Fireworks to Thailand

by J. R. Bonham

  Louise and Steven bounded through the door, hands full of bags of sweets; their Saturday treat. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Clare. They weren’t quite sure who it was, although they suspected it was their Auntie Clare because they had heard so much about her from their mother.

  “Hello?” a tentative first word from Clare.

  “Come along you two, come and meet your Auntie Clare. She’s been dying to see you,” Jan enticed them. “They’re a bit shy I’m afraid.”

  Louise was first to sidle up alongside Jan, and then she peeped around and smiled at Clare.

  “Come and have a cuddle,” she beckoned. Steven waited to see what was going to happen to Louise before he was going to try anything. Louise crept over and Clare gave her a huge bear hug. “You too, Steven, I don’t bite.”

  Steven was even slower than Louise, but he got there in the end.

  “I’ve got a present for you,” Clare said to both children. “First of all, I bought this in Afghanistan!” she said as she produced a hairy-looking thing from her bag. “I’m afraid I only bought one because I knew you were expecting at the time. I’ve carried it around with me ever since! It’s a suede jerkin so it has no sleeves so it should fit Louise. If not, maybe it might fit Steven!”

  Louise tried it on and absolutely loved it straight away. So much so, she wouldn’t take it off. Steven looked a bit miffed because he liked it too.

  “I’m afraid Steven that you will have to have this,” she said, giving Steven a wrapped present. As he tentatively unwrapped it, he discovered a small electronic toy car.

  “Wow, thank you very much,” he said as he ran out of the room to show his father. Louise was still parading around the room in her newly acquired coat from Afghanistan, a place she had never heard of.

  “What are you going to say to Auntie Clare?” Jan looked at Louise.

  “Thank you very much. I love it!” She shyly went to give Clare a kiss. Then she rushed out of the room to find her father to show him.

  “It’s lovely to have you back again, it’s been far too long,” Jan mused. “You were going to tell me more about Jamie before the kids came in. Tell me more.”

  “Well, I’m not sure there’s that much more to tell. He’s younger than me. In fact, he’s younger than you! I don’t think he believes in marriage, so he hasn’t actually popped THE question. I don’t mind really. I do think he’s committed to me, he says he loves me very much. His parents live in Cornwall and he’s got two brothers who are still in Oz. I’ve not met them because they’ve been travelling around backpacking. Slumming it you might say. I think Jamie would have liked to have travelled more but he got a job almost straight away and couldn’t really turn it down. Anyway, he’s coming back quite soon, hopefully before this one drops out!” Clare smoothed her hands over her tummy and smiled.

  Geoff had been parking the car and then entered the room with Louise, still admiring her new coat, and Steven trailing behind, all the time staring at his new toy.

  “Hello, my favourite sister-in-law!” Geoff bent down to give Clare a peck on the cheek.

  “Aw, g’day, my fave brother-in-law! Not to mention that I don’t have any others of course! Lovely to see you again. Last time was when you were tying the knot, you two!”

  “Yes,” said Jan. “It’s been a jolly long time. What? Seven years?”

  “Nearly eight! Time flies when you’re having fun!”

  “Maybe you’ve had a bit too much of that!” Geoff grinned as he noticed Clare’s size.

  “Hey, less of that, you cheeky monkey!”

  They all laughed, but the children didn’t really know what the adults were laughing at.

  Jan had ideas of asking her sister what a female orgasm was but thought better of it. ‘She’s got too much on her plate at the moment. I’ll ask Paula again, she’ll tell me.’

  Clare continued to tell Jan and her family all about Australia and her exploits there. Jan listened in wonderment and thought that she would definitely like to go there one day.

  One day, who knows.

  Chapter 9

  Jamie arrived back from Australia in the nick of time. Clare produced a beautiful baby girl two days later.

  “Wow, she’s great!” enthused Jamie to Clare as he stroked her forehead in the hospital.

  “Isn’t she just,” Clare agreed. “Have you thought of any names while you’ve been languishing Down Under all this time?”

  “Languishing!? I don’t like the sound of that at all! I’ve been working my fingers to the bone, I’ll have you know! All to get here on time. I finished my project only last week and after tidying up a bit, I caught the first cheap flight I could get. Actually I did think of a few names while I was twiddling my thumbs on the plane, but unfortunately, I only came up with boys names! I don’t suppose you like Wayne or Nathan do you?”

  “Very funny! I love the names Kara and Catherine. What d’you think?” Clare mused.

  “Kara it is then. I knew a Catherine at school and she was a right bitch.”

  Clare had been staying with her parents but it would soon be time to move, baby and all. There was only enough room in the rented flat for Ken and Audrey. Not enough room for Clare, Jamie and Kara. They had to think fast.

  “Look, love, I must go and see my parents in Cornwall then I’ll be back as soon as, and we’ll look for somewhere to live, I promise.” Jamie’s words were very soothing. “Meanwhile can you just hold on with your parents til I get back?”

  “I’m going to have to, aren’t I?” Clare was tired after only just giving birth.

  Jamie went to visit his parents and to tell them that they were now grandparents to a beautiful baby girl called Kara. He didn’t want to worry them beforehand. They never thought it was going to happen with their three sons all in Australia kicking up their heels and having a great time travelling around and working. They were excited about being grandparents for the first time.

  He came back a week later to find baby Kara and Clare at her parents’ home sitting amongst boxes all packed up ready to be moved. Clare had never really been one to worry about the finer things of life, always ready to rough it. Jamie was the same. They were of one mind, they enjoyed behaving like hippies or ‘travellers’ as they would prefer to be called.

  “Cutting it a bit fine?” Ken looked at Clare and Jamie with Kara in her papoose.

  “Yes Dad, but we’ll be out of your hair very soon,” Clare sighed. She was tired and needed to get things settled.

  “I’ve arranged for us to go to Cornwall so you two can meet my parents and stay with them while we think of what our next move is going to be,” Jamie, ever the optimist. “They say we can stay there with them as long as we like. You’ll love them I’m sure.”

  “OK, let’s get going.”

  They packed everything up and drove down to Cornwall for Clare and Kara to meet Jamie’s parents for the first time. Clare was a little apprehensive. Were they going to be old fashioned like her own parents, she wondered.

  “Welcome, welcome.” Jamie’s parents rushed out to meet the car. “Lovely to meet you, Clare, we’ve heard so much about you. Let me see the baby. Oh, she’s gorgeous!”

  Clare found them delightful people, very different to her own parents.

  Clare and Jamie then came back to Bristol after a short time and found a flat for rent as a stop-gap while they looked around for something to buy. They bought a small house in a rather seedy part of central Bristol. It was a terrace in need of some repairs and most importantly it was cheap. They loved it there.

  They settled down to family life but nothing was said by either set of parents – hers or Jamie’s – about marriage. Ken and Audrey were afraid to mention it as they seemed so happy as they were, and Clare certainly wasn’t going to mention it. Times were changing. People were starting to just live together instead of feeli
ng the need of having to get married. Like Jan.

  Meanwhile, in another part of Bristol, John and Vera had had another baby. A girl this time, only 18 months after their first-born. A sister for Danny. They named her Natalie. Nat for short.

  “Congratulations!” Jan was on the phone to them as soon as she heard. “I can’t wait to see her, are you going to come down to see us?”

  “Well, it’s a bit difficult now with two youngsters in tow,” John started explaining. They hadn’t been to Devon at all, to visit, even though Jan had kept on inviting them. There always seemed to be an excuse.

  “They can travel, surely? Do you remember we used to stay at Granny and Grandpa’s house, quite near here, when we were kids? And now we each have two kids of our own! If you came down we could retrace our steps just for nostalgic purposes, take us back in time.” Jan tried to cajole her brother.

  “That would be good – one day perhaps. Meanwhile, you could come and see us in Bristol, you know you’re always welcome.”

  “Thanks, I might just surprise you, even if I come on my own. I can’t seem to get Geoff interested in doing anything these days.” Jan sounded disappointed.

  “Shall we go to Bristol one weekend?” Jan started asking Geoff, but by the look on his face, she knew the answer.

  “You go if you like. I don’t feel comfortable around your family anymore with their suburban lives in Bristol,” said Geoff. Even though this was his goal in life, to be part of Jan’s family, he soon started to feel that he didn’t fit in, couldn’t compete. His comfort zone was more affiliated to Devon where he belonged. He was aware that Jan wasn’t happy with the place but there was nothing he was prepared to do to alter things.

  “Right then, I’ll go on my own.” Jan decided.

  “But you’ll take the kids, won’t you?”

  “Of course.”

  Jan packed up for herself and the children on a Saturday morning and took the car. She didn’t even say goodbye to Geoff. He wondered when she would be back, although he knew she would have to be back for work on Monday. He wondered what was going to happen with meal times.

  He suddenly felt alone. ‘She’s taken the car! How am I going to manage if I want to go anywhere?’ He knew a man at work who had a spare car so he rang him and borrowed his car.

  He went back to his mother’s who was delighted to be able to cook for her son again. She was a good cook and he appreciated that.

  “She’s gone off and left you! And taken your car! What a bitch!” Betty spat. “I really don’t know how you put up with her tantrums.”

  “She didn’t exactly have a tantrum, Mum.” Geoff did at least try to defend his wife.

  “Well anyway, it’s lovely to have you all to myself again after all this time! Look, I’ve had this letter from your Great Uncle Norman. He’s the one who owns this house and it looks like he wants to be rid of it. I know he says he doesn’t want to see me homeless, but if he sells it to someone else then who knows where I stand. I’m at my wits’ end, I just don’t know what to do. Do you have any suggestions? Can you raise the money for it? Maybe get a mortgage?” Betty showed Geoff the letter. She had rented the house ever since she had married.

  “Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can do. I might just have an idea.”

  He stayed with her for the Saturday night and went home again on Sunday after a huge full English breakfast.

  Jan arrived at John and Vera’s house and there was a very big welcome for her and Louise and Steven.

  “It’s been ages!” Jan gushed. “Let me see the baby. Oh, isn’t she gorgeous? How is Danny with his little sister? Does he get jealous?”

  Vera was very forthcoming. “He’s fine with her. He’s hardly had time to be a proper boy himself. He’s still quite young so it’ll be nice that they can grow up together, so close in age.”

  “One of each, aren’t we clever!” John interjected.

  “Yes, aren’t we!” Jan agreed. John wondered why he said that, knowing of course that Jan had one of each too.

  While Jan was in Bristol she took the opportunity of visiting her sister and meeting Jamie for the first time together with little Kara. She also hoped to visit her friend, Paula, too.

  All the visiting had to be done in such a short time. Jan wished she had longer, but she had to be back by Sunday night with work the next day and school for the children.

  “Lovely to meet you,” Jan said to Jamie.

  “Likewise I’m sure. And nice to meet your two, Louise and Steven. Come over here you two and meet your cousin, Kara.” Jamie beckoned them over.

  Steven stayed back behind Jan, but Louise went forward and shook Jamie’s hand as it was being offered. Eventually, Steven came forward and copied his sister.

  “Wow, she’s lovely,” Jan enthused when she saw Kara. “Beautiful blond hair, where did she get that from?”

  “Er, excuse me?” Jamie said pointing to his mop of fair hair, laughing.

  They all ended up laughing and talking for hours.

  Jamie took the children out into the garden to play Frisbee while Kara slept in her pram. He knew that Clare and Jan needed some time alone to talk.

  “I wish I lived nearer,” mused Jan. “My kids are going to miss out on meeting up with their cousins and I miss seeing you guys massively. I hope I have time to see some of my old school friends before they forget about me totally. I just wish I never agreed to go and live in Devon. But like you told me on my wedding day – I’ve made my bed, I must lie in it!”

  “I do regret that remark and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, I promise. Come back here then if you miss it so much,” Clare said, ever the optimist.

  “Geoff would never agree to that, he hates it here. That’s why he didn’t come this weekend. He told me we could come back here any weekend I wanted, but now he’s gone back on his word.”

  “Well, leave him then!”

  “It’s not that easy. I have the children to think about. I haven’t any spare money to just up and leave and he would be as difficult as he could be. If I said I was leaving he’d lock me up! So I’m trapped. He once told me if I was ever unfaithful to him, the world wouldn’t be big enough for me to hide in!”

  “Charming!”

  “I had never given him as much as a hint that I would ever be unfaithful to him, so I don’t know why he said it. I’ve never even looked at another man, not when I was younger either. He’s been the only one, so I haven’t even had the chance to play the field. Not like you and John! I can’t even say that I like the look of someone on TV in case he gets jealous. The kids don’t know what he’s like. He’s a good father to them and he’s no womaniser himself, so I have that to be thankful for, I suppose. This weekend has been great. I feel I can be myself when he’s not around. Maybe I should do it more often.”

  “I hope you do. I hope to come and see you too. As Jamie’s parents live in Cornwall, I guess we’ll be popping down there occasionally. We could always make a detour on the way or on the way back. It’s not too far out of the way.”

  Next day Jan dropped in on Paula for an hour or so, just to say ‘hello.’ They had been conversing by letter so there wasn’t too much to catch up on.

  “How’s it going with you-know-what?” Paula asked Jan. Jan knew exactly what she meant but they couldn’t really talk about it with Paula’s daughter, Susan and Jan’s two in such close proximity. She was talking about orgasms for women which they had discussed before.

  “No change, I’m afraid!” Jan spoke quietly then, out of earshot of the children. “I asked him what an orgasm was and I don’t think he knew himself, apart from a man’s orgasm, of course. I reckon that’s all he can think of! All he can concern himself with. Why should he worry about a woman being satisfied as long as he is!”

  “Oh, how sad.”

  Jan drove the children back to Devon after a delicious
Sunday roast cooked by Vera. They had a cool reception on arriving home. Geoff was watching television and hardly looked up when they arrived.

  “What have you been up to while we’ve been gone?” Jan asked Geoff cheerily, ignoring some black looks he was giving her.

  “I went over to see Mum. She cooked us a lovely meal and we talked. What about you?” he knew he must ask in return even though he didn’t really want to know. He was keeping his mother’s possible house sale till later, for more impact.

  “Oh, we had a great time, thanks,” Jan replied animatedly. “It was so good to see Clare and to meet Jamie and Kara. We stayed with John and Vera and met little Natalie, their new arrival. And Danny’s getting so big now. I even managed to see Paula again for a short time.”

  “Oh,” was all Geoff could manage, but he wasn’t at all interested.

  “Clare’s new house isn’t big enough for any visitors,” Jan continued.

  “Oh, that’s good!”

  She ignored that remark. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “That’s a dangerous thing to do!” he said sarcastically.

  “Very funny. Seriously, though, now the kids are a bit older, I think we should take them away on a holiday. Maybe go abroad somewhere. Spain is quite cheap. What d’you think?”

  “I don’t know about them, but I need a holiday. Can we afford it?” Geoff was beginning to cheer up a bit.

  “Yes, I think so.”

  Jan nearly fell off her chair. ‘Is he mellowing?’ She was certain he would dismiss it out of hand. Her plan had worked a treat. She had something to work on now – he didn’t say ‘no’, but he had something else on his mind.

  “Mum showed me a letter from the person who owns her house. He’s a very distant relative who I’ve never met. Not sure if she’s ever met him either. It appears he wants to be rid of the house, probably because it needs quite a lot of doing up and it’s too much for him. He’s getting on a bit and doesn’t want the responsibility anymore. Mum thinks he may need the money to go towards a care home for his wife. He feels he won’t get very much for it because effectively Mum is a sitting tenant. He thinks it’s only worth about £2,000. She asked if we would be able to buy it, maybe get a second mortgage. If that’s all they want for the house we ought to try and get it, it’s very cheap. It’s probably worth twice that on the open market. I thought we could maybe ask your dad if he wanted to buy it?”