Fireworks to Thailand

by J. R. Bonham

  “Well, yes but there has to be some sort of enticement. He won’t want to come if he doesn’t think there’s something in it for him.”

  “There’s meeting you. That should be enough!”

  “Probably not! Anyway, I’m not holding out much hope. I expect Louise will open his letter before he even gets a sniff of it if she thinks it’s from me. I might send it to Margaret in Devon first and then she can post it for me. Then it won’t have a postmark from here.”

  Mike came home and made slow progress with his hip over the following weeks. It was painful and stiff, even though he did his exercises that the physio gave him. He decided that it would be best to sleep in the spare room and so Jan made up the bed for him there. There he stayed until their friends, Eleanor and George, arrived for Christmas when he had to move back to his bedroom with Jan.

  Christmas was fast approaching and Jan was organising everything with precision detail. Mike had ditched the crutches and was now walking with one stick which was very much easier.

  “Eleanor and George will be arriving soon. Are we ready for them?” Mike asked Jan, feeling quite incapable of doing anything useful or of being able to help Jan very much. He did, however, peel the potatoes and the parsnips plus the sprouts, in readiness for the Christmas dinner next day. They were arriving on Christmas Eve and going home again the day after Boxing Day.

  “Yes, all ready. It’s been a bit manic, hasn’t it? But you’ve helped by doing the vegetables, thank you.”

  “It’s the least I could do. I only wish I could have done more to help. I feel so useless just resting here.”

  “It’s very important that you have your rest. And you do your little walk as well. Hopefully, the pain will subside in time. And the stiffness in your hip,” she tried to console him.

  Eleanor and George arrived with masses of bags of food as well as their suitcases. Jan thought it looked like they were coming for several weeks when she saw their suitcases.

  “How long are you staying?” Jan asked them.

  “Oh, sorry about that. I know it looks a lot, but we never pack light. Got to be ready for every eventuality! After we leave you, we are going to stay with one of our boys and their family in London.”

  “I thought you’d brought the kitchen sink!” Mike chimed in as he struggled into the hall to greet his guests. “It’s lovely to see you. Kitchen sink and all!” Luckily they were all good friends and they knew about Mike’s teasing.

  “It’s lovely to be here, at last, the traffic on the M25 was just awful. I thought it might have been a mistake to travel on Christmas Eve,” said George as he heaved the last of the bags into the hall. They all hugged each other in the hall.

  “Never mind, you’re here now. Come in and sit down. What are you going to have to drink?” Mike jollied them along with the promise of some festive cheer. “Mulled wine?”

  “Never mind the drink,” said Eleanor. “I must help Jan in the kitchen first!”

  “It’s all done, Elle, you don’t have to lift a finger!” Jan announced. “Mike’s done the potatoes and parsnips ready for tomorrow and I’ve prepared the meal for tonight. I only have to get the turkey ready, which I shall do in the morning and that won’t take too long. So it looks like a drink is on the cards after all. We can’t have you working after that long journey – and besides, you wouldn’t let me do very much when we came to you so it’s my turn to repay the compliment,” Jan was insistent.

  She steered Eleanor to the sitting room where Mike was already getting a drink for George and himself. He proceeded to get the ladies a drink too.

  “Cheers!” they all said at once while lifting their glasses skyward.

  Jan was so much happier being busy at Christmas and this was a perfect time to be kept busy, entertaining guests.

  “Do you realise that you’re going to be sleeping in my bed?” Mike teased.

  Both George and Eleanor looked at each other and then at Mike. ‘What does he mean? Has he taken leave of his senses?!’

  Jan and Mike roared with laughter as Jan explained. “What he means is, it was his bed until two days ago! Don’t worry, I’ve changed the sheets and cleaned through for you.”

  Eleanor looked relieved and George was happy with that explanation.

  “What with bringing all the stuff in and everything, we’ve overlooked asking how you are!” Eleanor admitted to Mike.

  “Oh, I’m OK. Going on good enough, I reckon. It’s only been five weeks since the op. It’s very stiff so Jan has to put my socks on for me.”

  “Dinner’s ready,” called Jan from the kitchen a while later and they trooped into the dining room.

  “When’s the new kitchen coming?” Eleanor asked Jan.

  “In the New Year,” Jan smiled. “I know it’s going to be hard work but at least it’s not a whole new kitchen. Some of the cupboards are staying, as are the tiles – and everything will all be in exactly the same place.”

  “She got me at a low ebb, just after the op! I thanked her for looking after me and asked what I could do to repay her. Then she said she wanted a new kitchen!” Mike exclaimed.

  “Yes, but she’s wanted a new kitchen for years, I seem to remember,” Eleanor was not backward in coming forward. “Isn’t that right, Jan?” she said with a wink.

  “Absolutely! Years and years I’ve been waiting.”

  “But there’s nothing wrong with the kitchen as it is,” Mike interjected.

  “That’s only your opinion!” Jan smiled. “Anyway, enough of that. Are you going anywhere nice next year?”

  “Well, we’ll be going back to our timeshare in Madeira at the usual time, but we’ve also been looking at going to Northern Cyprus later on in the year. What about you?” Eleanor asked.

  “We’ve our American trip coming up in March,” Jan began, but was interrupted by George.

  “You’ve only just come back from America! That’s a bit greedy, isn’t it? Where is it this time?”

  “Well,” Mike began. “We’ve got to make good use of our visas! We’re doing a cruise down the Mississippi on the American Queen, a Victorian style paddle steamer like in the old days. I’m just hoping my hip will stand up to the journey!”

  “That sounds a great trip. All that, and a new kitchen too? You’re going to be busy this year.”

  “Yes, it’s all go,” said Jan. “But it’s how we’ve always been, live life to the full. Or my favourite saying is ‘Live every day as if it’s your last because one day it will be’! Some people think that’s morbid, but I think it’s a really good outlook on life.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” George said as he raised his glass.

  “We’ve been talking about booking up a special holiday for later on in the year too!” Jan told her friends. “We’ll probably go to Australia. There are several great tours that we’ve seen. The occasion is for us being together twenty-two years. I lived in Bristol for twenty-two years, then Devon for twenty-two years and now it’ll be Surrey for another twenty-two!”

  “That makes you 66!” George stated.

  “That’s a fact. Did you get a maths degree to work that out?” She laughed and carried on. “I don’t know where I shall be going after that! Any ideas? What d’you think?” she was joking and hoped they realised that. There was nowhere that she liked better than where they were, and intended to stay there forever.

  Christmas was over all too quickly and George and Eleanor left to spend the rest of the festive holiday with their family.

  Mike’s hip was playing up again so he decided to go back to the spare room to sleep once their friends had vacated.

  “I’ll only stay here while it’s bad. Don’t worry I’ll be back again soon.”

  “It’s more important you get a good night’s sleep, but I look forward to you coming back to me,” Jan confirmed. “I’ve nearly finished the letter to Ja
ke. I shall have to send it soon. I got Elle to have a look and see what she thought. She gave me some good ideas which I’ve added.”

  Chapter 57

  Jan had a lot of work to do before the kitchen fitters arrived and was engrossed with cleaning out the cupboards when the phone rang. She cursed because she had her head right inside a corner cupboard. Mike was showering so she knew he was unable to answer the phone so she took off her rubber gloves and rushed to the phone in the hall.

  “Hello,” she said, slightly out of breath.

  “Hello,” said a voice that Jan did not recognise. “This is Susan. My mother is Paula. Do you remember her, you were friends at school?” Jan did a double-take on remembering Susan. She had not seen her since she was a teenager and wondered why she should be ringing her when Paula had made it very clear she wanted nothing more to do with Jan many years before. Paula had felt jealous of Jan with her new life when her own life was going downhill fast.

  “Of course I do,” said Jan. “How is she?”

  “I don’t quite know how to tell you this but… my mother died over Christmas time.”

  “Oh, Susan, I am so sorry to hear that. You must be devastated. She was only my age, was she ill?”

  “Not exactly, no.” Susan prevaricated. “You will probably get to hear anyway – she took her own life. You probably know that my father left her a few years ago and she never got over it. She was very depressed. Had been for years, and this Christmas was the last straw. She always felt bad at Christmas.” Jan had a lot empathy and quite understood how Paula might have felt down at Christmas time.

  “I never knew. Oh, how sad, I’m so sorry,” Jan repeated for the want of not knowing what else to say to her former friend’s daughter. “Is there anything I can do for you, to help I mean, with arrangements?”

  “No, thank you. I am just ringing around people I know that Mummy knew, in the past. Would you tell anyone you know who knew her?”

  “I will, I promise and if there is anything, anything at all, you only have to ask.” Jan left it at that after making a mental note to tell Marian. She went off in search of Mike to tell him this dreadful news.

  “I thought she was a bit strange when I met her. But she was your friend so I took her as I found her and I am sorry, of course, to hear this. You must be devastated.”

  “I am. I can’t believe she could do something like that. She must have been so sad but I don’t think there is anything I could have done. I mean I accepted she didn’t want my friendship anymore but I just took her word for it. I didn’t think, at the time, that she would have wanted me to change her mind because she was so adamant. Now I’ve lost her for good. Poor Susan. I must make sure I keep in touch with her.”

  “Look, Mum, I’ve had a letter from my grandmother,” said Jake enthusiastically to his mother. “And a cheque for £50! And she says she’s put extra money aside for me ever since I was born. She’s also said she will pay for me to have driving lessons, as many as it takes until I pass my test. Isn’t that kind of her?”

  “Oh God, No! Not her again!” said Louise to her son. “Won’t she ever give up!”

  “But she’s your mother, isn’t she?” said Jake, rather puzzled. “What’s the matter with her?”

  “You don’t want to know. Give me the letter and cheque. I’ll deal with it. I’ll give you the money to cover the cheque. By the way – happy birthday.”

  “Thanks, Mum.”

  Louise put the letter and cheque in a drawer and forgot about it as best she could.

  Jan’s new kitchen arrived in the New Year. Everything had been arranged – new cupboard doors and worktops as well as a new oven, hob and sink unit with new taps. The rest of it stayed as it was. It took several days to put in the new kitchen.

  Jan had worked hard with the new kitchen and was thinking about their next holiday in America. From Nashville to New Orleans. They were going to get plenty of country music in Nashville and Memphis. They would also visit Elvis Presley’s house, Graceland, and then they would catch the paddle-steamer for a cruise down the Mississippi.

  “You’re so lucky, it sounds a great trip,” said Vicky, “I wish I was going!”

  “Come with us!” Jan suggested.

  “Maybe, next time.”

  “I haven’t heard anything from Jake. I wonder if he got my letter?” Jan said to Mike one day.

  “You could send it again,” he suggested.

  She sent another letter with a copy of the first letter to his school, to be forwarded on to him. She wasn’t sure if he would get it, but she hoped he would.

  “Look, Mum, I’ve had another letter from my grandmother. What shall I do about it?” Jake asked his mother.

  “Leave it with me. I’ll write to her and tell her not to write to you again,” Louise stated.

  Jan and Mike were getting ready for their holiday to America when the postman arrived with a letter.

  “A handwritten envelope! You don’t get many of these anymore! It’s for you,” Mike told Jan. Jan opened it with trepidation. She thought she knew the handwriting and somehow knew it wasn’t going to be an answer from Jake. She read it to herself first and then handed it to Mike to read. It was from Louise returning Jan’s cheque to her grandson.

  “Oh, that’s not very nice, is it?” he stated.

  Through her tears she just said, “No.” She didn’t want to spoil their holiday so she went upstairs to finish packing but thinking all along while she was doing it. ‘Why is she being so nasty to me still? After all this time! I don’t understand it. I write a lovely letter to my grandson and SHE answers it and returns my cheque. Tells me she’ll get legal advice if I harass her son anymore! Harass him! For heaven’s sake, I didn’t harass him. I just want to meet him.’

  She tried not to think any more about it, but to go and enjoy their holiday to America.

  But she did think about it, all the time she was away. They were picked up the next morning very early to go to the airport. They met their tour manager and were soon on their way. They arrived at the hotel in Nashville. It was opposite the Grand Ol’ Opry. They were told that there was a show on that evening, so they went over to book tickets.

  “Best seats in the house,” the assistant told them. “These were returned not ten minutes ago. You’re very lucky, it’s a full house tonight. Enjoy the show.”

  “Thank you, we will,” Mike said.

  They went straight in and found their seats, just a few rows from the front of the stage.

  “What an incredible night and fab music, we were so lucky to get those seats,” Jan mused as they walked back hand-in-hand.

  Next morning they met up with their companions on the tour. No one else had thought about going to the show, saying they were too tired after the flight.

  “You have to take your chances when they come along. We were only going to be here one night and we were lucky there just happened to be a show on and also to be able to get tickets, there didn’t seem to be a spare seat in the house,” Jan told someone who had asked what they did the night before.

  They were in Memphis for two nights before joining the paddle-steamer to sail down the Mississippi, with stops on the way. One evening, they were at a loose end so they started poring over brochures to see where they were going on their next holiday. They did so enjoy looking at brochures, almost as much as going on the holiday itself. They nearly always booked another holiday as soon as they returned from the last, and then they would have something to look forward to.

  “I think we could go straight to Tasmania first and see Elspeth and Brian for a few days. They’re always saying we must go and visit them,” Jan stated. Her old school-friend Elspeth had been in touch lately and invited them to stay. She and Brian had lived in Tasmania since the early seventies.

  “Yes, OK. We could take a tour around the island for a few days. Then we could go up
to Melbourne and maybe get tickets for the Australian Open again,” Mike suggested.

  “Yes and we could do some tours, say to Ayres Rock and Darwin – and then fly to Cairns in the north and then down the Eastern seaboard. Then we could go and visit Marian and Kai,” Jan replied.

  “That sounds wonderful. We’ll book it when we get back,” Mike confirmed.

  They carried on down the Mississippi to New Orleans. They had been there once before and it hadn’t changed much except it was probably a little more sleazy than they remembered. The jazz they heard they really enjoyed.

  “How was the holiday?” Vicky was the first person to ask them on their return home.

  “It was fantastic, thanks,” Jan told her friend. “We’re about to book our next one now!”

  “Oh, you always do that! I’m very envious. Where to this time?”

  “Australia. We’re going to visit some old friends and also tour around a bit. We know it quite well now, so we’re just retracing steps we took a good few years ago.”

  Mike had gone back to sleep in the spare room after their return from holiday, just for a few days, temporarily until his sleep pattern was better.

  One morning Jan got up early as usual and showered. She had her breakfast and was excited as this was the day they were going to book their special holiday. All their holidays were special and were meticulously worked out but somehow this one seemed more special.

  It was also the day that Mike was going to move back into their bedroom. They had been long enough apart, on and off, and Jan stripped the bed in readiness for his permanent return and put on the washing machine.

  She went into his bedroom to wake him and remind him they were going to book their special holiday that day. She was so excited about it, she could hardly contain herself. She pulled the curtains back and saw he wasn’t stirring.

  “Come on you lazy thing! Time to wake up!”

  Nothing. She shook the bed a little. Not a single stirring. She pulled back the bedclothes and saw him in the foetal position with his eyes closed. She touched his face. Cold. She felt herself shiver. She touched his body as the realisation crawled over her. Cold.