Clouds Below the Mountains (22 page)

“I'm tired, Kate,” said Greg moving away a little.

“You're always tired, I think you should go and see the doctor.”

She stayed where she was and didn't move closer.

“Don't you fancy me anymore?”

There wasn't any answer from Greg.

“So you don't fancy me anymore. I spend all this money on clothes, hairdo's and beauty treatment and it's all a waste of time, is it?”

There still wasn't an answer, but Kate could feel Greg tensing. Was he ready for a fight with her?

“I just think that at our age, having sex isn't as necessary as it used to be when we were younger,” he said in a muffled voice.

“Necessary. So us having sex when we were younger was necessary, but not now that we are older?

“Yes.”

“Right. So am I to assume that we're going to live like brother and sister for the rest of our married life?”

“I don't know. Kate, do we have to discuss this now? I'm tired and I just want to get a good night's sleep. Perhaps we can talk about this when we're on our own tomorrow.”

“I think we certainly will discuss it tomorrow,” said Kate in low growl, feeling a mixture of anger where she wanted to kick him out of bed, and despair that their marriage had a plumbed a new depth again. “And perhaps we could discuss that financial separation you were talking about in Cyprus last year.”

“I'm not happy, Gary,” said Tracy Greenfield, as her new husband came out of the bathroom, knowing that if he didn't get in there first, he'd be cross legged for the next hour.

“Why's that, Darling?” he asked, his face puckering with concern. “Didn't you sleep well after we had made love? I thought from your sighs you were really contented?”

“Oh that, no, Gary, I'm not talking about our love making. I'm talking about the toilet rolls in the bathroom. I've noticed that the paper isn't soft like the toilet roll we have in England. It's hard and crepey. I'm sure it will cause me problems down below.”

“Then we must go into the town later and find one of those pharmacies. Perhaps they'll have something softer than what they have here.”

“I thought we had to go to the Welcome meeting at ten thirty. I think we should make an effort to go there or people will begin to talk.”

“What about my darling, why would people be talking?”

“You know, they'll make jokes about honeymoon couples not appearing for meals. Just staying in bed all the time.”

“Oh, surely not, honey bunch, people are here to enjoy their holiday. They're not going to be watching our every move.”

“Well anyway, you can walk into town now, while I have my bath and get ready. Tell the man in the chemist I want something like Andrex, or if they've nothing similar get me a pack of baby wipes. I'll go down to the restaurant for breakfast as soon as I've finished and you can meet me in there.”

“Very well, my darling, but I'll need some money. May I go into your handbag and take out some of the currency I got from Barclays?”

His wife nodded, stretched her arms into the air, then asked him to pass her cream satin dressing gown that was draped across the bedroom chair. She waited until he had brushed his hair in the dressing table mirror, fiddled with the navy blue collar on his short sleeved shirt and checked that the flies were zipped in his navy blue Bermuda shorts.

“See you later then, Darling,” Gary said, when he was satisfied he'd passed muster in his fashion conscious wife's eyes. “I'll go to Reception and find out where there's a pharmacy, so I shouldn't be away from you for very long.”

He blew Tracy a loving kiss, then went from the room as she got out of bed.

***

“You don't look too good this morning, Mum,” said Sonya, as she stood dressed in a white T' shirt and pale blue shorts at the door of her parent's bedroom with Evan.

“I didn't sleep very well again last night,” Kate replied. “I was probably still on a high from the Karaoke.”

“Well you should get some rest today, with Evan and I going to Loro Parque with the Coopers. It looks as if the sun is going to shine as there are no low clouds below the mountains.”

“I'd still take a jacket though for Evan,” said Kate “ and have you got plenty of suncream and a hat for him?”

“Yes, Mother, here in my basket. Go in and give your granddad a big kiss, Evan and then we'll go and get our breakfast. I take it you and Dad have been rowing, Mum,” she said in a lowered voice.

“Surprisingly we haven't,” Kate said quietly. “Though there's something the matter with him at the moment that I can't put my finger on.”

“Probably feeling a bit stressed over meeting that idiot yesterday and having to face up to problems, when he's here to have a holiday.”

“That'll be it,” said Kate brightly, as she had no intention of telling her daughter about her very frustrating sex life.

“Have a lovely day, Evan,” she continued, as the child came dashing back to the door. “ Give Grandma a kiss before you go and be good for your Mummy.”

Evan nodded, kissed Kate on the cheek after she had knelt down to his eye level, then pulled on Sonya's basket in an effort to get his mother moving, as he'd been looking forward to playing with Jack since he'd opened his eyes that morning.

***

“Cheryl, Darling, do get a move on in the bathroom,” cried Paul, anxious to get down for breakfast, as he didn't want Sonya and Evan having to hang around.

“Two minutes, Darling,” Cheryl called, as she put on her new shiny pink lipstick, then checked that the back of her orange stripey halter neck dress wasn't lower than her strapless bra'.

“You didn't bother ordering lunch boxes for today, did you?” she said, as she came out of the en- suite bathroom looking cool and elegant and smelling of her favourite perfume, which was Chanel No. 5. “Only I thought it would be a waste of food with there being a restaurant there.”

“No, I felt the same as you that we'd probably throw the contents away and Annabelle will want a hot dog and then so will Jack. I think we ought to hurry to the restaurant now, Cheryl, as I'm sure Sonya will be waiting for us. You didn't mention a time to her did you, Darling?”

“I assumed you had made the arrangements with her father. I don't know why you had to ask her along though, because we could have looked after Evan ourselves.”

“He's a little young to be away from his mother, Cheryl. Anyway she seems a pleasant girl.”

“Hmm, well I hope you won't be giving all your attention to her instead of me today. I know what you're like when we're in company.”

“You know I only have eyes for you, my darling,” Paul said, putting his arms around her very trim waist.

“And for me, Daddy,” said Annabelle, who had come into their bedroom from the lounge.

“Yes, Poppet and for you. Are you and Jack ready? You don't seem very excited by the fact we're going to Loro Parque.”

“It won't be as good as Disneyland, Daddy. You've been promising me for years that you would take me there.”

“Hardly years,” Paul replied laughingly. “You're only seven and we're waiting for Jack to get a little older, as we want you both to appreciate all that Disneyland has to offer.”

“Well, I hope it's not going to be too far into the future, Daddy, as already I may be too old to appreciate it.”

Paul and Cheryl hid their smiles at their daughter's bumptiousness, she always seemed to want the last word.

***

“Have we any plans today?,” asked Milly, as she and the two sisters sat at the table, contemplating whether to have a full breakfast or not, seeing as they were nursing slight hangovers.

“We could go for a walk along the promenade again, but this time in the other direction. I suppose we should get some exercise and blow some of our cobwebs away.”

“If you like,” said Doreen and Jean nodded slowly in agreement, because she didn't want to cause any more aching to her head.

“The weather looks better,” Milly continued, “ there's no clouds below the mountains, which I think is a good sign for a sunny day.”

“I'm glad we didn't have to get up early like poor old Harry Wilkinson,” said Doreen. “ I felt really sorry for him, with him trailing about in search of memories of his wife.”

“It was embarrassing though when he told us, wasn't it?”, said Milly, suddenly getting up from her seat, as she decided that scrambled egg on toast would be likely to be kept down.

“I never went anywhere much, so that I could go in search of memories,” said Jean mournfully, as she got up to see if there was something to tempt her appetite.

“Then you'll have saved a lot in air fares then,” said Doreen tartly, who hadn't liked Jean's husband

very much.

***

“Same as usual?”, asked Lucy, as she and Kath met each other in the Sunlight Bar that morning. “Yes, you start putting out the folders and I'll go and see if one of the waiters can bring a tray of Buck's Fizz or orange juice for the guests. I'll do the talking this morning, then I should imagine we'll get away quite sharpish, with there only being fourteen guests to turn up. Has everybody settled in do you think?”

“Well nobody has complained to me yet, unless they are storing it up for this welcome meeting. We did have one lady, who didn't want to wear the All Inclusive wristband, but her husband coaxed her into wearing it. They're newlyweds, so I suppose she didn't want to upset him.”

“The Gatwick people seemed very nice,” said Kath. “One of the couples had been here before. In fact I remember them from last November and another couple have been coming to Tenerife for years. I don't think I'd want to keep going to the same place year in year out for a holiday.”

“Nor me, I hope that one day I'll have seen most of the countries in the world.”

“That pre-supposes that you won't be settling down with a husband and a family then.”

“Probably not, unless I meet a man who sweeps me off my feet.”

“There's a lot to be said for having your own space and being able to make your own decisions,” said Kath. “ Though it can get lonely at times.”

“I don't know about lonely,” laughed Lucy wryly. “ I'd welcome lonely sometimes.”

***

“Does anyone want to visit the toilets before we start on the tour?” asked Paul, as he paid for their admission tickets in the Thai village styled building, after annoyed tutting from Sonya who had been willing to pay for herself and Evan. No one did, so they all stood on the veranda that overlooked the lake, with its koi carp and pretty waterfall.

“So what does everyone want to see?”, asked Cheryl, who was flicking through the park guide. “ If we stick to the advised route we'll come across gorillas next and then the place where the penguins live.”

“Perhaps we should just go with the flow,” said Sonya. “I know Evan will be thrilled to see everything.”

“That's what we'll do then,” said Paul. “Though maybe you should have brought his push chair, it looks as if there's a lot to see.”

***

“Maybe we should get a separation,” said Kate provocatively, as she and Greg sat on the sun loungers later that morning near the pool bar. Greg removed his sunglasses and stared with irritation at his wife.

“Do we have to talk about this, Kate, can't you be content with how things are?”

“Are you content with how things are?”

“I don't want very much out of life really. I'm happy with things at work, I have a lovely grandson and a nice home, so I can count my blessings as it were.”

“No mention of the wife who has made all this possible then?”

“Kate, what do you want me to say? I'd be lying if I said I'm in love with you, like I was when we were younger. We're different people now and as such we should accept that and move forward together.”

“So no more nookey in bed?”

“I never said that our love making should cease forever. It's just as I said, now that we are older it isn't so necessary.”

Kate went quiet then, fighting with a desire to go straight back to the bedroom and pack her suitcase. Sometimes she hated Greg, he could be so bloody pompous. All she wanted was reassurance that he still did love her, with the occasional kiss for no particular reason; being told she looked attractive when she had made a special effort just for him; being held in his arms when things became too much for her, but mostly feeling that tender closeness which their loving used to bring.

She fought back the tears that were threatening to spill and choked back her resentment at Greg's uncaring words. One day she'd make him pay for his laissez faire attitude and hoped that he would come to rue his careless use of her.

***

“Are you looking forward to your day off?” asked Kath, as she and Lucy sat together at the end of the meeting, waiting for any of the clients who wanted to ask them questions about the day trips. “Well, I'll be glad to catch up on my washing, but other than that I'll probably laze around the pool if the weather is nice, or I might just stay in bed all day. What do you normally do on your day off, Kath?”

“Same as you. I usually go to the launderette after I've had a lie in, then as my accommodation hasn't got a pool I usually have a walk along the sea front or go to the supermarket and buy a few bits and pieces. I mostly eat out, as you know, but sometimes I'll buy something to cook at my apartment.”

“So you'll be looking forward to going to Raffles tomorrow night, with them serving up a three course dinner and then a show to watch. It's a good job your day off is Monday.”

“Going to Raffles is still part of my job, Lucy,” said Kath reprovingly, detecting a bit of jealousy in the girl's voice, as she hadn't been asked to accompany their clients. “ It can be annoying sometimes having to be on duty, when all you really want to do is switch off.”

“Well, anytime you want me to go in your place, just ask,” said Lucy daringly and was glad when a client came up to the table, which prevented her supervisor ticking her off.

“Is it too late to book places on the cabaret evening tomorrow?” asked Gary Greenfield, blushing as he felt the two women looking at him keenly. “ Only my wife says it would really make our honeymoon special, if we went somewhere like this Raffles place.”

“I'm sorry, but our allocation has been taken for tomorrow,” said Kath. “ We share a coach with all the other travel companies and we are only given so many places. There are places still on next Sunday's trip, if you would like to book for then.”

The young man looked crestfallen, then wandered back to his table, where his wife began to have a go at him without lowering her voice.

“I think he's taken on more than he can handle,” remarked Lucy, looking over to where an irate looking Mrs. Greenfield was telling her husband, that he had better think of somewhere else just as special, as they were only on holiday until the following Friday, so what use was next Sunday to them?

He came back a few moments later. “Excuse me, are there any vacancies on the V.I.P. Moonlight Teide trip?”

“Well, yes, we still haven't filled our allocation, although it isn't escorted by a representative from Periquito Travel. Also I have to say it is very expensive. I have never been on the trip myself,” said Kath, in a regretful voice. “Yet I have heard from other travel rep's, that watching the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean after a four course meal can be very romantic.”