Chapter 11

Monday 19th May

'My heart would break in two if I should lose you

I'm no good without you anyhow

And have I told you lately that I love you

Well darling I'm telling you now.'

Voicemail 1: 2.30 EST

"Hi Nikki, I know you said we had to stop, but I need to talk to you. I really need to talk to you before you go. I know where you're going. I've talked to Leo. I'm not going to try and stop you; you make your own decisions, but please. I want to talk to you before you go. Thanks, Harry"

Voicemail: 2.46 EST

"Hi Nikki, hope you got my last message, glad you had a good time with Mum last week, she claims no scenery fell down, I need corroborating evidence. Please call me."

Voicemail 3: 3.02 EST

"Hi Nikki, I know you probably think we'll just end up fighting if you call me and that would be an even worse way to leave things. I understand I do, but I don't want to fight with you. I don't want you to go, but I respect your decision to go with Leo and Jack. Jack I'm sure could hold his own but I need you to have Leo's back. He'd go wandering off into a minefield if you didn't keep an eye on him. But I'm worried Nikki. I'm really worried and it would be good to talk to you."

Voicemail 4: 3.25 EST

"Look now, I'm just filling up your voicemail, I can't believe there's still room, unless you are deleting all these messages without listening to them. Please call me Nikki. It's one thing knowing you're 3000 miles away in London, but totally different when you're in Afghanistan. You shouldn't be on your own. I should be with you. I should be with you making a difference to the world not artificially manufacturing grades and stuffing heads full of facts that are forgotten the minute the paper is written or the exam completed. I'm sorry Nikki. I'm sorry I've let you down."

Voicemail 5: 4.10 EST

"Are you sure Leo is ok? He's not having another breakdown is he? That's not what's sent him off on this crackpot mission is it? You wouldn't go with him if you thought he was crazy would you? He seemed ok when I talked to him. We had a really good chat actually. I forgot how much I admire him. I told him too, he went quite pink. Call me Nikki. Please."

Voicemail 6 4.58 EST

"OK, I'm getting the message. You're not going to call me. I hope you listen when my mother calls, although I'm not entirely sure what she's going to say. Nikki please think carefully about going, if you're going because of personal pride, or because the boys are going or any other ridiculous stupid equality reason please don't go. Please only go if you think your being there will make a difference to this case. And please be careful. No crusades please, keep your head down and don't cause a fuss. Please Nikki. Do it for me?"

Text Message 5:01 EST

Left u voicemail. Ur not replying. Don't know what 2 say. I'm terrified. I love you.

Phone Call: 5:05 EST

"Harry?"

"Nikki? Is that you? Thank you for ringing."

"I'm going to be fine Harry."

"Nikki…"

"Harry, it will be ok. Thanks for the messages. I'll call you when we get back."

"Thanks Nikki."

"Try not to worry."

"I'll try. Try not to get into trouble"

"I'll try too."

"Nikki…" Harry began again, but after all his words of earlier now with her on the phone he had nothing left to say.

"Please be careful."

"I promise," Nikki replied dutifully.

"I'll talk to you soon then," Harry said.

"Soon," she replied.

"I do love you," Harry insisted.

"I know you do Harry, but this is something I need to do."

There was silence for a while.

"Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever learn to like pear drops?"

"Pear drops?"

"Yes pear drops."

"No, not sure why; never liked them as a child, still don't."

"So you never liked them."

"No."

"You never even got used to them after a while and got to like them?"

"No! Why are you asking me about pear drops?"

"Oh it's nothing, just something I was thinking about. Don't worry about it. I'll call you as soon as we're all back."

"Has my mother been talking to you?"

"No."

"Oh," there was another silence before Harry continued. "Thanks Nikki; thank you for calling tonight. I really appreciate it."

"It's ok, Harry. I liked talking to you."

"Me too."

"Talk to you soon then."

"Soon."

Harry quickly disconnected. He was pretty sure Nikki wasn't going to say goodbye but he wasn't going to stick around to hear it if she did.


Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? Weisman (Elvis)