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‘Great,’ said the young woman, who was probably about Mina’s age, flopping into the seat, immediately swapping to English in that easy way that so many Europeans did, and which always made Mina wish she’d tried a bit harder to learn a language at school. ‘I thought I was going to have to stand. The train from Geneva was full to bursting.’ She dug in her pocket and pulled out a packet of Jelly Beans. ‘Would you like one?’
‘I’d love one.’ Mina shoved the book back into her bag and turned to give the new arrival her full attention. ‘I haven’t had any for ages and now you’ve given me a complete craving.’
The woman laughed. ‘Me neither, I picked them up in the station shop.’
Over Jelly Beans, Mina bonded in the quick, easy way she frequently did with complete strangers. Hannah often complained she would talk to anyone, but Mina didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. As far as she was concerned, everyone was a potential friend, and where was the harm in that? And once again it paid off, as twenty-seven-year-old Uta was also travelling to Reckingen to stay at a local hotel. Apparently she was meeting up with a party of friends who’d all used to work together in a bank in Zurich.
‘We can take a taxi together,’ said Mina.
‘They go quickly from the station, so be ready to jump off quickly.’
Thanks to Uta’s advice they hopped off the train sharply and made a quick dash to the taxi rank, and were first in the queue.
‘Result,’ said Mina, once again feeling that kick of excitement to be in a new place. She was impatient to see where she’d be staying for the next two weeks. Amelie had suggested she get a taxi, apologising profusely in her last email for this appalling welcome and dereliction of duty as a godmother, but explaining that Mina’s expected arrival time coincided with the one of the busiest times at the ski chalet.
Once seated with Uta in the ancient Mercedes, glancing around at the scenery and the tiny village spread across the slopes, Mina wondered if she actually needed a taxi.
‘The village is smaller than I expected,’ she said to Uta.
‘Yes, but it’s deceptive, some of the houses are more spread out than they look, especially when you have a case, skis, and ski boots.’
Mina craned her neck to look around the driver, to see as much as she could.
The village seemed little more than a cluster of wooden buildings, spread out across the gentle, lower slopes of the valley between the rising mountains on either side. In the crisp winter sunshine, the thick layer of snow blanketing the uniform inverted V-shaped roofs glistened and sparkled like tiny diamonds. It was utterly enchanting and Mina clasped her hands and sighed with sheer pleasure at the pretty-as-a jigsaw-puzzle scenery surrounding her.
‘It’s so beautiful.’
‘That’s why we keep coming back, it’s my favourite place in the whole of Switzerland but don’t tell anyone I told you that. It would be lovely to live here, but there isn’t so much work, not for a finance manager. The houses are very historic – see, they are all made of wood. It’s a very traditional style in the Valais.’
Mina studied the big, dark, sturdy houses dotted across the landscape. They seemed as if they’d been placed at random, with no discernible streets, or sense of the buildings facing the same way. She could probably count each one. She compared the scene to the view from her flat, where the houses and blocks of flats were so densely packed in, you had no idea what was in the next street, let alone on the other side of the valley.
The taxi drove past a few houses before crossing the main road, where she could see a small supermarket and a few shops, before starting to climb very slightly up the side of the valley.
‘We’ll stop at your hotel first. Mine is further on,’ said Uta.
When at last they drew up outside a four-storey chalet, layered with balconies, Mina let out a small sigh of satisfaction. It looked every bit like a typical Swiss Chalet should.
‘Some of my friends stay here. They rave about it,’ said Uta, peering up at the signage by the steps. ‘I keep meaning to stop by and check it out. Maybe I’ll come by in a couple of days and we can have a drink?’
‘Yes, do. You can give me some tips on what to do on the area.’
‘Oh, that’s easy. Ski, hike, and ski some more. Maybe I’ll drop by on Sunday evening with a couple of the guys.’
‘The more the merrier. See you then. Now, what do I owe you for the fare?’
Uta waved a hand. ‘Pfff. Buy me a drink.’
As the taxi drove off, Uta waving from the back window, Mina stood for a moment just taking in the muffled silence, as if every sound had been dulled and diluted. The thick covering of snow had smoothed away the sharp edges of the buildings and softened out the contours of the land, like a freshly plumped-up feather duvet. She couldn’t get over the whiteness of the pristine surface of the snow. At home, almost as soon as the snow fell it was blackened by the city’s car exhaust fumes. Here, everything looked so clean, and as she breathed in, she felt the sharp hit of the freshness in the air. There was a purity and crispness to the atmosphere that she’d never experienced before. Was this what breathing pure oxygen was like, she wondered. She took in another deep breath, amused by the puffs of steam that drifted out of her mouth. The journey had cocooned her, and now it was like being thrust out into a jewel-bright world where all her senses were being retuned.
She turned to look at the building. Constructed entirely of wood, and pretty as it was, those great solid beams reminded her that it had been built to withstand the weather conditions in the winter. Although only four o’clock, the sun had dipped behind the mountains and the bright blue of the sky darkened at the edges like dampened blotting paper. She could feel the temperature dropping rapidly and was grateful for the golden glow that lit each of the windows on the front façade like welcoming beacons.
Lifting her case, she carefully walked up the snow-free steps and pushed open the big, heavy door. She found herself in a small, self-contained lobby area full of shelves and racks for boots and skis, with hanging rails that were already half full of ski jackets and that indefinable smell of the outdoors. Puddles and drips dotted the floor, particularly around the short, low benches on one side of the room where people obviously sat to discard their wet boots. There was a warm, fuggy atmosphere which she realised came from the pipes running around the edge of the room under the racks and rails, clearly designed to help everything dry out overnight. For a moment, she paused to examine the array of footwear, hiking boots, big plastic ski boots, and odd-looking, unfamiliar boots that looked like a cross between a slip-on trainer and an ankle boot. She felt another quick trip of excitement at the thought of getting out into the fresh air and skiing.
She pushed her way through another door and stepped into the most gorgeous light and airy open-plan room, clad with wood and open to the inverted, V-shaped, beamed ceiling. An open timber frame created a notional division between the reception room and the much bigger lounge beyond.
On her right, in the centre of the partition, embers glowed in a huge fireplace of rough-hewn stone built into a vast chimney breast, open on both sides to each room. On the other side the lounge area contained a few people quietly reading or chatting on the selection of sofas and chairs arranged around a big square coffee table facing the fireplace. The atmosphere was smart and elegant, but managing to be cosy and welcoming at the same time. There were two beautiful and expensive-looking, plump, fern-green velvet chairs side-by-side, just begging to be sunk into. They were separated by a small, highly polished table decorated with pretty china bowls, and a tall, long-necked lamp, and opposite, making up a right-angle, were two large, natural-linen, comfortable-looking sofas dotted with stylish cushions of velvet, silk and wool. Underfoot, the floor was made of rustic, wide-planked floorboards that looked as if they had a few stories to tell, and soft wool rugs were dotted here and there. Mina immediately felt as if she could go and take a seat and be at home with everyone else.
On this side of the fire, the reception room had a different feel, slightly more basic with several big squashy, battered, chestnut leather sofas that didn’t look as if they’d quite earned their battle scars, and the coffee table here was a big rustic wooden affair pitted with knots and gnarls. Next to the fire was a huge wrought-iron log holder that was filled to the brim with chopped wood that scented the air.
As she was taking all this in, the cuckoo clock in front of her burst into action, a cuckoo popping out of its tiny door, narrowly missing being decapitated by the painted figure of a wood chopper, whose axe swung as the hands struck four. Mina laughed out loud with delight as she examined the clock with its detailed workmanship and elaborate carving. While it wasn’t that big, it certainly made up for it in volume. Still smiling to herself, she turned and realised that people were appearing from all directions, as if the cuckoo had set off some secret signal, and everything began to happen in perfect sequence. It was like watching a set change at the theatre, as everyone settled into places. Guests who had been absorbed in their books suddenly began chatting to each other, and around corners more people began to appear, taking up seats in both rooms. The noise level rose to an all-round hum, and then a woman, carrying a large tray almost as big as she was, looking like an old-fashioned cigarette girl, burst through the doors at the back of the room, followed by two teenage girls carrying smaller trays. The hum rose and anticipation rippled through both rooms as the woman, beaming at everyone as she went, beat a determined path to the coffee table in the elegant lounge area.
With a hint of triumph, she placed the tray on the table and stood back to absorb the appreciative ‘mmms’ that filled the air. ‘Tonight we have Basler Kirschenbrottorte.’ Only the ta-dah was missing as she presented a dense, rustic-looking cake that perfumed the air with cherries and vanilla. The surface was pitted with craters of dark red, almost caramelised whole cherries. Mina’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. With careful, attentive fussing, plates and mugs were dished out and the cake was sliced up and served.
Mina watched with a smile on her face as each of the guests, probably about twelve in total, were tended to. Cake was pressed upon one reluctant guest who was won over with quick, gentle chiding, a plate was presented with a flourish to another eager guest who clearly knew he was in for a treat, and a forkful-sized taster offered to one young lady who dared to refuse a slice. It was everything she loved to see, people coming together over food, and there at the centre of it was her godmother, Amelie, with a mile-wide smile on her face as she danced through the people, dishing out her little plates of joy. Then she looked up, her smile widening even more. She handed a plate over and, dusting down her hands on her flour-speckled apron, darted to the doorway and came rushing through.
‘Mina, liebling. You’re here,’ she boomed in her deep, loud voice which was so out of keeping with her delicate frame, and grabbed her by the shoulders, kissing her soundly on both cheeks. She hugged Mina close to her. ‘Beautiful girl. Although a little pale, I think.’ She patted Mina’s cheeks. ‘But the good mountain air will bring the roses. Now come, come. Have some cake. Leave your things here.’
Mina found herself thrust into the other room. ‘This is Mina, she’s just arrived.’ She waved at the people in the room as a plate with a slice of cake on it was pushed into her hands. ‘They can introduce themselves. I must bring more coffee. More people are expected.
‘After café and cake, I’ll take you up to your room.’ Amelie glanced up at the cuckoo clock and frowned. ‘The new guests are late. They should be here. But your train was on time.’
‘It was. The taxi rank was very busy.’
‘Ah yes, and one of the taxis has broken down.’ She walked over to the window, and whatever she saw relieved her. ‘It’s OK, they’ve just arrived.’
Mina found herself a seat, helped herself to one of the mugs of black coffee from one of the trays, and sat down on one of the sofas.
‘You just arrived?’ asked her nearest neighbour, an older man with the sort of serious, sophisticated, wireless-framed glasses she associated with Europeans, which didn’t quite go with his extremely bushy eyebrows.
‘Yes,’ replied Mina, picking up her slice of cake and giving it a quick study, her eye caught by the unusual-looking ingredients. It reminded her of a rocky road slice, with unidentified layers among the cherries. ‘This looks delicious.’
‘It’s a very traditional Swiss cake, but no one makes it quite like Amelie, that’s why so many of us come back time and time again. She’s full, you know, and she only started a year ago. I think it’s the café and kuchen hour every day.’
‘What, this?’ Mina waved a hand around the room. Everyone was talking and eating. A symphony of harmony, all cemented together with the glue of cake.
‘Yes, four o’clock. Complimentary cake. The only price is you have to stay and eat it around the fire, and talk to your neighbours.’
‘Sounds very civilised to me.’
‘Some of us have become resigned.’ He gave her a long-suffering grimace. ‘And now I find I can chat with my fellow men a little more easily, as long as I only have to do it once a day.’
Mina laughed. ‘I’m sure it’s good for you.’
‘Hmm,’ he muttered, ‘that’s exactly what Amelie said.’
‘How long have you been coming here?’
‘Since she opened the place last year. I was one of the naysayers. Led protests against it.’
Mina refrained from raising a ‘really’ eyebrow but she didn’t manage to keep her face expressionless.
‘I know. Now I come for cake at four a couple of times a week.’
‘Are you staying here?’
‘No, I live in the village, but we have a deal. I chop all her wood for her, and she feeds me cake once or twice a week. That’s Amelie for you. Turns foes into friends – and then chokes up their arteries to get her revenge.’ His weathered face, made golden by the sun, split into a goblin grin. ‘I’m also a wine merchant, so I put together her wine list. We’re good friends now.’
‘I’m Kurt,’ interrupted another man, leaning over and putting out his hand. ‘I’m here for the weekend with my wife and daughter. I’m posted in Geneva but we come from Canada. We visit once a month for the hiking and to get out of the city. And…’ He paused and held up his slice of cake. ‘For this, like Johannes was saying.’
‘Nice to meet you both.’ Mina was amused and charmed by their easy friendliness. She certainly couldn’t imagine this happening in a hotel in England. ‘I’m Mina.’ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the door from the boot room open and some instinctive sixth sense made her turn and look at the three men crowding through, talking in loud, we’re-really-pleased-to-see-each-other type voices. ‘I’m here on holiday and I’m Amelie’s—’ The words died in her mouth as one of the men unwound a scarlet-red scarf, releasing a burst of familiar sun-streaked curls.
For a moment she thought she was imagining things, but when he turned around, the sight of him made her wonder if serendipity did exist after all.
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