Life Begins at 40- Jersey Jaunt

by Bethan Lewis

  ‘Speaking of Lily. How come you came instead of her?’

  ‘Lily rang me in a panic, saying her train was delayed and she wouldn’t make it here on time. She didn’t want you getting off the plane and have no one here to greet you, so she asked if I would come meet you.’

  ‘She’s such a sweet girl. Thanks again I appreciate you giving up your time.’

  ‘Not like I have a job at the moment,’ Megan said as they exited the airport and hailed a taxi. ‘Although I had an interview the other day with Harvey’s, the law firm. It went well and I have been shortlisted. They said they would contact the successful candidates by Monday. They are still advertising a few vacancies, why don’t you apply?’

  Erin mulled the suggestion over, then shook her head. ‘No. I don’t want to do law anymore. I want to try something new, something different.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘I am not sure. There’re hundreds of jobs/careers out there, I am sure I will find something. I hope they offer you the job, I shall keep my fingers crossed for you.’

  The taxi pulled up outside Erin’s flat, and with Megan’s help she lugged the heavy suitcase up the flight of steps. She opened the front door and familiar smells wafted around her. Home sweet home. Leaving the case in the hallway she walked through the flat, opening windows to air the rooms which had stood empty for two weeks. In the kitchen a vase of fresh flowers had been left in the centre of the table next to a note reading ‘welcome home’. She opened the fridge and saw it was replenished with fresh milk and food. Erin smiled, her daughter was so loving and thoughtful.

  ‘You got time for another cup of tea?’ Erin asked.

  Megan looked at her watch, ‘Unfortunately I don’t. Peter will be home soon.’

  ‘Okay. Well thanks again for meeting me, and for listening,’ Erin said and hugged her friend.

  ‘No problem. I will call tomorrow, and we can arrange to do something. Bye.’

  Erin closed the door behind Megan and as she waited for the kettle to boil she reached for her phone.

  “Home safely wish you were here x.”

  As she hit the send button, the front door slammed.

  ‘Mum, are you home?’ Lily called out.

  ‘In the kitchen making a pot of tea. Do you want a cup?’

  ‘I would love one after the awful journey I just endured,’ Lily said as she ambled into the kitchen and embraced Erin. ‘I am relieved you are home. I was so worried about you. You messaged me a few times the first week, then the second week you went quiet.’

  ‘It is good to be home. I missed you loads. There was no need to worry, I was fine. I had a lovely time.’

  Lily poured boiling water into the mugs, stirred in the milk and handed one to Erin. They carried them through to the sitting room where Erin curled up in her favourite chair by the fireplace.

  ‘So tell me all about your trip? Did you take lots of pictures?’ Lily demanded.

  ‘I took loads of photos. They aren’t uploaded to the laptop yet, but you can look at them on my phone. Come sit by me, and I can show you.’

  As Erin reached for her phone, Lily squeezed in beside her and the familiar waft of Lily’s coconut shampoo and her sweet flowery perfume assaulted her nostrils.

  As she scrolled through the pictures she talked Lily through the holiday, explaining in detail about the different places she visited, the food she had eaten and the people she had met. She regaled her daughter with stories of her sun burn, how she lost her camera, the mugging and consequent court case. Lily doubled over, holding her stomach and laughed hysterically when Erin told her about getting lost in the lane and damaging the car.

  ‘It wasn’t funny at the time!’ Erin said defensively.

  ‘I bet. Poor you. Sounds like you had an eventful holiday instead of a relaxing…,’ Lily stopped abruptly and grabbed the phone from Erin’s hand. ‘Who is this man?’

  Damn! Erin had forgotten about the photos of Dan. She glanced sheepishly at the picture Lily was pointing to, it was one she had taken at the beach the night of the ghost hunt. They had snuggled up and Dan had taken a selfie of them as the sun rose. How was she supposed to explain Dan to Lily? It had only been a few weeks since she had split with Tim. Would Lily judge her and be angry? She had wanted a bit more time before telling the kids, but the cat was out of the bag now.

  ‘Um…his name is Daniel. I met him on the plane going out. Turns out, he was staying at the same hotel as me,’ Erin explained.

  ‘Go on,’ Lily crossed her arms and gave Erin one of her sternest looks.

  ‘I was ill on the flight over, and he is a doctor. He was the one who found me on the beach suffering from heat stroke, and he took care of me. We got to know each other, and went out together a couple of times.’

  Lily burst out laughing. ‘Your face,’ she cried. ‘Mum, stop worrying, you’re allowed to date other men. You are a grown woman who can do what you like, you are entitled to a life of your own. Marcus and I aren’t small kids anymore who need protecting.’

  ‘I know, but I only broke up with Tim a few weeks ago. I didn’t want you to think I was a loose woman.’

  ‘I could never think badly of you mum. All I want is for you to be happy.’ Lily glanced at the picture again. ‘This is a lovely photo. You look radiant and content. He’s quite handsome too…for an old guy.’ Lily ducked as Erin swung playfully at her. ‘So he’s a doctor, does this mean he is loaded and you never have to work again?’

  ‘No, I am not after his money. He is a wonderful man who has been through a lot of heartache in his life. He is kind and caring and dedicated to his job and patients.’

  ‘So when are you seeing him again? Does he live over here?’

  Erin sighed, ‘That’s the problem. He splits his time between London and Jersey. He will be over at the end of the month, but only for six weeks.’

  Lily put a comforting arm around Erin’s shoulder. ‘Time will fly by, and he will be here before you know it. Let me know when he arrives, so I can come and give him a grilling.’

  ‘Oh no you don’t. You and Marcus can meet him, but you are not to give him a hard time.’

  ‘I promise to be on my best behaviour. I am sure he is very nice, he can’t be any worse than Tim.’

  Erin laughed, ‘He is nothing like Tim. Let’s go make some supper, I am famished.’

  ‘Sounds good. Then later we can upload your photographs and I can help you sort out your blog.’

  Erin smiled, a quiet evening with her daughter was just what she needed to take her mind off Dan. ‘Or maybe not,’ she thought as her phone rang.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hi there,’ Dan’s deep voice came through clearly, as if he was standing in the kitchen with her.

  Covering the handset she whispered to Lily that she was going to take the call in her bedroom. Lily discreetly gave her space and continued cooking.

  ‘Your ears must have been burning. I was just talking about you,’ Erin said.

  ‘I just wanted to hear your voice,’ Dan said. ‘So, what were you saying about me? All good I hope.’

  ‘Of course it was,’ Erin laughed. ‘I was showing Lily my photos, and we came across the one of us on the beach. I had to tell her who you were.’

  ‘Hope it wasn’t too awkward for you.’

  ‘No, in fact she was quite understanding.’

  'Sorry if I have interrupted your evening with your daughter.'

  'No it’s alright, you haven’t. I am pleased you phoned. I know it’s only been a few hours, but I miss you already.'

  'I miss you too.'

  ‘Supper is ready,’ Lily shouted from the kitchen. ‘If you don’t get off the phone, your food will go cold.’

  Erin smiled, how many times had she said those exact words to her daughter. ‘I have to go. I will call you tomorrow. Bye.’

  ‘Enjoy your evening. Speak to you tomorrow.’

  They finished their pasta and while Lily was clearing the dishes, Erin set up the lapto
p, plugged her phone in and set the pictures to upload.

  ‘Wow, they look so much better on a big screen, the light and detail is perfect,’ Lily said as she sat down next to her mother. ‘Show me what you have done on your blog so far.’

  Erin was nervous about showing Lily what she had created, and her fingers trembled as they moved across the keyboard. She logged onto the blog maker site and clicked on her page. So far she had a heading, some drop down menus, a main paragraph and a handful of photos which, she decided were not positioned right.

  The Lone Traveller

  I hit the ripe old age of forty and became aware that life was passing me by at an extortionate rate. When I stopped and thought about it, there was still so much that I wanted to do with my life. Countries I want to visit, landmarks I want to see. So I had a brainwave, an epiphany. I would make a bucket list, travel around the world and cross things off as I went along.

  When looking for my ideal holiday I was spoilt for choice. There were so many beautiful and interesting countries to choose from, I wanted to visit them all.

  As a single woman, who would be traveling unaided, it was vital that the destination I chose would be a safe one. So for my first solo trip I decided to test the water and not venture too far. After much deliberation I settled on Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands.

  The flight was supposed to be an hour long, but I think the pilot was speeding because we landed in forty minutes.

  From the many hotels on offer, I decided to stay at the Seabeach, a modern yet classic hotel, close to the town centre with sea views. The package included extras, such as airport transfer which I obviously opted for, and I was glad I did, as it made the journey less stressful.

  I spent two weeks on this glorious island and I must admit, Jersey stole my heart. Steeped in history, with miles of golden beaches the island offered something for everyone, young or old, families and couples.

  ‘It is great so far,’ Lily said looking genuinely impressed. ‘The photos could do with a bit of re-jigging though, and I think there should be a picture of you at the side, so people can identify who ‘the lone traveller’ is.’

  ‘I haven’t published any of it yet, it is still work in progress, as they say. The drop down menus are going to be the different countries. So the first one will be Jersey. Then I am going to add sub-menus with reviews and links to the hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions. I made notes all the time, and I kept a diary of what food I ate and rated the dishes out of ten.’

  ‘Sounds awesome. Why don’t you include a section for women on how to stay safe whilst travelling alone?’ Lily suggested.

  ‘What an excellent idea. I hadn’t thought of that. I can add a proper gallery too.’

  ‘We can start on the photo section now if you want to help?’

  They stayed up late, drunk hot chocolate in their pyjamas and argued over the positioning of the pictures, but finally, in the early hours of the morning, the blog was ready. With a shaky hand Erin hit the publish button and leaned back in the chair. Her chest welled with satisfaction and pride. It was done, her life was now online for the whole world to see.

  Chapter 19

  ‘Brilliant!’ Megan said as she finished reading the blog. ‘I definitely think you found your calling.’

  They were sat in Erin’s lounge in front of the laptop. Two mugs of steaming coffee cooled on the table next to a plate of croissants from their favourite bakery. It was Monday morning, two days after she returned home and Meg, dressed in a tracksuit and trainers had popped in for a catch up after her morning run. Groggy with sleep, Erin was still in her pyjamas with her thick fluffy robe wrapped around her.

  Her blog had been live for over a day and was already proving quite popular with the public. The previous day, an excited Lily had burst into her bedroom and woken her, exclaiming that the blog had been viewed three hundred and seventy-five times. Lots of people had left positive comments and her inbox was bursting with messages.

  ‘Well, I didn’t do it all by myself, some of the credit must go to Lily.’

  ‘Yes, but you did all the hard work; sitting on the beach, taking photographs, sampling the local cuisine. Not many people could do a job like that,’ Megan teased.

  Erin laughed knowing her friend was only winding her up. ‘The trip was extremely stressful. If you must know, writing notes is very tedious.’

  ‘So what is this number here for?’ Meg asked, pointing at the bottom of the screen.

  ‘How many views the blog has had so far,’ Erin explained.

  She had been flabbergasted when she had checked earlier and discovered, that since Sunday morning, the number had risen to over two thousand. Her inbox was so full it was going to take her a few days at least to respond to each one. ‘The figure next to it is how many shares are on social media.’

  ‘Wow. 2,356 views and 683 shares, that is amazing. You have done a superb job creating something that can help other people. It is interesting, and contains a lot of useful tips. I am so proud of you.’

  ‘Aww, you’re too kind. Suppose I had better go and change, I can’t stay in my pj’s all day. Back in a minute,’ Erin said heading to her bedroom.

  She was pulling on a pair of clean trousers when the doorbell rang. Who was calling at this time of the morning?

  ‘Can you answer the door for me please?’ Erin yelled.

  The front door was opened, and muffled voices sounded in the hallway.

  ‘There’s a delivery for you,’ Meg hollered.

  ‘I haven’t ordered anything,’ Erin yelled back, then cursed as she got tangled up in her bra strap.

  Meg poked her head around the door, not caring that Erin was standing there half naked. ‘I think you are going to like this package,’ Meg said slyly. ‘Hurry up, you have to come see.’

  Erin managed to untangle the straps and pulled on a jumper. Fully clothed, she stepped out of the bedroom and stopped, completely dumbstruck, unable to believe what her eyes were seeing. The hallway table was inundated with the biggest bunch of flowers she had ever seen. The perfumed fragrance wafted into the air, filling her hallway with the most delightful aroma.

  ‘Two dozen red roses, white carnations, pink freesias and lilies. They are gorgeous. You are one lucky woman,’ Meg said. ‘Here, read the card.’

  ‘Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. I miss you. Dan xx.’ Erin read. ‘I can’t believe he’s done this.’ Reaching out, she touched the velvety petal of the rose.

  ‘What is all the commotion?’ Lily said as she came out of the second bedroom yawning and stretching. Her eyes widened and almost popped out of their sockets as she caught sight of the bouquet. ‘Oh my goodness! They are stunning. I have never seen such an assortment of flowers. Did your man friend send them?’ she asked, sending Erin a sly wink.

  Erin blushed, embarrassed to receive such a display of affection in front of her daughter. ‘Yes, they are from Dan.’

  ‘Well it’s a step in the right direction to getting my approval,’ Lily teased.

  The ringing of the phone interrupted them and Erin hurried to answer it, glad of the distraction.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Good morning. Can I speak to Erin Turnbull please?’

  ‘Speaking.’

  ‘I am Melody Parks, and I work for a company called WeTravel. I emailed you yesterday, but I couldn’t wait for your response. I had to talk to you in person.’

  ‘Sorry, I only returned from holiday a couple of days ago, and I haven’t had a chance to go through all my emails yet.’

  ‘Not to worry. I stumbled upon your blog yesterday, and I was impressed with what I read. Your eye for detail, and the way you recognise what the reader wants, is spot on. You are the exact person I have been searching for.’

  ‘Sorry?’ Erin said and her brow furrowed in confusion.

  ‘I am looking for someone new to join the team, as a travel consultant. The job entails travelling to destinations of our choosing and writing reviews. A
ll expenses paid.’

  Erin was gobsmacked. This woman was offering her a job travelling around the world and they were going to pay her to do it. This was the last thing she had expected. ‘Um…thanks for the offer but, I don’t know…this is all so sudden.’

  ‘You don’t need to decide right away. I will email the job spec to you, have a read and give me a ring back, so we can arrange a meeting to discuss our proposition further.’

  ‘Okay. I will do that. Thank you.’ Erin hung up and stood staring at the phone in her hand.

  She lifted her head and saw Lily and Meg watching her with expectant expressions, both eager to find out the outcome of her phone call. In a daze she walked in to the lounge and placed the handset back in the cradle.

  ‘You look like you have seen a ghost. Who was on the telephone?’ Meg demanded. ‘Don’t keep us in suspense.’

  ‘A woman called Melody Parks, she works for a company called WeTravel. She offered me a job,’ Erin said.

  ‘Fabulous news,’ Meg said and threw her arms around Erin. ‘Harvey’s, the law firm just messaged me and said the position is mine if I want it. So, we have both been offered new jobs. We should go out and celebrate.’

  ‘This is fantastic mum, I told you something would come along soon. Well done to you too Meg,’ Lily said.

  Erin fell quiet. It was good news. The job sounded wonderful, but it would mean her travelling for most of the time. How was she going to tell Dan? Their relationship was still in the early stages. How would it work if they were both away all the time?

  Erin sighed, life was never easy. She would need to read the job description properly and determine what the position entailed, before making any decisions.

  ‘So, what is the job?’ Meg prompted.

  ‘Travel consultant. They want me to travel to different destinations and write reviews for them.’

  ‘Isn’t that what your blog is for?’ Meg asked in confusion.

  ‘Yes. The job is all expenses paid.’

  ‘Wow. I wish someone would pay me to travel the world,’ Lily said.

  ‘I should read her email, and find out what the role involves before deciding anything.’