Special delivery

IT was no good. She would have to park the van and walk the rest of the way. Pearl sighed. She hated the village run, even in good weather. The farms and smallholdings were scattered so far apart it took her all morning just to make a dozen or so deliveries. The track up to Scar Croft was steep, narrow and rutted. In hot weather the potholes were baked so hard she almost flew out of the seat as the van bounced up the hill. If it hadn’t been for her seatbelt she was sure her head would have hit the roof.

When it was wet she had to keep the engine revs up high so that she didn’t lose momentum. There was no grip from the tyres and she had to wrench the steering wheel from right to left to prevent the vehicle from leaving the road. Downhill was just as dangerous, as she fought to keep from losing control down the slippery slope. She wasn’t going to get any further in this. Today it was blowing a blizzard.

There was no way the van would make it to the top with this amount of snowfall. Only tractors and pedestrians would be capable of making the trip.

Pearl turned the engine off and braced herself to face the icy conditions. Already the windows were misting up and she could feel the temperature dropping in the cab. She looked out through the windscreen. Visibility was just a few yards.

“All for one flipping letter,” she muttered, holding the envelope.“i wonder if it’s important.”

She toyed with the idea of holding on to it until tomorrow, or even the day after. It seemed a lot of effort for one letter. It didn’t have any printing on it. Not HMRC or DVLA or anything official like that. Just the address. It was typed, though, and the envelope was brown. “OK. Let’s get this over with.”

She stuffed the envelope into her coat pocket, opened the door and stepped out into the storm.

Crikey! If only she’d brought some wellingtons. Her right foot sank into the mud, the snow came above her ankle and her sock soaked up half a pint of freezing cold water.

“Ow!” She banged her shin against the door and stubbed her toe on a rock hidden under the snow. After just 10 steps Pearl was breathing heavily. She turned and clicked the key fob to lock the van. Not that any car thieves were likely to be out in this remote part of the countryside. Especially in this weather.

Already the van’s bright red livery was disappearing under a white blanket. It looked safe and inviting. Best to keep Her Majesty’s mail under lock and key, though. She lingered for a few seconds.the temptation to go back was overwhelming. But she was already soaked and freezing. She might as well carry on.

Pearl took her duty very seriously. The farmers and smallholders around here worked hard and, although they had to drive several miles to the nearest neighbour, it was still a close-knit community. They all knew each other and everyone knew Pearl. If word got around that she’d missed a delivery she

would never live it down. As one of just a handful of female drivers she had learned to give as good as she got. But if they found out that she had failed to deliver a letter on time because of a bit of wind and snow she would never hear the last of it.

She would be letting her other female colleagues down, too.

The potholes were now invisible under the snow and negotiating the track was even less fun on foot than it was on four wheels. It was hard to imagine how colourful this area looked in the summer.

Now every surface was covered in a mantle of snow, and even the sky seemed to blend in with the landscape. Not that Pearl could see much with the wind stinging her eyes and snowflakes landing on her eyelashes.

She might as well have been negotiating the road with her eyes closed.

“I wish I was back at the sorting office,” she grumbled.“i hope people appreciate what we go through to make sure the Royal Mail gets delivered on time.”

She couldn’t remember conditions being this bad before. Winters could be bleak up here, but it was rare for the snow to accumulate to this magnitude.

She had heard the locals talk of harsh winters of the past, but Pearl had put it down to exaggeration.

Now, though, she wished she’d worn tights as well as socks. And a thick woolly hat and a scarf would have helped a lot. She couldn’t feel her ears.

At least while these thoughts were going round her head they were distracting her from the biting cold and stinging wind. Eventually she reached the yard, and at least now she was on level ground. With water droplets condensing in the air on every breath, she crossed the enclosure and approached the farmhouse.

“If I look forlorn and pathetic, perhaps I’ll get invited in for a seat by the fire,” she told herself.“maybe even a mug of tea and a cake.”

Two loud raps with her knuckles usually brought Mrs Mccreadie to the door within a few seconds. There was no letter-box in this great heavy oak door.

She knocked on the portal and waited. Two more knocks but still nothing.

“Strange.” Lifting the latch, she pushed the door open and stepped into the kitchen.“hello?”

The range was alight and the warmth drew her further inside. A flurry of snowflakes followed her in.

“Mrs Mccreadie?”

She reached inside her pocket, intending to leave the envelope on the table, when she heard a noise from outside. Closing the door behind her, she followed the sound out and round the back of the house. Was it animal or human? It was hard to tell. Maybe both.

An open barn door gave her a clue. Movement from inside and definitely voices this time brought her to the end of the search.“mrs Mccreadie? Mr Mccreadie?”

The scene that unfolded before her was like something from one of those TV vet programmes.

Mrs Mccreadie was holding the head of a large black and white cow, trying to keep her calm and reassured, while her husband was struggling at the other end with what was obviously an imminent birth.

“Pearl, my girl!”the farmer beamed. “Just the sort of strong young woman I need to give me a hand. Grab hold of this rope, would you?”

“I, er . . .”

With that, Pearl found herself assisting Mr Mccreadie in bringing a new life into the world.

“The poor animal isn’t going to drop this one naturally,” he explained. “The vet’s on his way but it’s hard getting up here in this weather.”

“Tell me about it,” Pearl said.

“Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine.” “Can’t I stand at the other end? I’m sure Mrs Mccreadie will be far better helping you down here.”

“Beast’s been restless for weeks now,” the farmer replied.“the missus has a way with her. Best to keep her quiet while we get on with the hard work.”

Reluctantly Pearl pulled up her sleeves as far as she could and took the end of the rope.“no need to yank on it, lass. Just ease it gently when I tell you.”

Pearl followed the farmer’s instructions and watched as the couple coped with an increasingly agitated large animal while, at the same time, coaxing out the unborn calf.“that’s it, lass. You’re doing just fine. Easy, girl.”

Pearl wasn’t sure if the farmer was encouraging her or the cow.

If only she had left that letter in the kitchen, as she had intended, then she could have been back in the van right now.“it shouldn’t be long now.” Mr Mccreadie broke into her thoughts.“we just need to be patient. There’s no rush.”

That was all right for him to say – he didn’t have a delivery round to finish.

On the other hand, the life of an innocent animal was at stake here and Pearl did not want to let the Mccreadies down. She did wonder about the state of the van, though. It must be completely covered by now.

“Concentrate, girl!” Mr Mccreadie interrupted her musings again.“i’m going to leave the rope-pulling to you in a second, when the calf finally makes its appearance.”

Sure enough, at the last moment Mr Mccreadie rushed forward to deliver the infant animal by hand as Pearl heaved steadily on the rope.

She gasped in amazement as, within a few minutes, one healthy newborn calf rose on unsteady legs.

“You did well, lass. Much appreciated.” She would have stayed a little longer but, with the hard work over and her rounds still to complete, Pearl said her farewell and prepared to face the elements once more.

It had been warm in the barn and her exertions had given her quite a sweat.

Now the cold was returning to her bones and the only thing that cheered her was the thought of returning to the van, switching on the engine and turning up the heat. Then she remembered the letter. “Oh, cripes!”

She took it from her pocket, intending to leave it on the kitchen table on her way past the farmhouse.

Then she spotted another figure struggling up the slope and hurrying across the yard. The fact he was holding an equipment bag explained his business. “Are you the vet?”

“That’s right.” He nodded.“terrible job getting here. Some lanes are impassable.”

“The calf has arrived,” she said.“all’s OK as far as I know.”

“I had better go and check it over now I’m here,” he replied.“that’s what I’m paid for.”

“Could you give them this letter? In all the excitement of the birth I completely forgot.”

The vet took the envelope from her and glanced at the address.“this will be from me. My last bill for vaccinating the herd. I could have held on to it and brought it myself – it would have saved you a trip.”

“Yes!” Pearl agreed on her way back to the mail van, smiling.“it could have saved me from hypothermia, too!”

In truth, she wouldn’t have missed today’s events for all the world.

It had been a very different kind of delivery from her usual, that was for sure.

Pearl, my girl! Just the sort of strong young woman I need. Just follow my lead and you’ll be fine