Beyond Life (11 page)

‘So many questions, Claire. You are intrinsically curious.’

Ron could see Claire’s confusion. ‘Nosey. Gabriella’s saying you’re nosey.’

‘I like to learn,’ she said. ‘So how long then?’

‘We do our best, Claire but we have many issues to deal with and have to prioritise,’ Raphael gave her a squeeze. ‘But the good ones are rescued eventually and each life is looked at by the Committee and their future decided.’

‘What if both you and the demons want to claim a soul?’ it was Ron this time.

‘I’d love to say that good always conquers but that’s just not true,’ Gabriella sighed. ‘We always get the good ones but sometimes mistakes are made and they have a stint down there before coming to us. It doesn’t happen very often though.’

Ron and Sandy were quiet and for once Claire didn’t ask any further questions. Poor Sandy had already suffered in hell but that had been the Committee’s decision. With so many souls leaving the living plain the day that Claire and Ron had died, they were both extremely relieved that there hadn’t been a mix-up and that they’d ended up in the right place. The consequences of a mistake of that magnitude were too horrendous to imagine. Claire was beginning to realise why it was wise for those in the land of the living to know very little about life in the hereafter.

Chapter 8

Although she’d done everything she’d been taught and tried her very best, the big man hadn’t seemed to enjoy Mary’s ministrations, and he’d hurt her. She knew he was the boss and that it was important to please him, so she was worried and scared.

‘Everything all right, sir?’ she hoped he would rot in hell sooner rather than later but in the meantime she needed him to be happy.

‘Get dressed and go. You did well.’

*****

The week before Marion and Val were due to leave flew by, much to Val’s consternation. She’d seen Gary every day and they’d had opportunities to be intimate, but had always been scuppered by some unexpected incident – from the sudden appearance of a snake, a bleeding mad dog and another freak storm. Val knew it was the guilt that made her feel that Ron was deliberately trying to stop her from sleeping with Gary, but nonetheless she couldn’t shake off the feeling. It didn’t help during her intimate moments with Gary, especially on the last occasion when a mirror had fallen off the wall and smashed into smithereens.

For his part, Gary became more and more frustrated. The harder Val was to attain the more he wanted her. The biggest loser in the scenario was Mary. Every time he came to her he was more cruel and violent and she came to fear the words
get ready, the boss wants to see you.
She had tried to tempt him with drinks, knowing it would be easier if she could drug him. He’d always declined and just wanted to use and abuse her body but never seemed to get any pleasure from it. Mary was baffled and frightened. When the housemaster had spoken to the boss he’d ended up with a nose spread all over his face and a black eye. If he could do that to him, what hope did she have? She didn’t know how much more her mind or body could take but also knew there was no hope of escape, no hope of rescue, simply no hope.

*****

The day of departure had arrived and Val said goodbye to Marion who had opted to get a taxi to the airport. ‘So you and your boyfriend can say goodbye in private.’

She’d come across as sincere and Val was grateful both for the fact that Marion was understanding and also that she would be able to spend a few hours with Gary before leaving the country.

The journey to the airport was subdued. Neither wanting to separate, but current circumstances not allowing otherwise. They’d talked about Val staying with Gary but he was transient, due to his work he told Val, so that wasn’t a possibility. In addition, they didn’t want to make any firm arrangements until they’d taken their relationship to the logical next step.

‘It’s been like we’re jinxed for the past week,’ Val was looking out of the window and the words had just slipped out.

‘Shall we pull over here?’ Gary was hopeful when she turned to look at him. They heard an almighty roar and instead of being frightened, they both laughed as he floored the accelerator and headed out of the bush back toward civilisation, as fast as the Land Rover would take them.

Their farewell at the airport was sad and emotional. After check-in they hugged and Val cried. Gary felt panic welling up inside at the thought of not seeing her again.

‘I love you,’ he said, ‘and I want us to be together, whatever it takes.’

She was taken aback and caught up in the moment. ‘I love you too, Gary. Please come to England.’

‘I will my love, as soon as I can tie up a few loose ends here. We’re meant to be together,’ he knew it would be difficult and dangerous, but he was determined not to lose this woman.

They kissed for one final time, a bittersweet moment that was full of urgent desperation, rather than passion. The trickle of tears had turned into a torrent by this stage and Val wiped her face with the back of the sleeve on her safari jacket, laughing embarrassingly.

‘Keep in touch,’ he said as they broke apart and she couldn’t bear it any more. Why hadn’t she slept with him when she’d had the chance? Why hadn’t she told him she loved him before? Why did she have to go?

Neither wanted to be the first to leave and Marion watched as the minutes ticked by. She didn’t want them to miss the flight but neither did she want to be the one to break up the party. Their flight was called and Marion was relieved that the Tannoy announcement had done the job for her. This is going to be a fun trip she thought to herself. She wasn’t looking forward to the sixteen-hour journey, but with Val being emotional about leaving her boyfriend whom Marion despised, it would seem even longer and less enjoyable.

They changed at Johannesburg and freshened up during the two-hour wait before boarding the next flight. They took off just before 9pm and Val had started to calm down by then. Emotionally drained, she slept for most of the second part of the journey and Marion was relieved that she didn’t have to make small talk and be two-faced about how good a bloke Gary was. By the time they touched down just after 5am, they were exhausted, despite the fact that both had slept for a fair part of the journey. As far as Marion was concerned, she could have a full night’s sleep on a plane and she’d still feel done in. There was something unnatural about flying but at least the time difference was only one hour so hopefully she’d feel better within a day or two.

The twins, Libby and Fiona were at the airport to meet them. Even though she was excited to see her mother after all this time and nervous about how she’d react to their news, Libby could tell that something wasn’t quite right between the two women.

‘They’ve fallen out.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Tony, and when Fiona raised her eyebrows, Libby elaborated.

‘Look at their body language, it’s almost as if they can’t stand to be near each other. And they’re not smiling or laughing and joking.’

‘I can’t see it either,’ said Jim. ‘They’ve been travelling for nearly 24 hours, they must be absolutely shattered. I don’t think anyone would be full of the joys.’

‘We’ll see.’ Fiona gave Libby a knowing look. The twins could pick-up on each other’s emotions and of course their sister’s, but couldn’t see or sense the subtle nuances of body language between the two female friends.

Watching both her own mother and Tony’s wheel their cases towards the meeting area, Libby started to get nervous. Her bravado about how her mother wouldn’t mind that she’d married while she was in Zambia was starting to desert Libby. She was about to start chewing a nail when Tony took the hand and squeezed it. He can certainly pick up my body language, thought Libby as she imagined that her husband felt pretty much the same as she did.

Marion saw them first and waved furiously. Forgetting about Val, she weaved and dodged through the other passengers eager to get to her sons and keen to hear about the progression of Jim and Fiona’s wedding plans.

‘Come here!’ she dropped her case to the floor and hugged each son in turn as if they were 5 years old again, also babbling about how good it was to be back and to see them all. Fiona’s hug wasn’t quite as enthusiastic and Val and Libby were holding each other for a long time before Marion was able to say hello to her, unknown to her, new daughter-in-law.

Tony and Libby had agreed to wait until the time was right before telling their mothers the news but that didn’t go quite to plan. Val was emotional and blurted out that Marion had dreamt that the youngsters had married. An immediate silence followed as if a fairy had waved a magic wand and stopped time.

‘Tony?’ asked Marion and he looked at his wife. They’d both removed their wedding rings on arrival at the airport and Val watched as her daughter rubbed her wedding ring finger as she moved to Tony’s side.

‘Oh no...’

‘It’s good news, Mum, and we’re going to have a proper blessing so you haven’t missed anything really.’

‘Haven’t missed anything. Haven’t missed...’

‘Val, let’s hear what they have to say,’ Marion interrupted and put a restraining arm on Val’s.

She shook Marion’s arm off none too gently. ‘Keep out of this you. This is between me and my daughter.’

They were all surprised at the venom in the words and the twins knew for sure that Libby had been right about the fall out.

‘But Tony’s my son,’ Marion stated the obvious. ‘This is my family’s business too,’ she turned to her son. ‘Tony?’

Val couldn’t believe this. She was missing the man she quite possibly wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She had hoped for a safe and loving homecoming from her children. Her son was away with his mates and her daughter had decided to marry while she was away helping orphans, and hadn’t even thought to discuss it with her.

‘I want to talk to you,’ it was the tone of voice that Val had used when Libby had committed a serious childhood offence and she squealed as her mother put her hand around her wrist in a vice-like grip and attempted to drag her away. Tony was having none of it and he grabbed Libby’s other arm. People stopped to watch as poor Libby was pulled in an emotional and literal tug of war.

‘Let her go!’ Fiona’s command shocked them all and Libby reeled backwards at the suddenness of her release. Jim stopped her from toppling over and Tony was instantly at her side, holding her and trying to stop her shaking.

‘Look, shall we go for a drink and talk about this like adults?’

‘How can you expect me to treat you like adults when you’ve behaved like children?’ said Val looking to Marion for support. Marion wasn’t as angry as Val. Sure, she was upset that they hadn’t told her the plans beforehand but she was pleased for them both and they were planning a blessing so it wasn’t the end of the world. She would have a proper talk with Tony later but for now she did not want to fall out with her sons after just touching down on English soil.

‘I think we should go for a coffee, Val. Let them explain things.’

‘I might have known you wouldn’t support me on this.’ Val retrieved her bags and stomped off.

‘Mum, please don’t. Mum, Mum!’ Libby went after her mother in tears but Val refused to have anything to do with her daughter. Tony put his hand around his wife’s waist and she sobbed into his shoulder. He’d worried that this was how it would turn out but Libby hadn’t listened. Saying
I told you so
would be absolutely pointless so he comforted her until the tears subsided.

‘She’ll come round and we’ll all laugh at this in years to come.’

Libby rolled her eyes in
yeah right
fashion and they slowly made their way to the cars.

‘Welcome to the family, Libby,’ said Marion as she got into the car with Jim and Fiona. ‘But don’t think you’ve got away with this completely, either of you.’ Were her last words before she closed the door.

Feeling like naughty children, Tony and Libby waited for Jim’s car to pull away before they looked at each other and burst out laughing, more to release the tension than in hilarity.

Claire, Ron and Sandy had watched the shenanigans at the airport and then split up – Ron and Sandy going with Val and seeing that her own mother was more or less okay about the nuptials, Claire decided to follow Tony and Libby.

Recalling the look on her mother’s face it wasn’t long before Libby’s laughter turned to tears. She wiped them away angrily, not completely understanding her mother’s reaction.

‘I remember telling her that when I met the man of my dreams, I only wanted a small do without any fuss. She said
whatever you want my darling, you shall have
, and now she’s surprised and acting all hurt. I don’t understand it.’

Tony wondered if his wife were thinking out loud or talking to him as she turned her head to look out of the window. They were moving slowly on the M25 so the view was mainly of other cars and drivers as they crawled along.

‘Dirty pig,’ said Libby laughing as she pointed to a driver carrying out a major excavation with his index finger in a nostril.

Christ, her mood’s all over the place thought Tony, he’d have to tread carefully.

‘How old were you when you had that discussion with your mother?’

‘It wasn’t just once, Tony. We talked about it loads of times.’

‘Well. Maybe she thought you weren’t being serious. After all, don’t all girls want to be treated like a princess on their special day?’

Apparently not if Libby’s look was anything to go by. She harrumphed and turned to face him.

‘Don’t be so bloody patronising!’ she scowled and Tony could see that she was winding up for a biggie. ‘This is the 21
^st
century and what women actually want is to be equal partners, not whisked off somewhere by a knight in shining armour. I thought you knew I was independent when...’

‘Right, enough. Please, darling,’ their exit was coming up. Tony checked the traffic, indicated and they both remained quiet until he’d pulled off the motorway and onto an A road. Libby was simmering quietly in the passenger seat, needing to take her guilt out on someone he assumed.