Clouds Below the Mountains (27 page)

***

“I think I'll come up to bed as well,” said Sonya, as Greg stood up after ten minutes of listening to the comedian's act, with a sleeping Evan in his arms and a glazed look in his eyes.

“I feel really tired, I think the heat got to me today.”

“I suppose having to sit here full of tension, because of her over there, hasn't helped either,” said Kate, wishing that Sonya had let her go over to Cheryl and give her a piece of her mind. “ It's a shame we're having to go, because I fancied a boogie after this fellow's finished.”

She said it rather peevishly, having spent most of the day just lounging about and wanted to work off some of her energy, knowing full well that she wouldn't be expending her energy in bed with Greg.

“Sorry, Mum, perhaps tomorrow night, when there's that band that was on last Wednesday night. I saw one of the Animacion team putting up a poster advertising them before.”

Kate got up reluctantly and followed Greg. She'd brought some Nytol tablets in her cosmetic bag, just in case of insomnia. Now she had reason to take them, even if she had been drinking alcohol.

“Sonya, could I have a word?” asked Mikey, rushing up to their table as she gathered up her handbag and cardigan.

“Oh, Mikey, is this about Tuesday, because I'm not sure I want to do it now?”

She glanced over at Cheryl anxiously, who was also looking to be collecting kids and possessions with a view to returning to the bedrooms, and hoped that they wouldn't meet by the lift because of Mikey detaining her.

“Just coming, Mum,” she shouted, as Kate suddenly stopped in her tracks when she saw that Sonya wasn't following her.

“Perhaps you would like to walk me to our floor, Mikey and we could talk along the way?”

Wouldn't you know it, she thought, as Mikey put his hand under her arm to guide her through the chairs and tables to the door, there's that ruddy Juan scowling at me from behind the bar. She turned to Mikey and smiled at him in gratitude, hoping that Juan would think that there was more to the young man's presence than met the eye.

***

“So, there was this bar tender who had a reputation for being able to squeeze every last drop out of a lemon,” said Ronnie, having given up on the empty box once he had pulled out the stuffed ferret, the bouquet of plastic flowers and the deck of cards.

“His reputation grew and many people tried their hand at being able to do the same. He became so confident that no one else could squeeze every last bit of lemon juice, that he offered fifty pounds to anyone who could. One evening, a puny little man came in and said he would like to take up the bar tender's challenge. The bar tender laughed and said “you need strong hands and muscles in your arms, to squeeze a lemon dry.”

A crowd gathered, as the little man gripped the lemon in his right hand and squeezed and squeezed, until every last drop was taken from the lemon and surprisingly a few drops more. “ Well,” said the bar tender, astonished as he handed over the fifty pounds to the little victor.

“How on earth did you manage that?”

“I work for the Inland Revenue,” the little man said “ and I'm used to squeezing people dry.”

***

“Well, thank goodness he finished on a high,” said Mavis, as the comedian was applauded and cheered on his way and the couple got ready to leave the Sunlight Bar. “Aye, he wasn't that funny. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but things don't tickle me like they used to do,” Fred replied, making sure he'd finished every last drop of his beer.

“The best comedians I ever heard was when I used to stay with an old aunt on the Wirral, when I was a nipper. She used to take me to the Argylle Theatre in Birkenhead. I remember seeing an Irish fella called Jack Daly and do yer know I still remember one of his jokes.”

“Tell me then.”

“There was this Irish docker who fell into the River Mersey. There he was bellowing for help and no one around to get him out, so he shouted “ if someone doesn't help me soon, I'll have to let go of this anvil!” Then there was Norman Evans and Wilson, Keppel and Betty. Do yer remember they used to do the “Sand dance” and Norman Evans did “ Over the Garden Wall?” No comedian can match them nowadays, expect maybe Morcambe and Wise and Les Dawson.”

“Eeeh, where have all the years gone, Fred? Come on, let's get gone or else we'll be hearing that discoteque music blaring.”

***

“Right,” I think we'll get off to bed now,” said Ray to his daughter and wife, after the comedian had left the stage. “Wasn't much cop was he, I've heard better jokes around the brew table?”

“Oh, Dad, do we have to go now?,” Joanne whined. “ Andy and Kevin are staying up for the disco and I told them you'd let me stay up as well.”

“How old are these lads, Joanne?”, asked Ray. “ Sixteen, seventeen? You're fourteen years old and do you think with your track record, I'm going to let you loose with the pair of them?”

“But she did come back at nine- o'- clock when you asked her to,” said Tricia, who was always a pushover as far as her daughter was concerned.

“Yes, only because I kept popping into the games room to make sure she was still there. You'll come up with us now, lady and you back me up Tricia, or there's going to be a row between us. If you hadn't been so lax with her in the first place……”

“O.K, I'm coming,” said Joanne with a scowl on her face.

***

“I think it's time we were off,” said Doreen, noticing that Jean kept nodding, with all the alcohol they had consumed that night.

“Well, thanks for your company,” said Harry, jumping to his feet politely. “ May I walk part of the way with you all?”

“If you want to Harry. Which floor is your bedroom on?” asked Doreen, thinking it would be rather nice to have a gentleman escort them.

“The third floor. Unfortunately my room is rather small with it being just for one person or I would ask you all back for a nightcap.”

“I think we've had enough for one night,” said Jean giggling, still euphoric after the champagne and her Bingo win.

“Perhaps we could do something together tomorrow,” said Harry, remembering that Jean was going to treat her sister and cousin to afternoon tea. “ It seems a shame that you're all going home on Tuesday, when I feel I've only just got to know you, as it were.”

“Oh, come with us to the cafe in the afternoon, Harry,” Jean broke in, thinking it would be very pleasant to have him join them. “ I'll treat you to a chocolate eclair and a coffee if you want.”

“That's jolly decent of you, Jean, thank you, I appreciate your invitation. What say I meet you all in the foyer around half past two?”

***

Lucy sat at the table sipping the last of her vodka and tonic, watching Jenni and the two children's rep's dancing around to the disco music. She was feeling really tired, but couldn't summon up the energy to walk across the courtyard to her apartment. When her mobile suddenly rang in her handbag, unusually for her, she ignored it. Work was finished for the day.

“Anymore drinks here, Lucy?” asked Juan, coming up behind her very quietly.

“Oh Juan,” she said, jumping a bit in surprise at his sudden appearance. “ Nothing for me, thanks, I'm off to bed when this one's finished. Jenni, Anna, Tina, do you want Juan to get you more drinks?”

The girls shouted their orders, then Lucy decided to see who had been trying to contact her. Her voice mail said nothing, so she put her mobile down on the table. It rang again, damn and blast it. She pressed the green button, “ Lucy speaking,” she said.

“Hello, Lucy, I hope you don't mind me ringing you so late, but I've been trying to summon up the courage to ring you since yesterday.”

“Go on,” Lucy said, intrigued as it was a man's voice, “ who am I speaking to?”

“Well, you don't know me, I got your number from one of the travel rep's at the airport. My name is

Adam Bradshaw and I'm a on the check-in desk for Fortuna Villas at the airport. I keep seeing you passing by when you're on airport duty and something inside me keeps nagging for an introduction to you. You look a real nice person, so I thought I'd grasp the nettle, as it were and ask if we could meet up sometime?”

“Hardly an apt expression,
grasping the nettle
, if you want a meeting with a nice person,” Lucy said dryly.

“Sorry?” said Adam, sounding rather nervous.

“I said……, oh it doesn't matter. Well, I'm intrigued and of course rather flattered that you got in touch with me. Perhaps I'll see you on Tuesday when I'm on airport duty again?”

“Oh, oh I'll look forward to that. I don't suppose we could meet somewhere tomorrow, could we? Only it's my day off and that's why partially, I thought I would ring you so late? My digs are in Los Cristianos, but I could catch a bus to meet you anywhere you like.”

“Sorry, Adam, it's my day off as well, but I've things to do tomorrow. Let's leave it until Tuesday when I come to the airport. We can have a look at each other and see if we suit.”

“O.K, then,” he said sounding a bit dispirited, “but if you change your mind about tomorrow will you give me a call? Here's my mobile number.”

Well, thought Lucy, after Adam had rung off, that was a bolt out of the blue. An admirer, her granny would have called him. She wondered which of the travel rep's she had to thank or moan at, for putting him in touch with her?

***

“Jenni,” said Miguel, as he walked beside her along the corridor to her bedroom. “ I don't want to lose you from my life. Do you feel the same way about losing me?”

“Yes, Miguel,” she said and came to a stop, as his question needed a serious answer. “ I've enjoyed the time we've had together and I know that I'll miss you terribly when I get back home to the U.K.”

Miguel put his hands on her shoulders, then put a finger under her chin so that they could stare into each others eyes. “ I want to tell you about my plan. It came to me suddenly in the night as I lay in bed dreaming about you.”

“Oh, Miguel,” she breathed, “ you are so romantic.”

“When you get home, I want you to telephone all the large hotels in Manchester and ask do they need an experienced silver service waiter and barman, then you will let me know where to come?

Jenni, we can be together forever, we'll never have to be parted again.”

“Go away, I'm asleep,” cried Lucy, as an insistent knocking came into her fuddled senses the next morning. She opened one eye and peered at the small alarm clock she kept on the bedside table. It was ten past nine. Who on earth could be trying to get her out of bed, on the one day off she had to herself? She put her pillow over her head, but then there came a tapping on her window.

“For heavens sake!” She crawled out of bed and opened the curtain slightly, conscious that she only had her panties on, as her nightie was in in the laundry bag ready to be washed.

“Jenni!, she exclaimed, unsure whether to wave the girl away and tell her to come back later, or get up and let her in, as the girl was looking a bit frantic.

“Wait a minute, I'll put something on,” she said, wide awake now with an adrenaline rush and throwing on a crumpled yellow T' shirt, that she grabbed as she passed by her washing, she stumbled on weary legs to the door.

“Jenni, you know this is my day off, what can be so important that you have to drag me out of bed?”

“Miguel wants to come and work in Manchester,” said Jenni, hurrying past Lucy and settling herself on the sofa. “ You'd think I'd be happy that we are going to be together, but I'm petrified. I've lain awake all night worrying and I just had to come over and tell you. I know it's your day off and I'm sorry for disturbing you, but who else could I turn to?”

“I'll just switch the kettle on,” said Lucy resignedly, walking over to the kitchen area. “ I would have thought you'd be over the moon that he cares so much about you.”

“It's not that,” said Jenni, covering her face with her hands despairingly. “ I'm pleased that he cares about me, but I thought we'd only be writing letters, having the odd ‘phone call. Maybe I would come over again and stay for a week or two, but I didn't expect him to throw up everything and follow me to England. I have to say it's a bit of a shock.”

“Have you told him that?”

“No, Lucy, I couldn't, he was so full of it last night. I couldn't burst his bubble.”

“And would it be so bad if he got a job in a Manchester hotel?”

“Yes, it would,” Jenni squeaked, turning her face fearfully to Lucy. “Simon would kill him for a start, as he would see Miguel as the cause of our break up. Then there's the dump I live in and my mother, oh hell, my mother. If he met her he'd take the first plane home. And besides that I'm still at school studying for my A levels. He'll want commitment, marriage, a family and I can't say honestly that I'm ready for settling down.”

“Then tell him that,” said Lucy, finding the box where she kept her T' bags. “ Really Jenni, the way I see it, you've just got out of one cloying relationship and you'll be going straight into another.”

“I know, but I don't want to hurt him and I'm not good enough for him, never will be, but if I tell him that, he'll only insist none of my past matters to him.”

Lucy ran her fingers through her hair, trying to come up with a solution to Jenni's dilemma. She put milk and sugar into the two cups of steaming tea and brought one around to hand to her friend.

“If it was me, I'd go along with his plan until you leave on Tuesday. Is he going to contact some hotels there, or has he asked you to?”

“Me,” said Jenni, sipping on her tea.

“Then it gives you time to think about everything carefully, but for now go for a walk and try and get your head around it. Treat yourself to those pretty shoes you were on about to try and lift your spirits, then have a wander along the sea front and sit on a wall looking out to sea. That's what I try to do if I have a problem. I put my mind on something else and it usually calms me down. You know, when you're back on familiar territory in Bolton, you'll see if there's room in your life for

Miguel and if you think you could cope in the face of adversity, then go for it. If not, write him a

“Dear John” letter, tell him that you've decided the timing isn't right, but you'll always think fondly of him. He'll be crushed of course, men usually are for a week or so, but he'll manage.”

“I just feel scared, Lucy. What if I make the wrong decision and he ends up hating me?”

“Sorry, I can't help you with that one, Jenni,” Lucy shrugged. “ As they say “ that's life.”

***

“You know, Darling, I'm feeling a little bit guilty about the way I treated Sonya yesterday,” Cheryl admitted to Paul, as they sat in their dressing gowns in the lounge drinking their morning cuppa from the hospitality tray. “It can't be easy being a single mum and having to remember things like push chairs. I usually have you to help me, don't I? I'm a very lucky lady and I should be more sympathetic to people like her.”

“Oh, Darling,” said Paul, reaching over to stroke his wife's face. “ That's what I love about you, you're such a caring person. I'm so glad I married you.”

“Well, anyway, to get my brownie points back, I thought I would ask Steve at breakfast if he would like us to take care of Emily for him today? It might be that there are complications with Fiona and it won't be pleasant for Emily to have to hang around the hospital, will it? I've been looking at all the tourist brochures and I thought maybe we could take the children to Aqualand. Of course I won't go in the water with them, I'll leave that to you, because I don't want to be coated in chlorine and ruin my makeup and hair.”

“It sounds a jolly good idea from where I'm sitting Cheryl, especially as when I was standing on the balcony before, it looks as if it has the makings of a very pleasant day.”

“I'm sure I could find a place to sit quietly and sun myself, while you enjoy riding on the water slides and there looks as if there's a dolphinarium, that I could join you to have a look at later.”

“Marvellous, Darling. Do you want me to go and wake the children and tell them? I'm sure they will be very happy with their Mummy's splendid idea.”

***

“Gary, my feet are crippling me in these sandals, why did you let me put them on when you knew we'd be walking this far?” Tracy grumbled, as she and her husband ambled along past McDonalds towards the cliff path.

“I didn't think, Darling. Perhaps we should stop for a coffee here and you can rest your feet for a while.”

“That's not going to help, I think I've got blisters on my toes now. You'll will have to look for a chemist and get me some plasters and don't think I'm walking back to the hotel. We'll have to go back in a taxi.”

“There's a pharmacy just around the corner,” Gary said resignedly, because he had hoped they could have walked as far as the harbour that morning. It had looked very interesting when he had come down to look for toilet paper for Tracy, with the expensive looking boats lined up waiting for their owners to come and take them for a spin and the wicked looking wooden ship, with its flag bearing the scull and cross bones. Ah well, they still had a few more days left of their holiday, so perhaps he could persuade his wife to come this way again.

“Good morning, Sir,” said a young woman, leaping out in front of Gary, as he and Tracy came down onto the promenade. “Are you and your lady wife here on holiday?”

“Yes,” said Tracy, preening herself and making sure that the woman could see the sparkle of her matching diamond ring and wedding band on her left hand. “ We're actually on our honeymoon.”

“Oh, how wonderful, congratulations!” the woman exclaimed, her face lighting up with happiness for them. “And is this your first day here or will you be going home soon?”

“We've still got nearly a week,” Tracy replied blissfully. “ We had such a lovely wedding day, even if it was raining. We enjoyed every minute of it, didn't we, Gary?”

“Yes, my love,” he said, not remembering his wedding day through the same pair of rose coloured spectacles that Tracy was wearing. “ It was a very nice day.”

“So, where are you staying?”

“At the Hotel Valia. We've a lovely room there with a balcony facing the sea. It's near a lift, so there is quite a bit of noise until the hotel settles down for the night, but we don't really notice it, do we,

Gary?”

“Well, Gary…it is Gary, isn't it? Only I couldn't help but hear your new wife calling you that. My name's Janice, by the way. I stopped to have a chat because I said to myself, “they look a lovely couple.” I'm giving out scratch cards to people like yourself to win fabulous prizes. All you have to do is scratch over these pictures of coins with a peseta and if you are one of the lucky ones, you can win something really worth having. I haven't had anyone win this morning, so maybe with you still basking in the rosy glow of your honeymoon, it could be you who is my first big winner of the day.”

“Oh, I don't think so, Tracy needs to get to a chemist because her shoes are rubbing.”

“Gary, don't be silly,” cried Tracy. “ We could have won something. Here give me that peseta that you're holding, Janice and I'll do it for him.”

The first and second squares revealed nothing but a blank piece of silver paper, but the third square revealed a picture of a wad of bank notes, that Janice excitedly told them meant they had won fifty pounds!

“I must call the others,” she shouted, waving over to three women and one man who were positioned at intervals along the promenade. “ Look we've got a winner, come and see, they've won fifty pounds!”

The other promoters came running over, slapped the couple on the back and said how envious they were of their good fortune. Tracy couldn't help but laugh and laugh excitedly, as she had never won anything before.

“But where do we collect our fifty pounds?” asked Gary, as he surfaced to normality before his wife did.

“Oh, that's easy, you come with me,” said Janice, “ and I'm sure Tracy would welcome a sit down.”

***

“Let's have a walk to the harbour this morning,” said Greg, as the family finished breakfast and were wondering what to do with their day.

“It will have to be a slow amble,” Kate replied. “ That sleeping pill knocked me out good and proper last night and I'm still feeling dopey.”

“Feeling dopey,” mimicked Sonya, tittering at her mother's choice of words.

“Don't be childish, Sonya,” she replied, frowning. “ You're putting yourself on Evan's level and he's only three.”

“Sorry, Mum, yes, Dad, I fancy a walk this morning and I'm sure Evan would be happy to have a look at the little boats. Perhaps we could stop at the children's play area on the way, but we'll have to keep an eye out for the pirates as well.”

“Pirates, Mummy?” Evan queried, wide eyed.

“Yes, Evan, one's called Brenda and the other one's called Stan and if we see them we must run away very quickly.”

“Mummy,” said Evan looking puzzled. “I thought pirates were called Captain Hook and Snee, that's what they are called in the Peter Pan story?”

“Oh, aren't you clever remembering that Evan?”, said Kate. “ Come here and give me a kiss.”

“We'll take his push chair,” said Greg. “ We don't want a repeat of yesterday's fiasco.”

“Cheryl said good morning to me, as we passed in the foyer on the way to breakfast,” said Sonya, “I was really surprised, I thought she would blank me and only say hello to you two.”

***

“Oh, Gary, wasn't that apartment they showed us just perfect?” said Tracy excitedly, as she and her husband settled down in the taxi, which the promotions company had called to take them back to the Hotel Valia. “ And look at all this money they gave us, just because we went to have a look at their new apart-hotel”

“But Tracy, don't you think we were just a bit hasty signing that contract they gave us? I mean three thousand pounds is a lot of money to put on your credit card. I thought we were going to use our wedding money to buy some more furniture and you said we were going to change the car later on.”

“Yes, I know that, Gary,” said Tracy, giving him a frosty look. “ But now we're guaranteed to stay for two weeks every year, in a three bedroom apartment looking over the sea.”

“The man didn't actually say that we'd be staying in that apartment, Darling. He said we would have the equivalent. In fact the apartment might not even be in this country. He said it was all down to availability and how much share we had bought.”

“Oh, stop being a spoilsport, Gary, you burst my bubbles at every bloody opportunity. Whose money is it anyway? I'm the one who earns the most between us. My job is far better paid than yours, with me being a supervisor and you only driving a van.”

“Well, I'm just advising caution that's all. I think that when we get back to our hotel we should go through the contract with a fine tooth comb.”

“Please your bloody self then, Gary. If you don't want to come on my timeshare, I'll damn well take my Mum.”

***

“Look Mavis, there's Andreas, I wonder if he will remember us from last time?”

Fred and Mavis had wandered along to the sea front hotel, let themselves in through the rear gate that opened onto extensive landscaped gardens and followed the winding path that lead to the dining room doors.

Andreas, the maitre d' of the Antilla did indeed remember them, though it wasn't for the tip that Fred had left him on departure. It was because he moaned every time another guest took his precious window seat in the restaurant.

“Welcome Senor, Senora,” he said, when he saw them, hoping that he could understand the man's accent as he had great difficulty last time. “ For how long you stay in our establishment?”

“Oh no, Andreas we're not staying at your hotel,” said Fred, trying to think of a convincing story that wouldn't lose him face. “ We couldn't get into this hotel when we tried to book, something about the flight being full, so we couldn't have our first choice. We're at the Hotel Valia. Not a grand place like yours is, but it'll do fer us fer now. No, we're here to see if we could make a reservation at Reception, for four of us to come here again in October. You remember George and Ethel, well they couldn't come with us this time? It's George's chest, yer know. We thought if we can get in, we'll book the flights ourselves from Manchester. Probably cost us a bob or two extra but it'll be worth it in long run.”