One Summer in Spain

by Ian Wilfred

  “That was Paul on the phone returning your call. I explained the whole situation to him in that it would only be Rupert in the car with him and most of the luggage. He’s more than happy with that, apart from one small change. He won’t be doing the driving. He wants Craig to do it and he’s asked whether it would be okay for him to stay in Spain for a couple of days before the long journey back. Of course I didn’t hesitate to agree to that as it crossed my mind you might like that too!”

  Chapter 8

  Dulcie and Gemma arrived at Almeria Airport after a short flight, happy that they hadn’t needed to endure a long road trip. They collected their suitcases from the carousel and made their way to the arrivals lounge to find their lift to the villa, which had been arranged by the letting agency. All they had to do was look out for someone holding a placard with Dulcie’s name on it. After weeks of planning and organising, everything was now real and feeling just like a holiday, although Gemma did have to keep reminding herself that she would still have to go shopping and do the cleaning and cooking. She had got to know Rupert and Dulcie well during her stay with them and knew that she would be treated more like family than an employee and no doubt the holiday aspect would be part of an adventure.

  “Here we are, dear. Look, I’ve spotted the card with my name on. The man holding it is pretty handsome. I might have to ask him if his father is single! If this is our first introduction to Graingcia, I can’t wait to find out what else is on the horizon.”

  “Dulcie, what are you like? But yes, he is rather attractive.”

  The taxi driver introduced himself as Dario. He was in his mid to late 20s, with dark hair and a lovely tanned complexion. As he pushed the trolley of suitcases along, he explained how he lived quite close to the villa and that he would leave them his phone number in case they wanted to go sightseeing or travel around Graingcia. He was a shy young man, but so good looking, eyes you couldn’t help falling for. Gemma felt herself blushing when he looked at her from the car mirror.

  After a short journey they arrived at the villa. What a place! It looked like something out of a James Bond film. Neither of them could take it all in. Once through the electronic gates, a lady from the lettings agency greeted them. Dario unloaded the luggage, carried it all in, and said goodbye, again causing Gemma to blush. As the two women were chatting together, another younger lady came out of the villa carrying a tray with two glasses of fresh orange juice. Both ladies were clearly going out of their way to make Dulcie feel at home. After all, she was a valued tenant, paying a lot of money for a six month stay.

  Gemma felt she should take some interest in the conversation and join in, although if the truth was known she was eager to get inside the villa. Looking at the photos online was one thing, but to actually be here was quite another. She couldn’t believe that this magnificent villa in the heart of a beautiful Spanish resort would be her home for the next six months.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to ignore you both. I’m just trying to take everything in.”

  “Don’t worry. This is such a wonderful villa and the views down to the beach are simply stunning. I’m Alexa, by the way, the owner of the lettings agency. We’re delighted to have you here. I’m based in Almeria, but we’re only ever a phone call away if you need anything. We hope you’ll be able to relax and enjoy a fabulous holiday. Of course, Maria will be here to take care of you. Her English is very good and she knows the area well.”

  “Maria? I don’t understand, sorry?”

  “Yes, Maria is part of the package. I didn’t explain that too well, did I? Maria’s here to clean five or six mornings a week.”

  Gemma was speechless. Wasn’t that part of her responsibilities? How had she overlooked this in the paperwork and were Rupert and Dulcie aware of it? Surely she wouldn’t be needed now, she’d have to head back to England and that would be the end of both the Spanish escapade and also her job. Alexa showed them around the villa, said her goodbyes and drove off, leaving Gemma feeling awkward. What should she do? Should she take her case to one of the bedrooms and what should she say to Dulcie?

  “So which room are you having? This is one of the perks of getting here before Rupert, you have first choice. Lead the way and I’ll bring your case.”

  Gemma could tell that Dulcie was struggling to take everything in. This was a totally different world as neither of them had ever seen anything so luxurious. Dulcie suggested they left choosing the bedrooms till later, and just enjoy walking around the villa to familiarise themselves with it all. Perhaps Maria could make them a nice cup of tea. This was so awkward. It was her job to make the tea. The strange thing was that neither of them said a word as they looked around the villa The bedrooms were huge, each with its own bathroom, and there as a utility room and office which doubled up as bedrooms, but the highlight had to be the massive open plan kitchen, lounge and diner with bi fold doors, opening out onto a seated terrace area with spectacular views down onto the town and beach.

  Gemma followed a few paces behind Dulcie as they investigated the grounds. There were little seating areas all around the property, set into sheltered spots from the sun. As they turned to go down a little pathway of miniature palms, there was the infinity pool. Amazed, they both stopped to admire the breath taking scene in front of them. This was what the villa was about, paradise!

  They were just walking back up to the outside terrace when Maria appeared with a tray of tea and biscuits. She placed them on the coffee table, smiled and told Gemma and Dulcie to enjoy them. Gemma knew she would have to say something before long. She was annoyed with herself for not noticing that staff was included with the property let and she didn’t want Dulcie to think she had known this all along. This was becoming so awkward.

  “I know what you’re thinking, dear. You‘re wondering why you’re here if Maria’s available to help us out, aren’t you? I expect you’re a bit confused as it wasn’t mentioned in the paperwork. It’s just that Rupert and I felt bad about you having to keep this huge place clean by yourself. We contacted the agency and booked Maria ourselves. She won’t be doing everything. Just a few odd jobs and a few mornings keeping the place tidy. Don’t worry, Gemma. Your job’s perfectly safe.”

  “But, Dulcie, I could easily take care of everything. It wouldn’t be a problem at all.”

  “We knew you’d say that, but if it makes you feel any better Rupert said you can pour him a gin every hour on the hour after 5pm.”

  This cleared the air, they laughed, drank their tea and now nothing could stop them talking and chatting away like children with a new set of toys at Christmas. Eventually Dulcie picked the bedroom she wanted and set one aside for Rupert. There was two left, and as she expected Janice would come over to visit, Dulcie allocated the room nearest the front door as the guest room. After a drunken night out, it would be best if Janice had the closest room to the door; she wouldn’t be disturbing them that way. Gemma had the smaller of the bedrooms, a double aspect room with one window providing a side view onto the beach and town and the other the hills.

  They spent time unpacking their cases and arranging the wardrobes. The majority of Dulcie’s things would be arriving with Craig and Rupert in a few days’ time. Maria knocked to ask whether they needed anything before she went off duty. She would be back the next day, working from seven-thirty in the morning through to one in the afternoon. Gemma felt far more comfortable now, and started to go through the kitchen cupboards and fridge, both of which were huge and full to the brim with enough food and drink to last them for weeks. She was just looking at how one of the three ovens worked, when Dulcie appeared.

  “Time for a glass of something, I think, Gemma. We’ll save the champagne until Rupert gets here, but a nice glass of Chardonnay would go down extremely well. Then we can get showered and changed and go out for something to eat. You’ve had a long day and I don’t want you to have to worry about cooking for the pair of us. You’ll be able to phone that lovely taxi driver and ask him to take us somewhere nice
for dinner. I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to see you again…”

  “Whatever are you laughing at, Dulcie?”

  “Sorry, dear. I wasn’t laughing, but it just struck me that the two young men who can’t take their eyes off you are both taxi drivers. Isn’t that a coincidence?”

  Over the phone Gemma had explained to Dario they just wanted to go for a quick meal as they were both tired but hungry. He suggested the perfect place and within an hour they were sat eating a beautiful meal of sea bass and creamy garlic potatoes in a traditional Spanish restaurant.

  “Can you believe how quickly this has all happened, Gemma? As we were getting ready to come out tonight, I caught myself in the mirror. Well, you can’t help doing that, there’s so many of them in the villa, but I stopped and realised that we were right to make the decision about spending some of our money. Rupert and I have been so lucky, but we have to be realistic. Now, I don’t want to come across as a morbid old lady, but we have to face facts. We’re both getting on a bit now, and all this feels so right. I remember reading somewhere about a lady who had a lot of money but said it wasn’t important to her. I thought that was quite an odd statement, but now I can understand it better. It’s probably because we have so much and it’s always there, you can just switch off from it. Sorry, dear, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

  “No, not at all. I’m just so pleased for you both. This is going to be such a special time for you, and I’m lucky to be part of it.”

  They were both full, but quite tired so Gemma texted for Dario to come and collect them. She thought to herself that although Dulcie seemed to have come to terms with all of this, she herself hadn’t. She couldn’t believe she had so much to look forward to, and it looked like Dario would be the icing on the Spanish summer holiday cake.

  Chapter 9

  Maria had already arrived when Gemma woke up the next morning. She had slept well despite going to bed quite early. They hadn’t spent long at the restaurant Dario had taken them to. It was their first night in Spain and plenty of time to sample the delights of Spanish cuisine with Rupert. As she made her way to the kitchen to make some coffee, Maria mopped the terrace area. Although it was still only late February, it was a fresh spring day. In another few weeks it would be really warm, a perfect time to use the pool.

  Gemma felt so lucky to find herself with such a beautiful view for the next six months. She greeted Maria and sat on the terrace to relax with her coffee, checking her phone to catch up with any new text messages. Mum had thanked her for letting her know she had arrived safely and there was one from Craig to say that he and Rupert would be arriving by mid-afternoon tomorrow. Gemma hadn’t given Craig much thought. Naturally, she was expecting Rupert, but had temporarily overlooked the fact that Dulcie had insisted that Craig stay for a few days before driving back to England.

  As it was her first full day being at the villa, and she still had some working responsibilities, Gemma needed to create a routine for them all. The best way to do that was to chat to Maria, find out what her duties were and then plan the shopping and cooking around that. She was just about to go and find Maria when Dulcie appeared.

  “Morning, dear. I can’t believe the time. I haven’t slept this well for ages. It’s nearly ten o’clock and I’m still tired.”

  “Hi, Dulcie. Let me make you a coffee and then we can plan the day.”

  “Oh, thank you. That would be lovely, dear, but there’ll be no plans for me today. All that travelling yesterday has taken its toll, although I did enjoy the meal out last night. Your young man looked a lot different from when he met us at the airport, didn’t he?”

  “What do you mean by ‘my young man’?”

  “When he picked us up at the airport I don’t think he realised that such a pretty young lady would be arriving, but last night when he came to get us he was freshly shaven, had a nice clean shirt on and smelt absolutely gorgeous. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice. You were all coy, and I don’t blame you. I’d be just the same if I was your age. I can see the two of you spending a lot of time together in the next few weeks.”

  “Are you trying to do some matchmaking, Dulcie? I think I’d best fetch that coffee and make some toast.”

  Gemma knew exactly what Dulcie meant. Dario had indeed scrubbed up well, far beyond the usual norm for a cab driver. Back to thinking about the day ahead, perhaps she could go and investigate the town and the beach. The villa details did mention how steep the hill was, but she thought she could do it in half an hour, and if Dulcie was going to stay in the villa, it would be a good opportunity to go out and explore. After making Dulcie some breakfast, she asked her whether she needed anything from the supermarket in Graingcia, but they both agreed that it was best to use up the groceries already in the fridge and larder before going food shopping.

  After a quick shower, Gemma packed her backpack, put on some comfortable shoes and set off on her mission to discover all the beautiful coastal town had to offer. Walking down the hill was far easier than she had been led to believe. Even Dulcie and Rupert could manage it, although the return trip would obviously be quite a different matter. They’d probably need a taxi. There at the bottom of the hill was the beach with its gorgeous sea, sand and incredible view. Gemma could imagine how it would be full of families and holidaymakers in the summer enjoying the lovely sunshine.

  She turned left and headed along the edge of the beach, taking time to glance across to the other side of the road which was lined with little shops and restaurants as well as turnings with houses and villas. A signpost gave directions for the hill top town of Roncia, but Gemma decided against going there today. There was plenty of time for that during her six month stay, so she continued her walk to the end of Graingcia to see exactly how far it was. It was now becoming rather warm and she hoped Dulcie would be sitting out enjoying the fresh air and pleasant sunshine. Gemma walked on, past the big supermarket which looked more like a hypermarket and lots more bars and restaurants. Surprisingly, there were quite a few people out for a stroll in the fresh sea air. Gemma was also pleased to note how flat the streets were now; perfect for Rupert and Dulcie to enjoy a coastal walk. Glancing at her watch, Gemma realised that it was now nearly two o’clock. Perhaps she should stop off for some lunch.

  Many of the cafés and restaurants had closed down for the winter, but she decided to carry on walking and go into the first one which was open. She crossed over from the beach side of the road, getting the impression she was now heading out of town and towards Ceola. However, she had promised herself she would walk from one end of Graingcia to the other, so continued on her journey. She was just looking up a side street when a car pulled up beside her. It was Dario!

  “Hi, Gemma, you’re not lost are you? Want a lift back to the villa?”

  Gemma explained that she was only investigating her new surroundings, finding her feet, and looking for places which Rupert and Dulcie would enjoy, but that she was also looking for somewhere to have a sandwich or a bowl of chips. Dario pointed out that she was nearly at the end of the main part of Graingcia. There would be far more inland although not many restaurants and cafés would be open.

  “I’m heading back home for something to eat. Join me if you like, but I’m only having a baguette and cheese.”

  Although Gemma didn’t want to put Dario to too much trouble, it didn’t take her long to accept his invitation and she quickly hopped into his taxi. She also noticed that he wasn’t as smartly dressed today, and he certainly wasn’t as talkative. The atmosphere was not as relaxed as it had been. Was that because there was an attraction, Gemma wondered. Soon they pulled up at some large gates, Dario got out and opened them and then drove into the property. Gemma was quite surprised to see it was a mini holiday complex.

  “Welcome to my home. Come on in and I’ll tell you all about it before I get us both something to eat.”

  Dario told Gemma the whole story of how this had been his grandparents’ business, but following the death of his
grandmother he had moved down from Madrid to help run it with his grandfather. The complex consisted of six tiny self-contained holiday lets, the family home and a new swimming pool as the new tourism laws had forced them to refurbish the site to comply with standards. Hopefully, by the start of the summer season work would be finished, the tiny holiday lets would have been redecorated and totally refurbished.

  “You see, Gemma, they need a complete refurbishment, new kitchens and bathrooms and all the pine furniture needs to go. It was fashionable in the seventies but holidaymakers expect far more these days. To be honest, I think it’s had its day, every year the takings are less and less, but enough of all this – let me get you something to eat.”

  They headed into the living quarters which comprised one huge open space with a kitchen and living area on the same floor. It would be lovely with a lick of paint and not so much clutter, Gemma thought. Dario suggested they sat out on the patio while he prepared the baguettes, so Gemma took the opportunity to look around the modern pool area as well as the holiday chalet.

  She soon saw what Dario had meant. Looking through one of the windows, she realised that there was a lot of work needing to be done. The other five were similar. It was such a shame this beautiful little complex had been allowed to become so run down and dilapidated. It offered privacy but also a sunny outlook, but it would be very expensive to carry out all the repairs needed, especially the six new kitchenettes. The external surroundings were also overgrown, large bushes had been left to grow making it difficult to group chairs together and enjoy family time outside.