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How could you learn to love someone? That didn’t make any sense at all. Love came from the heart, not the head. “Do you think he’s still alive?”
Nana pressed down on her cane and stood. “I doubt that. Many gitanos were slaughtered during the war.” She set off towards the hotel, and Gabi strode to catch her up.
“I’m weary, Gabriela. How was your evening?”
Gabi had the impression she didn’t want to talk about Juan anymore. Gabi’s evening was a blur. “I wandered for a bit then watched flamenco in the square.” She recalled the dancer’s block heels and the man fiercely strumming his guitar, their passion, and the fast beat that she hadn’t been able to keep up with. “It was brilliant.”
“My Juan was a flamenco dancer,” Nana said.
My Juan. Gabi played the words of affection through her head. She linked her arm through Nana’s. It was going to take a bit of adjusting to the fact that Nana had been in love with a man who wasn’t Grandpa, but she was fascinated. “Will you tell me more about him?” she asked. “Maybe we can visit where he used to live? Maybe he’s still there?”
“Oh, cariño, we will go to Sacromonte. I would like to see it one more time, and the dancing there will be the best in the city.”
Gabi wondered whether Nana had a bucket list for this trip that she hadn’t shared with her, and whether she’d been secretly plotting that this would be her final resting place. “Are we going to the cemetery tomorrow?” she asked.
Nana stopped walking and took a few quick breaths. “Maybe another day.”
Gabi frowned. Nana had lost a little of the sparkle she’d had earlier, and she did look tired. She’d pushed herself too much when she should have been tucked up in bed.
Nana stroked Gabi’s cheek. “I don’t need you to look after me, Gabriela. I want you to explore for yourself. My legs are tired. I will go to the spa tomorrow. It’s been a long day. A very exciting day, don’t you think?” She smiled, concealing a yawn.
No, Gabi didn’t, and she hated spas. She was knackered and utterly drained from the stress of travelling and the subsequent distress of thinking something awful had happened to Nana, and now she had to face the guy in reception again whose smile would say, “I told you so.”
Gabi tilted her head from side to side to release the tension in her neck as they entered the hotel, scanned the faces behind the desk, and released the breath she’d been holding. She couldn’t see him, thank God. She made her way quickly to the lift and kept it on hold while Nana bid everyone a good night. Gabi felt even worse for her behaviour and vowed silently to make amends with the man when she next saw him. She lowered her head and rubbed the back of her neck.
“You don’t seem yourself, cariño. You’re not coming down with something, are you? They say flights are the worst for germs.”
“I’m fine. I made a bit of a fuss at reception when I was worried about you, that’s all. They called all the hospitals.”
Nana smiled. “Well, I’m sure the staff were delighted to help. They’re so welcoming, aren’t they?”
In her room, she found a small bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a card that said the staff were at their service no matter what they needed. It hadn’t felt like that earlier, but then maybe she hadn’t been seeing things all that clearly.
By the time Gabi’s head hit the pillow, she was beyond exhausted. There was a rumble coming from Nana’s room, like water gurgling down a narrow drainpipe. It took her a while to work out that it was Nana snoring. She sunk into the soft mattress pondering Nana and her old love, Juan. It had been a lifetime ago. The last thing she remembered was the flamenco woman’s block heels tapping out the beat of the music.
7.
GABI HAD TAKEN FULL advantage of the swimming pool on the roof of the hotel in the week since their arrival, enjoying the hospitality at the bar and soaking up the rays, while Nana had relaxed with daily spa treatments and siestas. Nana looked younger and more refreshed for it, and Gabi questioned whether she should have opted for a facial and full body massage rather than Cava cocktails and vitamin Ds. She sipped her drink and cast her gaze across the rooftops below.
The array of vibrant colours marked the textile stalls at the market, and the rocky hills beyond that climbed from the city’s perimeter into the sky in a series of dark jagged lines and peaks. The contrast with the rather flat and green landscape and generally damp and cold climate in Devon couldn’t be starker. The vibe in Granada, like the promise of a deliciously smooth cocktail on a lazy Sunday afternoon, had piqued Gabi’s interest. She’d wandered into the city each evening and sat quietly in the same bar, watching people come and go. She’d enjoyed the music and a free tapa with every drink and hadn’t felt the habitual loneliness that had set in after Shay left her.
“The view is spectacular,” Gabi said.
“What do you think of this?” Nana asked and held up a newspaper to Gabi.
“A two-bed apartment?”
“It has a large terrace and a small garden. It’s a ten-minute walk into the city, so it’s far enough out to be quite peaceful. I think I could manage it.”
Gabi’s heart skipped a beat, and a sinking feeling made its way slowly to her stomach. “Are you serious about buying here? Staying here?” Even though Nana had said she didn’t know when she planned to return to England, Gabi had assumed they would at some point. Nana hadn’t mentioned anything about buying a place. They’d booked their first three weeks at the hotel so they could unwind and then rented a self-catering property through to the end of September. If they planned to stay beyond that, Gabi had thought they would find somewhere else or extend the rental.
Nana looked up over the top of her glasses and smiled. “It would make a decent holiday home and if I, or we, decide to stay, it would be perfectly manageable. I’m going to do some investigating. I have a good feeling about this one.”
The idea of not returning to the place she’d known as home jostled uneasily alongside the thought of returning to England alone. No, she couldn’t go back without Nana. Nana looked so excited about the apartment, it warmed the chill feeling that had come over Gabi.
“It’s been recently renovated, and it’s owned by a Dutch couple. I’m going to arrange to view it,” Nana said.
Gabi rubbed the back of her neck and inhaled deeply. Nana was moving ahead faster than Gabi could process, and as much as she wanted to object just to slow things down, she couldn’t spoil Nana’s excitement. A holiday home would be a great idea, and they would be able to visit at any time. “Shall I come with you?”
