing to participate. Although the alcohol had convinced some participants that they could sing in tune the truth was very far from it; but everyone was enjoying the evening which was the main thing as far as Meryl was concerned.

At the end of their second set, the band laid down their instruments and all took centre stage to receive their much-deserved standing ovation.

As the audience called out for more, Meryl rang the bell for last orders.

The lead female vocalist looked over at the bar owner and held up her index finger by way of asking if there was still time for one more song.

Meryl nodded her response and proceeded to organise a tray of drinks for when the band had finished.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” began the singer, once the cheering and clapping had died down. “We would like to do one last song for you this evening.” A cheer went up. “Thank you,” the girl smiled, appreciatively. “This is an old Romany lullaby which most of us learned from our mothers when we were still in the crib. We hope you all like it.”

Meryl glanced over at the old man in the corner.

His glass was already empty, and Meryl decided to offer him another pint on the house. She had often watched him when he came in for his usual Friday night visit. It was obvious to her that he did not know any of the other patrons, and he always made a point of sitting as far away from the crowds as he could.

The pub had its share of single older regulars, but they all seemed eager to jump at the chance of becoming involved in someone else’s conversation - often attaching themselves onto groups of complete strangers.

On some occasions the drinkers made it plain that they did not appreciate the intrusion into their private discourse, and Meryl always felt a twinge of sadness for the lonely individual who would inevitably shuffle away in search of company elsewhere.

But in all her time there, Meryl had never once seen the old man so much as try to strike up a conversation with anybody; staff or punters.

On a couple of occasions Meryl herself had tried to drag some form of dialog out of him while she was pulling his pint, and although he was always extremely polite and courteous, he managed to halt each attempt she made with single word answers.

As she made her way over to the old man with his fresh pint, the singer began her final song.

“As the waters run deep, so my soul yearns to soar.

On the wings of an eagle, I’ll wait nevermore.”

To Meryl’s surprise, the old man suddenly jerked his head round towards the stage. His movement was so abrupt and unexpected that he sent his empty pint glass scudding across the table, and he just managed to grab it in time before it tipped over the edge and smashed on the stone floor.

The old man’s hands began to shake, uncontrollably, and as Meryl reached his table she gently leaned over and placed her hand over his in an attempt to steady him.

In the background the singer’s voice carried over the bar and throughout the pub.

The rest of the band played softly, as if to ensure that they did not interfere with the singer’s melody.

Meryl placed the fresh pint down in front of the old man.

When he looked up to meet her gaze Meryl could see tears brimming over his eyes, leaving twin trails down his cheeks.

Meryl suddenly felt an overwhelming compulsion to put her arms around him and tell him that everything was going to be alright. In truth, she had no idea what had caused the old man to become so upset in the first place.

Instead she decided that hugging him might draw too much attention, and the last thing Meryl wanted was to cause the old man further embarrassment, so she grabbed a couple of paper napkins from a pocket in her overall and handed them to him so that he could wipe his eyes.

Choking back his tears, the old man thanked her for her kindness.

Meryl felt compelled to stay and find out what was wrong. Mike was forever having a go at her for taking on the troubles of the world, but she could not help herself.

For the sake of a few kind words and a little comfort, she was more than happy to see if she could do anything to ease the old man’s grief.

Meryl sat down beside him and angled his pint so that the handle was towards him.

“There’s another one on the house,” she whispered, so as not to disturb those around them listening to the singer.

The old man turned to her once more and thanked her through his tears.

Meryl held his gaze for a moment.

There was something in his eyes which conveyed a sadness that was almost palpable.

As the girl finished her song the audience began to applaud, loudly.

The rest of her band joined her once more in thanking everyone in attendance for their appreciation, and promised that they would return there the next time they were in the vicinity.

This announcement received an even greater cheer of delight.

As the band began to clear away their instruments, Mike carried over the tray of drinks Meryl had just prepared for them. She caught Mike’s eye on his way back to the bar and signalled that she was staying put for the time being.

Mike immediately put two-and-two together and realised that his wife was once again attempting to share the burdens of the world, and playfully shot a glance up to heaven.

Meryl stuck her tongue out at him in response, which caused him to start chuckling as he reached the bar.

Meryl turned her attention back to the old man beside her.

He had managed to wipe away the last remnants of his tears, but the effort had left his eyes puffy and red-rimmed.

He put his hand over his mouth as he cleared his throat.

“Take a swig of that,” Meryl encouraged him, nodding towards the pint she had just brought him.

The old man thanked her again and lifted the glass to his mouth, taking several gulps.

When he replaced it on the table, he continued to dab his eyes with the napkin.

Watching him, it appeared to Meryl as if he were about to burst into tears again at any moment.

“Is it something you want to tell me about?” she asked, softly, “a problem shared, as they say.”

The old man stared straight ahead for a moment, looking in the direction of the band who were now seated at a table in front of the stage, enjoying their drinks.

After a moment’s silence, the old man replied. “It’s that song!” he announced.

Meryl looked towards the band, and then quickly back to her guest.

It took a moment for his words to sink in.

Finally, Meryl thought that she understood. “Oh, I see, does that song hold some treasured memories for you, something from your childhood perhaps?” she enquired, pleased with herself for managing to engage the old man in an actual conversation.

To her amazement the old man jumped up from his seat, this time almost knocking his full drink flying.

“I have to go!” he stated, his voice starting to crack as if the effort were too great for him.

Meryl rose next to him.

She could see from the state he was in that he was in some distress, and she could not help but feel as if it was somehow her fault although she could not put her finger on the cause.

Meryl watched as the old man shuffled around checking his pockets to ensure that he had all his belongings before he left.

Although he was turned away from her, Meryl could see that he was still having to wipe his eyes so she suspected that fresh tears were brewing.

As Meryl was blocking his exit from one side the old man attempted to walk around between the table and the wall, but the gap was too small and he only succeeded in banging his leg on the edge of the table.

His failed attempt at escape only succeeded in making the old man more agitated, and when he turned to leave and found Meryl still blocking his path his frustration caused yet more tears to trickle down his face.

Even though Meryl could hear Mike’s voice in her head telling her not to interfere, she decided that she could not allow the old man to leave in such a state. Above all, she did not want to feel responsible for him leaving the pub in haste and slipping on the ice on the way home and having an accident.

Steeling herself, Meryl placed a comforting hand on the old man’s shoulder and offered him a reassuring smile. “Do you mind me asking you your name?”

The question obviously took the old man by surprise, and for a moment he appeared to visibly calm down.

“It’s Jonathan,” he replied, stammering slightly as if he were trying to force the words out. “Jonathan Ward.”

“Well, I am Meryl Watkins, and that man behind the bar is my husband Mike,” she held out her hand towards the old man, “and I would like to formally welcome you to our pub, with apologies for not introducing ourselves to you at an earlier opportunity.”

Jonathan Ward clasped Meryl’s hand, almost as if on instinct, and squeezed, gently.

Regardless of the fact that mere seconds before he had been intent on leaving the bar as quickly as possible, he could not be so rude as to refuse a handshake from his host.

The pair of them shook hands, and the old man seemed to relax visibly during the process.

Convinced that the exercise had accomplished the required effect, Meryl indicated for Jonathan to re-take his seat.

The bar was starting to empty, and most of the patrons finished their drinks and made their way out into the cold night air.

Still with some hesitation, Jonathan acquiesced to Meryl’s suggestion.

Once they were both seated, Meryl spoke. “I am very sorry if I upset you Jonathan, I assure you that was never my intention.”

The old man shook his head. “Please do not reproach yourself,” he assured her, “you weren’t to know.”

Looking past her, Jonathan glanced over to where the Romany band were still enjoying their well-deserved drinks.

He turned his attention back to Meryl. “It’s just that song you see, I haven’t heard it in nearly fifty years, and I hoped that I would never hear it again for as long as I lived!”

Meryl was confused by the old man’s words, and her expression illustrated the fact.

She desperately wanted to ask the old man to explain but she bit her tongue, conscious of the fact that she had already managed to upset him once this evening and she did not relish repeating the experience.

In the end, she did not have to.

The old man could see the bemusement etched into Meryl’s face, and that, combined with the kindness she had shown him, gave him the courage to face up to something which had haunted him for most of his adult life.

In that moment, he decided it was time to lay his own personal demon to rest!

Once and for all!