Clouds Below the Mountains (14 page)

“I thought you might be, dear, you look very athletic,” said Mavis. “ Is there only us, because I've never done anything like this before?”

“Oh, “ said Susanne, not knowing whether to continue. “Maybe someone else will join us in a little while. The exercises are not very hard and if there is any you cannot do, you do not have to.”

“Good,” said Mavis, taking her place by one of the roll mats.

“ I see I'm not the first,” smiled Sonya, as she sauntered over, having helped to put Evan into Kid's club with Greg.

“Is this it, just me and you?” she said to Mavis.

“Looks like it,” Mavis said wryly.

“Oh, I think I see two other ladies coming over,” said Susanne, thankfully. “ Good morning, would you like to take a place?”

***

“I enjoyed that,” said Mavis to Sonya, as they finished exercising with the other two ladies, named Rita and Maureen, who had been staying at the hotel since the Friday before.

“I think I would like a nice refreshing cup of tea, would you like to join me?”

“I'd like that. My mother is lying down and Father has disappeared somewhere, so why not?

Though I think I'll have a drink of orange juice.”

“Good morning, Senora, Senorita,” said Miguel, who was on duty again at the pool bar. “What may I get you to drink?”

“An orange juice and a tea, please,” said Sonya. “ Do you want sugar and milk?” she asked Mavis.

Mavis nodded, then fell wearily into a chair. Muscles that had not been used for years were slowly beginning to ache.

“I've never been to an exercise class before,” she said to Soya, when the girl had brought the drinks over. “I hope I'm not going to suffer for it.”

“They were only gentle exercises really. Some to stretch the muscles that perhaps have become sloppy and need tightening and ones to keep you supple. You should do them every day, not just here, but at home.”

“I suppose you are right, I'll start making the effort. Do they have the stretching class every day?”

“I think so, but you can look at the board and see if it's on tomorrow.”

There was silence for a while, because the generation gap between them was quite enormous and although Sonya worked at a medical centre and dealt with the elderly every day, she never got into conversation with them.

Mavis broke the silence.

“I think your little brother is very advanced for his age. He and his little friend came to say hello to me and Fred, when we were in the Sunlight Bar and he told me about a dragon who lives in a cupboard. I don't remember any of my grandchildren being so confident when they were so young.”

“That's Evan for you. He's my child, not my parent's child by the way, but they take care of him a great deal and I suppose they've instilled that confidence in him.”

“Oh, I'm sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick,” said Mavis, a bit flustered. “You don't look old enough to be married and I thought perhaps he was a late baby for your mother.”

“A lot of people think that, she's quite tickled over it, but I've never been married. Evan's father left me a single mum.”

“You poor dear, it's so different for you girls nowadays, isn't it? In my day if a man wanted to sleep with you, he had to get permission from your father to marry. That's the way it was in those days.”

“I suppose it could have lead to a lot of unhappy marriages though, finding out you were unsuited, when there was a baby on the way?” said Sonya, philosophically.

“Yes, I think you could be right, but also we never went in for examining our feelings. We got married and got on with it, but between me and you with hindsight, I probably wouldn't have married at all.”

“Oh,” said Sonya, a bit horrified that this lady seemed about to open her heart to her. “That's tragic, how long have you been married……a lot of years?”

“Fifty tomorrow,” said Mavis, with relish. “I've borne him three kids, been at his beck and call for all of those years, the only respite I've had was when he was in hospital having his appendix out. And the kids we've got are neither use nor ornament to us. One lives in Australia, one in Ireland and the son whose in London, won't give us the time of day.”

“And is this why you're on holiday? A celebration of fifty years married, as it were?”

“Celebration, my foot,” scoffed Mavis, the tears threatening in her eyes as she said the word.

“He found this holiday on the computer he keeps meddling with at home. The hotel was cheap and everything is all inclusive, so he don't have to put his hand in his pocket. He's done me out of a big party, that I could have organized for all our friends from the Conny club.”

Her indignation seemed to sap her strength for a moment and Sonya felt a wealth of pity for the tired looking woman before her.

“Never mind,” Sonya patted Mavis's arm in sympathy, desperately thinking of something to say in comfort to her. There was nothing that came to her mind.

***

“This is nice,” said Milly to the two sisters, as they tottered down a sharp hill to find themselves on a paved promenade. “ Look at those cakes in that cafe window, we'll have to come here one afternoon for tea.”

The three women stared into the display window of the cafe, where huge confections of rich looking chocolate cake; black forest gateau with cherries as big as a two penny piece decorating the top of it; slices of apple streudel; custard pie with meringue on top and strawberry topped sponges, vied for place on the large cake stand.

“I don't think I've ever seen such a delicious looking display of cakes before,” said Doreen, her mouth watering as she looked at them.

“They'll only make you fat,” said Jean. “Oh, look over there, a pirate ship sailing across to the island.”

They walked down the steps, to where another promenade stretched out for miles to the left and about two hundred yards to the right. Below them was a wide expanse of black gritty looking sand, where an angry crashing sea came thundering onto the shore.

“It's chilly down here,” said Jean, burrowing herself further into the red padded raincoat she was wearing. “But if you look over there you can see people running into the waves with only a swimsuit or trunks on. They'll get pneumonia or drowned the way they're carrying on.”

Doreen and Milly agreed and it was decided that they would have a look in the little shops, that abounded beyond the grassy area and shelter themselves from the nippy wind.

***

“Buenos dios, Lucy,” said Mr. Sanchez in a friendly tone, as he passed her desk, after parking his car in the staff car park at the back of the hotel.

“Do you know how Senorita Woods, Jenni, is this morning, after taking up residence on her own last night?”

“I think she's fine, Sir, thank you. I had breakfast with her this morning and she seems to be looking forward to her stay with us.”

“Good, good. I'm glad you are keeping an eye on her. It is well for the reputation of our hotel and of course for Periquito Travel, that we look after the welfare of our guests.”

“Yes, Mr Sanchez,” Lucy replied, putting on her most pleasantest smile, then remembered guiltily that she hadn't done anything about that room change yet. It appeared that the wife was a light sleeper and was most annoyed that their bedroom was by the lift.

The owner walked on, signaling that he was in a hurry and Lucy continued writing down the further excursion bookings onto her list for Kath.

She looked at her watch, it was eleven o' clock. The bookings had been brisk that morning. Two couples wanted to go to the Raffles Cabaret on Sunday, one family to the Jungle Park, one man wanted to go on the trip to Mount Teide.

A nice man, Mr Wilkinson, Lucy thought. It seems he was a widower, lost his wife to cancer just over a year ago. He wanted to revisit Tenerife where he had happy memories of the holidays they had taken together. Her heart had gone out to him, as she had listened to his story. He had no one now, as they had been childless. Life wasn't fair, thought Lucy, as she wondered if Kath was going to make an appearance that day. Thinking of Kath, made her want to nip across to her apartment and see which of her other two blouses didn't smell as whiffy as the one she had on. This one would have to go into soak, because she couldn't live with the strong smell of deodorant that she had liberally sprayed herself with.

***

The Cooper family set off for their walk towards Playa de las America's. When Paul had produced the business card for the car hire place, Dania, the duty receptionist, had said that the place was very near the train station. Keep to the walk way at the sea front, though be careful near the puerto or they could easily get lost if they didn't ask for more directions, but mostly it was a straightforward route.

“Though it sounds as if it is a long way for the children to walk,” said Paul, zipping up Jack's coat and pulling the hood up, as a chilly wind met them as they came out of the hotel. “If the man doesn't let us take a car today, we'll come back in a taxi. I heard at the Welcome meeting that they are reasonably priced.”

“What are you thinking of hiring, Paul?,” asked his wife. “ Did Greg or Steve say they wanted to come in with you?”

“No, I don't understand them,” Paul replied in a subdued tone. “I was willing to share the driving, let them take a turn at the wheel, but without even any discussion on the matter, they said they preferred not to.”

“Oh well, it's their loss. I know that Steve and Fiona are only here for a week and probably just want to confine themselves to this area, but Greg and Kate have two weeks here and I'd say they'll get very bored.”

“He's a funny bloke though, that Greg,” said Paul. “He doesn't act as though he's an owner of a manufacturing place. Doesn't say a lot, keeps himself to himself and from what I can see, he's very dominant with his family. Jack, don't run ahead, come back here and hold hands with Annabelle.”

***

Jenni stood outside a shoe shop window, in one of the tree lined avenues that boasted a row of well filled stores, selling anything from souvenirs to clothes and electrical equipment. She looked at a pair of cork bottomed gold trellis work sandals, with envy, wishing she had the money to purchase them. Although Lucy had promised to give her some money on account of her father's bank transfer, the pesetas had not been forthcoming that morning and Jenni had been loathe to ask her. Still, the shoes would probably still be there tomorrow, when Lucy would go to her cash point and check that the transfer had cleared.

She wondered fleetingly what Simon would be doing, would he be moping around at home or gone back to work? She knew though, that her name would be blackened to anyone who cared to listen to his woes.

***

Kate got out of bed, picked up her book that had fallen on the floor when she had slipped off into a bit of a doze, then went into the bathroom to wash her face and clean her teeth again. She stared into the mirror at her reflection. That look was back again, that anxious, apprehensive look that haunted her face sometimes, taking her unawares. She supposed it was lack of sleep, or because she was in a strange bed in a foreign land, away from the comforts of home, or was it because she was on holiday with Greg again?

Come on, you fool, she said to herself, it's the life you've gone and chosen. You had your chance and you didn't take it, so you've only yourself to blame.

***

Lucy stood at the washbasin hand, washing her blouse and a couple of pair of knickers.

She would dry her underwear on the towel rail and her blouse would be left to drip on a hanger outside.

It had seemed to Lucy, as she looked up at the sky while she was walking back to the annexe, that the clouds looked thinner up above and there was a bit of blue coming in from the sea. That would please the guests, she thought, a little sun and everyone felt happier.

Her mobile rang as she rinsed her clothing, she wiped her hands on the towel and went to her handbag where she kept it. It was Kath, trying hard to keep the panic from her voice, but there was no doubt that Lucy's superior was rattled.

“Which child, Kath? Oh, a Hollins child, the eldest. The family we dropped off at Mountain View. How long has he been missing? Just over an hour. Where were they? On the seafront. Which part? By the kiddie's park. Do you want me to come down and help in the search? Well, give me a ring if you hear anything.”

Kath rang off, leaving Lucy wondering where the child had possibly got to? It appeared that Brandon Hollins, aged seven, had been playing on the slide with Frankie, his younger brother, while the twins had been digging on the shore. Jackie and Eric, their parents, had been having a drink at one of the beach hut bars and had only been keeping their eyes on the twins, because Brandon had the job of looking after Frankie. About fifteen minutes into their drinking session, Frankie appeared crying his eyes out, saying that his elder brother wouldn't take him along with him, because he said he was too young. They had questioned the tearful little boy, but could not get an answer, other than Brandon wouldn't take him because he was too young.

An adventure somewhere?, thought Lucy, then forgot the problem, as she hung her newly washed blouse outside.

***

“There seems to be some kerfuffle going on over there,” said Doreen, as they sat on a bench looking out to sea. “Look, to the right of us, over there by the headland. There's a police car and a group of people waving their arms about.”

“Your eyesight must be good,” said Jean. “ I can't see that far, can you, Milly?”

“No, I think I need to get some glasses though, I've got a pair at home that I got when I was on holiday in Cyprus once, but I didn't like wearing them. I'm thinking of trying them disposable lenses when I get home.”

“I wear disposable lenses,” said Doreen. “ Have you not noticed my packet of little pots peeping out of my cosmetic bag?”