Tuesday 16 February 2021

Snippets of Downshire Life – Lent

The Norman family had been in the Grocery business since Victorian times when they started with a small shop in Abbottsford, a business which quickly expanded and thrived well into the 20th century, but the depression of the thirties hit the business hard and many shops had to close.

The original Abbottsford shop survived the downturn in the great depression but fell victim of the Luftwaffe in 1941.

In the 21st century they had shops in Childean, Shallowfield, the Dulcets and of course Mornington-By-Mere, each shop being run by a different branch of the family.

 

The heads of the Norman clan in Mornington, were septuagenarians Gavin and Evelyn, who lived in Bridge Street at School House Cottage with their younger son Owen.

Before the move to number 10 Military Row their older son Gareth and his family lived above and behind the shop, which was quite cramped for a family of five but the new house was much more spacious and the move allowed them to utilize some of the former living space as additional storage as well as providing their oldest child Michelle with a place of her own over the shop.

It was a big family and a small business so not all the Normans could rely on it for a living, as a result 29-year-old Michelle worked for Bizzie Lizzie’s florists.

She had worked for them since before she left school, firstly as a Saturday girl, and had worked in every capacity in her time there, behind the scenes, in the shop and deliveries, but for almost a year she had been managing the Shallowfield branch.  

It was when she first took over that branch that she met and fell in love with car salesman Derek and she was hoping that she would very soon be changing her name to Michelle Adams.

She was put out of her misery in the middle of February, shortly before her 30th birthday, in the cruellest way and she was on her way back to work after having had lunch with Derek.

“Bastard” she muttered under her breath as she returned to the shop, and she was running the lunch time conversation through her head, which was why she was so angry.

“You’re breaking up with me?” she asked in disbelieve across the table in the Woodcutter’s.

“Please don’t take it so hard” he said

“You’re breaking up with me a week before my birthday, my 30th Birthday?” she repeated

“I didn’t see why I should prolong the inevitable and I haven’t got your present yet, so it seemed the most sensible time” he said

“You cheap bastard” she yelled and poured his pint of Mornington Ale over him.   

 

“Well it’s going to be a rubbish 30th birthday” she muttered to herself as she walked into Bizzie Lizzie’s and found her colleague Lauren Wylie in conversation with two of her regular elderly customers about Lent.

“Hello Dear” Lily said “We’re just talking about what to give up for Lent”

“I’m giving up men” she snapped

“Me too Dear” Lily said “I haven’t had one for six years, so another month won’t hurt”

“I’ve already given them up” Grace added “Too much excitement is bad for my heart”

“It’s alright for you lot” young Lauren said “For me to stop I’d first need to start first”

“Oh bless” Lily said and they all laughed including Michele, in spite of herself

 

The next morning Neil Vann arrived at the shop to see Michele and quote her on some new work tops in the back room.

She had known him for several years, he was the same age as her, and was the strong silent type.

He took some measurements, made some notes and said he would phone her later that day with a price, but he added that he was quite busy and wasn’t sure when he would be able to fit it in, but if she needed it doing sooner he would rearrange the diary to accommodate her.

“He could accommodate me any day of the week” Lauren said after he’d left the shop “but it’s not me he’s interested in”

“Well he’s not interested in me” Michelle snapped

“Really?” Lauren retorted “He may have been measuring the work tops, but it was your measurements he was taking note of”

“No, he was not” Michelle said “and anyway I told you yesterday I’ve given men up for Lent”

“That’s a shame” Lauren said as she walked into the back room “he’d make a cracking birthday present for you”

 

It was her 30th birthday two days later so she had the day off, but she woke up annoyingly early and couldn’t get back to sleep.

So, she decided to get the maximum out of the day, she already had an appointment for a pamper session at Mazzone’s in Childean, the whole nine yards, hair, eyebrows, facial, manicure, pedicure, and waxing.

But as she had woken early she decided to drive to Childean and have an early session at the gym followed by a relaxing swim at the leisure center Swimming pool.

 

After an invigorating session in the gym she drove the half a mile to the pool and parked the car, and carrying her bag, she got to the front entrance just in time to see Neil Vann and his sister Abi walk through the changing room door and then Michelle paid at the kiosk and proceeded to the changing rooms herself.

It was a very modern facility with modern unisex changing rooms with two long rows of cubicles flanked by lockers, and as she always did she selected a cubicle at the far end of the row where she quickly got undressed and into her one-piece swimsuit.

She was just putting her street clothes in her bag when she heard some familiar voices nearby, the first one was almost outside her cubicle door

“Come on slowcoach” the voice called, which she recognised to be that of Abigail Vann “why do you always take so long?”

The other voice was her brother Neil

“I’m nearly ready Abi, you go on and I’ll catch you up”

“Ok I’ll see you in a minute” Abi said as she was moving away.

A moment or two later, having gathered together all her bits into her bag she opened the door and found that without realising it, she had timed it to perfection as Neil was right there in front of her wearing only an inadequate pair of speedos and a towel draped around his muscular neck.

“Hello Neil” She said staring at his ripped torso and in response he stared back at the girl in the one-piece black swimsuit.

“Hi Michelle” he said as he continued to cast an appreciative eye over her swim-suited figure

“This is a nice surprise” Michele commented “I’m pleased I bumped into you,”

“Me too” Neil said, but before he had time to add anything else she dropped her bag and taking hold of the towel around his neck she pulled him into the cubicle and closed the door.

And as she kissed him she thought

“What the hell, I’ll give up cakes instead”

 

 

 

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