Everything to Nothing (24 page)

‘You see, water
is water. It comes out of the tap. It doesn’t matter which tap,
it’s all the same pipes.’

‘I agree with
you, but you misunderstand me. When I say toilet water, I mean
toilet water. She scooped the water out of the bowl of the
toilet!’

‘Oh my word!
That’s hilarious!’

‘I’m glad you
think so!’

Sally laughed
and laughed for a quite a while during which David stood next to
her car shuffling his feet and looking awkward. ‘I’m sorry, I
shouldn’t laugh, but she sounds like quite a woman!’

‘She is. She’s
tough as old boots and considering she’s nearly eighty her mind is
razor sharp, never misses a trick.’

‘I’d like to
meet her one day.’

‘You’ll see her
on Wednesday.’

‘Will I?
Meeting the folks already? Next you’ll be offering my dad a
dowry!’

He blushed
again. ‘Sorry if it makes you feel awkward, but there is no chance
you’ll be able to drive away without meeting her, sorry. She’ll
know I’m going on a date…’

‘Don’t tell
her?’

‘No, she will
know. You don’t understand her; she’s got a sixth sense!’

She chuckled
again. ‘Right, okay, in that case I’ll be honoured to meet
her.’

‘Well, if you
don’t want to I can pick you up. What’s your address?’

‘No honestly,
it’s fine. I don’t mind. Pick you up at eight?’

‘Yeah, that’s
cool. I’ll look forward to it.’

‘Me too David.
Look in all seriousness, I really appreciate what you’ve done for
me. Friday night must have been as scary for you as me and as for
the work you’ve done on my car, it is just fantastic!’

‘It’s fine
Sally. I enjoyed it. I love working on cars, especially a classic
like yours.’

‘Yeah, she’s
great. Thank you again.’

‘No probs.’

‘Eight then?
Your address is…’ At that moment a truck took a wrong turning into
the garage and turned round. David leaned closer, into the car as
Sally confirmed the address with him. ‘Oh, I think I said that
you’re going to surprise me. As a final condition I’m going to
surprise you.’

‘Okay. It’s
clear that if this relationship develops I’m not going to be
wearing the trousers!’ David replied.

‘Sorry, I can
be a little bossy. If it’s okay with you, put something smart on.
I’m talking trousers, shirt, jacket, shoes and no denim, and I’ll
surprise you. Sound good?’

‘Yep, sounds
great.’

‘See you
Wednesday then.’

‘Definitely.
Bye.’

He was still
leaning into the car slightly and Sally moved up to him and gave
him a light peck on his lips. ‘See you honey,’ said Sally.

‘Bye.’

David took a
step away from the car and she slowly edged away. He watched her
drive slowly across the yard and turn onto the road. As she turned
and went out of view, he touched his lips where she had kissed him.
‘Trousers and a shirt?’ He muttered out loud. ‘Trousers and a
shirt? Looks like I’m going shopping!’

*

As soon as the
garage was out of sight, Sally floored the accelerator and sped off
back towards her home. She was hoping that she would be able to go
out for a ride that afternoon with her father but she did not get
her hopes up. What she did not know was that he had solved the
problems that had occurred the previous morning with the
acquisition and he was in fact waiting for the return of his
daughter.

As she sped up
the drive she slowed down because she was very pleased to see her
father out on the front lawn partaking in one of his hobbies,
flying model airplanes, which he rarely got chance to do. There
were two planes parked at his feet and as she drove along the drive
up to him she heard, but could not see, the whine of the plane he
was currently flying. She looked in her rear view mirror just in
time to catch sight of the plane as it dipped into a sharp turn
then he lined it up directly with the back of her car. Sally heard
the pitch of the engine increase and saw the plane spurt forwards
and rapidly approach her car.

They had not
played this game for many months but she knew that this was a
direct challenge for a race, or to be more precise, a game of tag.
All she needed to do was avoid the touch of the plane for five
minutes and she would get a prize, probably a piece of highly
expensive jewellery. It was rare that she won, avoiding the plane
took all her driving skills, but when she did win the prize was
always very worth the effort. The only rule for her father was to
tap the car with the plane without damaging the plane.

She knew her
father would have already started timing her, so without warning
she slammed on the Mini’s brakes and the plane shot like a rocket
towards the rear window of the now stationary car. Her father had
been expecting a manoeuvre of some kind so he was able to react
quickly and put the plane into a steep climb then he looped the
plane back towards the rear of Sally’s car. In the meantime, Sally
had again floored the accelerator of the car and sped along the
drive. She flashed past her father and she cheekily waved at him
and stuck her tongue out to which he gave a little chuckle.

Now the plane
was chasing her again and quickly gaining on her as the old Mini
was revved hard and fast up through the gears. Sally heard the
engine of the plane whine even louder and she knew that she was not
going to outstrip it in a drag race, not in this car anyway. With a
light touch of the handbrake and a light touch of the steering
wheel she spun the car onto the lawn in a perfectly executed U-turn
and sped back towards her father.

The plane
banked over to resume its chase but instead of coming directly at
Sally’s car he took it high hoping to approach her car with a
little more stealth. As Sally sped towards her father she looked
ahead and saw the ground dip in front of her. The land there held
the water and she knew that today, after all the rain of recent
times, it would be like a marsh. Quickly spinning the wheel away
from the dip she sped back towards the driveway, but instead of
going back along the drive she intersected it at ninety degrees and
carried on sprinting across the lawn. All of a sudden she heard the
engine increase in pitch again but she was totally unsighted, not
knowing from which direction the plane was coming from. All she
could do was listen as the engine noise increased in volume, and
when she thought the time was right, she spun the wheel and then
quickly the other way aiming to spin the car and lose the
plane.

Although this
was an action she had performed many times on the race tracks, she
totally misjudged the slippyness of the grass. The car spun fine
the first time, but she had not planned on the second, third and
fourth spins.

The tyres lost
all friction with the grass and the car spun round and round until
eventually coming to a halt in the middle of the large expanse of
grass. Somehow she had managed to keep the engine running by
dropping the clutch as the vehicle spun, and she could hear that
the plane was very close, yet she hoped that her erratic,
unpredictable driving had shaken it off. But just as she was
accelerating again she heard a light bump on the roof of her car
and the plane shot past her with a dip of its wings. She had lost
the game of tag.

She trundled at
a more sedate pace back to where he was stood and she watched as he
expertly landed the plane. It taxied over to him and he reached
down to the roof of the plane, which was at knee height, and
switched it off. Just as she was stopping, he collapsed the aerial
of the radio controller and then he walked over to her door. He
opened it her for her and as she exited he took her hand and then
gave her a light kiss on each cheek.

‘If I was in
the Lotus I would have beaten you!’

‘I’m sure you
would have angel.’

‘I made it too
easy for you that time.’

‘I disagree. I
was expecting some kind of aggressive action but I have to say that
the numerous pirouettes caught me unawares and have left an
intriguing pattern on the lawn which I’m sure I will be hearing
about tomorrow from the Head Gardener!’

Sally chuckled
and hugged her father. ‘I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself for
once. You’ve had a busy few months.’

‘You’re right,
I have. I’m getting too old for this.’

‘Rubbish dad!
You’ll never retire and you know it.’

‘Well, I may
take my foot off the gas a little in a year or so.’

‘Hmmm, I’m not
so sure.’

‘Want a ride
back?’

‘You know
something darling, I don’t. Leave the Mini here and I’ll leave the
planes here and we’ll send someone out to get them. No, we are
going to walk back to the house.’

‘It’s a mile
daddy. Are you sure? When was the last time you walked anywhere?
You’ll be out of breath after a hundred yards!’

‘Cheeky little
thing! I’m fit as a fiddle! No, we’ll walk. What’s more, get your
phone out.’

‘My phone?
Why?’

‘Get it out and
give it to me.’

‘Okay dad.’
Sally reached back into her car and retrieved her mobile then
placed it into her father’s hand. It made a beeping sound as he
turned it off.

‘Now for mine.’
He turned his own phone off and then threw them back into the Mini
and closed the door.

‘Daddy, what if
someone needs you? You can’t do that!’

‘If someone
needs me they are going to have to cope for an hour while I walk
with my lovely daughter. I’m thinking of changing my regime a
little Sally, which will involve spending more time with you and
passing a little bit more responsibility to my subordinates. But,
after yesterday’s fiasco, I’m wondering whether that is a good
idea. Never mind. For now they’ll have to cope. Onwards and
homeward!’

They started to
walk back towards the house, Sally linking her father’s arm, but he
made them walk in a circular route, spending as much time as
possible walking towards the mansion.

‘Yesterday, at
breakfast, you started to tell me something. I’m really sorry I ran
out on you like that. But, well, you know what it’s like.’

‘It’s okay
daddy, I understand and what I wanted to talk to you about doesn’t
matter now. I’ve fixed it.’

‘Ah, okay. Good
girl. How’s everything else? Not got a new boyfriend to introduce
me to?’

‘I’ve had a
couple since we last spoke properly. I’m sorry I don’t introduce
you to them, but you know I don’t like them knowing how rich we
are.’

‘You should be
proud of it Sally. I’ve worked very hard to get us into this
situation.’

‘Dad, you
misunderstand me. I am proud of it. I am the proudest daughter in
the whole world. I know how hard you’ve worked, and what you’ve
sacrificed. It is not that I am ashamed to be this well off, far
from it. It is just that, well, you know, money attracts the wrong
kind of people. I don’t want guys to date me just because of how
rich we are. I want them to get to know me and fall for me not my
bank balance.’

‘But this is
you. Your bank balance is you. You can’t hide away from it. I’ve
done that, I’ve told people I am not who I am, hid it from them,
but I’ve never met anyone who has not held it against me afterwards
when they find out who I am.’

‘I know that,
but how am I meant to tell whether a guy likes me or my money?’

He mulled this
over for a few moments. ‘I suppose you can’t.’

‘Exactly dad,
exactly. So I’d prefer them to like me for what I am not for what
my bank balance is. And then, when I feel that the time is right, I
will tell them. Then, if they can’t handle it, they would obviously
not be the right person for me.’

‘Risky strategy
Sally, risky. I’ve never met anyone who can handle it.’

‘Well, we’ll
see. This is the way I want to try it for now.’

‘Okay. Your
choice angel.’

Sally nodded in
agreement and they walked in silence for a while, skirting the
lake. His wife’s, and her mother’s island, was visible through the
mist that seemed to always hover over the lake. They paused briefly
and stared across the still water to the island.

If one was to
cross the water in the small boat which was in the boat-house that
was a short walk from where they now stood, one would see a small
beach. From the top of this small strip of sand there was a narrow
path that ran through large, over-hanging trees to the centre of
the island. Here there was a clearing in the trees. Within this
clearing was a large marble tomb, which was frequently visited by
Sally or her father, sometimes other relations and friends, and the
small shrine outside the tomb always had fresh flowers. Here, in
this shrine, was a small kneeling bench, a cross, and on the back
wall a mosaic of small tiles that created a stunning image of
Sally’s mother that seemed to shine when the sun was at the right
angle to cast its rays upon her face.

‘Do you miss
her daddy?’

‘Of course I do
angel. Every second of every minute of every day.’

‘It has been a
while now. Have you, well, have you never considered, well, you
know…’

‘Finding
someone else?’

‘Yes.’

‘I have thought
about it. Some companionship would be good, especially as I get
older. I loved her with all my heart, and she loved me more than I
could ever possibly love her back. She was an amazing woman Sally.
I, we, you and I, would definitely, one hundred percent, not be
where we are today if it was not for her unwavering support in the
early days of building my business. Yes, I miss her like crazy, and
that is why there is no way I could ever love another. I’ll be
honest with you as I hope you’ll be honest with me in the future;
there have been other women since she left us. I’m a man Sally, a
more mature man but I still get natural urges. I tried to resist
them at first but my physical body overcame my weaker mind and I’ve
taken women to my bed, but never once have I ever loved them, never
once have I thought I would like to make one of those women my
wife. I don’t know why I tell you this now, I really don’t, but I
hope you understand what I’ve said.’