GOLDEN HEADED MAIDEN FAIR
All I can do is stand and stare
At the golden headed maiden fair
The girl with the dazzling yellow hair
Oh beautiful maiden standing there
With tresses of dazzling yellow hair
Please be the answer to my prayer
OUR LOVE IS OLD
Our love is old,
Our love is true,
When we’re apart
Our hearts are blue
I love you madly
And you love me too
YOUR TENDER TOUCH
Your tender touch
Meant so much
I miss your touch
A touch too much
Your tender touch
That was nonesuch
I STOP, I REMINISCE
I stop, I reminisce
That perfect time I miss
A smile, a look, a kiss
A moment of bliss
Sweet reminisce
PARAMOUR IN THE WINGS
Paramour in the wings
Mistress in waiting
The smitten kitten
With the concubine heart
Tuesday 31 January 2017
Remember, Remember a Kiss in November
It was dark in the lane and just ahead of them they could see there was a dog walker smoking a cigarette as some kind of Terrier snuffled in the grass.
The man took one last drag on it and the flicked it into the darkness and it span through the air like a Catherine wheel.
Which I thought was quite appropriate as we had just been to a fireworks display on the village green.
The smell of the gun powder was still thick in the damp night air.
But despite the cold and damp neither Nick nor Emily were in any hurry to get home.
It was their very first date, in fact not only was it their first date together it was the first date for either of them.
Nick was fifteen and Emily was a year younger and quite naturally they wanted their date to last forever and they both walked as slowly as it was possible to go without actually standing still.
However they eventually arrived in the street outside her house.
An awkward silence ensued as Nick shuffled his feet and tried to think what to do next and Emily waited patiently for Nick’s next move.
When she realized he didn’t have one she took decisive action and reach up and kissed him and then the fireworks truly began.
Their first magical kiss, a kiss that neither of them wanted to end.
Sent their heart soaring into the heavens.
The man took one last drag on it and the flicked it into the darkness and it span through the air like a Catherine wheel.
Which I thought was quite appropriate as we had just been to a fireworks display on the village green.
The smell of the gun powder was still thick in the damp night air.
But despite the cold and damp neither Nick nor Emily were in any hurry to get home.
It was their very first date, in fact not only was it their first date together it was the first date for either of them.
Nick was fifteen and Emily was a year younger and quite naturally they wanted their date to last forever and they both walked as slowly as it was possible to go without actually standing still.
However they eventually arrived in the street outside her house.
An awkward silence ensued as Nick shuffled his feet and tried to think what to do next and Emily waited patiently for Nick’s next move.
When she realized he didn’t have one she took decisive action and reach up and kissed him and then the fireworks truly began.
Their first magical kiss, a kiss that neither of them wanted to end.
Sent their heart soaring into the heavens.
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (27) Better the Devil You Know
(Part 01)
It was mid-September when recent divorcee’s Matthew Charlton and Emily Waugh moved into Flat’s 3 and 4, respectively of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking the picturesque Teardrop Lake.
The view of the water from their flats was spectacular with its distinctive teardrop shape which gave the lake its name surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It was a modest body of water as lakes go, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, it really was a thing of beauty and was both idyllic and peaceful.
Matt was 32 years old with neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
Emily was five years younger than him and was best described as diminutive at 4’ 11”, with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
They had moved there because after the divorce they both wanted to start new lives, in an entirely different part of the county.
Also they had both been heavily influenced by friends who had recommended Teardrop Lake as the perfect place to begin again.
But fate definitely took a hand.
They only discovered their collective error when Matt knocked on Emily’s door to introduce himself.
Only a few months before he knocked on her door they had still been married to each other.
They divorced, not due to a lack of love but, but a lack of conflict.
Apparently he was too enabling,
He wasn’t assertive enough,
He was too accommodating, in short he was too nice.
Though he didn’t think it was true that he was too easy going, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had an opinion he would have put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
Over the weeks that followed their re acquaintance there were a number of chance encounters between them that led to an increase in animosity which culminated in the decisive meeting on Halloween.
It was at the big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge to which everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
It was the home of Peter Lutchford, and mine host was dressed as Herman Munster and his fiancé Claire Andrews, who was a Doctor, was dressed as Lily Munster and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch, her brother Peter thought was type casting.
It was a marvelous occasion and everyone had a wonderful time and although they didn’t know it at the time, due to its popularity it would become an annual event.
Emily was dressed in a monkey costume, the only costume she had ever tried that fitted her perfectly, so it was the only thing she ever wore.
But for variety she would accessorized it for the occasion.
She did so for Halloween by adding Vampire teeth and a cape and she went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt on the other hand had the pick of the costumers’ and went to the party dressed as Satan.
It was almost inevitable that it should happen so late on in the evening they bumped into each other again.
(Part 02)
It was while he was in the conservatory.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested but the protestations were short lived
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
That night Matt took her home, but not to hers, he took her to his and from that moment on they were effectively together again.
Over the following weeks they jointly decided how to decorate and re-carpet and then they moved everything of hers into his flat, their flat.
It came as a bit of a shock to their friends that they were back together but on the whole everyone was pleased.
Although there was some hostility from both sets of parents.
But they were happy and they settled down to a pleasant life together on the Lake.
(Part 03)
For New Year’s Eve, Matt and Emily had been invited to another fancy dress party this time at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Unfortunately just after lunch Emily started to feel the effects of a migraine coming on and decided not to go to the party, but she didn’t want to spoil Matt’s fun so she insisted he should go on his own.
“No it’s alright” he protested
“You must go” Emily said
“I’m really not fussed about going” he said “I’ll have a quiet night in”
“Nonsense, you must go”
“But…” he protested
But she wouldn’t take no for an answer and she made him promise.
“Ok I promise I’ll go” he gave in and then she went to bed.
About six hours later Emily woke up and was surprised to discover the headache had gone.
So, she got up and had a long relaxing soak in the bath and as she wallowed in the scented water she made a decision, she would go to the party after all and surprise her husband.
She got out of the bath tub and dried herself and dusted her skin with powder.
Emily slipped on her sexiest silk underwear and then the monkey costume which she accessorised with a Santa hat and some Led lights.
Then she jumped in the car and drove to the Lodge.
It was fairly close to midnight when she pulled into the car park and found a space.
Having parked she rushed off to find Matt so they could see in the New Year in together.
It didn't take her long to spot Matt in his Devils outfit, he was on the dance floor with a very leggy Cat Woman.
Emily was just about to go and cut in when the music changed and James Blunt started warbling out “Beautiful”
And the Devil moved in close to Cat Woman and then they wrapped their arms around each other’s necks and began kissing, very passionately, very passionately indeed.
Emily didn’t stay for the midnight countdown, she just ran out to the car sobbing and once she got to the car she broke down completely.
When she had finished crying she wiped her face on the sleeve of her costume and drove home and when she go inside she went to bed where she cried some more.
Emily couldn’t sleep and just lay there in the darkness, rerunning the picture of her satanic husband with his tongue down Cat woman’s throat.
It was about 1.30am when she heard the front door open and close and it was a few minutes later that the bedroom door opened quietly.
Emily lay silently in the darkness until he slipped into bed.
"Did you have a nice time?" she asked
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you” he said and kissed her forehead
“I bet you didn’t” she thought to herself but out loud she said
“So did you have a good time?”
"It was okay" he replied
"Only okay?” she pressed “Didn’t you enjoy the dancing?"
“You know I’m not much of a dancer” he said
“Well you seemed to be doing ok when I last saw you” she said inside her own head
“So you didn’t get carried along with the excitement?” she said and there was no response
“I have a confession to make” he said
“Oh God here it comes” she screamed in her head
"I didn't go” Matt said and braced himself
“What?” Emily retorted feeling the anger building, it was bad enough him kissing another woman in front of their friends and neighbours but now he was lying to her on top of his betrayal
“I know I promised Hun but I really didn’t fancy going without you”
“So where have you been all this time?” Emily asked
“I met up with Danny and Penny at their place and we had a few drinks and a catch up.
Danny Pellegrino was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
“Dan’s cousin Josh pitched up unannounced and he was the only one who fancied going to the party, so I leant him my costume” he explained “are you really cross with me?”
“So you didn’t go to the Lodge and snog Cat Woman?”
“What? No” he replied and was prevented from speaking again as Emily was kissing him.
It was mid-September when recent divorcee’s Matthew Charlton and Emily Waugh moved into Flat’s 3 and 4, respectively of East Cliff Lodge, overlooking the picturesque Teardrop Lake.
The view of the water from their flats was spectacular with its distinctive teardrop shape which gave the lake its name surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It was a modest body of water as lakes go, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, it really was a thing of beauty and was both idyllic and peaceful.
Matt was 32 years old with neatly styled brown wavy hair, brown eyes and a well-groomed close cropped beard.
Emily was five years younger than him and was best described as diminutive at 4’ 11”, with shoulder length brown hair streaked with red and gold.
They had moved there because after the divorce they both wanted to start new lives, in an entirely different part of the county.
Also they had both been heavily influenced by friends who had recommended Teardrop Lake as the perfect place to begin again.
But fate definitely took a hand.
They only discovered their collective error when Matt knocked on Emily’s door to introduce himself.
Only a few months before he knocked on her door they had still been married to each other.
They divorced, not due to a lack of love but, but a lack of conflict.
Apparently he was too enabling,
He wasn’t assertive enough,
He was too accommodating, in short he was too nice.
Though he didn’t think it was true that he was too easy going, it was just that he didn’t care whether they went on holiday to the Greek islands or to Cyprus, he knew he would enjoy either.
It was true he had no strong opinion on the colour of the lounge carpet, the style of sofa or whether the walls should be papered or painted.
If he’d had an opinion he would have put her straight.
Choices mattered to Emily so he let her make them.
Over the weeks that followed their re acquaintance there were a number of chance encounters between them that led to an increase in animosity which culminated in the decisive meeting on Halloween.
It was at the big fancy dress party at Forest Lodge to which everyone on the Lake was invited, as well as some from Shallowfield.
It was the home of Peter Lutchford, and mine host was dressed as Herman Munster and his fiancé Claire Andrews, who was a Doctor, was dressed as Lily Munster and Peter’s actress sister Amanda Flanders was dressed as a witch, her brother Peter thought was type casting.
It was a marvelous occasion and everyone had a wonderful time and although they didn’t know it at the time, due to its popularity it would become an annual event.
Emily was dressed in a monkey costume, the only costume she had ever tried that fitted her perfectly, so it was the only thing she ever wore.
But for variety she would accessorized it for the occasion.
She did so for Halloween by adding Vampire teeth and a cape and she went as a Vampire Monkey.
Matt on the other hand had the pick of the costumers’ and went to the party dressed as Satan.
It was almost inevitable that it should happen so late on in the evening they bumped into each other again.
(Part 02)
It was while he was in the conservatory.
“Oh God not you again” she said “Are you stalking me?”
“Oh lighten up Emily” he retorted having had just enough to drink to not take her seriously.
“Lighten up? Lighten up?” she exclaimed all shrill “everywhere I go you’re there”
“Perhaps there’s a reason for that” he said “maybe the universe is trying to tell us something”
“No its not” she snapped “it’s not the Gods nor is it fate or providence and any other bloody superstition, it’s just bad luck”
“I think its serendipity” he said
“Oh shut up and take me home” she barked
“No” he replied and poured himself another drink
“Then call me a cab” she said
“Call your own bloody cab” Matt said and laughed
“Charming” she said “you used to do things for me”
“Yes I did and you called me a door mat and divorced me so if you need a bloody taxi, call it yourself” he said
“My father warned me about you” Emily said coldly
“It’s funny you should mention your father” He said
“He gave me some great advice on our wedding day, he said “Emily is my only daughter and I love her with all my heart, but she can be a selfish little cow, when she was little a spanked arse did the trick, it might still””
“You wouldn’t dare raise a hand to me and you’re not man enough to put me across your knee” she said and laughed in his face and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He took her by the wrist and pulled her across his knee.
Peter and Claire walked into the kitchen laughing and Amanda said
“What’s so funny?”
“We just saw Satan spanking the monkey in the conservatory” Peter said
“Eww that’s disgusting” Amanda said
“No, it’s not like that” Claire said
“There’s a girl in a monkey suit and she’s being spanked by Satan”
“It still sounds dirty to me” Amanda said.
With the first slap on her plump cheek she wriggled and protested but the protestations were short lived
“I should have taken your fathers advice and done this years ago” he said and gave her another good spank.
When he had finished spanking her she had long since finished protesting he stood her up and said
“Now I’ll take you home”
“Ok” she said meekly, rubbing her buttock with one hand and holding his hand with the other.
That night Matt took her home, but not to hers, he took her to his and from that moment on they were effectively together again.
Over the following weeks they jointly decided how to decorate and re-carpet and then they moved everything of hers into his flat, their flat.
It came as a bit of a shock to their friends that they were back together but on the whole everyone was pleased.
Although there was some hostility from both sets of parents.
But they were happy and they settled down to a pleasant life together on the Lake.
(Part 03)
For New Year’s Eve, Matt and Emily had been invited to another fancy dress party this time at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Unfortunately just after lunch Emily started to feel the effects of a migraine coming on and decided not to go to the party, but she didn’t want to spoil Matt’s fun so she insisted he should go on his own.
“No it’s alright” he protested
“You must go” Emily said
“I’m really not fussed about going” he said “I’ll have a quiet night in”
“Nonsense, you must go”
“But…” he protested
But she wouldn’t take no for an answer and she made him promise.
“Ok I promise I’ll go” he gave in and then she went to bed.
About six hours later Emily woke up and was surprised to discover the headache had gone.
So, she got up and had a long relaxing soak in the bath and as she wallowed in the scented water she made a decision, she would go to the party after all and surprise her husband.
She got out of the bath tub and dried herself and dusted her skin with powder.
Emily slipped on her sexiest silk underwear and then the monkey costume which she accessorised with a Santa hat and some Led lights.
Then she jumped in the car and drove to the Lodge.
It was fairly close to midnight when she pulled into the car park and found a space.
Having parked she rushed off to find Matt so they could see in the New Year in together.
It didn't take her long to spot Matt in his Devils outfit, he was on the dance floor with a very leggy Cat Woman.
Emily was just about to go and cut in when the music changed and James Blunt started warbling out “Beautiful”
And the Devil moved in close to Cat Woman and then they wrapped their arms around each other’s necks and began kissing, very passionately, very passionately indeed.
Emily didn’t stay for the midnight countdown, she just ran out to the car sobbing and once she got to the car she broke down completely.
When she had finished crying she wiped her face on the sleeve of her costume and drove home and when she go inside she went to bed where she cried some more.
Emily couldn’t sleep and just lay there in the darkness, rerunning the picture of her satanic husband with his tongue down Cat woman’s throat.
It was about 1.30am when she heard the front door open and close and it was a few minutes later that the bedroom door opened quietly.
Emily lay silently in the darkness until he slipped into bed.
"Did you have a nice time?" she asked
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you” he said and kissed her forehead
“I bet you didn’t” she thought to herself but out loud she said
“So did you have a good time?”
"It was okay" he replied
"Only okay?” she pressed “Didn’t you enjoy the dancing?"
“You know I’m not much of a dancer” he said
“Well you seemed to be doing ok when I last saw you” she said inside her own head
“So you didn’t get carried along with the excitement?” she said and there was no response
“I have a confession to make” he said
“Oh God here it comes” she screamed in her head
"I didn't go” Matt said and braced himself
“What?” Emily retorted feeling the anger building, it was bad enough him kissing another woman in front of their friends and neighbours but now he was lying to her on top of his betrayal
“I know I promised Hun but I really didn’t fancy going without you”
“So where have you been all this time?” Emily asked
“I met up with Danny and Penny at their place and we had a few drinks and a catch up.
Danny Pellegrino was an old friend, who he’d known from Art School, who had recommended Teardrop Lake.
He said he had found happiness and love there only that summer and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place.
“Dan’s cousin Josh pitched up unannounced and he was the only one who fancied going to the party, so I leant him my costume” he explained “are you really cross with me?”
“So you didn’t go to the Lodge and snog Cat Woman?”
“What? No” he replied and was prevented from speaking again as Emily was kissing him.
Monday 30 January 2017
Looking For a Compatible Companion
Yvonne Maher was a fifty-one year old divorcee and Tom Haggerty was fifty five and a widower and they were both spending there latter middle years alone.
Neither of them had children from their respective marriages and had no extended family to speak of.
They also shared the dubious honour of having dallied with younger lovers, much younger.
Tom had had a short breathless affair with a 25 year old yoga teacher which he ended.
But since being on his own, truly on his own he had harked back to his youth and the days before his six pack became victim to too many six packs.
His middle aged physique tended more towards the party seven than a six pack.
He also reflected on his old girlfriends of the day with their firm buttocks, flat stomachs and gravity defying breasts which stirred his loins in his lustful nostalgia.
Part of him wanted to return to those carefree days of youth.
When all that teenage sex was so wonderful, when he had such limited sexual experience, and so much of the fun was in the learning.
All the reminiscing left him with a certain longing but he knew the past could not be relived or recaptured.
Yvonne had gone through a long exhausting affair with an estate agent 15 years her junior.
And although he stimulated every cell in her body with monotonous regularity for the sake of her heath and sanity she decided she would look after her own wants and needs and kicked him into touch.
What she craved was something he couldn’t give her.
She was looking for a companion, a confidant and a friend and not just someone to bang her brains out.
One of Tom’s biggest gripes at having such a young girlfriend was the dullness of her pillow talk.
Lisa was born into a generation that had so many means of communication at their disposal yet she still had nothing meaningful to say.
There was a lot to be said for being with a woman who was wrinkle free and supple, but it was what was said afterwards that he craved.
Yvonne was immensely flattered at her age to attract the attentions of such a young lover
But the price for such toe curling sexual encounters was too high to pay.
What she longed for was to be with someone with life experience, someone she could have a proper conversation with in between the love making or even instead of it.
It didn’t have to be deep and meaningful converse just a bit more than he said/she said.
What they both wanted was someone they could talk too, not about anything earth shattering, It could be as simple as a common history or shared knowledge, someone who knew the name of the dragon in Ivor the Engine, or someone who watched Brief Encounter and didn’t think it was funny.
Someone who remembered being able to play music at the wrong speed on a gramophone and who remembered having to wait for the black and white TV set to warm up.
Just someone who understood what the other was saying and wouldn’t stare vacantly at you when you mentioned an event that happened pre 1990.
Both of their wishes were answered one day when a mutual friend introduced them to each other at a dinner party.
During the course of the meal Tom leant over and asked
“Do you remember 8 track stereo?”
Yvonne smiled and nodded and all at once realised the significance of the question.
“Very acceptable” Yvonne thought to herself after they had made love for the first time.
There may not have been any risk over her being orgasmed to the point of unconsciousness but nonetheless.
“Very acceptable indeed”
At the same time Tom was thinking that while Yvonne may not have been as agile, pliable or have the same stamina as a woman half her age she was just what he was looking for.
And as they lay breathless in the darkness they had the most banal and trivial conversations into the small hours and when they had finished instead of making love again they just cuddled up and went to sleep.
There would be plenty of time for more love making and many interesting conversations.
Neither of them had children from their respective marriages and had no extended family to speak of.
They also shared the dubious honour of having dallied with younger lovers, much younger.
Tom had had a short breathless affair with a 25 year old yoga teacher which he ended.
But since being on his own, truly on his own he had harked back to his youth and the days before his six pack became victim to too many six packs.
His middle aged physique tended more towards the party seven than a six pack.
He also reflected on his old girlfriends of the day with their firm buttocks, flat stomachs and gravity defying breasts which stirred his loins in his lustful nostalgia.
Part of him wanted to return to those carefree days of youth.
When all that teenage sex was so wonderful, when he had such limited sexual experience, and so much of the fun was in the learning.
All the reminiscing left him with a certain longing but he knew the past could not be relived or recaptured.
Yvonne had gone through a long exhausting affair with an estate agent 15 years her junior.
And although he stimulated every cell in her body with monotonous regularity for the sake of her heath and sanity she decided she would look after her own wants and needs and kicked him into touch.
What she craved was something he couldn’t give her.
She was looking for a companion, a confidant and a friend and not just someone to bang her brains out.
One of Tom’s biggest gripes at having such a young girlfriend was the dullness of her pillow talk.
Lisa was born into a generation that had so many means of communication at their disposal yet she still had nothing meaningful to say.
There was a lot to be said for being with a woman who was wrinkle free and supple, but it was what was said afterwards that he craved.
Yvonne was immensely flattered at her age to attract the attentions of such a young lover
But the price for such toe curling sexual encounters was too high to pay.
What she longed for was to be with someone with life experience, someone she could have a proper conversation with in between the love making or even instead of it.
It didn’t have to be deep and meaningful converse just a bit more than he said/she said.
What they both wanted was someone they could talk too, not about anything earth shattering, It could be as simple as a common history or shared knowledge, someone who knew the name of the dragon in Ivor the Engine, or someone who watched Brief Encounter and didn’t think it was funny.
Someone who remembered being able to play music at the wrong speed on a gramophone and who remembered having to wait for the black and white TV set to warm up.
Just someone who understood what the other was saying and wouldn’t stare vacantly at you when you mentioned an event that happened pre 1990.
Both of their wishes were answered one day when a mutual friend introduced them to each other at a dinner party.
During the course of the meal Tom leant over and asked
“Do you remember 8 track stereo?”
Yvonne smiled and nodded and all at once realised the significance of the question.
“Very acceptable” Yvonne thought to herself after they had made love for the first time.
There may not have been any risk over her being orgasmed to the point of unconsciousness but nonetheless.
“Very acceptable indeed”
At the same time Tom was thinking that while Yvonne may not have been as agile, pliable or have the same stamina as a woman half her age she was just what he was looking for.
And as they lay breathless in the darkness they had the most banal and trivial conversations into the small hours and when they had finished instead of making love again they just cuddled up and went to sleep.
There would be plenty of time for more love making and many interesting conversations.
The Avuncular and the Christmas Stocking
Three months had passed since Hannah Castle and I had made love in my room at the Cleddau Bridge Hotel and two days short of three months since she said she wasn’t sure we could be together.
Not that she didn’t love me or enjoy being with me, and I can say without being boastful that it wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy making love with me.
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 we lay entwined beneath the duvet “I just have doubts”
Hannah just wasn’t sure if she could or should give over her heart, soul and life to a man 12 years older than herself.
I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed and I wasn’t happy about it but I wasn’t angry with her in fact I agreed with her to a point,
And I wanted her to be sure as well.
After all I 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 I have wished to use them if they were in my possession.
“I love you Tom 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 I had no such doubts.
For me that first night together was the blissful culmination of eight years of hope and desire.
Not just the love making but to hear my declaration of love returned in word and delicious deed.
It had been pretty much love at first sight for me, 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 I simply surrendered to her.
Even before our chance meeting at the hotel Hannah had agreed to take a three month secondment in Milford Haven 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 me or know for certain sure I was the one.
While she was away I convinced myself almost on a daily basis that it was over and rightly so I thought at times.
If the worst came to the worst I consoled myself with the thought that I would always have the memory of that wonderful weekend when my love for her was finally validated.
In my darkest moments I did question if it was a moment of madness that brought Hannah to my bed.
I was glad for that madness if that’s what it was.
Though if Hannah did resolve that it was a mistake and it was over he would at least have the memory of that wonderful weekend to sustain him forever.
I prefer to think it was fate that brought us together on that wonderful weekend.
I would have liked to have exchanged the occasional text or email with her but Hannah had asked for total separation.
All I could do was throw myself into my work totally and fill my every waking moment with thoughts of anything and everything that wasn’t her.
Impossible of course but if in the unlikely event that I could exclude her from my thoughts I couldn’t stop her invading my dreams.
When I slept I dared to dream, so in the small hours of the sleepless night I resorted to the only thing that prevented me from being driven insane.
I wrote in a diary, I called it a dream diary, it was where I wrote every detail, every thought that filled my troubled sleep nightly, thoughts of love for the girl of my dreams.
The closer the end of the three months got the more intense the dreams became and evermore vivid with each passing day.
It was the day before Christmas Eve when I got the long awaited phone call, I took a deep breath and hit the button.
“Hello, Tom Flood” I said
“Hey Tom” she said
“Hannah?” I asked “God it’s good to hear your voice”
“Ditto” Hannah replied “Where are you?”
“I’m in London” I replied “Are you still in Milford Haven?”
“No I’m back home” she replied “When are you back?”
“Tonight” I replied
“Can we meet?” Hannah asked
“Yes” I said “Have you made a decision?”
“Yes I have” she replied
“And?” I enquired trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice
“I don’t want to say on the phone” she answered “I want to do it face to face”
“Ok” I said not knowing if that meant it would be good or bad
“Come to the house tonight” I said
“What time?” she asked
“Around seven” I replied “Let yourself in if I’m late, you know where the key is”
“Ok, I’ll see you tonight then Tommy” she said
“Ok, bye”
The journey out of London was an absolute mare and consequently I was late and it was nearly 8 o’clock when I drove onto the drive.
Since her phone call my stomach had been in absolute knots and arriving home late didn’t untangle it in the least.
The lights were on in the house so Hannah had let herself in I only hoped she was still there and hadn’t got tired of waiting.
As I sat in the pre-Christmas traffic I tried to ring her to warn her of my delay but my phone died.
So I sat on the drive trying to summon up the courage to go in, I 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 me unreservedly
Or “No” and we would never be together.
I reran the earlier conversation in my head and tried to read between the lines to find some hidden meaning or some indication as to her decision.
I slowly opened the door and stepped in.
“Hi Hannah” I called “I’m sorry I’m late, traffic was hell”
No answer, she must have got fed up of waiting after all.
“Shit” I exclaimed and took off my coat but as I hung it on the peg in the hall I noticed an unfamiliar coat already hanging there.
“She is here” I said
But where? Where was she exactly?
I hung my coat and walked into the lounge and that’s when I knew.
I knew because I saw the black stockings hanging from the mantel anchored beneath a Christmas candle so I knew where to find her.
And stood on the mantel next to the candle was a Christmas card
I opened it and read the words
“Happy Christmas Tommy
All my love
Hannah”
Beneath her signature there appeared to be an abundance of the obligatory small x’s but on closer examination each kiss was in fact the word “Yes”
And so I had my answer and my dreams were fulfilled.
Not that she didn’t love me or enjoy being with me, and I can say without being boastful that it wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy making love with me.
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 we lay entwined beneath the duvet “I just have doubts”
Hannah just wasn’t sure if she could or should give over her heart, soul and life to a man 12 years older than herself.
I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed and I wasn’t happy about it but I wasn’t angry with her in fact I agreed with her to a point,
And I wanted her to be sure as well.
After all I 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 I have wished to use them if they were in my possession.
“I love you Tom 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 I had no such doubts.
For me that first night together was the blissful culmination of eight years of hope and desire.
Not just the love making but to hear my declaration of love returned in word and delicious deed.
It had been pretty much love at first sight for me, 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 I simply surrendered to her.
Even before our chance meeting at the hotel Hannah had agreed to take a three month secondment in Milford Haven 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 me or know for certain sure I was the one.
While she was away I convinced myself almost on a daily basis that it was over and rightly so I thought at times.
If the worst came to the worst I consoled myself with the thought that I would always have the memory of that wonderful weekend when my love for her was finally validated.
In my darkest moments I did question if it was a moment of madness that brought Hannah to my bed.
I was glad for that madness if that’s what it was.
Though if Hannah did resolve that it was a mistake and it was over he would at least have the memory of that wonderful weekend to sustain him forever.
I prefer to think it was fate that brought us together on that wonderful weekend.
I would have liked to have exchanged the occasional text or email with her but Hannah had asked for total separation.
All I could do was throw myself into my work totally and fill my every waking moment with thoughts of anything and everything that wasn’t her.
Impossible of course but if in the unlikely event that I could exclude her from my thoughts I couldn’t stop her invading my dreams.
When I slept I dared to dream, so in the small hours of the sleepless night I resorted to the only thing that prevented me from being driven insane.
I wrote in a diary, I called it a dream diary, it was where I wrote every detail, every thought that filled my troubled sleep nightly, thoughts of love for the girl of my dreams.
The closer the end of the three months got the more intense the dreams became and evermore vivid with each passing day.
It was the day before Christmas Eve when I got the long awaited phone call, I took a deep breath and hit the button.
“Hello, Tom Flood” I said
“Hey Tom” she said
“Hannah?” I asked “God it’s good to hear your voice”
“Ditto” Hannah replied “Where are you?”
“I’m in London” I replied “Are you still in Milford Haven?”
“No I’m back home” she replied “When are you back?”
“Tonight” I replied
“Can we meet?” Hannah asked
“Yes” I said “Have you made a decision?”
“Yes I have” she replied
“And?” I enquired trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice
“I don’t want to say on the phone” she answered “I want to do it face to face”
“Ok” I said not knowing if that meant it would be good or bad
“Come to the house tonight” I said
“What time?” she asked
“Around seven” I replied “Let yourself in if I’m late, you know where the key is”
“Ok, I’ll see you tonight then Tommy” she said
“Ok, bye”
The journey out of London was an absolute mare and consequently I was late and it was nearly 8 o’clock when I drove onto the drive.
Since her phone call my stomach had been in absolute knots and arriving home late didn’t untangle it in the least.
The lights were on in the house so Hannah had let herself in I only hoped she was still there and hadn’t got tired of waiting.
As I sat in the pre-Christmas traffic I tried to ring her to warn her of my delay but my phone died.
So I sat on the drive trying to summon up the courage to go in, I 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 me unreservedly
Or “No” and we would never be together.
I reran the earlier conversation in my head and tried to read between the lines to find some hidden meaning or some indication as to her decision.
I slowly opened the door and stepped in.
“Hi Hannah” I called “I’m sorry I’m late, traffic was hell”
No answer, she must have got fed up of waiting after all.
“Shit” I exclaimed and took off my coat but as I hung it on the peg in the hall I noticed an unfamiliar coat already hanging there.
“She is here” I said
But where? Where was she exactly?
I hung my coat and walked into the lounge and that’s when I knew.
I knew because I saw the black stockings hanging from the mantel anchored beneath a Christmas candle so I knew where to find her.
And stood on the mantel next to the candle was a Christmas card
I opened it and read the words
“Happy Christmas Tommy
All my love
Hannah”
Beneath her signature there appeared to be an abundance of the obligatory small x’s but on closer examination each kiss was in fact the word “Yes”
And so I had my answer and my dreams were fulfilled.
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (26) Christmas Mornings, Christmas Days
(Part 01)
There was a lot of love on Teardrop Lake that Christmas, some was old and had stood the test of time, and some had led to marriage already, while others waited in the wings.
Some loves were still in the first flush while others were mere embers that were yet to ignite.
And there was more than one person with the hope of love in their hearts.
The old loves on the Lake, like Patrick and Kay O’Neill were approaching 30 years of Marriage and Paul and Lynn Cooper were in their 35th year and both couples were blessed with children.
Chris and Jemima Harris had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Ellen and James Huston were in their 10th year.
Daniel and Winifred Travers were married for 40 years in a Childless union, but one that was overflowing with love and they were still a sublimely happy couple.
Even Rob and Sheryl Brown had survived the ups and downs of the hospitality business and remained married for 42.
So it was another year when the Lake had worked its magic and those who had no romantic love were blessed with familial love in its stead.
Some loves born on the Lake celebrated Christmas on foreign shores and others returned in time for the special day.
It was a week before Christmas and India Harris was waiting at the arrivals gate as the passengers from the Sydney flight came through.
She was there to meet her best friend Penny Davies who had been in Australia with her artist fiancé for over two months.
Danny had a commission piece to do over there and neither of them wanted to be without the other for so long so he took her along.
Penny came through the gate and squealed when she saw Indie and then her friend did the same.
On one of their trips in the woods, Penny’s fiancée, Danny had spotted something glistening in the water of the brook, so he braced himself against a tree trunk and reached down and picked it up, it was about the size of a pocket watch and was made of some kind of Perspex.
The sort used on world war two German aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably that had been shot off during a dogfight.
The aircraft that may or may not have survived, there was no way of knowing, he slipped the piece of Perspex into his pocket and he thought he could do something with it when he had a spare minute of two.
Well every spare minute he worked on the Perplex and he fashioned it into a number of small objects one of which he slipped on Penny’s finger as an engagement ring.
But on that day she wore a different ring on her finger and when India saw it the squealed again and then Indie showed Penny her ring they were off again.
Penny still proudly wore the Perspex ring on her other hand, and that would remain special to her forever.
Just then Danny appeared pushing the heavily laden trolley.
“It’s ok I can manage” he said before kissing and hugging Indie.
“Is Paul with you?” he asked
Paul was India fiancé Capt. Spreadborough of the Downshire Light Infantry.
“No he’s still on camp” she replied “He’ll be home for Christmas though”
“Did you come on your own then babe?” Penny asked
“No, Dad’s waiting outside” she said
On the Tuesday afterwards, paramedic Chris O’Neill took Karen Cooper out on their first date to a very exclusive restaurant in Purplemere called the Runcible Spoon and after all the attention he lavished on her she began to feel that she might be as pretty as her sisters after all.
On the following day it was his brother Fran’s turn when he when on his first date with the lovely Dakota Harris, but being a student he couldn’t afford a fancy restaurant their date consisted of bowling and a slice of pizza, but Dakota didn’t mind a bit.
(Part 02)
Danny and Penny found the whole week after their return from Australia quite exhausting.
As they went from one friend’s house to another, retelling the same tales of their trip down under to different audiences.
So when Christmas finally arrived it came as something of a relief.
After midnight mass at St Mary’s, Megan and Angel shared the peace with fellow worshippers and then went back to Angelika’s Cottage and made love, again.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Megan woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she kissed Angels shoulder and got up.
She dressed quickly and then loaded Paris, Angel’s chocolate coloured Labrador, into her car and drove “Harrison” home to her flat.
She parked the car and went inside and when she came out again she was carrying a bag containing two changes of clothes and the Christmas presents and Skipper was trotting along behind her.
She let Paris out of her car and then she walked the dogs back to the Cottage.
“Settle down you two” she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the fire, then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled up to Angelika.
“Merry Christmas Angel” Megan said as she kissed her lover awake.
“Merry Christmas honey” she replied sleepily and they cuddled up close.
“This is really nice but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” Angel said
“I did it already”
“Really? So nothing to get up for then” Angelika said and started nibbling Megan’s ear.
Admittedly Christmas morning was special for everyone but it was also different for everyone.
Olivia Shenton’s Christmas for example was the busiest she had ever known and her organizational skills were invaluable to steer her husband Ben through his numerous seasonal commitments and she loved every minute of it.
Practice nurse Kate Marston meanwhile spent her Christmas morning doing home visits, she had volunteered for duty because her Police Officer boyfriend Ian was on duty all day so they had their Christmas Day on Boxing Day.
That year, Kate’s colleagues Evangeline Christodoulou and Siti Shahara celebrated their first Christmas as a couple and their first one living together.
Siti’s wounds from the brutal attack by her estranged husband two months earlier, had all healed and the invisible scars would be cured in time by Eva’s love for her, which was abundant.
Siti’s estranged husband spent his Christmas Day in prison.
Dr Claire Andrews and film director fiancé Peter Lutchford were in California for Christmas and ate their holiday lunch in bright sunshine on the terrace at a house in Beverley Hills.
Penny Davies spent the night of Christmas Eve at Lake View Cottage with Danny and after beginning the day by making love they were nearly late picking up her aunts for Church.
After the Christmas worship they went back with Julia and Amanda and spent the day with them at East Side House.
Consequently they didn’t get to open their presents until the evening.
Paul Spreadborough only got home on leave from the army on Christmas Eve and he didn’t get a moment alone with India.
Paul, his sister Ellen and his brother in law James had all been invited to the Harris’s for Christmas Day.
Chris and Jemima Harris put on a wonderful dinner at Shoe Buckle House of tradition fare but Paul’s appetite had not been fully satisfied.
So after lunch Paul and India announced they were going for a walk but they only got as far as the house next door and spent the following hour and a half in his bedroom in Chapel House.
(Part 03)
Later on Christmas afternoon India’s younger sister Dakota also went out for a walk on the pretext of seeing her friend Karen Cooper but in actuality she met up with Fran O’Neil by the old Tower and they wished each other a happy Christmas.
Chantelle Dooney and Richard Grimwood residents of East Cliff Lodge were unaccustomed to sharing Christmases’ and so this one was a novelty so they had their Christmas lunch at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then they walked up to Lovers Leap and sat on the high ledge eating mince pies and drinking Mulled Wine as the snow began to fall.
Their downstairs neighbours, the Charlton’s, were away for Christmas and although they were over the moon at their recent reconciliation Matt and Emily’s Christmas was very hard work.
They had to divide their time equally between both sets of parents.
And neither set of parents were as thrilled with their reconciliation as the couple were themselves.
The atmosphere was at times tense and at others downright hostile but somehow they got through it.
Suffice is to say they were delighted when they returned to the sanctuary of their Lakeside home once again.
The Cooper and O’Neil families both had big family Christmas days full of loud voices and laughter.
But this year they were full of love as well.
Both families met briefly at St Mary’s on Christmas morning where Jane and Terry acted quite self-consciously around each other.
While Chris and Karen were quite conspiratorial, later during a lull in the festivities they snuck out of their respective houses and met down at the boathouse where they sat and held each other as they watched the snow fall on the lake.
Angelika and Megan finally dragged themselves out of bed and Meg walked the dogs again while Angelika put the bird in the oven and made breakfast.
After they’d eaten, they both needed to shower but time was running out.
“We’d better get in together” Angelika said
“Ok but no funny business” Meg said
“But you like the funny business” Angel pointed out
“I know but we don’t have time” Megan said
They made it to the service on time and when they returned to the cottage they got the lunch prepared.
Which was when they sat down with a large sherry and opened their presents.
Megan had never done Christmas presents before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the “funny business”.
She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Angelika entered the room
“Open this one first” Megan said and handed up a little gift bag to her.
“Ok but let me sit down first” she said laughing
When she was seated she took the package and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a gold and platinum angel pendant inscribed on the back
“Mijn engel van liefde”
To my angel of love
“It’s beautiful” Angelika said and cried “So, so beautiful”
And then she joined Megan on the floor and kissed her.
“Your turn” she said and reached under the tree and brought out a small parcel.
“I’ve never had a Christmas present before” Megan said
“Well you have one now” Angel said “Open it, open it”
“I’m savouring it” Megan said
When she had carefully removed the paper she put it on the floor and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold locket.
“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s lovely”
“Look inside” Angelika urged “Look inside”
So Megan opened the locket up and in one side, it housed a pearl and on the other there was an inscription.
“To my little pearl”
When they had first met Angelika had told her that Megan was an Anglo Saxon name which meant “Little Pearl”
“Oh Angel” Megan said “It’s so beautiful, I love you”
“And I love you too” she responded and they hugged
Soon Christmas was over for another year but the love expressed in its many guises would live on into the coming year and beyond.
There was a lot of love on Teardrop Lake that Christmas, some was old and had stood the test of time, and some had led to marriage already, while others waited in the wings.
Some loves were still in the first flush while others were mere embers that were yet to ignite.
And there was more than one person with the hope of love in their hearts.
The old loves on the Lake, like Patrick and Kay O’Neill were approaching 30 years of Marriage and Paul and Lynn Cooper were in their 35th year and both couples were blessed with children.
Chris and Jemima Harris had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Ellen and James Huston were in their 10th year.
Daniel and Winifred Travers were married for 40 years in a Childless union, but one that was overflowing with love and they were still a sublimely happy couple.
Even Rob and Sheryl Brown had survived the ups and downs of the hospitality business and remained married for 42.
So it was another year when the Lake had worked its magic and those who had no romantic love were blessed with familial love in its stead.
Some loves born on the Lake celebrated Christmas on foreign shores and others returned in time for the special day.
It was a week before Christmas and India Harris was waiting at the arrivals gate as the passengers from the Sydney flight came through.
She was there to meet her best friend Penny Davies who had been in Australia with her artist fiancé for over two months.
Danny had a commission piece to do over there and neither of them wanted to be without the other for so long so he took her along.
Penny came through the gate and squealed when she saw Indie and then her friend did the same.
On one of their trips in the woods, Penny’s fiancée, Danny had spotted something glistening in the water of the brook, so he braced himself against a tree trunk and reached down and picked it up, it was about the size of a pocket watch and was made of some kind of Perspex.
The sort used on world war two German aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably that had been shot off during a dogfight.
The aircraft that may or may not have survived, there was no way of knowing, he slipped the piece of Perspex into his pocket and he thought he could do something with it when he had a spare minute of two.
Well every spare minute he worked on the Perplex and he fashioned it into a number of small objects one of which he slipped on Penny’s finger as an engagement ring.
But on that day she wore a different ring on her finger and when India saw it the squealed again and then Indie showed Penny her ring they were off again.
Penny still proudly wore the Perspex ring on her other hand, and that would remain special to her forever.
Just then Danny appeared pushing the heavily laden trolley.
“It’s ok I can manage” he said before kissing and hugging Indie.
“Is Paul with you?” he asked
Paul was India fiancé Capt. Spreadborough of the Downshire Light Infantry.
“No he’s still on camp” she replied “He’ll be home for Christmas though”
“Did you come on your own then babe?” Penny asked
“No, Dad’s waiting outside” she said
On the Tuesday afterwards, paramedic Chris O’Neill took Karen Cooper out on their first date to a very exclusive restaurant in Purplemere called the Runcible Spoon and after all the attention he lavished on her she began to feel that she might be as pretty as her sisters after all.
On the following day it was his brother Fran’s turn when he when on his first date with the lovely Dakota Harris, but being a student he couldn’t afford a fancy restaurant their date consisted of bowling and a slice of pizza, but Dakota didn’t mind a bit.
(Part 02)
Danny and Penny found the whole week after their return from Australia quite exhausting.
As they went from one friend’s house to another, retelling the same tales of their trip down under to different audiences.
So when Christmas finally arrived it came as something of a relief.
After midnight mass at St Mary’s, Megan and Angel shared the peace with fellow worshippers and then went back to Angelika’s Cottage and made love, again.
Early the next morning, just before dawn, Megan woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she kissed Angels shoulder and got up.
She dressed quickly and then loaded Paris, Angel’s chocolate coloured Labrador, into her car and drove “Harrison” home to her flat.
She parked the car and went inside and when she came out again she was carrying a bag containing two changes of clothes and the Christmas presents and Skipper was trotting along behind her.
She let Paris out of her car and then she walked the dogs back to the Cottage.
“Settle down you two” she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the fire, then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled up to Angelika.
“Merry Christmas Angel” Megan said as she kissed her lover awake.
“Merry Christmas honey” she replied sleepily and they cuddled up close.
“This is really nice but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” Angel said
“I did it already”
“Really? So nothing to get up for then” Angelika said and started nibbling Megan’s ear.
Admittedly Christmas morning was special for everyone but it was also different for everyone.
Olivia Shenton’s Christmas for example was the busiest she had ever known and her organizational skills were invaluable to steer her husband Ben through his numerous seasonal commitments and she loved every minute of it.
Practice nurse Kate Marston meanwhile spent her Christmas morning doing home visits, she had volunteered for duty because her Police Officer boyfriend Ian was on duty all day so they had their Christmas Day on Boxing Day.
That year, Kate’s colleagues Evangeline Christodoulou and Siti Shahara celebrated their first Christmas as a couple and their first one living together.
Siti’s wounds from the brutal attack by her estranged husband two months earlier, had all healed and the invisible scars would be cured in time by Eva’s love for her, which was abundant.
Siti’s estranged husband spent his Christmas Day in prison.
Dr Claire Andrews and film director fiancé Peter Lutchford were in California for Christmas and ate their holiday lunch in bright sunshine on the terrace at a house in Beverley Hills.
Penny Davies spent the night of Christmas Eve at Lake View Cottage with Danny and after beginning the day by making love they were nearly late picking up her aunts for Church.
After the Christmas worship they went back with Julia and Amanda and spent the day with them at East Side House.
Consequently they didn’t get to open their presents until the evening.
Paul Spreadborough only got home on leave from the army on Christmas Eve and he didn’t get a moment alone with India.
Paul, his sister Ellen and his brother in law James had all been invited to the Harris’s for Christmas Day.
Chris and Jemima Harris put on a wonderful dinner at Shoe Buckle House of tradition fare but Paul’s appetite had not been fully satisfied.
So after lunch Paul and India announced they were going for a walk but they only got as far as the house next door and spent the following hour and a half in his bedroom in Chapel House.
(Part 03)
Later on Christmas afternoon India’s younger sister Dakota also went out for a walk on the pretext of seeing her friend Karen Cooper but in actuality she met up with Fran O’Neil by the old Tower and they wished each other a happy Christmas.
Chantelle Dooney and Richard Grimwood residents of East Cliff Lodge were unaccustomed to sharing Christmases’ and so this one was a novelty so they had their Christmas lunch at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then they walked up to Lovers Leap and sat on the high ledge eating mince pies and drinking Mulled Wine as the snow began to fall.
Their downstairs neighbours, the Charlton’s, were away for Christmas and although they were over the moon at their recent reconciliation Matt and Emily’s Christmas was very hard work.
They had to divide their time equally between both sets of parents.
And neither set of parents were as thrilled with their reconciliation as the couple were themselves.
The atmosphere was at times tense and at others downright hostile but somehow they got through it.
Suffice is to say they were delighted when they returned to the sanctuary of their Lakeside home once again.
The Cooper and O’Neil families both had big family Christmas days full of loud voices and laughter.
But this year they were full of love as well.
Both families met briefly at St Mary’s on Christmas morning where Jane and Terry acted quite self-consciously around each other.
While Chris and Karen were quite conspiratorial, later during a lull in the festivities they snuck out of their respective houses and met down at the boathouse where they sat and held each other as they watched the snow fall on the lake.
Angelika and Megan finally dragged themselves out of bed and Meg walked the dogs again while Angelika put the bird in the oven and made breakfast.
After they’d eaten, they both needed to shower but time was running out.
“We’d better get in together” Angelika said
“Ok but no funny business” Meg said
“But you like the funny business” Angel pointed out
“I know but we don’t have time” Megan said
They made it to the service on time and when they returned to the cottage they got the lunch prepared.
Which was when they sat down with a large sherry and opened their presents.
Megan had never done Christmas presents before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the “funny business”.
She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Angelika entered the room
“Open this one first” Megan said and handed up a little gift bag to her.
“Ok but let me sit down first” she said laughing
When she was seated she took the package and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a gold and platinum angel pendant inscribed on the back
“Mijn engel van liefde”
To my angel of love
“It’s beautiful” Angelika said and cried “So, so beautiful”
And then she joined Megan on the floor and kissed her.
“Your turn” she said and reached under the tree and brought out a small parcel.
“I’ve never had a Christmas present before” Megan said
“Well you have one now” Angel said “Open it, open it”
“I’m savouring it” Megan said
When she had carefully removed the paper she put it on the floor and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold locket.
“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s lovely”
“Look inside” Angelika urged “Look inside”
So Megan opened the locket up and in one side, it housed a pearl and on the other there was an inscription.
“To my little pearl”
When they had first met Angelika had told her that Megan was an Anglo Saxon name which meant “Little Pearl”
“Oh Angel” Megan said “It’s so beautiful, I love you”
“And I love you too” she responded and they hugged
Soon Christmas was over for another year but the love expressed in its many guises would live on into the coming year and beyond.
Sunday 29 January 2017
The Avuncular and the Mentee
It was towards the end of September and I was sat in the lounge bar of the Cleddau Bridge Hotel in Pembrokeshire enjoying a pint when she walked in.
I didn’t recognise her at first and I had to do a bit of double take.
She was still as beautiful as ever but her lustrous brown hair that used to be cut in a bob now flowed in brunette waves over her narrow shoulders.
And the business suit she customarily used to wear had been replaced by faded denim jeans, a pink top and a long flowing cardigan cut in the style of an Afghan coat with fake fur trim and bright brocade panels.
Hannah Castle looked so different from the young woman I had last seen 18 months earlier at our mutual friend Gary Yap’s Chinese New Year party.
Her eyes were sharp and intelligent behind her gold rimmed spectacles that sat on her aquiline nose and with her finely chiselled features she was the attractive side of beautiful but only for the fact she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make up.
But despite the hair, clothes and a lack of makeup the eyes and the smile could not be disguised.
It was a case of what you see is what you get with Hannah just as it was the first day she walked into the office straight out of University.
That was eight years earlier and as the old man of the team at 33 I adopted the role of the avuncular and took her under my wing and showed her the ropes.
And of course try as I might not to, and despite the 12 year age difference I fell in love with her.
There was no double take for Hannah, she recognised me instantly and beamed a broad smile and I realized as she walked towards me I was still in love with her.
“Tommy Flood!” she said “What are you doing here?”
She was never tall but in her flat shoes she had to stand on tip toes and I had to stoop so we could properly embrace.
“I had to see a client in Haverfordwest” I said “it ran on later than expected so I decided to put up here for the night”
In truth I always liked booking meeting late on a Friday and then I could stay at a local hotel for the night, two if it suited.
“Not Clive Morgan?” she said “I’ve been trying to nick him off you for two years”
“I know, keep your hands off, Morgan’s is my pension”
I said and we both laughed
“Anyway what about you?” I asked “What brings you here?”
“My sister lives in Milford Haven” Hannah replied “and she’s just had twins”
“Wow Aunty Hannah” I said “that still doesn’t explain why you’re here”
“Because I’ve only been an aunty for five days and I’m exhausted”
She said and slumped down in her chair
“Oh dear” I said “No stamina, you youngsters”
“Honestly if I don’t get a good night’s sleep before I drive home I won’t make it” she explained
“So this is as far as you got?” I asked
“I so need a good night’s sleep” Hannah said and hugged the cushion to her chest and I was so jealous of that cushion
“Do you think you might stay awake long enough to have dinner?”
I asked
“It depends who’s paying” Hannah answered peering over the top of a cushion.
“My treat” I said and it really was a treat to see Hannah again and I knew in that moment I was hopelessly in love with her.
My hand was shaking as I was stood at the bathroom sink to shave and looked at my reflection.
Who was I trying to kid.
Since I’d last seen her 18 months earlier she hadn’t aged a day while I looked as if I’d aged 10.
I stood less chance of getting than ever.
Despite my misgivings I shaved and showered and made the best of what I had, such as it was, and went downstairs to the bar to wait for her.
When I got there she was already sitting at the bar perched on a barstool waiting for me.
Hannah was still wearing jeans but she now wore a white smock top decorated with tiny pink roses and she was made up to perfection and was already halfway through a large glass of white wine.
“Hi” I said as I leant in and kissed her cheek
Her hair was freshly washed and was subtly scented with the fragrance of apples while her skin exuded the aroma of coconut and as I lingered by her cheek, perhaps a little longer than I should have.
I was in such close proximity to her that my senses were assailed by the scent of just a little too much Channel, which was unusual for her.
She was always subtle, or at least she had been.
“You look lovely” I said when I had come up for air.
“And you smell good enough to eat” I added to myself
“This is the only thing I had left that didn’t smell of baby sick” She confessed “but to make doubly sure I doused myself with perfume”
Well that cleared up that little mystery.
“You smell delicious” I said “not a hint of baby sick”
“Honestly?” she asked
“Honestly” I replied just as I caught the barman’s eye “Do you want another?”
“Hmm yes please” she replied and drained her glass
When the drinks appeared we made our way to the restaurant it was a walk we had done many times before.
It was a favourite of mine and we had stayed at the Hotel many times before and eaten in the restaurant more often than not.
But that was in the days when I was mentoring her in my avuncular role.
As we ate we talked about the old days and the people we both knew and how both our careers were going.
However what I really wanted to talk about was her, the personal stuff, what she had been up to in her life over the 18 months since we had last met and the two years since we worked together.
“What about you?” she asked taking me by surprise
“What?” I replied
“What about you?” she repeated this time with more than a hint of a slur “are you spoken for”
To my amusement I watched as she appeared to rerun the question in her head and seemed alarmed by her realization of what she had actually said
“What I meant to say is… um… err… are you… erm…”
It amused me to watch her struggle and getting more flustered but decided to put her out of her misery.
“I’m still single”
“Oh” she responded trying to appear indifferent “still not met the right girl?
“I wouldn’t say that exactly” I replied and didn’t elaborate, the truth of the matter was I had met the right girl but she didn’t want me.
“What about you?” I asked
“Still footloose and fancy free” Hannah replied
Dinner came and went as did desert and all the time our glasses were refreshed, but it wasn’t until we were having liqueurs that I plucked up the courage to say what was on my mind.
“I’ve really missed you”
She seemed both surprised and pleased by the revelation and I wondered if she heard me correctly or if it was just the wines effect on her processing ability
“I’m sorry” she replied
“Why did you go?” I asked “I never understood why you left”
“I had to” she replied earnestly
“But why??” I asked
“Because I knew how you felt about me” Hannah confessed
“You knew?” I asked aghast
“Yes”
“You knew and you said nothing?” I asked angrily
She nodded
“That was cruel” I said and then there was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes as the waiter cleared the empty glasses from the table, when he had gone she said
“I thought it was for the best”
The waiter hovered just out of earshot as we were the last two diners and he obviously wanted us gone.
“I think we have out stayed our welcome” I said and got up and Hannah followed suit
“Goodnight” I said to the waiter and headed towards reception
“Let me explain” Hannah said as she trotted behind me
I ignored her and pressed on along the corridor but she caught me up as I stopped to allow an elderly lady to go through the fire doors.
"I thought if I put some space between us, you would stop caring about me" she said from behind me
I span round on her
"You thought my feelings were so fickle, so insincere that they would just evaporate away if I couldn’t see you?"
“No” she said crossly
“I did it because I thought mine would”
“What?” I said doubting my own hearing
“I left because I was falling for you” she said
“And did it help?” I asked
“No” she said and fell in to my arms “I fell for you anyway”
“So you made us both unhappy” I said gently
“Yes” and Hannah began to cry
“Don’t cry honey” I said
And she looked up at me through tear filled eyes and I kissed her, a kiss I had longed for, and dreamt of for eight years.
And I was not disappointed.
After our long awaited magical first kiss we walked hand in hand to the door of my room where we kissed again.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open, Hannah paused in the doorway.
“Before we go any further I have a confession to make” she said
“You don’t have to say anything honey” I replied
“I really do” she insisted
“Ok” I replied a little concerned at what might follow
Hannah took a deep breath and blurted out
“I haven’t shaved my legs”
I didn’t recognise her at first and I had to do a bit of double take.
She was still as beautiful as ever but her lustrous brown hair that used to be cut in a bob now flowed in brunette waves over her narrow shoulders.
And the business suit she customarily used to wear had been replaced by faded denim jeans, a pink top and a long flowing cardigan cut in the style of an Afghan coat with fake fur trim and bright brocade panels.
Hannah Castle looked so different from the young woman I had last seen 18 months earlier at our mutual friend Gary Yap’s Chinese New Year party.
Her eyes were sharp and intelligent behind her gold rimmed spectacles that sat on her aquiline nose and with her finely chiselled features she was the attractive side of beautiful but only for the fact she wasn’t wearing a scrap of make up.
But despite the hair, clothes and a lack of makeup the eyes and the smile could not be disguised.
It was a case of what you see is what you get with Hannah just as it was the first day she walked into the office straight out of University.
That was eight years earlier and as the old man of the team at 33 I adopted the role of the avuncular and took her under my wing and showed her the ropes.
And of course try as I might not to, and despite the 12 year age difference I fell in love with her.
There was no double take for Hannah, she recognised me instantly and beamed a broad smile and I realized as she walked towards me I was still in love with her.
“Tommy Flood!” she said “What are you doing here?”
She was never tall but in her flat shoes she had to stand on tip toes and I had to stoop so we could properly embrace.
“I had to see a client in Haverfordwest” I said “it ran on later than expected so I decided to put up here for the night”
In truth I always liked booking meeting late on a Friday and then I could stay at a local hotel for the night, two if it suited.
“Not Clive Morgan?” she said “I’ve been trying to nick him off you for two years”
“I know, keep your hands off, Morgan’s is my pension”
I said and we both laughed
“Anyway what about you?” I asked “What brings you here?”
“My sister lives in Milford Haven” Hannah replied “and she’s just had twins”
“Wow Aunty Hannah” I said “that still doesn’t explain why you’re here”
“Because I’ve only been an aunty for five days and I’m exhausted”
She said and slumped down in her chair
“Oh dear” I said “No stamina, you youngsters”
“Honestly if I don’t get a good night’s sleep before I drive home I won’t make it” she explained
“So this is as far as you got?” I asked
“I so need a good night’s sleep” Hannah said and hugged the cushion to her chest and I was so jealous of that cushion
“Do you think you might stay awake long enough to have dinner?”
I asked
“It depends who’s paying” Hannah answered peering over the top of a cushion.
“My treat” I said and it really was a treat to see Hannah again and I knew in that moment I was hopelessly in love with her.
My hand was shaking as I was stood at the bathroom sink to shave and looked at my reflection.
Who was I trying to kid.
Since I’d last seen her 18 months earlier she hadn’t aged a day while I looked as if I’d aged 10.
I stood less chance of getting than ever.
Despite my misgivings I shaved and showered and made the best of what I had, such as it was, and went downstairs to the bar to wait for her.
When I got there she was already sitting at the bar perched on a barstool waiting for me.
Hannah was still wearing jeans but she now wore a white smock top decorated with tiny pink roses and she was made up to perfection and was already halfway through a large glass of white wine.
“Hi” I said as I leant in and kissed her cheek
Her hair was freshly washed and was subtly scented with the fragrance of apples while her skin exuded the aroma of coconut and as I lingered by her cheek, perhaps a little longer than I should have.
I was in such close proximity to her that my senses were assailed by the scent of just a little too much Channel, which was unusual for her.
She was always subtle, or at least she had been.
“You look lovely” I said when I had come up for air.
“And you smell good enough to eat” I added to myself
“This is the only thing I had left that didn’t smell of baby sick” She confessed “but to make doubly sure I doused myself with perfume”
Well that cleared up that little mystery.
“You smell delicious” I said “not a hint of baby sick”
“Honestly?” she asked
“Honestly” I replied just as I caught the barman’s eye “Do you want another?”
“Hmm yes please” she replied and drained her glass
When the drinks appeared we made our way to the restaurant it was a walk we had done many times before.
It was a favourite of mine and we had stayed at the Hotel many times before and eaten in the restaurant more often than not.
But that was in the days when I was mentoring her in my avuncular role.
As we ate we talked about the old days and the people we both knew and how both our careers were going.
However what I really wanted to talk about was her, the personal stuff, what she had been up to in her life over the 18 months since we had last met and the two years since we worked together.
“What about you?” she asked taking me by surprise
“What?” I replied
“What about you?” she repeated this time with more than a hint of a slur “are you spoken for”
To my amusement I watched as she appeared to rerun the question in her head and seemed alarmed by her realization of what she had actually said
“What I meant to say is… um… err… are you… erm…”
It amused me to watch her struggle and getting more flustered but decided to put her out of her misery.
“I’m still single”
“Oh” she responded trying to appear indifferent “still not met the right girl?
“I wouldn’t say that exactly” I replied and didn’t elaborate, the truth of the matter was I had met the right girl but she didn’t want me.
“What about you?” I asked
“Still footloose and fancy free” Hannah replied
Dinner came and went as did desert and all the time our glasses were refreshed, but it wasn’t until we were having liqueurs that I plucked up the courage to say what was on my mind.
“I’ve really missed you”
She seemed both surprised and pleased by the revelation and I wondered if she heard me correctly or if it was just the wines effect on her processing ability
“I’m sorry” she replied
“Why did you go?” I asked “I never understood why you left”
“I had to” she replied earnestly
“But why??” I asked
“Because I knew how you felt about me” Hannah confessed
“You knew?” I asked aghast
“Yes”
“You knew and you said nothing?” I asked angrily
She nodded
“That was cruel” I said and then there was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes as the waiter cleared the empty glasses from the table, when he had gone she said
“I thought it was for the best”
The waiter hovered just out of earshot as we were the last two diners and he obviously wanted us gone.
“I think we have out stayed our welcome” I said and got up and Hannah followed suit
“Goodnight” I said to the waiter and headed towards reception
“Let me explain” Hannah said as she trotted behind me
I ignored her and pressed on along the corridor but she caught me up as I stopped to allow an elderly lady to go through the fire doors.
"I thought if I put some space between us, you would stop caring about me" she said from behind me
I span round on her
"You thought my feelings were so fickle, so insincere that they would just evaporate away if I couldn’t see you?"
“No” she said crossly
“I did it because I thought mine would”
“What?” I said doubting my own hearing
“I left because I was falling for you” she said
“And did it help?” I asked
“No” she said and fell in to my arms “I fell for you anyway”
“So you made us both unhappy” I said gently
“Yes” and Hannah began to cry
“Don’t cry honey” I said
And she looked up at me through tear filled eyes and I kissed her, a kiss I had longed for, and dreamt of for eight years.
And I was not disappointed.
After our long awaited magical first kiss we walked hand in hand to the door of my room where we kissed again.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open, Hannah paused in the doorway.
“Before we go any further I have a confession to make” she said
“You don’t have to say anything honey” I replied
“I really do” she insisted
“Ok” I replied a little concerned at what might follow
Hannah took a deep breath and blurted out
“I haven’t shaved my legs”
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