It’s 1988. The era of young love, with Scott
and Charlene melting hearts in Neighbours, and a new princess for the Royal
Family. With Bros, Madonna and Wet Wet Wet in the charts, and children hoping
for Ghostbusters’ toys in their stockings.
But it’s not all fun for Belinda. If her life
was a board game, she’s losing at snakes and ladders. Once she’d been working
her way up one of those ladders but, thanks to her snake-like polytechnic
lecturer, she’s toppled from the rungs. Now she works in an old people’s home,
where her chief duties involve cleaning toilets and emptying commodes.
At least her lovely colleague, Joe, offers
excitement in her otherwise dreary life. But Belinda can’t believe he'd be
interested in someone like her. Not when her pretty friend, Tracey, only has to
glance at a man to have him fall for her.
But just when it seems things are looking up
for Belinda, the residents’ precious possessions start to go missing. Then she
witnesses a disturbing incident and doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, Belinda
has Joe to guide her – until she discovers that he’s hiding a secret, one that
forces her to make an agonising decision.
Will she continue to hide in the shadows,
never speaking out – or will she put her future on the line to stand up for
what is right? After all, she’s caring for a generation that's lived through
two wars. Now it’s time to fight for them.
Purchase Links
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Birdie-Told-intriguing-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B08TZV5385/
US - https://www.amazon.com/Little-Birdie-Told-intriguing-heartwarming-ebook/dp/B08TZV5385/
Excerpt
A Little Birdie Told Me… is set in
the 1980s. Belinda, a residential worker in a care home, is beginning to
realise that, for the residents, the bountiful food and sparkling surfaces
proves the adage that all that glitters is not gold. Especially when the care
home seems unduly concerned about keeping its reputation untarnished:
I found Joe in the kitchen. After
stacking the trolley and filling the urns, I followed him to the lift, where we
started on the first floor of the east wing. Giving out the morning tea wasn’t
as exciting as I’d hoped. We knocked on each door, greeted each resident with a
tea or a coffee, and trundled on to the next. Instead of happiness, we were met
with grumbles. No, they hadn’t slept well. We should knock louder. Why was the
heating off? When we reached room eight, Joe moved to the other side of the
corridor. Curious, I pointed to a door that was usually closed, but which stood
open today. I’d thought the corridor ended at this point, but I was surprised
to see that another three rooms lay on either side, before the corridor finally
terminated at a white door with a huge fire escape sign.
“What about those rooms?”
“We don’t do those.”
“Why not?”
“They’re for residents with dementia
or those who can’t manage without help. They get looked after in their rooms.”
I’d seen uniformed staff members
heading off with trays, but I’d assumed they were for people in the
ground-floor flats, where the more able residents and couples lived. I hadn’t
realised there were other residents secreted away.
“Don’t they get out at all?”
He chuckled. “They’re not chained
up.” Then his expression grew serious. “But I don’t think it’s great. They’re
looked after by dedicated nurses who spend time with them and take them to the
garden or whatever, but they’re kept away from the others. It’s not one-to-one
care either, so they’re on their own a lot.”
“Why?”
A reedy cry echoed through one of the
doors which stood ajar, but I couldn’t see more than the corner of a bed. “No!
No! Where’s Harold?”
Instinct made me head towards the
noise. I found a spacious room, larger than the others, with a sink in the
corner, an armchair opposite the bed and the usual commode chair, which smelled
as if it was full. But I’d never been asked to empty it. A uniformed nurse
knelt beside a woman who sat on the bed in a floral dressing gown, her bare
feet dangling over the edge. The overhead light was off, but sunlight streamed
in through the net curtains, revealing her glistening tear-streaked face.
“Mrs Calam! Will you please behave? I’ve
told you countless times. Harold is dead.”
The staff member turned, looking
surprised to find me there. Unlike the grey pinnies we wore, she was dressed in
a sky-blue uniform, like a nurse. “Do you mind? I’m trying to get her dressed.”
She picked up a slipper but the
elderly woman kicked out, knocking it from her hand.
“No! I want my Harold!” The woman
attempted to shuffle off the bed, but the nurse clamped her thighs, pinning her
in place.
“She doesn’t like you being here.
You’re upsetting her,” she said.
“I’m sorry.” I stepped back into Joe,
not realising he hovered behind me.
“Maybe she needs a bit of time to
calm down before getting dressed,” he said.
She glared at us. “Maybe you need to
mind your own business. Haven’t you got work to do? I’ll be having a word with
Gloria about this.”
Author Bio
–
Sharley Scott
is the author of the Devon Seaside Guesthouse novels – Bedlam & Breakfast
and B&Bers Behaving Madly – and the Maddie Meadows series.
https://twitter.com/SharleyScott
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