If I could wish
What a wish it would
be
I would wish a wish
If it were granted to
me
If I could wish
I would wish for what
I had
I would wish that wish
Because without you
I’d be sad
If I could wish
I would wish for you
I would wish a wish
That, that wish would
come true
If I could wish
And my wish came true
I would have wished a
wish
Although Alison
Williams was originally from Shallowfield but had lived in Sharpington for five
years and she had a nice little flat in Jubilee Court.
The traditional
seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea suited her very well with its Victorian
Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained
gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, all the usual things to have a
great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the
Sharpington Fun Park.
To her mind the whole
place, like her, was vibrant and fun.
Her parents still lived in Shallowfield and her Auntie Penny was in
the Dulcets and Uncle Bob and his family were in Mornington so the family were
all far enough away for her to be totally independent but close enough for her to
have peace of mind.
Alison was 35 years old, and she
was a self-employed gardener and she was best described as a buxom young woman,
though quite muscular, about 5ft 10, big chested with a great unruly shock of
vivid ginger hair.
At the opposite end of
Sharpington from where she lived was very popular with retirees with a mixture
of Victorian houses and cottages as well as post Second World War bungalows and
she had a numerous clientele among them which was growing all the time.
The problem was she
was reaching the point when she couldn’t take on anymore.
But she was on the
horns of a dilemma because she had too much work for her but not enough yet to
employ another full-time person.
She had tried a number
of casuals and part timers, but they had proved very unreliable and to be
honest not up to her standard.
She really wanted an
apprentice, someone she could train up to eventually become full time, and
someone who wanted to learn what she knew.
So, when she was
working in David Goodman’s garden at the beginning of June his suggestion was
music to her ears.
It happened when she
was bent over attending to one of the planters
“Alison!” David called
“Morning” Alison said
“I’m just packing up”
“Hang on; I need to
ask you a favour”
“Ok ask away,” she
said
“Do you ever take on
casual labour?” He asked
“Yes, but it’s hard
finding someone reliable who turns up when they say they will” she said, “Why
do you have someone in mind?”
“Yes”
“It’s not some
lecherous git you’re trying to set me up with is it?” Alison asked suspiciously
“No, it’s a local
girl, Wendy Corney”
“Ok I’ll give her a
trial” she said “But its hard graft and the money’s shit”
“She won’t mind” David
said
“I hope this one works
out” she said to herself as she was loading the van
“Then perhaps I might
be able to spend some quality time at Ravensbrooke”
Ravensbrooke was a
nursery and Garden Center, on the outskirts of Sharpington, where she got all
of her plants and gardening supplies and it was also where Ged Kelly worked, and
he was very much a work in progress and as she was so busy progress was very
slow.
The Monday after she
spoke to David she had arranged to have Wendy Corney meet her in David
Goodman’s garden.
Alison was pottering
about in the garden when she caught sight of a girl in the corner of her eye.
She was a tall skinny
waif with short mousy blonde hair which made her look like a shaggy dog.
Wendy was obviously a
tomboy, a pretty one with elfin features, but a tomboy none the less.
She didn’t turn around
to look at her properly instead she waited until the girl walked cautiously
towards her to introduce herself and was amused when she noticed she looked
terrified.
“Aaaalison” she said
“Hello sweetie, you’re
just in time,” Alison said “come and help me unload the mower”
From the first moment
Wendy showed herself to be hard working, willing and eager and a quick learner.
That first day they
did five gardens and at the end of the day Alison noticed Wendy was looking
very nervous when they had finished loading the truck and she smiled to herself
and then Alison said
“Jump in, I’ll take
you Ravensbrooke and get you some safety boots and overalls”
Ravensbrooke was a
nursery and Garden Center, on the outskirts of Sharpington, where she got all
of her plants and gardening supplies. “Did I do alright then?”
“You did great, now
jump in” she said but Wendy didn’t move “What’s the matter?” Alison asked
“I don’t have any
money” she said
“You don’t need any”
Alison said “Now get in”
Apart from being a
nursery and Garden Center Ravensbrooke was also a Country Store, so it was
possible to buy anything from top soil to designer leisurewear.
The variety on offer
was what originally attracted Alison to Ravensbrooke because being a one-woman
operation time was at a premium.
But what drew her back
there on a regular basis was to see a big bear of a man with a big black beard
called Ged Kelly.
He was the same age as
Alison and was a local man who had worked as a nurseryman for the Raven family
since he left school
Alison had been a
customer for ten years, but Ged had only been on her radar for two when a
promotion brought him out of the greenhouses and onto the shop floor.
She was taken with him
the first time she laid eyes on him on bright sunny morning in May as he loaded
bags of compost into the back of a customer’s Range Rover.
And after that day she
always looked out for him in the store and if she was lucky, he would serve
her.
Alison knew that he
liked her because he stammered when he spoke to her, but she knew from hearing
him speak with other customers that he didn’t stammer all the time.
As she and Wendy
walked through the automatic doors, Alison surveyed the shop floor in search of
him but there was no sign so she led Wendy to where the work boots were on
display.
They found a suitable
pair for Wendy and then went in search of overalls and then as they were
looking at work gloves Ged appeared from the stock room right where they were
standing.
“Hhhhello Aaaalison”
he said
“Hi Ged” she replied
Alison was so pleased
with Wendy over the first month she worked for her, so by the time it was over
she was working with Alison for four days a week.
So halfway through
July she was working up a sweat cutting the grass in David Goodman’s garden and
when she stopped to empty the grass box she saw him coming towards her.
“Morning” he called
“Hello David” she
called back just at that moment Wendy appeared wearing identical dungarees as
Alison, carrying some empty sacks.
“Hello” she shouted
“Hi Wendy” he shouted
back
Then in a lower voice
he asked Alison
“How’s she doing?”
nodding in Wendy’s direction
“Excellently” Alison
replied beaming
“She a quick learner,
hardworking, eager and reliable”
“Really?”
“I couldn’t ask for
better, and she’s a real sweetie” she said
“I’m so pleased” he
said and left them toiling in the soil to go to Abbottsford.
When Alison and Wendy
were finished at David Goodman’s they went over to Ravensbrooke to pick up some
more materials and Wendy remarked that they made a lot of trips over there.
There was a very good
reason why she was spending more and more at the Country Store and that was
because in the month since she employed Wendy, she didn’t have to rush from
pillar to post and had more time to devote to flirting with Ged.
But despite the extra
time she was devoting to it she still wasn’t getting anywhere.
The following week it
was raining, and Alison was going to Ravensbrooke again so she told Wendy to
meet her outside David Goodman’s bungalow, it was time to make a concerted
effort to snag Ged.
When she
got inside the store, she went straight to the counter hoping to find him but
there was no sign but when she turned around, he was standing there.
“Argh” she exclaimed
and leapt backwards
“I’m sorry”
he said “I didn’t mean to make you jump”
“Oh, hello
Ged” she said trying to compose herself
“You didn’t
stammer”
“No, I
didn’t did I” he said and smiled
“No, you
didn’t” she agreed
“Then I
had better do it before it comes back” he said
“Do what?”
Alison asked
“Ask you
out” he said quickly
“Oh” she
responded speechless
“So how
about dinner?” he said, “Friday night?”
“Yeeess” she
stammered
“I’ll pick you up at
7.30” Ged said confidently
“Ok” she replied just
at the moment there was a tannoy announcement that called him away.
“I’ll call you” he
said which would have been very awkward to say had he stammered it.
“Ok” Alison responded
shell shocked and encouraged by how well it was going he kissed her.
And he continued to
kiss her as the tannoy repeated the announcement.
Alison was going to be
late, and tardiness was something she did not approve of and she was not
setting a very good example to her employee but she was not thinking about that
as she drove towards Southern Sharpington.
She was preoccupied
with trying to figure out how, despite her intention to ask him out, shy
stammering Ged had beaten her to the punch.
Then she concluded
that it didn’t actually matter who asked, what mattered was that she was going
for dinner on Friday night with Ged Kelly.
When Alison got to
David Goodman’s bungalow, she was surprised that Wendy hadn’t already started
pottering about in the garden but she wasn’t cross.
She was in far too
good a mood, in fact she was like the cat that got the cream.
I’m sorry
But I’m leaving you
It’s not you
Oh, how trite is that
And I do love you
It’s just that you’re
not the one
There’s something
missing
There’s no electricity
I do love you
But you’re not the one
I’m sorry
But I’m leaving you
It really is me
And other assorted
clichés
I wish you were the
one
I hope you can forgive
me
For the years you’ve
wasted
For the love you
invested in me
I wish you were the
one
Thank you for loving me
I’m sorry
But I’m leaving you
I'll miss you and I do
mean that
But I’m looking for my
soul mate
And I have to look
I wish you were my
great love
But we are just comfortable
Like a favourite pair
of shoes
I have to look
Though I may never
find her
I’m sorry
But I’m leaving you
I must be cruel to be
kind
And other empty Platitudes
You deserve better
than me
Your perfect one is
out there
We all have a soul
mate
I’m sorry it’s not me
You deserve better
than me
That’s why I’m leaving
I’m sorry
But I’m leaving you
Please don’t cry
Just wish me luck
Because she’s out
there
There should be great
love
There should be sparks
Tingling and breathlessness
She is out there
I will find the other
half of me
20 miles inland from
Sharpington-By-Sea, equidistant between Finchbottom and Pepperstock Green was
the sprawling village of Denmead and it was Christmas day.
Nick Waterfield was at
his parents’ house for the big day and it was heaving with all of his happy
semi intoxicated relatives, his Mum and Dad, his kid brother, two older
sisters, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins and Nick was glad they were all
happy even if he wasn’t.
He just wished they
would take their festive happiness elsewhere as he had no need of it even if he
was the main reason the entire Waterfield clan had assembled in Denmead that
day.
It was his
well-meaning mother’s idea to invite everyone and his dog in order to make
Christmas, noisy, happy and jolly to keep Nick distracted.
His mother, Jeanette,
was the matriarch of the clan and was something of a force of nature so when
she “invited” you, it was generally accepted to be an order, she meant well of
course.
He thought Christmas
Dinner was tolerable enough, the jollity was blissfully muted when they had
their mouths full of his mums excellent cooking but then as soon as the last
spoonful of Christmas Pud had been consumed it all ramped up again.
Jeanette Waterfield
organized the girls in the kitchen and his Dad got everyone else clearing away
in preparation for an afternoon of fun and frivolity.
Nick took that as his
cue and retreated to the hall and got his coat on, the last thing he needed was
fun.
“Where are you going
Nick?” his mum asked
“I just need to walk
my dinner off” he replied patting his stomach.
She nodded her
understanding and knew it was nothing to do with needing a constitutional.
“Do you want some
company?” she asked
“No mum I’ll be fine,
I won’t be long”
“You’ll need your hat
and scarf” she insisted and draped a scarf around his neck and pulled his
woolen hat on his head, then she put a hand on each cheek and kissed him like
she did when he was just a boy, and he smiled a weak smile in response.
“You’ll need gloves as
well” she said “its bitter cold out there”
Her voice cracked as
she said it and she walked quickly back into the kitchen to energize the labour
force.
He wished for her sake
that he could hide his sadness, it had almost been as difficult a year for her
as it had for him.
“I'll be fine mum,” he said to himself “I just need time”
He braced himself as
he opened the front door and then walked outside and saw it was still snowing.
Nick reached the end
of the path and turned back to look at the Waterfield house where he had spent
such a happy childhood.
And it really was
happy, his parents made sure of that and he and his siblings had everything
they could need, he heartily wished he could have just a spoonful of the happiness
he felt in his youth to ease the pain that he felt at that moment.
It was midafternoon
when Nick left his parents’ house and stepped out into the snow, and it was
already getting dark so he decided to stick to the main road until his eyes
became accustomed to the gloom.
It had been years
since he had seen a white Christmas, it was a shame he wasn’t in a better frame
of mind to enjoy it.
Even in the semi
darkness there was clear evidence the village children had been out in force.
There was no sign of
them as the light began to fail, he assumed they were probably lured back
indoors with mugs of hot chocolate by their concerned families but the evidence
of their play was evident.
As he made his way up
the hill towards St Jane’s church the snow started to fall harder and as he
trudged through the deepening snow, he looked at the houses as he passed them
with their coloured lights resplendent and he wondered about what sadness lurked
in their homes behind the happy facade and then he chastised himself, not for
the first time, for his self-pity.
He had tried to lift
himself from the black mire which surrounded him but try as he might he just
kept being sucked back in.
That Christmas had
been a big downer for him, it was just that he had had such high hopes for that
Christmas, it had held so much promise for him, them.
Nick was an engineer
by profession, and he had started a new job in Abbottsford the previous
February and as every other new hire would, he got the full first day office
tour, and in his case it was conducted by his new boss Gary Ash.
After shaking hands
with an indeterminate number of employees he began to understand what the Queen
had to contend with.
“This is the procurement
department” Gary said and half a dozen heads turned around to greet their
progress and one smartly dressed young woman stepped out of a corner office.
“Ah Gina” Gary called
“This is Nick Waterfield the new head of Engineering”
Gina smiled and reached
out her hand which he took and shook warmly.
“Gina Davies” she said
and that was that, from that very first moment she had him hook line and
sinker, and she was equally bowled over.
So, they had their
first date that Friday, which was the first of many in their whirlwind romance
and they were engaged by Easter and married in June.
And while they
honeymooned when they had their whole lives ahead of them, they made plans upon
plans.
Of course, what they
had never planned for was for a drunk driver to cross the central reservation
on the Pepperstock Express Way and hit her head on as she drove home on the day
before Halloween.
Nick should have been
with her, they always drove home together but at the last minute he had to go
to Nettlefield on an emergency call out, so she died alone.
He wished he’d been in
the car with her, he wished he’d died with her so he didn’t have to feel so
shit.
The snow was falling
thick and fast, and the wind was blowing it straight at him as he trudged up
the hill, so discretion being the better part of valour, he decided to take
refuge in the Church of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal.
He hadn’t set foot in
a church since the funeral, he and God had not been on speaking terms since he
took Gina, he was still angry.
He didn’t plan to go
in on that day either, he just intended taking shelter in the porch until the
snow eased off a bit, and then he would set off again, but the door suddenly
opened.
“What on earth are you
doing out here?” said a voice behind him so he turned around to see that the
voice belonged to Charli Newcombe.
He and Charli had gone
to school together and they had even dated briefly on two separate occasions.
Once when they were
still at secondary school and again when he returned from university but it
just never seemed to happen for them.
“Hey Charli” he said, “I
was just out for a walk.”
“What in this?” she said
“I needed to walk off
my dinner” he pointed out
“Yes, but in this?” she
repeated
“Well, it wasn’t this
bad when I left home”
“So, what are you
really doing out here?” she asked
“Trivial Pursuits” Nick replied
“What?”
“The family are all
playing Trivial Pursuits, I really didn’t fancy it” he said
“Oh, I see”
“Anyway, it’s
Christmas Day” he retorted “Shouldn't you be at home watching The Sound of
Music?”
“You’d think so
wouldn’t you” Charli said “My folks are both asleep in front of the TV and I
had sole control of the remote, and I suddenly got the notion I should come and
get the church ready for tomorrows service”
Even she seemed
surprised by her answer and wore a quizzical expression.
Apart from running the
General Store and Post Office, Charli was also the church warden and her late
husband Tony had been the Vicar of St Jane’s.
Charli was the same
age as him, give or take a month or two, he was thirty and she was a month
short of that milestone and like him she was born and bred in the village.
She had married Tony
shortly after he got the appointment as the Vicar of St Jane’s he was quite a
few years older than her but she loved him to distraction, and you can’t argue
with love.
She was devastated
when he had a heart attack in Church one day before matins and died.
That was shortly after
he had performed the wedding ceremony for Gina and Nick.
He had seen a lot of
her since he came back to stay with his parents in the village.
He had sought her out
because of their history together and he knew she would understand how it felt
to lose someone you loved and maybe help him come to terms with the grief.
They had talked it
through endlessly and had burnt the midnight oil on many occasions and as a
result some of the old feelings for her had come to the surface, for which he
felt immensely guilty and completely disloyal to Gina’s memory.
Nick and Charli were
standing in the porch of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal as the snow continued to
fall.
“You look like you
could do with a hot drink” she said opening the door
“No I won’t come in thanks” he said
“It’s Christmas, I’m sure you could call a truce for the sake of the day at
least”
“Oh ok” he relented and hesitantly followed her through the door into the
church and the most overwhelming feeling washed over him and the moment he
crossed the threshold into the sanctuary of the church he’d felt a weight lift
from him.
The overwhelming feeling,
he felt was one of great happiness as he remembered that wonderful day in June
when Gina and he were married.
He would have expected
to feel deep sorrow at the memory, but it was actually pure joy that he felt
combined with immense pride.
He took off his hat, scarf and gloves as he stood at the back of the church.
Charli had gone into a
side room and switched on the light but he found he was walking down the aisle
towards the altar where he paused briefly before an effigy of the Saint and
then sat down on the front pew.
When he got up from
his seat on the front pew he found all the anger and resentment that had
plagued him had washed away and he felt more positive than he had in weeks and
he even felt he could look forward.
Nick stood up and
smiled at St Jane and then went in search of the drink he was offered.
He found Charli in the
little kitchen sat at a small table and she looked up at him and smiled and as
he walked in and he returned her smile.
“Is this mine?” he
asked pointing at a mug by the kettle.
“Yes” she replied “but I’ll make you a fresh one”
“No this will be fine”
he said and took a sip “urgh”
“I told you” Charli
said laughing
“How long was I
sitting out there?” he asked her and she checked her watch
“About forty minutes”
“You’re kidding, how
long was it really?”
“About forty minutes”
“I’m sorry” he said
“it only seemed like only two or three”
“So how do you feel?”
she enquired
“Surprisingly good” he
replied and sat down “St Jane was very helpful”
“Yes, she is isn’t
she” Charli said as she re-boiled the kettle
“I’m still angry that
I didn’t get to say goodbye to her” he admitted
“I know that feeling”
Charli retorted
“We had such a short
time together, we should have had decades, and instead we only had months” And
then he surprised himself when he smiled at her and added
“But those months were
so special and so filled with joy that the time we had together was priceless”
“Amen to that” Charli
said
“Which is precisely
what you’ve been telling me all these weeks” he confessed
“Uh huh” she responded
Nick and Charli were
sitting in the kitchen of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal Church, and they sat
and drank their coffee in a comfortable silence when Charli’s suddenly flicked
her eyes upwards and caused him to do the same and he saw the mistletoe hanging
above the table and then she leant across the table and kissed him and after
the kiss it was Nick who broke the silence.
“So do you have
someone special in your life?”
“Do you mean a
boyfriend?” she replied
“Yes” said Nick
“I was kind of hoping
you might want the job” Charli said
“I rather think that I
would” he said and reached across the table and took hold of her hand.
“If you’ll have me”
She leant across the
table and kissed him again only this time it was a long and lingering sensual
kiss.
“Are we allowed to do
that in church?” he asked
“Only on Christmas Day” she replied and kissed him again.
Charli locked up the
Church and they stepped out from the shelter of the porch and the heavy snow
had abated but it was still falling, and he smiled as it accumulated on top of
her hat.
He offered her his
hand which she accepted gladly and then he walked her home and they trudged
hand in hand through the snow.
Her parents’ house was
only two doors down the lane from the Waterfield’s so walking her home wasn’t
out of the way, not that it would have made any difference if she had lived on
the other side of the village, he would still have walked with her.
They stopped by the
front gate and stood facing each other and he leant in and kissed her, and her
response was immediate and yielding.
It was a long
purposeful kiss full of tenderness and hope for the future.
When he reluctantly
broke away, he said
“I’ll see you tomorrow
then?”
“Yes” Charli replied
and went up the path, pausing at the door to turn and wave before she went
inside.
“Are you alright
dear?” Mum asked with concern as he walked through the front door.
“Yes” he said and
smiled “I rather think I am”
And the effect on her
was instant as the worry and anxiety she had been feeling melted away and she
looked five years younger in that instant.
“I’m so glad” she said
and rushed forward to hug him.
Over the months that
followed he gave a good deal of reflective thought about exactly what happened
that snowy Christmas Day afternoon.
Was it coincidence
that he chose to walk in the direction of St Jane’s Church, when he could have
gone in any direction or that he needed to take shelter precisely as he passed
its sanctuary, or that Charli would open the church door to leave just as he
stood sheltering beneath the porch?
And what compelled
Charli to leave the warmth and comfort of her parent’s cozy fireside on a snowy
Christmas Day and yield sole control of the remote in order to tidy a cold and
draughty Church.
But only nick
Waterfield knew exactly what transpired between him and the Saint as he sat on
that Church pew and that secret remained between him, St Jane and God.
I held your hand
Though you did not
know it
And I remembered
The first time I held
it
That august day so
long ago
When the magic passed
between us
And I knew I had found
my mate
It was such an innocuous
action
We were on the train
Two travelling
strangers
As it rattled its way
through Surrey
You were getting to
your feet
When the train lurched
And you fell back with
a bump
I offered you my hand
Which you took
And the dye was cast
Our journey together began
Now your journey is
nearly at its end
And I sit in vigil at
your side
Where I will remain
Until life leaves your
body
On that quiet final
breath
I said when we were
young
“I would love you all
of your life”
When you were still
you,
Before the morphine
took you
You said to me
“Will you still love
me all of my life?”
With a crack in my voice,
I said
“No, I’ll love you for
all of mine”
Six months had passed
since Francine Delise and Iain Akhurst made love in his room at the Seaview
Hotel in Sharpington and two days short of six months since she said she wasn’t
sure that they could be together.
Not that she didn’t
love him or enjoy being with him, and it was fairly obvious on the evidence of
the weekend in June that it wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy making love with him.
Nor did she think it
was a mistake, a moment of madness or because she had drunk too much.
“I don’t regret it for
a second” she said as they lay entwined beneath the duvet
“I just have doubts”
Francine wasn’t sure
if she could or should give over her heart, soul and life to a man 12 years older
than herself.
Iain couldn’t deny
that he was disappointed and he wasn’t altogether happy about it but he wasn’t
angry with her in fact he agreed with her up to a point, and he wanted her to
be as sure as he was.
After all he had no
words to convince a 29 year old woman to give her life to a man the wrong side
of 40 and nor would he have wished to have used them if they were in his
possession.
“I love you Iain but I
just have to be certain sure” she said the moment before she drove away.
It was heart-breaking
to watch her drive away because Iain had no such doubts.
For him that first
night together was the blissful culmination of eight years of hope and desire.
Not just the love
making, which he thought was wonderful, but to hear his declaration of love
returned in word and delicious deed.
It had been pretty
much love at first sight for him, but then she was a beautiful sight to behold.
For her it was a more
gradual falling and one that she desperately fought against tooth and claw
whereas Iain simply surrendered to her.
Even before their
chance meeting at the Seaview Hotel, Francine had agreed to take a six month
secondment in Sharpington where she could be close to her sister and the twins
so she suggested they take that time to think.
And in that time she
would either get over him or know for certain sure he was the one.
While she was away he
convinced himself almost on a daily basis that it was over, and rightly so he
thought at times.
If the worst came to
the worst he consoled himself with the thought that he would always have the
memory of that wonderful weekend when his love for her was finally validated.
Though in his darkest
moments he did question if it was indeed a moment of madness that brought the
gorgeous young Francine to his bed.
Though he was glad for
that madness if that’s what it was.
But if Francine did
resolve that it was a mistake and that it was over he would at least have the
memory of that wonderful weekend to sustain him forever.
He preferred to think
that it was fate that brought them together on that wonderful weekend and not
an error of judgement.
He would have liked to
have exchanged the occasional text or email with her but Francine had asked for
total separation.
As a result all he
could do was throw himself headlong into his work totally and fill his every
waking moment with thoughts of anything and everything that wasn’t her.
Impossible of course
but if in the unlikely event that he could exclude her from his thoughts for a
single second he couldn’t stop her invading his dreams.
When he slept he dared
to dream, so in the small hours of the sleepless night he resorted to the only
thing that prevented him from being driven insane.
He wrote in a diary,
which he called a dream diary, it was where he wrote every detail, every
thought that filled his troubled sleep on a nightly basis, thoughts of love for
the girl of his dreams.
The closer the end of
the six months got the more intense the dreams became and evermore vivid with
each passing day.
It was the day before
Christmas Eve when he got the long awaited phone call, so he took a deep breath
and hit the button.
“Hello, Iain Akhurst” he
said
“Hey Iain” she said
“Francine?” he asked
“God it’s good to hear your voice”
“Ditto” Francine
replied “Where are you?”
“I’m in Abbotsford” he
replied “Are you still at your sisters in Sharpington?”
“Yes and No” she
replied enigmatically
“I’m at the Hotel, the
Seaview”
“When are you back?”
he asked
“I don’t know yet”
“Oh” he responded
disappointedly
“Can you come down?”
Francine asked
“When?” he asked
“Tonight” she replied
“Sure, but I don’t
know what time I’ll get there”
“That’s ok but I want
to meet” Francine said
“Alright I’ll leave
now” he said “Have you made a decision?”
“Yes I have” she
replied
“And?” he enquired
trying to keep the anxiety out of his voice
“I don’t want to say
on the phone” she answered “I want to do it face to face”
“Ok” he said not
knowing if that meant it would be good or bad
“Come straight to the
Hotel” she said
“What time do you
think?” she asked
“Around eight” he replied
“I’ll leave a note at
reception in case you’re late”
“Ok, I’ll see you
tonight then” Iain said
“Ok, bye”
The journey out of
Abbottsford was an absolute mare and consequently he was significantly late and
it was nearly 10 o’clock when he drove onto the promenade at Sharpington-by-Sea.
It was a bit different
from when he was there last, back in June but it still made him smile as it
always did when he visited the traditional seaside resort.
Sharpington still
boasted a Victorian Pier, The Palladium ballroom, and of course the Sharpington
Fun Park which were considerably quieter than at the height of the summer.
He liked it because it
was like stepping back in time with the illuminations, crazy golf, and the amusement
arcades in fact all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside.
He parked the car and
walked briskly along the promenade and unlike his last visit he didn’t pause to
sit in the well maintained gardens and look out to sea or muse over all the
happy hours he spent in the Sharpington Fun Park, on the Rotor and the Wild
Mouse, The Cyclone and the Morehouse Galloper.
He was in too much of
a hurry to reach the Seaview Hotel.
Since her phone call
his stomach had been in absolute knots and arriving in Sharpington late didn’t
untangle it in the least.
He wondered if she
would be sat at the bar surrounded by admirers or sat alone in a corner the
worse for drink and coiled to strike with venomous words on his tardiness.
He only hoped she was
still there and hadn’t got tired of waiting.
As he sat in the
pre-Christmas traffic he tried to ring her to warn her of his delay but his
phone died.
So he stood in the
foyer trying to summon up the courage to go further, he was so desperate to
know her answer but equally terrified of what it might be, yes or no.
“Yes” meaning she was
sure and she would give all of herself to him unreservedly
Or
“No” and they would
never be together.
He reran the earlier
conversation through his head and tried to read between the lines to find some
hidden meaning or some indication as to her decision.
He checked in the bar
and there was no sign of her
“Shit” he exclaimed
and unzipped his coat and walked up to the reception desk.
“Hi” he began “Do you
have a message for Iain Akhurst?”
“I’ll just check for
you Sir” the receptionist said
“Oh yes here we are”
she added and handed him an envelope
“Thank you” he said
and when and sat down to open it.
He slowly opened the
envelope and withdrew a sheet of note paper which he unfolded and read the few
lines
“What kept you? I
thought you were impatient for an answer,
I’ve gone up, use the
key, and I’ll see you when you get here”
Frankie x
“Well that was all
cheerful and light hearted” he thought to himself “but it still doesn’t tell me
anything”
So he tipped up the
envelope until the key card fell out and he saw it was for one of the posh
rooms on the top floor and walked towards the lift.
Iain slowly opened the
door and stepped inside.
“Hi Francine” he
called “I’m sorry I’m late the traffic was hell”
But there was no
answer.
He closed the door and
walked into the room and expected to find Francine asleep having got fed up of
waiting for him.
But it was just a
dimly lit little lounge area, which was empty.
Although hung on the
back of a chair he noticed a coat.
“She is here” he said
“But where?”
There were two doors
leading from the lounge so he opened the first one which proved to be the
bathroom, he hoped the other was to a bedroom and not an adjoining door to the
next room.
Then he questioned
whether or not she would even be in there, the fact that her coat was there
meant nothing she could just have left in a huff and forgotten it.
But then something
caught his eye, tied around the door handle he saw a black stocking.
“Well she wouldn’t
have gone without that” he said
Iain slipped off his
coat and threw it onto the armchair and walked towards the door and that was
when he noticed something else attached to the stocking, it was a gift tag.
He opened it and read
the words inside
“Happy Christmas Iain
All my love
Francine”
And beneath her
signature there were three letters
“PTO”
And when he turned the
tag over there was only one word
“Yes”
If comeliness was a race
You’d win a medal
If sweetness was an
event
You’d be on the podium
If loveliness was a
sport
You’d win the gold
You are really
terrific
My love for you is
Olympic
