Clouds Below the Mountains

by Vivienne Dockerty

  “Yes, whatever, Sonya. Your Dad said if I was to come across her, I had to paste a smile on my face.”

  “I’ll let you get on then, Mum. Shout me across the balcony when Evan’s ready to come.”

  She didn’t confide in her mother, that she had also met Juan as she came out of the quiet bar where she had located Mikey and how she had binned the waiter off when he’d asked could he be with her again that evening?

  Chapter Fourteen.

  “Are you sure you are not going to get into trouble for this, Lucy?” asked Jenni, as she and Lucy stood a little away from Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, a retired couple in their sixties who had booked to go to Santa Cruz.

  “I told you last night, Jenni, there won’t be a problem. It’s an unescorted trip, but when I get on the coach with my uniform on, I’ll tell the driver there’s been a change of plan and now he’s got a courier. He won’t query it. Depending on his level of English he might think he’s misunderstood. I’ll act all official, saying “good morning everybody” into the microphone and then I’ll sit back with you and enjoy the ride.”

  “And you will pay in the money for my ticket, won’t you, Lucy? I wouldn’t like to think I was being dishonest in any way.”

  “Yes, Jenni, it’s safely in my breast pocket and I’ll give you a receipt from my booking ledger when we get back.”

  “Did you leave the note you said you’d write on your desk, giving out your mobile number?”

  “Yes, Jenni. Honestly, you’re beginning to sound like my mother. Why don’t you just belt up and look forward to the day?”

  ***

  “Jean, good morning, what are you doing here on your own?”, asked Harry Wilkinson, coming in from his early constitutional along the sea front, still dressed smartly in a white short sleeved shirt and well pressed fawn trousers.

  “Oh, Harry, good morning,” said Jean, getting up from the settee in the foyer, feeling a little anxious to be with Harry on her own. “ Doreen and Milly, are doing some packing in the bedroom.

  I didn’t have so much myself, so I thought I’d give them some space and wait for them here.”

  “Have you had breakfast?”

  “No, not yet, that’s why I’m waiting here, so that we can go in together.”

  “Jean, I was hoping that I could manage to speak to you alone, before you go back to Manchester. How would you feel if we kept in touch, when I get back to England?” Harry gazed at Jean earnestly, hoping that her answer wouldn’t be no.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said, dropping her eyes from his self consciously and sinking back onto the settee. “ I mean, why would you want to do that?”

  Harry sat down beside her and took her hand in his tentatively. “Well, I was listening to your conversation last night with Doreen and Milly and I thought to myself, this nice lady needs a companion. From where I’m sitting, Doreen seems very self sufficient, seems happy with her own company and has quite a circle of friends. Milly, of course is married and obviously has a husband to look after, but you dear Jean, I think could do with a little male companionship, someone to take you out for dinner now and again. I could take you to the theatre or maybe we could go for a day out in my car. I have an old Jaguar, my pride and joy and I can easily make the distance from Buxton and your home.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” said Jean, removing her hand from his hastily. “ I only buried my husband a year ago and I don’t want people thinking I’m fast.”

  “You, Jean?”, smiled Harry, thinking how guileless this little lady was. “ How could anybody think you were being fast? You’re a lovely woman, everything that a widower like myself would be delighted to have in their life.”

  “Well, let me think about it and of course it would have to be a secret between us. I don’t want my sister and Milly putting their two pennies worth in.”

  “Of course, my dear, I understand. So here’s my card with my address and telephone number upon it and if you decide to contact me, I’ll be delighted to receive your call.”

  ***

  “I enjoyed last night,” Kate said to Sonya, as they took the lift together down to the restaurant. “That Mikey is a real hoot once he gets going. Did you hear what he got up to on that cruise ship? It’s a wonder he didn’t get a dose of syphilis.”

  “Oh Mum, he just exaggerates. It’s his front, a way of making people think he’s been around a bit. I had a long conversation with him yesterday afternoon and it was the old biddies on the ship that used to throw themselves at him. He didn’t take them up on their offers, but part of his duties was to attend the tea dances and give them each a twirl.”

  “Well, he seems to have got his eye on you now. It’s lucky that waiter didn’t push it with you, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes,” agreed Sonya with feeling, remembering the name that Juan had called her after finding him lurking in the foyer, when she had come out of the Ladies. At first he had looked crushed when she had told him that she didn’t fancy him anymore, then extremely angry, his arrogant temper demanding to know why? After a few vitriolic oaths in his native language he had called her a bloody damn whore. She had run back into the Ladies, shaking with fear at his onslaught, only coming out later when the coast was clear.

  Sonya smiled at her mother who was obviously trying a bit of matchmaking. “ I only like Mikey, Mum, he’s a laugh and that’s all there is to it. Anyway, remember you and Dad are having Evan this afternoon for me.”

  “Of course, love, we thought we’d take him back to that play area again. He loved those tunnels and the rope walk and I’ll try to get him to do a bit more on the trampoline. Oh, there’s your Dad, he took Evan to the shop to get yesterday’s Sunday newspaper. I want to check the Lottery and see if we’re millionaires.”

  ***

  “How are you feeling this morning, Fiona?” asked Paul, when the two families met in the dining room, as they waited for somewhere to sit. “ We hoped we would see you last night, but Steve said you were feeling washed out when he brought Emily down for dinner.”

  “I was, thank you for asking,” replied Fiona, caressing her hand over her stomach as they waited for a family nearby to vacate their table. “ Steve was very good, he rang room service and they brought me a tray up to the bedroom. Thank you by the way, for looking after Emily.”

  “It’s the least we could do,” said Cheryl. “I’m sure you would have looked after Jack and Annabelle if we had needed you to.”

  They moved into the seats together and Paul went off with Steve and the children to choose what they wanted for breakfast.

  “What was the hospital like?” asked Cheryl. “ I think you were very brave staying in a foreign hospital.”

  “It was needs must. I couldn’t have stayed in the hotel in the state I was in.”

  “How did you manage? Did the nurses and doctors speak English?”

  “Funnily enough the nurses weren’t Spanish, they were Sri Lankan and hardly had a word of English between them. We were doing sign language most of the time.”

  “Steve said you had a problem with your bowel. I can sympathize because the same thing happened when I was carrying both Annabelle and Jack.”

  “Well, it’s sorted now,” said Fiona, her face flushing with embarrassment at the thought of her husband discussing her bowels with people they hardly knew. “ I just need to see my doctor when I get home.”

  ***

  “I’ll just go over to see Cheryl and find out if Jack is going to the Kid’s club this morning, Mum,” said Sonya, before she went to the breakfast buffet. “ I think we’re on speaking terms now, although I felt we were all watching our p’s and q’s when we sat with them last night.”

  “We can’t really say we sat with them very much, Sonya. You and I were dancing most of the time to Candelaria.”

  “I’ll pop over anyway,” said Sonya, feeling that she had to get rid of this tension she still felt, as she wanted to feel clear headed when she sang on stage tomorrow night.

&nb
sp; “Ask after Fiona while you’re there,” said Kate.

  ***

  “You know, Mavis, I’ve been thinking about that money yer won last night at Bingo,” Fred said, as the couple sat by the pool bar deciding whether it was going to be hot and sunny, as the clouds were quite low over the mountains.

  “It was only a line,” answered Mavis. “ Around ten pound if you work out the pesetas, Fred.”

  “Well I think yer should use that brass to buy summat for George and Ethel. They’ll have been checking on the house while we’ve been away.”

  “I would have thought that was your department, Fred, laying out for souvenirs. I was going to suggest I paid out for a pub’ grub. Save me cooking when I get home.”

  “Aye, well I suppose there is that, otherwise we’ll have to go ter supermarket. Aye, all right, you stand us a dinner and I’ll get summat fer them.”

  ***

  “Thank you Lucy, for a lovely day,” said Jenni, as the two girls got down from the coach with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson and Lucy said goodbye to the coach driver. “ We got some really cheap stuff as well at the duty free shops, perfume for Mum and a bottle of brandy for Dad.”

  “We enjoyed that trip, Lucy,” said Mrs Anderson, who was carrying two bags of souvenirs, while her husband carried a bulging holdall “ and Santa Cruz was lovely. When we weren’t shopping at El Corte Ingles, we had a walk around.”

  “Yes, it deserves being the capital city, doesn’t it?” said Lucy, “ with its historic buildings and squares. Now I think it should be a dash for the sun loungers and chill by the swimming pool. I don’t know about you, but I found it sweltering walking around in the sun.”

  Lucy went to her rep’s desk, as the couple and Jenni went to deposit their purchases in their bedrooms. She’d just check that there wasn’t any messages, then she planned to go back to her apartment, have a quick shower and change into a clean blouse. She had it all worked out what she would say if the office had been trying to contact her, but if they had wanted her they would have tried her mobile, wouldn’t they?

  There was a note on top of the desk, sellotaped down so that it wouldn’t flutter away if

  the outer door swung open. “ Lucy, it said, “ just to let you know that we contacted the credit card company and they are looking into it. We’ll let you know the outcome when they ring back.” Tracy and Gary Greenwood.

  So, no one else, good, thought Lucy, exhaling a deep breath as her conscience kicked in. I got away with it then. Well, why should I be worried? The company owe me time and I’ve enjoyed myself, though I’d best remember at the welcome meetings that I’ve never been to Santa Cruz.

  ***

  “Right, I’m going to see the rep’, Tricia and book us something to keep our Joanne occupied tomorrow. Look at her flirting with them lads again. If we don’t keep an eye on her she’ll be having another abortion.”

  “Oh, I don’t think she’ll risk it, Ray,” said his wife, sipping on a gin and tonic that Juan had just brought her, while they were sitting by the pool enjoying the sun. “ I think she’s learnt her lesson, but you’re right, we shouldn’t just let the holiday slip away without seeing something of the surroundings. Where do you fancy going?”

  “I’d quite like to sail over to the island if we can, but I think we’ll treat ourselves tonight and go in search of a Chinese. The food here is rather bland for my liking and I quite fancy a sweet and sour chicken or a Thai curry. It will get our Joanne away from the lads for a couple of hours.”

  “There’s not much here for teenagers anyway, is there, Ray? Unless you’re inclined to be sporty and like to swim or play tennis, but I suppose if they did have a club for teenagers she wouldn’t want to go to it.”

  “Yes, I agree with you, Tricia, she’s too grownup for fourteen. At least she thinks she is anyway. When I was her age I went to the Boys Brigade and we never had time to get up to mischief, they kept us well occupied.”

  “Same with me. I was in the guides until I was sixteen and my free time was trying to pass my advanced this and that and looking after the younger members. You know I thought we’d brought her up the same as the other two.”

  “I suppose it’s all in the growing up,” said Ray, draining his beer. “ One day we’ll look back on this episode in our life and see it in an entirely different perspective.”

  “Let’s hope so, Ray, let’s hope so.”

  ***

  Sonya, finished her rehearsal with her favourite song from Abba, “ I had a dream,” then looked over to Mikey for his approval. She knew she had sung well, running through “ Money, money, money,” “Super Trouper” and “Fernando”, finding out that her warm melodic voice suited the pitch of the backing tape.

  “You know Sonya, you could take this up for a living if you wanted to,” said Mikey, his voice full of admiration as he came up to stand by her on the stage. “ In fact I wonder if I could be your manager and I could get you bookings at North west pubs’ and clubs?”

  Sonya giggled at his praise, looking at him carefully to see if he was being serious. “ I think we’d need another three people, Mikey. Freida, as far as I know, never tried to go solo.”

  “Then you should look for a tribute band that has a vacancy. Honestly, Sonya, you’ve really got a voice.”

  She looked at her watch, wondering if her parents had come back from the sea front with Evan.

  “It’s not even worth thinking about Mikey, I have a child, remember and also a job that keeps me occupied fully back home.”

  “Well, it’s a waste as far as I’m concerned,” he sighed. “ Anyway now I’ve heard of the range of songs you know of Abba’s, I’ll go and get Susanne.”

  ***

  “I missed you Jenni,” said Miguel, as he began to clear up the plastic cups that people had discarded around the swimming pool, hovering around her sun lounger where she was reading a guide book on Santa Cruz. “ Did you enjoy your day with Lucy in the capital city? I wish I could have been with you.”

  “It was lovely Miguel, though rather hot. We wandered about looking at the old buildings and there was a nice park that we sat in to eat our lunch.”

  “You and I could have wandered through that park together and walked to the port to watch the ships coming in,” he told her wistfully. He was frowning unhappily, unusually for him as he always had a smile for Jenni, even when he was being serious.

  “You will find me a hotel that I can work in near to your Bolton, Jenni? You won’t forget me as soon your airplane lands in Manchester? Juan has told me that the girl he had set his heart on, no longer loves him. He is very upset about it.”

  “Oh, go away and stop being silly, Miguel,” said Jenni lightly, making little flapping movements with her hands. “I’ll start ringing around as soon as I get home.”

  ***

  “What are your plans for this evening, Sonya?” asked Mikey, after she and Susanne had finished rehearsing and seemed to be working well together.

  “The usual I suppose, have dinner, watch the kids at Mini club, stay up to dance at the disco, though I did notice there was no poster up advertising this evening’s entertainment. Is there nothing on?”

  “I’ve decided I’m going to try something different tonight, seeing as a lot of guests will be packing.

  At first I thought I’d just play a few records and then after I was talking to you about my cruise ship days, I thought, what about a dance for the geriatrics? I’ve got a few records they could waltz to and I think I’ve got one suitable for a tango and I’ll play a few artistes from the 50’s. You know, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis? If it goes down well, I could even introduce a bit of Scottish dancing. I know “ Strip the Willow” and that “ Gay Gordons” thingy.”

  “Maybe you could have it on a regular basis, Mikey, during the winter season?” Susanne said, listening to the conversation. “ More old people seem to come at this time, don’t they?”

  “Well, if I do, you’ll have to brush up on your ballroom
techniques, then mucker. Don’t think I’ll be the only one to give the old un’s a twirl.”

  “I must go now, Mikey,” said Sonya, already looking forward to the evening as she was an accomplished ballroom dancer herself. Those years of being nagged by her parents to attend Cyril

  Hodges School of Dancing, right up until her teenage years, perhaps would now begin to pay off!

  ***

  “I don’t know why you’re getting all dressed up for tonight, you two,” said Jean, watching Doreen and Milly struggling through their already packed suitcases, looking for something to wear.

  “It’s our last night Jean. Harry Wilkinson is bound to want to take some photo’s of us, so we need to look our best for his camera,” said Doreen.

  “Well I can understand that from your point of view, Doreen, but not Milly. Why are you bothering Milly, when you’ve got a husband at home?”

  “I don’t want showing up Jean and I think you should make an effort as well.”

  “All my clothes are staying where they are, thank you. I’m quite happy in this skirt and blouse. They’re clean and paid for and they’ll do for me.”

  ***

  “Mum,” said Sonya, after Kate had opened the door to her and Evan. “Put your sparkly dance shoes on, Mikey’s going to put on an old time dancing evening.”

  “That sound nice dear, what’s brought this on? Is he after schmoozing with the grannies again?”

  “No, he didn’t have anything posted for this evening, but came up with this idea as a trial run. It’s true what he says that he should do something for the older clients, as when you look around there’s an awful lot of them.”

  “Then we’ll look forward to it, Sonya. Greg, dust off your patent leather shoes, we’re going to a ball.

  ***

  “Tracy, Darling, there’s nothing more that I can do, you’ve heard me leave messages on the woman’s voice mail.”

  “Then ring the credit card main number again, Gary. Oh, let me do it, maybe I can get a supervisor this time.”