The Fat And The Thin Of It

by Julie Croft

cheri!” Ahmed laughed.

  Once the ladies were aboard and settled with some tea, Ahmed placed the folder on the table in front of Jackie. “There, my dear. All done and polished.”

  Jackie stopped in mid-sip as she stared at the folder. “Dusted, Ahmed; all done and dusted.” She said in a low voice.

  So, Bob had got the paperwork done. She had her ten thousand a month, all being passed to their now dual account and the bills stood as they were. Jackie didn’t understand how Bob had got it done in twenty-four hours, but there it was, in front of her, all done and dusted. There was also the fact that, because of the speed Bob had actually got all this done, it implied that he must be in the same hurry to get rid of her and get their separation all done and dusted.

  Jackie didn’t know why, but there was no feeling of triumph because she’d got what she wanted and now she could be rid of this Bob. She felt quite sad, in fact, as it meant that their union was over in every way except divorce, with whichever Bob it was. She was independent for the first time in twenty-four years and she could do as she pleased with more money a month than she’d ever handled in a year. It was also quite scary, this knowledge of having complete responsibility over the house and being completely alone in tending to her children, Mark especially. There was also the slight emotion of mourning, in a way. It was as if Bob had died, which he had, really; her Bob had died the moment she’d seen him on this island. Even if he was still alive in the flesh, he was dead in spirit for her. No more pork roasts, no more waiting at the airport, no more phone calls… she was well and truly alone. More of a melancholic widow than a merry one, but still… she’d make the best of it, as she always had.

  “How was he, Ahmed?” Jackie asked. She wanted to know if he’d asked for her, probably shed a tear or something: anything to show he felt just a little of what she was feeling.

  Ahmed hesitated for a moment, as his answer could not betray the fact that he knew Bob. “Well, he was subdued but amenable, little one.” Ahmed chuckled and spread his hands with a shrug. “I cannot say more.”

  Jill spotted the beginning of a tear in Jackie’s eye and she patted the back of Jackie’s hand. “Hey, stop it now. It’s over. Onward and upward from now on, okay?”

  Jackie turned to Jill and grabbed her hand. She tried to smile but her face scrunched up instead and tears welled in her eyes. She cried silently, her shoulders trembling, and Jill pulled her chair closer to hers and cuddled her, cooing and stroking her hair. “Alright, love. Get it out of your system… there, there, you have a good cry.”

  Ahmed beckoned to Chantal and she obediently rose, and the two left the women alone.

  When Jackie had gathered herself together and was able to speak, she whined, “I want to go home, Jill! Now! I don’t want to stay here any longer!”

  Jill continued to stroke Jackie’s hair. “Sweetheart, we can’t leave till Sunday evening, you know that.”

  “We can!” Jackie pulled away and looked at Jill with wide, child-like eyes. “We can book another flight and leave today!”

  Jill gently grabbed Jackie’s wrists. “Look, love. We can find something to do tomorrow to take your mind off things.” She suggested. “We could see if there are any tours! How would you like that?” she felt as if she was cajoling an infant out of a wobbly.

  But Jackie did not want to be cajoled. She wasn’t sure what she felt – anxiety, anger, fear, or all three – but she definitely did not like the idea of being so close to Bob. If Bob wanted her out of the way, then she’d go. Bob had taken only twenty-four hours to get twenty-four years out of the way, so she wanted to take only twenty-four minutes to put as much ground between them as she could.

  “No! I want to leave today! I don’t care what it costs, but I want to leave today!” her voice had risen from a whine to a yell on the verge of hysteria.

  Ahmed approached the women in a trot with a worried look on his face. “Is everything alright?” he asked a little breathlessly as he wasn’t used to such exertion. “Jackie! Please, little one, don’t be so unhappy!”

  Jackie pushed Jill off her and got up. “Ahmed! I’m sorry because you’ve been so kind and everything, but I have to go home!” she rushed up to him and grabbed his polo shirt, gave him a kiss on the cheek and grabbed her bags and handbag. “Jill, you come with me now or you can stay here. I’m off!” and with that said, she dashed for the gangway.

  “Please, Jackie! Little one!” Ahmed hastily followed and took hold of her elbow. “Perhaps I can arrange something for you.” He turned her round to face him. “If you wish to leave, then I will contact my pilot and have him arrange things at the airport.”

  Jackie wasn’t really listening, but she did hear the word ‘pilot’, which meant ‘plane’. “What can he do? Can he try to change our tickets?”

  Ahmed smiled; she was such an innocent soul. “No, but I can tell him to ask for air space so he can take you and the lovely Jill home as soon as possible.”

  Jackie’s face was scrunched up with questioning. “I don’t get it, Ahmed.”

  Ahmed sighed and pulled her back to her chair. “I have a little plane at the airport. That’s how we got here. I will tell the pilot of that plane to arrange for you to leave today, if you wish.”

  Jill had understood, and she came to Ahmed’s assistance. “Love, Ahmed is offering his private plane to take us home.”

  By then Jackie had understood as well, and didn’t really like the condescending tone Jill and Ahmed were using to talk to her. “Alright, I get it! I’m not thick.” She shrugged haughtily and put her bags back onto the floor. “Thank you, Ahmed. I would love to leave today.”

  Ahmed bowed and trotted off to find his phone, but before he got below deck, he turned. “Would you like some refreshments?” he asked the two women.

  “No, thank you, Ahmed. Just the plane.” Jackie answered, and squared herself on her chair to wait for the plane, as if it was going to pull up on the quay alongside the vessel.

  Chantal appeared a few seconds later, carrying a glass of what looked like the same pink liquid of yesterday. “Papa will be unhappy if you leave today as he had booked some tables for dinner tonight.” She took a small, delicate sip. “However, I’m sure he understands your eagerness to go home.”

  Jackie didn’t move or answer. Instead, she kept her gaze firmly in front of her. She felt that if she tried to talk or move, she’d burst into tears again or run off, or both, and she’d made herself look enough of an idiot today as it was. Chantal leaned up against the wall, studying Jackie. “Why don’t you go and put on the new dress you bought? That’s what I do when I’m anxious about something.” She sipped again. “Fresh, new clothes symbolise a fresh, new start, don’t you think?”

  Jackie still didn’t bat an eyelid. Her hands were grasped across her stomach and her ankles crossed beneath her chair. Jill smiled awkwardly at Chantal, but she didn’t speak, either. Chantal shrugged and sauntered off down to the front of the vessel.

  “Fresh, new clothes!” Jackie huffed. “I doubt she knows how a bloody washing machine works, so she has to buy ‘fresh, new clothes’ every bloody day!”

  “Jackie, please!” Jill whispered. “She might hear you.”

  Jackie shrugged, and went back to waiting silently for her flight. Anyway, what she’d bought was for Chloe and Mark, as she hadn’t been able to find anything in her size.

  The two women sat in silence for about five minutes until Ahmed came back up on deck. “Malcolm has confirmed flight space for my plane at five twenty-five, if you wish to leave today.” He smiled expectantly at Jackie with a look that conflicted a little with his actions. He had fulfilled her desire to leave, but his look was imploring her to stay.

  “Really?” Jackie looked at her watch. “That’s only two hours from now! We have to pack, and passport control takes ages! We’ll never make it!” although she was already on her feet and making for the gangway.

  Ahmed clapped his hands, and the chauffeur climbed aboard to take her bags.
“Passport control will not be a problem, little one. If you can pack in half an hour, you will have enough time.”

  “Jill!” Jackie snapped. “Are you coming, or what?” she piled her bags into the arms of the chauffeur and put a hand on the rail of the gangway.

  Jill jumped up obediently. “Coming!” she called, but turned to Ahmed before following Jackie. Her friend was understandably strange at the moment, but she felt embarrassed by Jackie’s behaviour, nonetheless, being so snappy and in such a hurry to leave without so much as a thank you after everything Ahmed had done for them.

  “Ahmed, I don’t know…” she began, but Ahmed waved her to be quiet.

  “No, no, no, mademoiselle. You have no time. Please, follow Jackie and pack, and I shall be at the airport to see you leave safely.”

  Jill smiled awkwardly again and trotted down the gangway to the waiting car.

  Ahmed’s Bentley pulled into the airport with Jill and Jackie inside, feeling just a little frazzled. They’d literally thrown everything into their cases while the chauffeur told the receptionist that the two ladies were leaving early and to pass any extra bills to Ahmed. When they climbed into the back of the car again, they saw a neat little tray with a dish of chilling caviar, shelled lobster with sauce and an assortment of sushi. There was also a bottle of champagne to wash it down with, but Jackie sighed and