Clouds Below the Mountains

by Vivienne Dockerty

  “Paul, Cheryl, have you had a good morning? Yes, bring that table over and we’ll ask the waiter to get more chairs,” Greg said in a friendly tone, causing his wife and daughter to look at him in surprise.

  “We’ve had our main course, we’re just about to choose our desserts, but do sit down while we’re over at the food bar.”

  Kate and Sonya got up, while Miguel made sure that Paul and his family were comfortable, asking them could he fetch them something to drink? The two women stood at the counter with the dessert selection, eyeing the tempting puddings and cakes.

  “What’s got into Dad?”, asked Sonya, while Greg stood over by the far wall with Evan in his arms, choosing which ice cream the child wanted from the flavours on display. “I didn’t think he could stand the fellow, much less asking him to sit with us.”

  “I’m as amazed as you are,” Kate replied. “ Perhaps he was having a “Road to Damascus” conversion this morning when he disappeared.”

  As it happened she couldn’t have been nearer to the truth, as Greg had begun to dislike himself, after he had faced up to his feelings down at the Playa del Duque.

  ***

  The sun was out, a warming sparkly sun, that had all the guests finishing their meals quickly and rushing out to get their share of it.

  Doreen, Jean and Milly lay three in a row on the sun loungers, resting their tired legs from their morning ramble. A comfortable silence existed between them, each with their thoughts of what they had done.

  Doreen had enjoyed fuddling, she liked to look at clothes and shoes, though she would never dream of purchasing anything from a foreign country. She liked to buy at Marks & Spencers, where you could take anything that didn’t fit back to the shop. It would be a very expensive visit to Tenerife to get your money back.

  Jean had liked the harbour and the view from the sea front looking out to the island of La Gomera. She had enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the little fishing boats, as they brought their catches back.

  Milly had enjoyed everything, from the carefree looks on the holiday maker’s faces, to the cosmopolitan feel of the stalls in the market. Though she hadn’t liked the pestering of the timeshare touts, who had accosted lots of couples as they ambled by.

  ***

  Mavis sat on a sun bed, looking around at everyone through her prescription sun glasses. There was that nice family of Evan’s, sitting at a pool bar table with that other family, who also had a cute little boy. The grandma was in the children’s pool, looking slim and elegant in a azure blue swim suit, splashing happily with the two little tykes and a young girl who sat watching from the side of the pool.

  What a pleasant scene they were making, she thought, racking her brain to remember a similar occasion with her own grandchildren. There was just that time at Derrynane, when Lillian and the family had taken her and Fred out for a run in their mini bus. The kids and Mavis had spent an hour paddling, while the grownups had sat on the headland there.

  Over in a corner by the tennis courts, sat that poor girl whose boyfriend was evicted. She looked quite happy though, was wearing a deep purple bikini and had her hair up in a pony tail, which made her look about twelve years old.

  And then there was Fred, waiting for his turn at the dart board that somebody had pinned to a palm tree. Mavis threw a frosty look at him and then turned away.

  ***

  Lucy switched off her mobile, after listening to Kath who was on her way to the hotel. She had been hoping to join Jenni and get a little sun on her face, but Kath wanted to go over the list of the guests who were departing and arriving, as tomorrow was another changeover day. She looked at her watch and wondered if she had time to sit at the bar? Surely Kath couldn’t deny her a cooling drink, now that the sun had come out? She’d risk it and she’d take her jacket off, perhaps Kath would like to consult her lists in the sun?

  ***

  “So, I thought I got a really good deal, don’t you agree Greg?,” said Paul complacently, as he sipped at his plastic cup which held a cooling beer. “Not only that, I got comprehensive insurance, a full tank and breakdown cover. It doesn’t add up to hire a car from here.”

  Greg nodded, determined to listen to the man and have a smile on his face, but his thoughts were over with his wife, as she splashed about happily with Evan and Jack. Any man would be delighted to have such an attractive spouse, he kept telling himself, so why had he got these feelings that he didn’t love his wife?

  ***

  “Oh, what a day I’ve had,” said Kath, all of a fluster as she joined Lucy at her table, putting her briefcase down on the floor in front of her, that held a copious amount of report papers that she was going to have to fill in. “Get me a drink of juice will you, there’s a dear?”

  She sank into the chair next to where Lucy had been sitting and wiped her face with a serviette, then stared into space for a moment, while Lucy ordered her drink from the bar.

  “Oh, that’s better,” she said, after she had sipped on the orange juice. “What a performance. That little lad wants a good shaking, he came off the ship with a big grin on his face. I had to look after his siblings for a very long couple of hours before the ship got back, apologize to the Captain, then put them all into my car and drive over to reunite them with their parents at the hospital. You know, just twenty minutes in those children’s company reminded me of why I have never had kids of my own. Talk about naughty…” Kath sipped at her drink again. “You know, if I smoked I would have had a packet of cigarettes by now. Look at my hands…they’re shaking.”

  Lucy had to smile inwardly as she looked at her superior. Dishevelled and ruffled was not how she had ever imagined Kath could be.

  “Well, it’s over now, she soothed. “At least the boy is back with his parents. Did you find out how he was spotted? That he wasn’t with a family.”

  “It transpires that he had an argument with another boy, whose parents had gone to the snack bar.

  Brandon was hungry and had snatched the boy’s hot dog out of his hand. A battle ensued and the father of the boy complained to a crewman, thus they got Brandon’s story and the Captain radioed ashore.”

  “And what about Miss Hollins, has she recovered from her asthma attack?”

  “Oh yes, but there were forms to fill in, in triplicate, at the hospital before I got her out.”

  “Never mind,” said Lucy. “He’s had his adventure, perhaps the little imp will stick around his parents now.”

  ***

  “Do yer fancy a walk, Mavis?” Fred asked, as he came back from his darts match with a winner’s certificate in his hand.

  “No, I don’t Fred, thank you. I’m resting my leg, it’s got a bit of a twinge this afternoon.”

  “Well, I told yer, didn’t I, that the stretching lark was for the young people? No wonder your leg’s playing up again.”

  “I enjoyed it, Fred and if it’s on again tomorrow I’ll give it another go. There’s a saying, “ no pain, no gain”, I believe.”

  “Then I’m off for a walk on the front. I might pop in and have a look at the Antilla while I’m passing.”

  “Well, you do that Fred,” said Mavis, hoping she didn’t sound miffed about him going to the Antilla without her, “I’m enjoying the sunshine here, so I’ll see you later when you return.”

  ***

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Lucy,” said Jenni, as she found the rep’ behind her desk, whilst she checked over the coach transfer lists again, “ but when will it be possible for you to go to your cash point to see if my father’s money has come through?”

  “Well, it’s too late today, Jenni,” Lucy said, looking at her watch, “I suppose I could ring the bank, but I won’t be able to visit it.”

  “Oh, it’s all right,” said Jenni, feeling very embarrassed about asking her friend. “It’s just I feel rather uneasy being without a little money. I thought it would be through by now.”

  “It might be, Jenni, but there’s nothing I can do about it. Y
ou can see how I’m fixed and Kath has gone back to her office, so I can’t get a lift in her car.”

  Taken aback by the sharpness in Lucy’s voice, suggested to Jenni that she left the rep’ alone.

  ***

  “I’m off for a little nap, parents,” said Sonya, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds and dusk began to creep in. “Got to get my rest for all the boogying, I intend to do at the disco tonight.”

  “We’ll come up as well, Sonya,” said Greg. “Maybe Evan will have a little sleep. Over here, Evan,” he shouted, to where his grandson and Jack were playing on the slide in the kiddie’s park.

  “I think we’ll make a move too,” said Paul to Cheryl. “Say goodbye to Emily, Annabelle. You’ll see her later at the Mini disco. See you later Steve, Fiona.”

  The two families walked to the lift, then hit the button for the third and fourth floors and just managed to squeeze themselves in.

  ***

  “Well, I don’t know how you managed to be pleasant this afternoon,” said Kate, after they had settled Evan down with his blanket and bear and he’d drifted off to sleep. “Didn’t you find it boring listening to Paul droning on?”

  “No, I found his description of life as a car salesman quite entertaining, but you came in on the end of it, when he was telling us the serious stuff.”

  “Oh. Steve and Fiona are very quiet, aren’t they? Or were they making funnies, while I was with Evan and Jack in the pool?”

  “Are you being sarcastic, Kate? You know I can’t remember jokes or funny stories. If I had I would tell you them myself. Anyway,” he said, hoping to put her in a better mood, if indeed she’d been having a go. “There’s a fakir on tonight, I think Evan would be excited to watch him, don’t you?”

  ***

  “I think that Greg and Steve were very impressed with me this afternoon, don’t you think so, Darling?,” said Paul, as he poured out some drinks for himself and Cheryl, while the children fought over the remote control again.

  “How so, Darling? Do you mean the funny stories you were telling them, because I’ve heard them all before.”

  “I know, I know and you are a wonderful angel to listen to them again and again, but don’t you see, Greg is softening in his attitude towards me.”

  “Yes, I must admit he was quite pleasant today, especially as he got the waiter to make that extra space for us. I think if I was asked to describe him, I would use the word dour in connection with Greg. And yet his wife and daughter are really friendly, at least Kate is. Sonya doesn’t have a lot to say.”

  “Well, I think with another ten days or so in each other’s company, Greg might ask me for a quote on our lease hire and maybe part exchange on their private cars. What a feather in my cap, eh, Cheryl, if I went back home with all that in my lap?

  “Yes, but may I advise caution, Darling? You know you sometimes get carried away. Let’s see how it goes first and don’t be pushy, that can cause a deal to fall through.”

  “You’re right, my love, let’s concentrate on our holiday. Shall we drive up to the mountains tomorrow and see how far we can get before we hit the snow?”

  ***

  “Are you seeing the lovely senorita tonight?” Miguel asked in Spanish, as he and Juan checked over the restaurant tables before opening the doors.

  “I hope so, she is a very pretty girl. Curvy in all the right places and definitely up for it, as they say.”

  “I don’t know how you can do it, while you have your fiancee waiting for you in Madrid. I know if I was in love with somebody, I would never look at another woman in my life.”

  “I can’t say that I am in love with Marie Jose, she has been chosen by my mother and while I find her attractive and look forward to making babies with her, I cannot really say that I am in love.”

  “So, you will use this pretty English girl to sow your wild oats, because you are denied intimacy with your fiancee. Poor girl, that is all I can say.”

  “Come on, Miguel!”, said Juan hotly. “You know the English girls, it’s on offer most of the time with them. Besides, in June I will become a husband, so you can’t blame me for sowing my oats before I settle down.”

  ***

  “I see there’s one of them fakir’s on tonight, according to the poster in the foyer,” said Jean, as the three women came down for their evening meal. “All that eating fire and walking on hot coals, makes you wonder how long those kind of people live for?”

  “Yes, I know,” answered Doreen. “You’d think that the hot poker down his throat would burn his tonsils off and the hot coals on the soles of his feet would burn his skin off. Seems a precarious living, if you ask me.”

  “I saw one once when I was on holiday in Turkey,” said Milly. “He had this bed of nails and he lifted a volunteer from the audience, a man who weighed about sixteen stone, onto his back and walked across the nails. Then he did the same thing with another man, who was even heavier and walked across a bed of broken glass!”

  “There’ll be some sort of an illusion in it,” said Doreen, being naturally a rather doubting sort of person. “Though I suppose if it gets him a living, it doesn’t matter either way.”

  ***

  “You’re looking very nice, Sonya,” said Kate, as she knocked on her daughter’s door to tell her they were ready to go down for dinner. “Where did you get that lilac top from? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

  “Oh, I had to put it into the dry cleaners as soon as I bought it. It had a little stain on it, so I asked the sales assistant to let me have it cheap.”

  “Well, I don’t see any stain on it now. Those sparkles are really lovely the way they’re scattered around the neck.”

  Kate edged her way into Sonya’s bedroom as she was talking, then she lowered her voice so that her husband couldn’t hear.

  “How did you get on last night with that waiter? I’ve been meaning to ask but I haven’t had the opportunity.”

  “We danced a bit and then he brought me back to our corridor, a bit of a snog and that was it.”

  “Oh,” said Kate, sounding disappointed, “ didn’t he ask if he could see you again tonight?”

  Sonya laughed and pushed her mother’s shoulder in a friendly way. “You’ve been reading too many romantic novels, Mother, he’ll probably have his eye on someone else tonight. Anyway, there’s not much chance of anything happening with dad hanging around in the Sunlight Bar, is there?”

  ***

  “Put this chain around my neck, will you, Darling?,” said Cheryl, as she found she had difficulty securing the clasp on her gold rope necklace.

  “Certainly, my love,” replied Paul, standing very close to his wife so that his warm breath caressed her neck.

  “Do you remember when I put this around your neck on our wedding night?,” asked Paul. “We were standing on the balcony of our hotel in Malta, overlooking the city of Valetta with its brightly lit buildings and beautiful red and gold sunset. I think I’ll remember that night for the rest of my life.”

  “I remember,” whispered Cheryl. “I had never been on a plane before and you bought a bottle of champagne to calm my nerves. You held my hand throughout the journey and we didn’t come out of the bedroom until Sunday night.”

  “Can somebody fasten the clasp on my necklace, please?”, said a demanding little voice at the side of them.

  “Of course, Annabelle, let your daddy put it around your neck. My, I love your pretty peach outfit and those sequins on your bolero are very sparkly.”

  “Shrug, Daddy, it’s called a shrug. Bolero’s are for when you go to dancing class and you wear it over your leotard.”

  Paul and Cheryl wore amused expressions over their little girl’s head.

  “I’ve been to Reception and ordered packed lunches for tomorrow, Cheryl,” said Paul after they had settled in their chairs ready for the Mini disco to start. “I hope they’re not like the ones we were given in Lanzarote last year. Do you remember? A stale white roll with salami and a
soggy tomato, a packet of unheard of crisps, an apple and a packet drink. I know I can afford to treat you to lunch up in the mountain, but it is probably wise to have a packed lunch in case we get stuck in the snow.”

  “Why Darling, do you think we should venture so far up into the mountain? I thought we would have a little jaunt through the villages, but not to go up too far.”

  “Of course you are right, we’ll have the children with us, so it is not as if we would place them in any danger. Look at Jack and Annabelle, aren’t they the most cutest kiddies on the dance floor?”

  ***

  “Excuse me, young woman,” said an angry looking man to Lucy, as she began to walk towards the stairs that would take her down to the restaurant. “Aren’t you the rep’ we saw this morning about our room change?”

  Lucy was no longer dressed in her company uniform, but in a pair of light beige trousers and a matching coloured linen blouse. She glanced quickly at his wife who was standing by two black suitcases, looking very annoyed.

  “We’ve waited all day for you to get back to us and when you didn’t, I said to Bert, “I’m not staying in this hotel a minute longer,” so we’ve packed up ready to go. We’ve been to Reception and they know nothing about a room change.” The woman glared at Lucy balefully with her hands on her hips, ready to do battle if it was necessary to do so.

  “Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” said Lucy, a pink flush creeping up her cheeks. “It was because of all that bother this morning with the kiddie going missing, that your room change went completely out of my head. I’ll see Reception now.”

  She went over to Reception, keeping her fingers crossed that there was an empty bedroom for the couple to move into, otherwise she’d be mince meat if this got to Kath’s ears.

  Dania was apologetic, the only room that was free was over the entertainment room.

  “And no one’s happy if they’re put in there,” said the receptionist. “ Unless of course they have problems with their hearing, which isn’t the case with this lady.”

  “I’m not going over the Sunlight Bar,” said the woman, who had come up behind Lucy to the desk and was listening intently. “If you haven’t got a suitable room, we want compensation. Periquito Travel says on their website that they will go out of their way to make their clients’ holiday a happy one. Well, I’m not happy. What are you going to do about it?”