Bruar's Rest

her pocket, she remembered the Newcastle thief running away with all she owned and the tramps who chased her. ‘Sorry,’ she told him abruptly, ‘but I’ve nothing to spare.’ Wrapping her coat tightly round her, she turned to hurry away.
    ‘No, wait a minute, I’m not going to harm you, please.’ There was a slight pause as he fumbled inside his jacket. He took something from a wallet and held it up. ‘Yes, I knew it was you.’ His words frightened and puzzled her. But this was a big city and lots of tricks were played in the cities. Convinced this was another ploy to rid her of what little money she had, she ran off as fast as she could, but he wasn’t giving up and gave chase. It took a long time to shake him off. With heart near to bursting and breath almost leaving her body, at last, with great relief, she saw her hotel. When on its steps, she dared to look back to see if he was following her, but she’d lost him. Panting up the steps, she told herself that in the morning Morton Home would see her back again. Until they told her where Bruar was, she swore every single day she’d do a Bull Buckley on them.
    This determination gave her renewed strength which quickened her step to the hotel door. Just as she put a foot inside, a voice called out, ‘Megan!’
    Turning slowly, she saw the shabby man who’d chased her. He held up a photograph for her to see. ‘Oh my God, you have our wedding photo!’ She had found Sandy, Bruar’s wartime friend!
    Inside her hotel room, he told the story of how, after the war, he found Bruar in a hospital and kept in touch with him while he convalesced in Sussex, and also visited him here in the place named Morton Home. He was near there because he had been to see Bruar that day.
    ‘Do you have any idea what it means to meet someone like you?’ she asked him. ‘My man has been a long time in finding, but now, to see you and talk about him! Oh, Sandy, I could kiss the face off you.’
    ‘Steady on, lassie. I promised, you see.’ He went on, ‘Before he was hit he begged me to find you; gave me the photo so that I’d recognise you. I had meant to come north and seek you out, but getting a few pennies to live on was as far as I got. I’m heart-sorry, lass.’
    ‘Och, never mind that. I’ve been searching for him myself, and only this day did I find Morton Home. But can you tell me why, when I went to the home, they refused to even tell me if he was there?’
    ‘They have to be extra careful since a lad went mad, escaped and murdered a postman. Since then it’s locked rooms and round-the-clock guards. Don’t worry, though, tomorrow I’ll take you there myself.’
    ‘Sandy,’ her eyes were pitiful as she asked, ‘Is he sick? What I mean is, does he have memories?’ She searched his face; it was easy to read. But inwardly her picture was not to be smudged. ‘Don’t say a word, because when he sees me things will come back, you’ll see, and he will know me.’
    The night fog had come down and all the night people were to be heard out on the street below when Sandy finished his story.
    ‘And he lay there on that beach among the dead? My poor laddie, what must have gone through his mind foreseeing his end? He must have witnessed it, otherwise he’d never have parted with our wedding photo. She went into her bag and took the burnt half of her photo showing his face and laid it over the one brought by Sandy. How uncanny that they fitted together like pieces of a jigsaw. ‘We are meant to be, Sandy, nothing will stop us.’
    Her visitor was tired and had to go home; this was a dingy shelter for homeless people, but now that he’d found her and kept his promise it wouldn’t be quite such a bad place.
    After he left, it took all her willpower not to climb to the hotel roof and sing from its chimney tops. Soon, at long last, they’d be together.

     
    The man who had forcibly removed her from the Asylum the day before was a nurse who knew Sandy. With her new male companion she felt stronger facing him.
    ‘She can neither read nor write,’ he told the man who, on seeing Megan, at first totally refused entry. ‘That’s why she got so flustered yesterday.’
    ‘My sincere apologies to you, dear, but surely Sandy has told you about the serious situations that can arise within these walls?’
    Megan nodded, desperately trying not to scream. The closed doors, mumbling voices and high ceilings made her ache. She wanted them to know that as soon as she and