WE HAD IT ALL

 

It was here, in our grasp

We could see it, feel it, touch it

Something steadfast and solid

Reassuring and comforting

A constant, a given

Something infinite and immeasurable

 

We had it all in our hands

A living breathing thing

That we gave life

Our own creation, our new entity

But we let it escape from our grasp

Slowly slipping through our fingers

Though we tried to recapture it

It was illusive, like trying to net smoke

It evaded our efforts

 

So now it's gone and nothing remains,

Of that entity that was us

Nothing tangible, nothing physical

Only memories remain

 

IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW

 

In sunshine or in shadow

Your love sets me aglow

In perfect calm or raging storm

Your love keeps me warm

In times of drought or flood

Your passion warms my blood

In summer bright or winter dark

You are always in my heart

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (54) Playing Around

 

Twenty eight year old Paul Ingram was involved with an older woman, a forty year old woman to be precise, who was a beautiful unhappily married, Carrington Chase educated woman called, Francesca Carrington-Webber.

Paul and Francesca both lived in the village of Forest Dean situated equidistant between Shallowfield and Childean, she lived in a huge house that backed onto the The Forest Ridge Golf Club, and coincidentally Paul worked for the Golf Club.

 

They became involved after three chance meetings, two on a train and the third more significant one was on the Promenade in Sharpington, where he came upon her small huddled figure on the bench ahead of him in some distress and after some tender moments of consolation lead to them making love in his caravan.

 

Since that night they had had a non-physical relationship and on the rare occasions that they managed to get to spend some time together they always made the most of it, sometimes they had to create opportunities and sometimes they just happened.

 

Paul was the commercial manager at the Forest Ridge Golf Club which was a job that gave him the opportunity to play himself.

He was quite a good golfer but he didn’t do it often as he had better uses for his spare time, but after he started seeing Francesca he took to playing a round of Golf more often, although in truth it was just a ruse, he would tee off at the appropriate time and play the first three holes and then meet Francesca in the woods for a kiss and a cuddle and if he was lucky they would go into her house for a more comfortable cuddle, and as he was walking down the fairway he saw her standing ahead of him just beyond the treeline.

Francesca was a very attractive woman, but apart from the fact she was beautiful, sexy and breathtakingly sensual what set his heart racing was the fact that he loved her and she loved him.

 

It was a pleasant morning; warmer than it had been the previous few days, but as those few days were actually very cool that wasn’t really saying much.

But the skies were predominantly blue, for the time being, with only broken cloud, but the forecast had mentioned the possibility of thunder later in the day.

The wind had a slight chill to it but it was fairly light and so it wasn’t expected to affect anyone’s scorecards too much, not that he was worried, he wasn’t going to play the full 18 anyway but he was expecting a pleasant round anyway.

Considering the morning’s bright weather the course was very quiet when he teed off at 8.30 with no one waiting behind him and a couple of twosomes were at least three or four of holes ahead and he assumed that the majority had been put off by the mention of thunder.

 

As he approached, Francesca was looking lovely

“When didn’t she?” he thought to himself, and he smiled when he noticed her ensemble.

She was wearing a grey flat cap with her shortish brown hair scraped into a pony tail sticking out the back.

But it was the rest of her outfit that made him smile, it was as ever all matching and perfectly co-ordinated.

In deference to the season she was dressed for the early autumn, in a white cotton shirt, beneath a pale blue argyle cardigan, a knee length pleated skirt, very flattering, in the same grey fabric as her cap and long argyle socks, and her ensemble was then finished off with black brogue Golf shoes and a pale blue glove.

“Damn she looks good” he thought

“Why are you dressed like that?” he asked when he got closer

“I’m blending in” she said “after all, who would look twice at another Golfer on a Golf course”

“I can see you have given it some thought, but you would look a little less conspicuous if you had a bag of golf clubs, or at least a club” he pointed out

“Good point” she considered “I’ll remember that for next time”

 

They retreated into the woods and when they had gone deep enough so as not to be visible she kissed him.

The early sun and blue skies had quickly been swallowed up by a blanket of grey cloud, and that cloud had since darkened and was then distinctly inky, and distant rumbles of thunder could be heard and it began to rain.

A fact that they were oblivious to, as they continued to kiss.

“I suppose going back to yours is out of the question” he said hopefully

“I’m afraid so” she said “the engineer is serving the boiler”

“That’s precisely what I had in mind” he said

“That’s so cheeky” she retorted but smiled

Which was the moment the heavens opened,

“Go on Francesca” he said “make a dash for it”

“No” she said and hugged him “I want to stay here with you”

“Ok” he said “but we need to move”

 

“God the rain is savage” she said as they withdrew deeper into the trees and they ran from cover to cover finishing up beneath the shelter of an old oak tree.

For a few moments they stood watching the rain fall like stair rods hammering into the ground as thunder rumbled nearby 

“Are you ok” he asked

“Yes” she said with a chuckle “a bit damp but fine”

It was at that moment that he became aware of just how damp she was, the front of her shirt was soaked and had been rendered almost transparent.

Francesca noticed what was drawing his attention and covered it promptly with her cardigan.

“Paul!” She snapped “is that all you think about?”

And then she slapped him playfully and he just shrugged and then she reached up and kissed him gently in a long warm liquid kiss and then she broke away and smiled before kissing him again this time more urgently.

“I think that’s all you think about” Paul said

“oh yes” she said dreamily and kissed him again as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as the Lightning flashed and Paul pushed her back against the oak and thunder clapped overhead.

 

When the storm abated they stayed motionless against the tree just holding onto to each other in the moment and Francesca sighed.

“I have to go” she said

“Are you sure?” he asked

“Yes” she said very definitely and smiled sadly

“There is something I have to do first though” she said

“What’s that?” he replied

“This” she said and planted a kiss on his lips

“Now” Francesca said “I have to go”

And she rushed off through the woods.

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (53) The Gentle Giant and the Chalet Maid

Aaron Keller was a great bear of a man, standing 6’ 6” tall, barrel chested with hands like shovels.

But he was brought to his knees by a skinny Little waif standind 4’ 11” by the name of Toni Kendall.

They were both in their mid twenties, both had flaming red hair but he was a gentle giant who barely spoke and she was a little livewire who never shut up.

The other thing that they had in common was more significant and that was the fact that they were in love, though neither of them knew that they were the recipient of that love.

Aaron couldn’t imagine that a beautiful little thing like Toni could ever be interested in him, and she thought he was probably looking for someone as quiet as him.

They both worked at Maxlin’s Holiday Camp in Sharpinghead, she was a chalet maid and he was a general handyman.

Aaron lived in Sharpinghead but Toni was from Finchbottom and as the summer season was coming to an end she was running out of time, if nothing happened between them they would go their separate ways and they would be unlikely to see each other again, but if she got her way, and got her man, she would stay on.

She had been following him around the camp for the whole summer in the hope that he would take her in his arms, but no matter how much she flirted with him the result was the same and she cursed his shyness.

 

Toni finally got her man when they were on what was known as mothball duties, closing down those chalet that would not be needed during the winter season, which meant a major clean and then all the furniture was sheeted.

Because she was so tiny she managed to enlist the help of the gentle giant with moving the furniture, though she was more than capable of doing it herself, because she was much stronger than she looked, she just used it as an excuse to get close to him.

But despite her managing to get Aaron to help her, it didn’t really help her in the way she wanted because she was such a chatterbox, so even if he could have found the words he wanted to use he would have struggled to get a word in edgeways.

 

They were on their fifth chalet and all was not going well for Toni as she was hoping he might have made a move on her by that stage, afterall they were alone and had been in very close proximity on many occasions.

She was also annoyed at her self because although she was a confident sparky girl she hadnt just come out with it and ask him out.

What Toni wanted though was for him to ask her but nothing happened so she decided that she had to make him get physical.

 

Toni was wearing the Maxlin’s uniform, a blue denim skirt, a pale blue blouse and a white cardigan while Aaron had on Blue bib and brace overalls over a pale blue T-shirt and it was the brace part of his overalls that she targeted.

As he crouched down to pick up a chest of drawers she undid one of the braces and chuckled as the bib flopped over.

She hoped it would provoke some physicality from him, she hoped it wasn’t too subtle, but she couldn’t do what she actually wanted to do which was to reach her arms around his neck and snog him, and so she had to play games instead.

“Pack it in” Aaron said and put the drawers down and reattached the brace and as he did she undid the other one and as he did that one up she undid the first one again giggling as she did so.

“Will you behave” he said and grabbed hold of her and pulled her close to him, which Aaron thought felt so good but he had to let her go because he was such a great bear of a man he was afraid he might scare her off.

So he released her and gave her bum a playful slap which was supposed to deter her but only served to encourage her even more, because being in his strong arms felt every bit as good as she thought it would.

So as soon as his attention was diverted she undid the strap again and ran away and was giggling as he pursued her and she began to scramble up over the beds crab like and then she squealed as Aaron grabbed her left leg by the knee with his great paw of a hand and halted her progress.

Aaron then scooped her up off the bed like she was a ragdoll and threw her over his shoulder fireman’s lift style and then marched her up and down the room.

“Repeat after me “I must not play silly games”” he said

“Put me down you great brute” she squealed hoping that he would do precisely the opposite.

“That’s not what I asked you to say is it?” he said and slapped the back of her thigh very gently and made her squirm

“Put me down you beast” she demanded in a tone that clearly said please don’t put me down.

He continued marching up and down and said again

“Repeat after me “I must not play silly games”” he said but stopped marching as he caught sight of something in the mirror.

It was his reflection or more accurately that part of him that Toni’s tiny body was draped over.

The part of that reflected image which had particularly caught his attention were the fleshy cheeks visible below the hem of her denim skirt and her pale blue knickers.

It was a sight he thought was stunningly sexy, and he knew he should have averted his gaze, but he couldn’t, so Aaron did the only thing a man of his gentlemanly disposition could do and that was to stay in front of the mirror while Toni half-heartedly wriggled on his shoulder as he carried on the punishment.  

“So are you going to say it?” he asked

“No” she replied, so he softly slapped the back of her thigh.

“Say it”

“No”

Another slap, a little higher this time.

“Say it”

“No, you bully” she squealed

Another slap, higher again this time.

“Then I don’t know what I’m going to do with you” he said a moment before his great shovel of a hand Firstly tucked the hem of her skirt in the waistband so he had unfettered access to her buttocks.

But as he did so he turned away from the mirror and resumed his marching.

“Well if you’re not prepared to comply with my instructions there is only one course of action left to me” he said and he smacked her fleshy cheek which made her squeal, but his action was met with no resistance and for the first time that day she was completely silent.

“Still nothing to say?” he said and in response to her silence he smacked her buttock once more, but still she was silent as she wriggled and squirmed on his shoulder and she kicked her now shoeless feet.

However he only gave her another two strokes before Toni called a halt to proceedings.

“Put me down” she screamed “Put me down now”

“What’s wrong baby girl?” he said playfully “Have you had enough?”

“Just put me down” she insisted, and as he lowered her to the floor he cursed himself under his breath for going too far, but he couldn’t help it, he was really having fun.   

“I’m sorry” he said when she was stood looking up at him “I went too far didn’t I?” 

“Don’t be sorry” she snapped and pushed him backwards onto a chair “You haven’t gone far enough yet”

“Oh?” he responded as she inched towards him and when they were nose to nose she kissed him.

“God, that was even better than I imagined it” she said and chuckled as she reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him again, in the midst of which he stood up and lifted her up off the floor.

It was effortless for him, he was so big and strong and she was so small and feather light, so they stayed in that tender embrace.

It was a longwinded kiss as both participants were ready for it, excessively so due to a summer of anticipation.

 

They spent an hour kissing and cuddling, but no more than that, and Aaron was smiling as he sat on the bed watching Toni putting her shoes back on, he had waited all summer for the kind of moment they had just shared and as he watched her she was smiling too.   

“We could have been doing that all summer if you weren’t so shy” she said as she walked up to him and kissed him.

“Wasn’t it worth waiting for?” he asked

“God yes”

“It’s a shame it’s the end of the season” he said “and you’re going home”

“I don’t have to quit” she said coyly “if I have a reason to stay”

“Really?” he asked “would you stay just for me?”

“Of course I would you great bear” she replied

“Good because that means we can spend all winter canoodling in whichever empty chalet we want” he pointed out

“Oh God I hope it’s a really long winter” Toni said and kissed him again.

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (52) Age is just a Number

 

Twenty-eight-year-old Paul Ingram was involved with an older woman, a forty year old woman to be precise, who was a beautiful unhappily married, Carrington Chase educated woman called, Francesca Carrington-Webber.

Paul and Francesca both lived in the village of Forest Dean situated equidistant between Shallowfield and Childean, she lived in a huge house that backed onto the The Forest Ridge Golf Club, and coincidentally Paul worked for the Golf Club.

 

They became involved after three chance meetings, two on a train and the third more significant one was on the Promenade in Sharpington, where he came upon her small huddled figure on the bench ahead of him in some distress.

And when he asked

“Is everything ok?”

She turned around to reveal her tearstained face and when she saw it was Paul she exclaimed

“Oh it’s you”

And the moment she said it she was up on her feet and rushing into his arms, but was unable to speak for several minutes as Paul held her in his arms and she sobbed.

And those tender moments of consolation lead to them making love in his caravan.

 

But in the days that followed she avoided him and dodged his calls, so it wasn’t until 2 weeks after they made love, when he was running an errand in Shallowfield that he ran into her in the pub car park.

After a brief conversation they drove up to a secluded part of the Dancing Dean Forest where they could share a passionate embrace, after which they talked and talked until it was time for her to go and pick up her girls from school.

The outcome of the discourse was that she wanted to see him again, but she was a married woman, however unhappily, so they couldn’t be together in the way they were at the Whitecliff Hill Caravan Park, not yet anyway.

They also concluded that what had begun for him as a bit of fun with a fit older woman, and for her some good energetic sex with a toy boy, had despite the age difference turned into something else, as they had fallen in love.

 

Even after they had bared their souls to each other, Francesca still had doubts, partly because of the guilt, but mainly because she was 12 years older than him.

Even without the complication of her doubts they found it difficult to snatch even five minutes together, so after he saw her go into Stephenson’s Supermarket he followed her in to the shop in the hope that they might at least be in close proximity to one another.

Unfortunately every time he got anywhere near her she was in conversation with someone, so it was with a feeling of frustration that he made his way to the checkout.

While he was queuing, Francesca and a friend joined the adjacent queue where he heard her say.

“I am a lady of leisure this weekend” 

“How come?” her friend asked

“David is away on a golfing weekend and mum and dad have the girls” Francesca said and although she was talking to her friend, the statement was very clearly meant for him, so from that he believed he was expected at her house on Saturday night.

 

Paul Ingram knew from the earlier overheard conversation in Stephenson’s Supermarket, between Francesca Carrington-Webber and her friend, that she was going to be alone in the house most of the weekend as her husband was away and her parents had taken the children.

Although she was talking to a friend, the statement was very definitely meant for him, so he knew he was expected at the house on Saturday night.

 

He was later setting off than he intended as he had trouble shaking off his mates, but eventually he managed to give them the slip in the pub and went out the back door.

Once outside he headed towards the Vicarage and then turned down the lane by the church, which led to the path that crossed the golf course.

From there he traversed the course until he reached the back of Francesca’s house and he was pleased to see some of the house lights were still on.

Paul kept to the shadows and made his way up to the house and tapped on the window.

It took a few minutes, but then Francesca appeared at the door, already in her nightclothes and when she saw him she gave him a dazzling smile and opened the door

“I thought you weren’t coming,” she said

“I couldn’t get away” he responded while he admired her in her silk nightie.

“Oh that looks nice”

“You are incorrigible” she said and laughed as she re-tied her dressing gown, and then she took his hand and pulled him in through the door and closed it behind him, drawing the curtain and then immediately slithered up against him and kissed his mouth.

“I thought you’d had second thoughts” she said coyly

“Why would I do that?” he asked

“Why do you think?” she added and he looked blankly at her

“Because I’m 12 years older than you”

“That doesn’t matter to me” he said

“It should do” Francesca retorted “I’m 41 next birthday, and you’re only 28”

“I don’t care about that” he assure her “Age is just a number”

“It isn’t though is it?” she insisted “it matters”

“No, the only thing that matters is that I love you” Paul said and Francesca wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

 

“Would you like a glass of wine darling?” she asked when she had finished

“Yes please”

“Where would you like it?” she asked

“Bed I think” he answered

“You really are incorrigible” she said and giggled

“Is that a no then?”

“Yes, but I admire your good choice” she said “but you know I can’t”

“Anywhere would have been a good choice” he told her “and anywhere would have been special”

“Shut up and come and sit in the lounge” she ordered so he followed Francesca as she walked along the hall and into the lounge.

 

They sat cuddled up on the sofa and talked late into the night, the converse interspersed with periods of kissing, and then Francesca let him out the kitchen door and he reversed his earlier journey with her words of love reverberating in his head.

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (51) Do you Want Everything with that?

 

The Channing family owned and operated a number of “Burger Vans” one of which was on the Shallowfield road on the Childean side of Forestdean.

During the Summer, eldest daughter Georgina ran it with the help of David Wythe, who were both university students, and although they both attended Abbottsford University, they were doing different degrees and had never met before that summer.

They got on very well despite his being quite shy and fancying the pants off her and being unable to do anything about it.

Which he may have done had he realised Georgina really had the hots for him as well, but he didn’t and so nothing happeaned.

She knew he liked her though, she’d caught him looking at her on more than one occasion, but despite her dropping very unsuble hints he never asked her out.

Georgie was an old fashioned girl though and didn’t believe in asking a boy out, she preferred to be more subtle and use her allure.

Which of course didn’t work on him, even though she’d given him all the signals, green lights and all the bells and whistles, he just wasn’t getting the message.

So after having worked together for a month she decided that she obviously had to make the signal clearer.

So one rainy afternoon when they hadn’t had a customer for an hour she said

“We might as well shut up for the day”

“ok” he agreed

“You put the shutters down and pack awy the tables and chairs while I clear up in here” she suggested

“No problem” David said and went outside.

By the time he had finished securing the shutters and stowing away the furniture David opened the door and Georgina was standing there wearing a green figure hugging dress, black stockings and stillettoes. 

Her flowing red curly hair tumbled over her alabaster shoulders and her lips wore some freshly applied lippy.

David looked at her and could see everything he’d ever desired in front of him and she looked back at him and asked.

“Do you see any thing you like?”

“Yes everything” he replied but he was

“Then come and give me a kiss” she said invitingly

“We’re not being picked up for an hour”

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him but before she let him kiss her she said as she stood close up to him.

“Before we go any further I have to know something, are you going to ask me out?”

“Only if the answer is yes” he replied

“I’m standing here wearing my best dress looking drop dead gorgeous so do you really think I might say no?”

“Well its obvious when you put it like that” he remarked

“So?” she teased

“So will you go out with me Georgie?”

“I knew you fancied me” she said smugly and kissed him

“So?” he asked holding her off

“So why didn’t you ask me out before?” she asked

“I was working up to it” he replied

“Working up to it?” she retorted

“We’d have graduated Uni by the time you got round to it”

“You still havent answered my question” he reminded her

“Which was?”

“Which was, will you go out with me Georgie?”

“Ha ha I made you ask again” she giggled

“Shut up and kiss me” he said and took her in his arms

LOVE HAIKU # 4

 

The science of love,

physics meets biology,

when boy meets a girl