by J. R. Bonham
Jan gave in her notice at work and promised herself that she would look for something else but meanwhile she wanted some time with Mike to look around the village and get accustomed to the area and finding out what there was to do locally.
Once they moved in they busied themselves for some weeks with decorating and getting the garden into some semblance of order. The time seemed to rush by but they hardly noticed as they enjoyed being occupied with the work. They wanted the house to be livable before they sorted out how they were going to spend their time.
They had had a particularly busy day and were having a rest with a cup of coffee when the doorbell rang.
“I was just passing the end of your road.” Vicky was standing in front of Jan, who ushered her in as she continued. “We were wondering if you’d like to come over for dinner one evening? We’re asking another couple too. I like dinner parties of six. It’s a nice round number. You’ll like this couple. I know you said you didn’t know many people here yet so this might be a good way to meet some.”
“That would be great,” Jan replied. “Thank you very much. We’ve been so busy what with getting all the decorating done and the garden just how we like it. Then buying new carpets and furniture for all these rooms. I’m not complaining by the way! It’s been fun. Now it’s all done and we’re ready to party!”
The evening of the dinner party arrived.
“I’m not sure what to wear. This is our first proper dinner party,” Jan mused.
“Well, knowing Gerry, he’ll be wearing something outrageous. But maybe we should just go smart casual. Didn’t Vicky stipulate what to wear?”
“No,” said Jan as she casually looked out of the window. “Oh look, Bill and Dee from next door are going out. They’re all dressed up. I wonder where they’re going? I do love this place, everyone seems so friendly. I think I’m going to enjoy living here.”
What Jan didn’t notice was that Bill and Dee didn’t get their car out. They walked down their drive and out of view.
“Come on or we’ll be late,” Mike shouted upstairs. “I’ll get the car out. Two minutes, OK?”
“Just coming. Have you got the bottle of wine? Can you take the flowers? They’re in the kitchen.”
They arrived at Gerry and Vicky’s house just two roads away.
“Oh good, there’s no other car here so it looks like we’re first, so we’re not late. I wonder who else they’ve invited? Vicky told me there would be six of us, a nice round number,” Jan recalled.
“Well I think it’s called ‘fashionably late’ anyway,” Mike stated. “You don’t arrive dead on time, you arrive just a few minutes after the appointed time.” Mike was well-versed in dinner parties, having had many more than Jan in his time. He was looking forward to enjoying many more in this village once they were settled and had met more people.
They rang the doorbell and Gerry answered it.
“Well, do come in.” He beckoned to them. “There’s someone here I’d like you to meet.” Mike gave him the bottle of wine and they followed him into the sitting room. Vicky greeted them and Jan gave her the flowers.
Gerry continued, “I don’t know if you’ve met…?”
As Jan and Mike and Bill and Dee all looked at each other, they laughed and laughed.
“I saw you go out,” said Jan to Bill and Dee. They had already met their new neighbours but only in passing. “I never suspected you were coming here! And when we saw no car outside we thought we were the first.”
“We like to walk whenever we can. Especially when we know Gerry’s pouring the wine, it’s not a good idea to be driving!” Bill announced.
“Oh. Yes. I agree.” Mike looked a bit sheepish. “I can always leave the car and pick it up tomorrow if I have too much to drink.”
“Very wise,” said Dee and they all agreed.
Bill was a good ten years older than Mike and Gerry. He had retired at 60 after living and working abroad for many years.
Although they had met Bill and Dee since they moved in, they hadn’t socialised with them before. In fact, they hadn’t really had a chance, what with getting the house ready for occupation. This was why Gerry and Vicky invited them, to ‘break the ice’. Bill and Dee turned out to be great fun and they also knew a lot of people in the village. Jan and Mike were hoping that they would meet plenty of people and make great friends whilst living in a lovely village. A perfect combination.
“I could introduce you to Probus if you like, Mike,” Bill said.
“Oh, thank you,” said Mike. “What is Probus?”
“Probus is for retired or even semi-retired gentlemen. It is purely social. We have a lunch once a month and we meet other like-minded men. It isn’t like Rotary or Round Table where they get together to raise funds for charities, even though they are really worthwhile causes too. The other definition of P.R.O.B.U.S. is ‘Prostate Removed, Other Bits Under Supervision’.” With that, they all laughed.
“Sounds suitable enough!” Dee chipped in. Bill gave his wife a scathing look and continued.
“Sometimes we go on outings. And we have two special lunches a year where our wives are invited as well.” He looked at Dee. “Only when they’ve been good!” he added.
“That sounds great. Can you get me in, do you think?” Mike asked Bill.
“Of course! I’d be delighted to, old boy,” Bill confirmed. “There might be a waiting list but watch this space, there’ll be no problem, I’m sure.”
The evening went swimmingly and Mike and Jan really enjoyed themselves. They walked home with Bill and Dee, walking and talking as if they had been friends for years.
“He called you old boy!” Jan mocked when they got indoors after saying goodnight to their neighbours.
“Yes, he did! Do you think we’ve passed?” Mike smiled.
“I think we might have! I reckon we’re going to enjoy living here.”
Jan decided to look for a new job rather than retire at 50 as she felt that was too early. She had seen an advert in the local paper for a post of part-time typist for a man who worked for himself in his house. He was an accountant and just needed someone to type accounts for his small amount of clients. Jan was a perfect candidate for the job as this was the exact job she had done for years. She applied and got the job. She got on really well with Gordon and he was easy to work for. He admitted he wasn’t very good on computers, but he was learning.
“We should get a computer, don’t you think?” Jan asked Mike one day.
“Do we really need one? What on earth would we do with it?”
“You’d be surprised how many things you can find out on the internet. We could have an email address and then be in contact with other people. I think I’d like one anyway. I could make one of the bedrooms into my office and have it in there.”
“I’ve got an office downstairs. Do we need two offices? That sounds silly. We’re not in business, we’re retired. Well, I am and you are sort of semi-retired. And anyway, I don’t know how a computer works.”
“You can learn! You could join the local U3A and go to computer lessons. Actually, there are lots of different classes you could attend. I’d like to learn Bridge. My mum taught me years ago a kind of Bridge but I’d like to learn to play properly. I would probably need to be shown how to use a computer properly, as well. I’ve only ever used one at work but that’s mainly typing accounts. There’s loads of things I still need to learn how to do.”
“You could take lessons too! We’ll go together and learn all aspects of how to use a computer properly. How’s that?”
“Yes. Perfect. And we can learn how to send emails. I’m sure Marian has talked of having her own email address. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to just write a letter and send it through the computer? We wouldn’t have to send any more airmail letters to Marian or Ray and Daf via ‘snail mail’. Actually, that goes for lots of peopl
e if they have computers. I know John has one and maybe Clare and Paula too. They’re bound to have email addresses if they have a computer. We are very slow in that case.”
“Ok, you’ve convinced me, almost! We’ll go and buy one at some stage.”
The phone rang and Jan recognised her brother’s voice. None of her siblings would pick up the phone for just a chat. There always had to be something specific to say. They had never been a close family, which made Jan feel a little sad.
Jan’s adopted mum, Joan, in Surbiton had shown Jan how to be more warm and loving, and Mike was the happy recipient of this. Joan made Jan realise that she had maybe made a mistake with her own children. She hardly ever hugged them when they were little. Not only that, it just wasn’t in her remit to tell them she loved them even though she did. She had never been taught so she never knew how to show her love.
“Hello,” said John. “Just wanted to let you know I’ve had a card from Louise. She’s just had another baby. I didn’t even know she was pregnant! Did you?”
“No, I didn’t know that. They aren’t speaking to me, remember? I can only find out from you or anyone else who has information. Do you have any details?” Jan was feeling sad not to know her own daughter was expecting another baby. She felt guilty for not being there for her.
“It’s a girl and they’re calling her Charlotte, Charlie for short. She was a good weight apparently, so Vera tells me. Seven pounds exactly,” he reported.
“Oh, that’s good. And presumably, she’s a healthy baby. No problems?”
“Not as far as I know. That’s not the only news, by the way. Our Natalie’s getting married this summer. You’ll be getting an invitation soon. Vera and Nat have been frantically getting everything organised. I’m keeping out of the way as much as I can. All the arrangements are women’s business! All I have to do as the bride’s father is foot the bill!”
“Oh dear, yes. I guess it’s pretty expensive these days?”
“You can say that again!” John replied. “I did suggest she went to Sri Lanka, like you did, but she was having none of it! She wants the works, the big white wedding. I don’t mind because the chap she’s marrying, Alan, is really nice and we definitely approve of him.”
“Oh, well, that’s good. Please tell her congratulations and we look forward to seeing her on her big day. On another subject altogether – do you have an email address? I think you told me you have a home computer?”
“Of course I do! Don’t you? Doesn’t everyone these days?”
“I’m not sure they do, do they? I’m trying to persuade Mike that we need one.”
“Well, welcome to the 21st century! Everyone needs a computer.”
“Oh, do they? Well, if you give me your email address, when we get ours you will be the first to receive one from us. Did you have computer lessons? I use one at work but if we get one I think I shall want lessons and Mike will definitely need some.”
“It’s a really good idea to have a course of lessons otherwise you won’t be able to use it to its full potential. You need to know everything about it. I love mine and spend a lot of time with it. You can find out so much information on the internet.”
Jan jotted down John’s email address and she and Mike proceeded to go computer shopping.
“This is an absolute minefield! There’s just so much to choose from, I wouldn’t know where to start!” Mike was despondent.
“May I help you?” asked an assistant.
“Oh, yes please,” Jan replied. “That would be good.”
Chapter 50
Jan and Mike went to Natalie’s wedding that summer, in Bristol. As the Devon branch of the family was also invited, Jan was rather hoping that she would, at last, get to meet her two grandchildren, but it wasn’t to be. Louise left them with Dean’s parents. In order to avoid any possible confrontation, John and Vera decided to put Mike and Jan on a table as far away as possible from Geoff and his new wife Lynda and Louise and Steven. Jan tried very hard to make conversation with them when they first arrived but they completely ignored her.
“I don’t want to meet her,” spat Lynda. She was well aware that Geoff still had feelings for his first wife, even though he tried to keep it under wraps.
“That’s OK,” he reassured her. “We’ll just ignore her. And him. I don’t want to have anything to do with him anyway. I hate him. Louise and Steven don’t want anything to do with either of them anyway. We’ll just keep ourselves to ourselves.” Geoff couldn’t take his eyes off Jan but he hoped Lynda didn’t notice. He was still in love with his first wife but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. She didn’t want him anymore so he had to rein in his thoughts about her for the sake of his relationship with his new wife.
“To the happy couple,” John made the first toast before the best man’s and bridegroom’s speeches.
“The happy couple.” Everyone raised their glasses to Natalie and Alan, her new husband.
Geoff couldn’t wait to get away. He had always been very much out of his comfort zone whenever he left Devon. He got on well with John and appreciated the support he gave him after Jan left. But that was over eight years ago.
In Devon, two months later Louise discovered she was pregnant again.
“Pregnant! Oh no!” said Dean.
“That’s not the reaction I was expecting,” Louise complained.
“How did that happen? I thought you were on the pill. We can’t afford any more.”
“Well, we’re just going to have to go through with it – I don’t believe in abortion.” Little did they realise that this very same scenario was played out with her mother and father almost exactly thirty-five years before, when they were expecting Louise.
Later that year, Betty was hospitalised with a suspected heart attack.
“You know where my will is, don’t you?” she asked Geoff. He went into meltdown. He never liked it when she talked about her own death. She knew it was inevitable and wanted to discuss with him the arrangements for her funeral, whenever it would be. She found it very frustrating when he made out like it was never going to happen. Ostrich syndrome.
“Oh, you’ll be alright,” he waved away any suggestion that she might die. He couldn’t bear the thought of it and talked about other things. “You’re good for another few years yet!”
“I’m too old to think of anything else and I don’t want to argue with you. I do worry about you, Geoffrey,” said Betty.
“No need to worry about me. You just concentrate on getting yourself better and out of here.”
“I’d like to see the kids one more time.” Betty ignored his last remark. Somehow she knew she was getting near the end. “Give them some advice.”
Geoff couldn’t bring himself to face the fact that Betty was dying, even though she had come to terms with the reality herself.
“I’ll bring them with me tomorrow.”
“I’d rather see them tonight,” Betty gasped.
Geoff went home and rang Steven and Louise and told them to go to the hospital to see their Gran and be prepared.
“She’s not looking at all well,” Geoff told them.
“Well, she is getting on a bit,” said Louise. “You must know she’s not going to last forever.”
Geoff was shocked by the hard-talking from his daughter. They both agreed to visit that same evening. Geoff decided that he would go again the next day.
“I’m so pleased to see you two,” said Betty as her two grandchildren walked in bearing flowers and grapes. Louise was huge by now, only two weeks to go, for her third child.
“Hi Gran,” they said in unison.
“Now listen to me. When I’ve gone you must look after your dad. I know he won’t cope very well.”
“I thought parents were supposed to look after their children, not the other way round,” Louise said as she tried to sit
down, smoothing over her belly. “Does that mean I have to look after three children AND my father?”
“He’s not going to take my passing very well, I’m afraid,” Betty reiterated. “Now listen to me, you’ve done well in keeping your mother at bay. Don’t forget, when I’m gone, to keep it up. You promise?”
“Promise, Gran.” They both said together, looked at each other and then laughed.
“It’s no laughing matter.” Betty was deadly serious. “I’m not joking, you know. You know how she’s led your father a dog’s life? Well, she’s going to have to pay for it. I shall go to my maker, in peace, knowing that you mean what you say.”
“OK,” they both said in unison again.
“Now go, and let an old woman rest. I’m feeling very tired.”
Louise and Steven kissed their grandmother and left her to sleep.
She never woke again from her slumber. It was a very peaceful passing.
The next day Louise was rushed into hospital with strong contractions.
“But it’s too early. It’s not due yet,” Louise complained. She hadn’t yet received the news of her grandmother’s death.
“The midwife says it is imminent, maybe we didn’t get our dates right,” Dean said. “My mum is looking after Jake and Charlie so I can stay with you.”
Louise and Dean had another baby girl. They called her Daisy.
“One into this world and one out, is what they say,” said Geoff sadly when he visited Louise and gave her news about her grandmother.
“Oh, it’s so sad. She didn’t even know that I had another girl,” Louise complained.