“Are you getting a little brother then?”, asked Annabelle, while she and Emily were waiting for the music to begin. “My mummy had a bump when I was three and I got Jack.”
***
“Right kids,” said Mikey, standing up on the stage and talking into the microphone. “We’re going to play a game first tonight, does everyone know how to play statues?”
All the children shouted “ Yeeeessss,” except for Evan and Jack who didn’t want to join in. They began to run up and down the room trying to catch each other.
“It’s not fair,” said Annabelle, coming back from the dance floor later with a few exasperated tears in her eyes. “I moved my elbow because I was uncomfortable. It’s supposed to be a Mini disco, not a time for games.”
“Never mind,” soothed Cheryl, “ it’s only one game and then they’ll have dancing. Go and sit on daddy’s knee until the game’s over.”
“Evan is going to be hot and sweaty again like he was last night,” said Greg to Kate in muted tones. “I’d take him back to the bedroom now, if it wasn’t for the Spanish dancers, which I know he’d like to see.”
“Well, I need to go to the Ladies, I’ll grab him while I’m passing and take him with me,” said Kate. “Excuse me, I’m just off to powder my nose,” she said, politely.
“Oh, I’ll come with you,” Fiona replied. “You know what it’s like when you’re in the second trimester?”
Kate nodded, but hadn’t got a clue what Fiona meant.
“You were very brave having Evan so late in life,” said Fiona, as the two women stood at the wash basins, with Kate trying to get her wriggling grandson to wash his hands. Kate smiled to herself, she didn’t need a face lift when she was getting all these compliments. This was the third person who had thought that Evan was her son.
“I wasn’t sure of having another child with Emily being seven. It’s such an age gap, but your children’s age gaps are quite considerable. Is this a second marriage or did you have other children in between?”
Kate thought she had better come clean to the woman and tell her the truth, but it was nice just for a moment, to bask in the glory.
“Fiona, I’m fifty six, going on fifty seven and Evan is Sonya’s, she’s twenty six! Still it’s nice that you think I look young enough. Thank you for the compliment.”
“Don’t mention it,” said Fiona, as her pretty creamy face flushed with embarrassment. “I hope I look like you when I’m fifty six.”
***
Jenni and Lucy sat at the back of the room, as they had the evening before. Jenni had gone to her room and had changed into a white round necked long sleeved top, with sparkles on the front, with black velvet wide legged trousers and silver high heel shoes. Lucy had put a dress on for a change and was looking gorgeous in a pink halter neck.
“Bingo in ten minutes”, she said, after looking at her watch, “then the flamenco show and after that it’s disco time. Sometimes Mikey and his crew stay behind, although they’ve quite a hike to get back to their apartments.”
“Oh, don’t they have a place here like you, Tina and Anna?”
“No, it’s an outside agency that employs them, so they had to find lodgings that were cheap. I don’t know if it’s true what Mikey was telling me, but he said a man comes around every Friday with a brief case full of envelopes. He comes in, seeks them out, even if they’re playing water polo or doing aqua aerobics, hands them an envelope each, then clears off again. Mind you, Mikey is a Scouser so he could have been having me on.”
“I wouldn’t like that,” said Jenni. “What if he doesn’t turn up one week and you don’t get your wages?”
“I said that to Mikey and he said then he was probably bloody sacked!”
“Oh, this is so nice, Lucy, sitting here with no worries and no miserable boyfriend hanging around. Have you ever had a boyfriend, Lucy?”
“Not out here I haven’t. I had one or two at home, but nothing serious. I don’t want to get involved to be honest. I like my job, though Kath can get a bit heavy with me sometimes, but boyfriends become complications and I don’t want any of them at the moment.”
“I wish I was strong like you. I seemed to drift into that relationship with Simon. It was all right when I was back in England. You’ve probably guessed that my parents aren’t together now and somehow Simon was the one who gave me the love and attention that I didn’t get at home. Though it wasn’t love, I realize that now.”
“Ohhh, poor you,” said Lucy and gave her new friend a hug. “Never mind you’ll get over it, people usually do. Anyway, are you up for a game of Bingo? Looks like the kid’s disco has finished now.”
***
“Doreen, Milly, what time is it?”, Jean said, sitting up in her bed nearest the window, pulling at the heavy curtains to see if it was dark or light?
“What!,” said Doreen, pulling up on one elbow, “ what are you on about?”
“What’s the matter?”, asked Milly, switching the bed panel light on.
“I’m just wondering what time it is?”
“It’s nine o’ clock, that’s what,” gasped Milly, looking at the watch on her wrist.
“It’s a bit dark for nine o’ clock,” said Jean.
“What are you both on about?”, asked Doreen.
“We’ve slept for four hours,” Milly said and shot out of bed, as if there was bugs biting her!
“Never,” said Doreen, getting out of bed, peering at her own watch. “You’re right, we have. We’ll have missed the Bingo at this rate.”
“Never mind the Bingo. We’ll have missed our dinner, the place closes at nine o’ clock,” Milly replied, dashing into the bathroom to brush her hair and clean her teeth.
She was followed closely by Doreen, who without any embarrassment, pulled her knickers down and sat down on the toilet. Milly excused herself to go and sit on her bed.
“Look at my clothes,” wailed Jean. “They’re all creased and crushed. I’ve never gone to bed in my clothes before. It’s those drinks we had, I’ve never had more than a glass of sherry in my life!”
Milly couldn’t help laughing, she couldn’t help herself, the whole situation was hilarious, one that she was glad she hadn’t missed.
They arrived at the restaurant, just as Miguel was about to turn the lights off. He, Juan and Rachael had been getting the tables laid, ready for breakfast as each guest had departed. Then he saw the three anxious looking women reading the evening’s menu.
“Eeh, look what we’ve missed,” said one to the other two. “Chinese. All my favourites. Egg fried rice, barbecue ribs, chicken with black bean sauce and prawn crackers.”
“Sorry ladies, the restaurant closed at nine o’ clock, the chef’s gone home so he can’t help you.”
They looked so crestfallen that his heart went out to them. It was like looking at your mother and turning her away.
“I know,” he said, as a bright idea hit him. “Can I make you a sandwich? I’m not very good at cooking, but I can make a sandwich very well. Sit here at this table and I’ll go to the kitchen straight away.” There was murmurs of “oh no, you don’t have to”, from the three women, but he could tell from their voices they were only being polite. He returned a little later with a plate piled high with dainty sandwiches, each filled with a piece of cheese and a bit of ham and he’d cut the crusts off to make them look nice.
***
“Oh, Fred, look at these two little moppets,” Mavis said, as Evan and Jack stood in front of their table gazing at them solemnly. “I haven’t got any sweeties, dearies, sorry.” The two little boys ran away again, then the older boy was whisked off somewhere by his mother.
“What’s your name, little boy?”, asked Mavis, as Evan came wandering back to look at her again.
“My name is Evan Lewis and I’m three years old. Do you know that there’s a dragon living in a cupboard in this hotel?”
Mavis laughed at his serious expression and took out a pen from her handbag.
&
nbsp; “No, I didn’t. I’ll have to get my husband to protect me if we walk past it. Would you like me to draw you a dragon on this serviette?”
“Yes, I’d like that.” Mavis drew him a dragon with a curling tail and smoke coming out of its mouth. Evan looked at it, then took her pen. “That’s not a dragon, I can draw better than that.” He did a lot of scribbles, then he handed her back the serviette and said proudly. “That’s a dragon.”
Mavis started laughing, and at that moment felt the happiest she had been since she’d got there.
***
“That’s it, another attempt at winning hits the dust,” said Lucy, as a woman who had been on the Gatwick flight, danced about in delight at winning the Full House. “ Never mind,” said Jenni, who was in hock to Lucy for a Bingo ticket now. “There are always other nights for you to win it.”
“True,” said Lucy. “Look, the flamenco dancers have arrived back stage, you can see them through the crack in the curtains.
***
“I’m going to take Evan to bed,” said Greg, half way through the performance. “He can hardly keep his eyes open. I’ll see you up there later, don’t forget what I said.”
Kate smiled and nodded. She was feeling tired herself, but didn’t want to miss having a bit of girly time with her daughter.
“See you all tomorrow, then,” said Greg, before he tried to weave his way through the dancers, who were encouraging members of the audience to get up and dance the conga with them.
The others said goodnight, then Cheryl said she would take Jack up, as he had become a sleepy head.
“Come, come dance with me,” said one of the Mariquito girls, a young woman in her twenties with dark brown flashing eyes. The bits of her body that were not covered by her red ruffled gypsy blouse and black ankle length frilly tiered skirt, glistened with sweat as she looked alluringly at Paul and Steve. They both got up in unison, then Paul found himself locked by her arms around his waist and Steve with his arms locked around her. Dancing around the room was a heady experience for both of them, especially as both had consumed a lot of beer.
“That’s it, I’m knackered,” said Paul, as he and Steve came back to the table and suddenly Kate and Sonya found themselves alone.
“These men can’t take it,” laughed Kate, after they had said goodnight to Paul and Annabelle, followed closely by Steve, Fiona and their daughter. “I’m really looking forward to doing my thing.”
“That’s so old fashioned, Mum,” said Sonya, smiling at her mother’s eagerness for the disco to get started. “You can strut your stuff or have a boogie, but doing your thing, I don’t think so.”
“Can I get you ladies a drink?,” asked Juan, who had just come in from the Quiet bar where he had finished doing his shift.
“Oh, thank you,” said Kate. “It will have to be my last one though, I’m feeling quite squiffy. A gin and tonic, no ice.”
“And you, Senorita?”
“I’ll have the same thanks.”
“Isn’t that nice of him, Sonya? I suppose he saw us sat here with no men beside us and thought he would save us the embarrassment of sitting on a bar stool.”
“They work long days though, don’t they? He was clearing away at breakfast and he’s still here at midnight.”
“Yes, but they must have time off during the day and I’m sure people like him don’t work all the year round. Shush, he’s coming back with our drinks.”
To Kate and Sonya’s amazement, Juan had brought three drinks back and not on a tray as would be expected of a waiter. In one hand he held two tall glasses of gin and tonic and a large glass of beer in the other!
“Bottoms up, Ladies,” he said, after he had placed their drinks before them and had made himself comfortable in a vacated armchair. “I hope you both will dance with me at the disco later.”
***
“This is Mikey, Damion (which Lucy pronounced Dam- e- on.), Susanne and of course you’ve met Tina and Anna. This is Jenni, my new best friend, who I am sure I will have a lot of fun with.” “Pleased to meet you, All right? and Hi were the assorted response to her introduction, then they all sat back and talked amongst themselves.
“Who’s playing the music tonight, Mikey,” asked Damion. “ Do you want me to do it?”
“No, I’ll announce a few and then I’ll put it into auto. I could do with a bit of practice for that show we’re doing next week.”
“Oh, what theme is it next week, Mikey?”, asked Lucy, who had seen the team do excerpts from “Saturday night fever”, the week before.
“Possibly “Grease”, maybe Abba, it depends on what I feel like doing really. I know all the songs off by heart. I used to do the cruise ships,” he said, as way of explanation to Jenni.
“Don’t you need four people to play the parts of Abba?” asked Jenni. “You’ve got Susanne, who I’m sure is the perfect Agnetha and Damion for Bjorn, but what about Frieda, who do you get to play her part?”
“ Oh, I will have play both Benny and Frieda, run behind the curtain and do a quick change. There is someone who is perfect,” he said, looking accusingly at Anna, “but unfortunately she won’t sing.”
“I’m not part of the Animacion team, Mikey. I’m part of the Kid’s club. Though if you were to pay me, I am sure I would be able to sing like a bird.”
Mikey gave her a glare and stalked off to set his music deck in motion. “They’re always like this together,” whispered Lucy, “ he fancies the pants off her.”
***
“My name is Juan, you will have seen that on my name badge,” the waiter smiled. “I know you are Sonya, because I have heard your father when I have attended your table, but what is your name, pretty lady?”
“Oh, Kate, “ she replied, feeling all self conscious as he asked her, though as Sonya’s mother she wondered why she was feeling like that.
“Kate. You have a very handsome little boy, Kate. What is his name?”
She saw her daughter’s eyebrows raising in a question. Oh, did it matter, she couldn’t be bothered to
explain?
“His name is Evan.”
“I am the last of my mother’s children also. I have four brothers and two sisters, though they are all married now with children of their own.”
There was a silence then, Juan fiddled with his glass and mother and daughter looked at each other blankly.
***
Mikey began the disco with a song from Tina Turner. The strains of “ Simply the Best” soon began to throb in the air. “Shall we boogie, Mother?”, asked Sonya, before Juan had chance to ask, as she didn’t want Kate sitting on her own.
“Allow me,” said Juan and holding each of them by the arm, escorted them both to the dance floor.”
Chapter Seven.
Kate knocked on her bedroom door quietly, knowing that Greg would be angry if she woke up their grandson.
“Where’s Sonya?”, he asked, as he opened the door. “I didn’t hear her going into her bedroom.”
“I left her downstairs with some other people of her age. You know the rep’ called Lucy and the girl you rescued?”
“I said half past twelve, Kate, you should have told her to come with you.”
“The disco’s only on for another half hour, Greg. Anyway, can I come in?”
“Oh, sorry,” he said, stepping aside to let her pass, then locking the door behind her. “ Evan’s been as good as gold. Got into his pyjamas and not a peep out of him since.”
“Did you get into bed as well?”, noting that he had also got his blue checked pyjamas on.
“I watched the television for a while and then I dozed, then I woke up and had some of that brandy that we bought on the ‘plane.”
“Good idea, now you’re all relaxed and ready for bed again.”
“Was there many there, or did most people go up when the flamenco dancing finished?”, he asked, while she changed out of her clothes and put her pink satin nightie on.
“Most people went, I was a
bout the oldest there really. No, I tell a lie, those three sisters were being silly trying to do the slosh to one of the dances.”
“And did you and Sonya dance together?”
“Yes, there were a few of us, all dancing around our handbags as it were.”
“Good, I’ll get into bed then. I’ll leave the panel light on until you’ve finished in the bathroom.”
Kate got into bed a little later. It was cold in her half of the bed, so she moved towards her husband to give him a cuddle. She could feel his body tensing, as it always did whenever she moved towards him.
“Not tonight Kate, not while Evan is over there.”
“I only wanted a cuddle,” she said. “My feet are cold and this part of the bed is cold too.”
“You’ll soon warm up. You’ll be complaining in the middle of the night that you’re too hot, you always do.”
Kate sighed and moved away, resentfully.
***
“So, Jenni,” said Mikey, “ the boyfriend’s gone I hear, do yer have a vacancy for another guy?”
“Are you putting yourself forward as a candidate, Mikey?” asked Lucy, who was dancing nearby.
“I just wondered, I’m too old for her anyway.”
“Watch him, Jenni,” said Lucy, as they sat out for a breather later “ he tries it on with everyone.”
***
Sonya sat with Juan in a secluded corner. They had danced together for a little while after Kate had gone to her bedroom, but then Juan had suggested that they sat together away from the music, so that they could talk.
“How long will you be staying here, Sonya?” he asked softly, holding her small white hand in his big brown one and caressing hers with his thumb. Just the sound of his voice made her tummy feel as if it had butterflies chasing around it.
“We go back in two weeks time,” she answered, though her throat felt parched and her hands felt terribly sweaty.
“So, we can be with each other.” It was a statement rather than a question and the way she was feeling that moment, her answer could only be yes.
Clouds Below the Mountains Page 12