by Millie Gray
‘Robin,’ Hannah interjected, ‘listen to this. Ellen can’t go on the cruise around the Canaries because she will be in plaster—’
‘Which is all thanks to her getting plastered on a Marks night out!’ sniped Freda.
‘And,’ Hannah continued, ignoring Freda’s gripe, ‘Freda, here, says that means she can’t go either.’
‘Well, wouldn’t it be stupid for me to go?’ Freda replied. ‘I mean, the only reason I was going on the cruise in the first place was because my mum did not wish to go on her own!’
Hannah shrugged.
Robin turned to Freda. ‘Know something, love? I think you should go. Here, Hannah, would you like to go with her?’
‘I would be delighted to but as I have just started my new job as the principal admin and personnel officer in building control, I’m afraid I can’t.’
Before anything further could be said, Jackie and Harry came bounding into the room. ‘Mum,’ Harry wheedled, edging closer to Freda, ‘have you thought any more about the puppy?’
‘What puppy?’
‘Last week, when Bugs went to be with his mother in heaven, you said that as rabbits don’t live that long and I cry when they die, I would be better off getting a puppy dog.’
Freda was about to protest when Jackie said, ‘Yes, you did say that, Mum. And Daddy, didn’t she promise that she would think about getting him a Labrador?’
‘A Labrador?’ shrieked Freda. ‘Within months it would be pulling Harry off his feet.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Robin responded. ‘They say that Labradors are good-natured dogs and very good with children.’
‘I think I will go back to bed and try getting out on the other side to see if this day could go a bit better!’ Freda cried.
Robin laughed. ‘Look, love, you go on the cruise and I’ll see about getting a Labrador puppy for Harry.’
‘No. There will be no dog in this house right now.’
‘But Mum . . .’ whimpered Harry.
‘Harry, please try to understand that you are too young to take on the responsibility of a dog,’ Freda said gently but firmly.
‘But I have experience! I chum old Mrs Sloan when she is out walking her dog.’
‘Yes, dear, but Mrs Sloan’s dog is a Chihuahua, and when he gets tired she lifts him up and puts him in her handbag. Now, think, Harry, what would you do with a Labrador if it needed help?’
Harry looked at Robin, his eyes imploring him to help.
‘Remember, Dad,’ Jackie, who knew that Robin would not break Harry’s heart and therefore a dog would be joining the family in the near future, butted in, ‘I like brown Labs the best.’
‘It’s not going to be your dog, it is going to be mine and I like . . . I like . . . ’ Harry stalled as Jackie was scowling at him. ‘I like the bla—’ He broke off as Jackie threw him a further glower. He bowed his head in resignation. ‘I like the brown ones too.’
Raising her voice several octaves, Freda chanted, ‘Jackie, it will be Harry’s dog and therefore he will choose the colour he wishes it to be, and so it can be golden, black, brown or even tartan – I don’t care, as long as he is happy with it! And, again, must I remind you to allow Harry to think for himself?’
Jackie’s response was to toss her hair and hunch her shoulders. Harry, on the other hand, bounded towards his mother. Throwing himself at her, he stammered, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you, Mummy, I will love you and the puppy dog forever!’
As it dawned on her that she had just agreed to Harry getting a dog, Freda looked over to Robin in the hope he would overrule her, but his face was a picture of merriment.
Robin spluttered with laughter. ‘Walked yourself right into that one didn’t you, sweetheart?’ When his laughter subsided, he looked directly at her. ‘Now, about your cruise on the Black Prince . . .’
Freda stared long and hard at him. She knew that he was feeling guilty because last year he and Billy had managed to spend two weeks sunning themselves on the Costa Brava, which costa plenty! Then even more money had been splashed out in March earlier that year on a ten-day Fred Olsen cruise around the Canary Islands. By the time Robin returned home, he had fallen in love with cruising and the Canaries and he insisted on booking Freda and her mother onto a similar cruise in October. The small ship, he assured them, had an intimate feel to it and would in no way overwhelm them. He was also anxious to point out that it was renowned for its friendliness, and the food was excellent and would appeal to their Scottish palates. He just knew that they would fall in love with the ports of call – he was willing to bet that they would wish to stay on longer at Madeira. Freda had been reluctant to even consider going on holiday without the children, but when Robin told Ellen of his plan she was delighted. Oh yes, she just couldn’t wait to go, especially since Robin would be footing the bill! The following day she had floated in to M&S to tell all her workmates that she was going on a cruise. Not wishing to disappoint her mother, Freda had then grudgingly conceded. And now here they were, just four days before their departure day, and Ellen had managed to book herself into the Royal Infirmary.
If she was being truthful, Freda did think that she could benefit from a holiday, especially as she would soon be left to run the Elm Row salon singlehandedly when Robin opened up his dream designer hair studio uptown . . . but was it realistic to be going on a cruise right now?
‘Robin, dear,’ she began, ‘I think we have to accept that my going on this cruise alone would be sheer lunacy! I know we will not be covered by the insurance for my cancellation, but we will get my mother’s expenditure back.’ Then, to try and get him to accede, she wheedled, ‘You have committed yourself to opening up this exclusive shop on the lower part of Frederick Street . . . Now, before you start, I know that we make a very comfortable living from the Elm Row shop, but where will all the money be coming from to finance this extravagant adventure of yours on Frederick Street?’
‘No problem. The bank is going to roll us, because they can see that we are more than good at making a go of things.’
‘That’s what I mean! Wouldn’t it be more prudent to use my mum’s refund from the cruise to help finance the shop, and take a smaller, more manageable loan from the bank?’
Robin was now chortling. To the delight of the children, he grabbed Freda and began to dance her around the room. ‘I have it all under control and I have worked everything out. Come on now! Do you really think that I would put the well-being of you or the children in jeopardy for a new venture? Look, as Billy says—’
Freda managed to get herself free before she spat, ‘I should have known that Saint Billy would have something to do with all this.’
‘Yeah, it was Billy who said we should be expanding because we are meeting a market need! People have more money now to spend on themselves. They want to look good, and we are going to give them what they want! This is just the beginning. When our kids are ready for the big bad world, they will be able to come into a business that you and I have built up. Freda,’ he enthused, ‘can’t you see that we will have set them up for life?’
Before Freda could argue, her brother, Stuart, arrived.
‘I’ve just been to the Infirmary to see Mum,’ he said as he came through the door. ‘She’s gutted that she won’t get to go on the cruise with you. But she did ask if you could arrange for her to get a refund. She and one of her workmates want to go to Benidorm on the Costa Blanca. Apparently, her and this Anne-somebody are planning to spend a week there in a first-class hotel next May, and the refund will more than cover the expense for both of them.’
Freda just gaped. Robin was biting his lip in an effort not to laugh out loud.
Eventually Freda, still looking as if she had been hit by a ten-ton truck, said, ‘Know something? Mugsy here is going to go on that cruise, and I intend to have one whale of a time!’
‘Good for you,’ Robin replied. ‘Now, don’t forget that you have three days booked at a five-star hotel in Tenerife before you board
the ship . . . ’
*
Robin had just enough time to drop Freda off at Glasgow airport before he had to head home. The turnaround was quick because Freda had insisted that he was on hand when the children returned from school, so he had to hurry off to get back in time. However, this meant that Freda, who had never been outside Scotland before, had to get herself through check-in and passport control independently.
Although she always gave the air of being completely in control, Freda suffered from an inferiority complex. She also found it difficult to be in environments where there was not a single face that she was familiar with. This feeling of unease turned to panic if a strange man came towards her, and she lost control completely if he blocked her view.
She was aware that the time had come to face her demons. She could still feel the thrill she had experienced upon opening up the official envelope and removing her precious passport from it. It had signalled to her that she was starting a new phase in her life. It would, she hoped, open up new avenues for her – and for the children, because if she managed the holiday she was now embarking on, then it was her intention to arrange a sunshine holiday in Spain next year for herself, the children and her ever-faithful Hannah.
Once all the official procedures were behind her, she located the departure lounge. She was sitting enjoying a cup of coffee when a little girl, who she judged to be about five, sidled up to her.
‘Are you just with you?’ the little girl asked.
Freda smiled. ‘I suppose I am.’
‘Did you not even bring your teddy?’
‘No. You see, I haven’t got a teddy, but my little boy, Harry, does.’
Before the child could respond, a tall, charming man arrived on the scene. ‘Jodie, did I not tell you not to wander off?’
‘I didn’t wander off. I just came here to say hello to the lady and ask her if she needed a friend.’
The man frowned. ‘Sorry if Jodie bothered you,’ he said to Freda.
‘She was no bother! I have a son and daughter just a wee bit older than her.’
‘They are not travelling with you?’
‘No. Everyone at home thought that I was in need of a break, so here I am going off on holiday.’
Before he could reply, the overhead Tannoy system announced that the Tenerife flight was now boarding. Putting her half-drunk coffee down, Freda got up and smiled. ‘That’s my flight, so I must go.’
‘No rush. We are travelling on the same flight.’ The man now looked down at Jodie. ‘Aren’t we?’ He turned back to Freda. ‘Eh, I didn’t catch your name.’
‘Freda, Freda Dalgleish.’
‘Tommy, Tommy Winter,’ he replied, offering her his hand. ‘Now, Freda, as Jodie and I travel back and forth from Tenerife at least four times a year, we know that there is a big rush for the departure gates. But, if you don’t wish to be crushed in the stampede, just hold back.’ Freda frowned and he continued, ‘Honestly! As your seat is already booked, you will find that it is still vacant when you get on board.’
‘Thank you for saying that.’ Freda paused. She didn’t wish to seem like a lonely, lost soul, so she smiled brightly and quipped, ‘This is my first trip on my own, but I am a quick learner!’
Tommy smiled. ‘Then sit back down and finish your coffee. I will signal to you when it’s time to get moving.’
They were the last to get on the bus that taxied them to the aeroplane. When they alighted, Tommy pulled Freda back as the crowd surged forward and stormed towards the steps of the plane.
Once they were aboard, she could see that he was right. Her seat A in row 2 was still vacant, as were seats B and C. She got herself seated and had just obeyed the instruction to fasten her seat belt when she was pleasantly surprised to find that her travelling companions were Tommy and his daughter, Jodie. A smile crossed Freda’s face as Tommy took his time to see that Jodie was strapped into her seat before he sat down and fastened his own seat belt.
Within ten minutes they were air-bound and the ‘Trolley Dollies’ had started their rounds, offering drinks and, a little later, providing a meal – well, if you could call the dried-up chicken and the sorrowful pudding dish edible.
Before the attendants had gathered up the refuse, Jodie fell asleep.
‘Does she often just drop off so early in the day?’ Freda asked Tommy.
‘No, but we had an early start, you see. My home is halfway between Inverness and Aberdeen, but Glasgow has the most flights to the Canaries.’
‘And you travel four times a year?’
He seemed to hesitate before replying, ‘Yes, I know that it is time-consuming, but Jodie’s mother and I are divorced and she now resides in Tenerife with the new man in her life. I think – no, I know – that it is important that I spend as much time with my daughter as I can.’
‘I’m sorry about your divorce.’
‘No need to be. It was best for both of us. We had married young – too young! – and five years later we discovered that we had nothing left in common, so we called it a day and moved on.’
‘So you will be flying back to Glasgow tomorrow?’
‘Usually I return the next day, but this time I have booked myself onto a Black Prince cruise which will eventually land me back in the good old UK!’
Freda couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘Know something, I think we are on the same cruise! Although I am spending three nights in a five-star hotel at the Playa de las Americas before I board.’
It was now Tommy’s turn to chortle. He winked at Freda and said, ‘Snap.’
*
The following morning, after breakfast, Freda decided that she would just laze around the pool. However, when she arrived to get herself positioned on a sunlounger, she discovered that they were all covered with towels, as were the plastic chairs and small tables. She squinted at a notice that stated in three different languages, including English, that you should not reserve a sunlounger unless you were ready to use it. Freda was coming to the conclusion that the hotel guests – the majority of whom were of German nationality – were all illiterate, when a voice behind her said, ‘Now, Freda, if you were thinking of doing a bit of sunbathing, you should have been up at five o’clock this morning to put your mandatory booking-towel on a bed.’
‘Are you allowed to remove someone’s towel if they are not here?’ she queried.
‘You could, but as we are still recovering from World War II, it is not advisable to annoy our fellow German residents.’
Freda shrugged.
‘But how does this sound?’ Tommy continued, as Freda raised her eyebrows in expectation. ‘I’ve hired a car, so let’s go sightseeing!’
Freda gulped. Terror, her old enemy, boiled up inside her, reminding her that Tommy was a man that she didn’t really know. ‘And what if he tries to . . . ?’ she silently screamed, breathing deeply.
Tommy sensed that she was ill at ease with his proposal. Sniffing and raising two fingers of his right hand to his forehead in a mock Boy Scout’s salute, he chanted, ‘I promise to be a good boy and nothing but a good boy, if you will only say “yes” and come with me. I also promise to get you back in time to do battle in the restaurant with our German friends, who seem to think that they are entitled to six sirloin steaks from the buffet table whilst we are entitled to none.’
Freda looked at him and as her countenance softened, Tommy knew that he had won her over.
Truthfully, Freda was lonely, very lonely. She had never really been on her own before. Thankfully, Tommy was so charming that the thought of spending the day being entertained by him was very inviting – although a quiet voice of caution inside her kept saying “be careful, be careful”. However, she decided to throw caution to the wind and happily climbed into his car.
The next three days seemed to whizz past. Tommy took her to places she had never been, nor seen anything like before. He paid close attention to her needs and was ever so patient with her. He made her think of her father, as he was the first
man since her beloved dad to take her on adventures and show her something of the world. It was true, her dad had not actually taken her to see the sights and wonders that Tommy did, but through his magical storytelling he had taken her into the magical land of make-believe.
On the day they were to join the Black Prince cruise ship, Freda was so eager to get on board that she was showered, dressed and packed well before necessary.
After breakfast she sat in the foyer, as eager as a child waiting for Santa Claus. Her dancing eyes were sparkling like diamonds and her tongue kept licking her lips.
Tommy’s voice brought her out of her excited reverie. ‘Are you going to fly by yourself to the ship, Freda, or do you think you could come back down to earth and travel on the bus with myself and a few others?’
Rubbing the fingers of her hands together, Freda quietly squealed, ‘Tommy, I am just so excited! I’ve never been sailing before . . . To be truthful, I have never been on a holiday like this. I wish Hannah, my best friend, could have been here with me. She deserves a treat like this.’
The bus arrived and the staff loaded the luggage into its boot. Freda sighed with relief. She had been told that she did not have to worry about her luggage as she would not see it again until it was brought to her cabin.
Freda would think back many times to what happened next. When they boarded the bus, they discovered that there were passengers from another hotel already on board. Thinking that Tommy would wish to sit with her, Freda walked halfway up the bus to a vacant double seat. Whilst she was making her way up the aisle, she became aware of a rather attractive, overly made-up, mature woman, who she reckoned was probably fifteen years older than her. She smiled, noting how the woman’s stance seemed to say ‘this is my space, do not intrude’. To make sure that no one would dare to sit down beside her, the woman had occupied the inside seat and placed her rather large handbag on the outside seat. Freda had still not yet settled herself down when she saw Tommy get on board. She waved to him and smiled. However, the smile died on her face when he merely saluted to her in acknowledgement, turning instead to the older lady. Lifting up the lady’s handbag, he not only sat himself down beside her but also leaned over and gave her a long, passionate kiss.