Clouds Below the Mountains (45 page)

“And how old is Jade?” asked Cheryl quickly, not wanting the conversation to falter, as she had seen Brian and Anthea walking in with another couple and she didn't want them to feel that they could join her. She had warned Paul that he had to ignore them, even if it meant they wouldn't be sitting with Kate and Greg that night. Of course Paul in his usual obtuse way had told her that she was imagining things, the man was probably only giving her an appreciative glance, but she had threatened to go to the suite after dinner, so he had reluctantly taken her advice.

“She's seven in May,” Roz replied, looking fondly over to her daughter. “ Is Annabelle seven already?”

“Yes, going on twelve though,” sighed Cheryl. “ Little Miss Independent, has been since she could walk.”

“And how old is your little boy?”

“Jack is four, a totally different character than his sister, takes more after his father. He's easy going and quiet.”

“Not at the moment though,” chuckled Roz, as Jack had spotted Evan who had just walked in with his family, so the two boys had begun to hurtle around the room.

“No, not at the moment,” said Cheryl, still keeping her eyes averted. “ I like that top you're wearing. It's from Next, isn't it?”

***

Bingo was over and two delighted guests sat reflecting on what they were going to do with their winnings, while Mikey chatted to a rather nervous Meggie, who was dressed in a voluminous blue kaftan, behind the stage. She had a touch of stage fright. Stupid she knew seeing she had been an entertainer for over a decade, but every audience was a new one and what if they didn't like her show?

“Have yer got me backin' tracks?” she asked Mikey for the second time, who nodded and she smiled in relief.

“Come on now, I'm goin' to announce yer, take a few breaths. I'll clear the kids off the dance floor and that'll give yer more room to manoeuvre. Okay, ready?”

“Ladies and Gentlemen. Tonight's act is a lady all the way from Lancashire. She's never entertained an audience abroad before and she's a little nervous, so please give a hearty welcome to Miss Maggie Mansell!”

“It's actually Meggie,” she said, as Mikey walked off the stage. “ Meggie Mansell. You've probably never heard of me unless you've visited one of the working men's clubs in my hometown of Blackburn. Is there anyone here from Blackburn?”

Terry put his hand up from where he was sitting with Bryce. He felt self conscious when all eyes turned to look at him.

“Ah, a young man from Blackburn. Have you ever seen my act in a Blackburn working men's club?”

Terry shook his head.

“I didn't think you would have had, you don't look as if you'd be happy wearing a flat hat and braces.”

“My dad would be,” he said loudly, but Meggie chose to ignore him or didn't hear.

“Anyway, is there anybody else from the North west? Come on there must be, I travelled over with some of you.”

A few embarrassed looking people put their hands up.

“Right then, me frock, what do yer think of me frock, ladies? Nice isn't it, love?”, she said to a woman in the audience. “ It was the only one I could find to fit me in our Oxfam shop. Circa 1970's. I think it was a cast off of Demi Roussus, but the colour suits me, it goes with me bright orange hair. Talking about my hair colour, this wasn't the one I wanted when I went into my local hairdressers. Oh no, I thought I might go blonde, they say that all the blondes can get a bloke. She's getting on a bit poor love, been there for at least fifty years, but won't give the business up until they carry her out in a wooden box. I told her that I wanted to look a bit fruity, see if I could get meself a man before all me juices have gone. When I come out from under the dryer she'd made me look like an orange and I didn't have the heart to ask her to put me back to my original black.”

There was a bit of a titter around the audience and Meggie carried on.

“Do any of you people from the North west understand the Lancashire dialect?” Most people shook their heads. “ I'll try out a few sentences on yer and you can tell me what was meant.”

“Tha's a feyce leyke a leyne a wet weshin”

“You've a face like a line of wet washing”, she explained to the puzzled faces.

“Tha's bin eytin vinnigger offa kneefe.”

“That was rather a sharp remark.”

“So now you can understand a bit of the dialect, if any of youse venture into Blackburn. So moving quickly on, I'm going to dedicate this song to all those blokes I've met over the years who've given me the run around. It's called “ I Will Survive.”

Mikey pressed the button for the recorded track and Meggie was on her way.

“She's not bad,” said Mikey to Damion, as they listened to Meggie hitting all the top notes and belting out the song. “ She's as good as any other, especially considering her age.”

“Why what age is she?” asked Damion and whistled when he heard she was sixty two.

***

“I did have a husband once,” said Meggie, after the applause had finished and she got her breath back. “ Ee wos fair bowlegged wi brass, but tight as a duck's arse with it. He were that tight he had all his Y' fronts sewn up at the front. He went missing one day, took his biscuit tin with him and I've never seen him since.” Oh dear that didn't go down well.

“Well you're a right quiet audience this evening, not like the noisy crowd I'm used to, so I'll sing you another song. Music Maestro, please!”

Her next song was “ My Way”, which brought much appreciative applause at the end.

“Now I'm going to take a short break, get some liquid down me to lubricate me throat, so I'll see youse all later. Thank you.” Meggie waddled off the stage.

“She's a bit down market for these kind of people,” said Nobby to his wife. “ She'd be better sticking to her singing, ‘cos her voice is very nice.”

“Better than nice, Nobby, there can't be many people of her age that can carry a tune so well. She should stick to singing, because her jokes aren't very good.”

“Perhaps she will, she may take the hint and do a few songs instead.”

***

“So, you're from Blackburn, Terry,” said Bryce, as they both sat at the bar drinking gin and tonics. “Originally, yes, but I moved down to London after Uni'. I got a job with a big building developer, took more exam's, had a few placements, then moved back to work with them.”

“Similar business to me then, I sell properties not build them. Got a small business in Milton Keynes.”

“Plenty of scope there then,” said Terry. “I once went up there with one of my then bosses and I was amazed at all the different buildings. I didn't like the shopping mall, it was so concrete and soul less, but the private estates we went to were well planned and quite individual and I was amazed at the parks and lakes they have around there.”

“Yes, I make a good living in M.K and I'm hoping to open up another branch in Newport Pagnell, it's going so well.”

“I like the sound of your name, Bryce Lennox,” said Terry tentatively. “ It sounds like an estate agents or a firm of company accountants like Price Waterhouse.”

“That's what I thought,” smiled Bryce. “ And it seems to work, it's a memorable type of name.”

***

“Come on Meggie, you can do it,” said Mikey, who was watching the woman with sympathy, as she drained the contents of her third glass of whisky.

“They didn't like me, there was hardly a ripple when I told them about me orange hair.”

“Well sing to them then,” said Mikey, worrying what he was going to do if the old lass suddenly legged it. “You've got a cracking voice, sorry I mean marvelous voice. Tell me quickly what songs you do and I'll rootle through my tape deck.”

Stirred by his encouragement Meggie reeled off a list, some Mikey had never heard of, but they managed to find three songs that would do.

“Now go for it,” he said and walked on the stage ahead of her saying. “ Ladies and Gentlemen, put your hands together for Maggie Mansell, Act 2.”

“ Meggie,” she said automatically and walked towards the spotlight.

***

“Not bad for an old un',” said Phil as Meggie finished with the ballad, “
The Rose”
without accompaniment, as this was one of her favourite songs. “ Though I think she'd go down better at the working men's clubs.”

“Oh, I thought she sang
“ How do I live without you?”
beautifully,” said Laura, beginning to sing the first line to Toby.

“How romantic,” said Cindy cynically, laughing at Laura. “ I can see you two aren't married yet. It all changes when the wedding ring goes on you know?”

“Hey,” said Phil in a hurt voice, “ I'm always serenading you.”

“Yes, usually when you're bladdered you start wailing
“ show me the way to go home!”

“So, are we seeing the evening out at the disco, folks, or do you two lovers want to hit the sack?” Phil asked, ignoring Cindy's pained expression.

“It's been a long day if you don't mind,” Toby replied, putting his arm around Laura's waist, “ but thanks for your company, we're sure to see you tomorrow.”

He shook hands with Phil and kissed Cindy lightly on the cheek, then the couple followed some of the other guests out of the entertainment room.

“I don't fancy a boogie,” said Cindy, looking over to where Brian was sitting with his wife and a middle aged couple. “ I'm feeling peckish. Why don't we go back to the bedroom where I've got some packets of crisps.”

***

“Is it your parent's turn for baby sitting, Sonya?” inquired Lucy, as she came over to where the girl was sitting, Lesley having decided that she had drunk enough alcohol for that evening and it would be wiser to retire to her room.

“Yes, thank goodness. Dad's been on my case about not spending enough time with Evan, but we did agree that we'd share the baby sitting and there's two of them and only one of me.”

“It must be difficult,” sympathized Lucy, drawing up a chair to sit beside her, “ but it has to be said, it's their holiday too.”

“They've got friendly with that couple over there,” said Sonya, leaning over to whisper in Lucy's ear, “ Brian and Anthea they're called. See over there, sitting with that couple near the bar.”

“Oh yes, the elegant lady with the hour glass figure, who looks as if she's a model for an upmarket fashion catalogue. I bet she had to pay a lot of duty on her overweight suitcases.”

Sonya giggled and took another sip of her drink.

“Anyway, I insisted it was my turn to party. Mum had already gone up with Evan before the act came on and as soon as Meggie what's her name finished, Dad shot off as well.”

“Which leaves you free to dally with Mikey.”

“Looks that way, doesn't it? Where's the rest of the gang anyway? Usually Tina and Anna stay behind and I've not seen Susanne either.”

“No, I haven't seen them this evening, perhaps they've all met up somewhere else? I've been chatting to Lesley, but she abandoned me as she wants an early night.”

“What's the goss' on those two Germans, Lucy? I danced with one of them at the Tea dance, but it was like dancing with a dummy out of Burton's window.”

“Oh Heiko, he's all right. He's just typically German, very precise. The other one, Uwe, is a dream boat, but he takes the fact that he's on business very seriously. Anyway, talking about Uwe reminds me that I've got the Welcome meeting in the morning, so I'd better say goodnight.”

***

“Nightcap, Terry?” asked Bryce, as Meggie's act finished and most of the guests began to wander off to their bedrooms.

“I shouldn't really. If Dad wakes up in the night and I'm comatose I'll not be able to help him to the toilet. I should be getting back to him now, anyway.”

“Go on, you haven't drunk as much as I have. I noticed you've been keeping an eye on what you've drunk.”

“Can't let my hair down,” Terry said ruefully. “ I'm in for the long haul with Dad.”

“Don't you have any siblings that can help you out?”

“No, I've a sister in America and a brother out in New Zealand. Both are good about sending him presents and letters, but they never bother to come over.”

“So have you moved back to Blackburn permanently?”

“It was either me moving back up North or Dad going into a Residential Home. I couldn't let that happen, although we've had our estrangements, he is my Dad after all.”

“So what did the firm you work for, say about you having to leave to be with your father? I know it would have put me on the spot, if one of my key men left.”

“Oh, I was lucky in that respect. They have an office up in Manchester and there's a direct railway line through to Blackburn.”

“It must have been a wrench though, upping sticks, after what did you say, ten years down in London?”

“The only wrench Bryce, that I am aware of, was having to leave my partner behind.”

“Granddad, want to go for wee wee, GRANDDAD!” cried Evan, shaking Greg's pyjama clad shoulder as he lay fast asleep in bed.

“What, uh uh, Evan?” Greg shuddered out of the deep sleep he was in, to see two bright little eyes staring at him.

“I need a wee wee, Granddad. I'm frightened of going in there on my own.”

“Oh Evan, I feel as if I've only just got into bed, what time is it?”

“Here's your clock, Granddad.” Evan handed over a red leather bound travel clock.

“It's only seven thirty in the morning, Evan. I'll take you to the toilet and then you'll have to get back into bed.”

Greg scrambled out of bed to follow his grandson to the bathroom, gazing at Kate who had her head under the duvet. Strange how it was always him that Evan called upon.

“I know Granddad, why don't we play “ I spy” until Grandma wakes up,” the little boy said, as the pair of them walked back into the bedroom.

“I've got a better idea,” said Greg wearily, knowing that his grandson would have woken Kate up already and she was just pretending to be asleep. “ Why don't we get dressed and go and have an adventure? You can wear what you had on yesterday and then we'll come back later and have our showers.”

“That sounds great,” said Evan happily and dashed to the chair, where his clothes had been thrown over.

A few minutes later they were quietly closing the bedroom door, but suddenly Evan dashed off to the room next to them and started knocking upon it.

“Evan!” whispered Greg sharply, trying to stop him before the whole corridor was awake. “ What on earth are you doing?”

“I'm playing “ knick knock,” the imp grinned back at him. “ The big boys play it in our avenue.”

“Get here now,” Greg commanded, smiling to himself, because he used to do that when he was a boy. “ We'll go and see if you've woken the dragon instead.”

It was a game that they played most times when they passed the housekeeper's cupboard. Evan would tap on the door quietly, wait until he thought he heard a noise and then run away. It was a way of getting him to run up the long corridor to their bedrooms, rather than be carried, as he was a heavy little chap.

“Not awake yet, Granddad,” he announced, after he had listened at the door for a minute or so.

“Rooaarr,” said Greg and the two of them fled down to the swimming pool.

***

It was pleasant sitting on a bench by the kiddies' park, Greg thought, as he read a newspaper that he had bought off the man, who came to sell them each morning in the foyer, feeling the early morning sun on his face and listening to the sounds of Evan, as he scrambled up and down the slide. He should do it more often, instead of losing the best part of the day by lying in bed.

There was hardly a soul around, except for a couple of blue and white uniformed maids mopping around the foyer; a member of the kitchen staff dressed all in white and wearing a netted cap who had come in from the car park, and strangely enough there was that Mikey, who had passed them by on the stairs. Gosh, he must put in a long day if he was reporting for duty already, or perhaps there were other things he had to do, that nobody knew about.

***

“Come and sit with us,” said Nobby, as he saw Meggie, who was wearing a navy and white striped T' shirt over navy leggings, looking around for a spare seat at a table, but trying to decide first who amongst the guests had a friendly face.

“I don't mind if I do,” she said cheekily and bobbed a little curtsey in Nobby and Betty's direction.

“Do you want me to get you a coffee from the machine or do you want to order something better than instant from the waiter?” asked Nobby, as the large orange haired woman sat down.

“No, I'll have a fruit juice, thank you. I don't know your name, but you'll know my name is Meggie, won't you?”

“Yes, we watched your show last night, we thought your singing was wonderful,” said Betty brightly, pleased that someone famous had deigned to keep them company.

“I think I'll stick to singing next time I'm on,” said Meggie ruefully. “ Somehow all the jokes I store up in the brain box, didn't seem very suitable for this kind of audience last night.”

“Well, I enjoyed the one about your rich husband,” said Betty. “Was it true? Did he really disappear with his money in a biscuit tin?”

“No, that was just poetic license, my husband died ten years ago. But I have a lot of jokes that probably only your husband would appreciate.”

“Sorry,” broke in Nobby, who unlike Betty, was tucking into his breakfast of fried egg, bacon, tomatoes and beans. “ We should have introduced ourselves. I'm Nobby and my wife is Betty. Aren't you going to help yourself to the buffet?”

“I'm on a diet,” she laughed. “No, I'm only joking, I'll get something in a minute. That muesli looks nice, Betty, I'll probably copy you.”

“So, what are you planning to do today, Meggie?” asked Betty later, as the three of them had finished eating.

“I dunno really, find a place that sells magazines, hopefully in English. Sit on a sun lounger and soak up the sun. What are you two doing?”

“We thought we'd have a walk along the promenade, only the other way from where we walked before. That is, Nobby does the walking, I get to ride in the wheelchair. Then this afternoon, Nobby will probably play boules if there's a game on and I'll have a snooze under a palm tree.”

“Would you think I was being presumptuous if I tagged along with you?”

“Of course not, we'd be flattered that you wanted our company.”

***

“Can I go to the Kid's club today, Daddy?” asked Olivia, who had been looking over at Jade, who was sat with her mother while they ate their breakfast. It would be nice if she could make a friend on holiday.

“She could go, couldn't she?” said Samantha, looking at Rhys who was eating a bowl of muesli, “she'd only have to sit quietly at the Welcome meeting otherwise.”

“It wouldn't do her any harm to sit quietly at the meeting,” Rhys replied. “ I don't know why children have to run around to enjoy themselves. What happened to sitting quietly like I did when I was a child?”

“Things are different now, aren't they?” Frank put in, feeling sorry for his granddaughter. “ Gone are the days of disciplining children and she is here to have a nice holiday too.”

“She has to be in a routine, even if she's on holiday, Samantha,” Rhys said, ignoring his father- in- law. “ We talked about this before we came away, remember? That's why we asked your parents to come with us, to make sure that she's well looked after while she's here.”

“I'm sure she will be looked after well in the Kid's club,” said Linda in a calm voice, although inside she was seething, that they had been looked upon as baby sitters and only invited for that reason, instead of for their company.

“It seems that everyone else wants you to go to this Kid's club, Olivia, but in my opinion you would benefit more by sitting in on the Welcome meeting with us. However, I will bow to the majority this time, and take you to the Kid's club later and inspect the place myself.”

Stuffed shirt, thought Linda, for the hundredth time since she had met him.

“Are we going on a trip today, Daddy?” asked Annabelle, as they walked in for breakfast looking for a place to sit.

“We haven't thought about it yet, Pumpkin,” Paul replied, then followed Cheryl and Jack as his wife had been waved at by Roz. “ We've been too busy thinking about the apartment we've just purchased.”

“Yes, Mummy says that's all you seem to want to talk about these last couple of days.”

“She did, did she?” said Paul, feeling rather uneasy listening to his daughter's parroting of Cheryl's words. “I thought Mummy was excited about it, just like I am.”

“Can we sit with you, Roz?” asked Cheryl and without waiting for an answer began to organize the chairs.

“Looks as if we're in for a lovely day,” said Roz. “ Jade was just saying perhaps we could splash about in the swimming pool later, if it's still like this after we've been to the Welcome meeting.”

“Oh, I wanted to take Jade to the Kid's club and show her to Anna,” said Annabelle sulkily. “ I haven't been going because I was the oldest kid there.”

“Let's just get our breakfasts first,” said Cheryl impatiently, tying a napkin around Jack's neck. “We'll talk about it later, if you don't mind.”

***

“I don't see Brian and Anthea anywhere,” said Charles, as he glanced around the room as he and Judith ate breakfast.

“Perhaps they've already been in and they've gone off somewhere to do their exercising. Brian was saying that he and and Anthea like to play tennis now and again.”

“I feel very pleased that we've come across them, actually,” said Charles. “ Nice to meet people who are in the same line of business.”

“I don't think we're really in the same league as them though, Charles. To hear them talking their guest house is doing very well, whereas our bistro has been going down the pan since Christmas.”

“Oh, it will pick up again, Judith, you say this every year, “ it's not worth opening, we'll have to let the chef go.” What can you expect, it's a seasonal place that we live in?”

“But so is Bournemouth and I don't hear them complaining.”

“People don't sit around moaning to each other when they meet up on holiday, Judith, they like to create an image that their life is just splendid, thank you, and haven't they done awfully well? In reality they are probably just as worried when the bills come in, as we are.

“Having said that though Brian, we could toy with the idea of turning your mother's big place into a guest house, or even an Old People's Home and she could be our first client. We could sell the bistro.”

“Good idea, Judith, but you've forgotten one tiny detail.”

“What's that?”

“She won't give you Power of Attorney, she says she's not ga ga yet.”

***

“I think we should go to the Welcome meeting, Annabelle, rather than Jade come with you to the children's club,” said Roz, after they had all finished breakfast. “ It's best to know the in's and out's of things when you're a lone parent,” she continued, turning to Paul and Cheryl. “We'll have a look at some of the excursions, see if there's anything interesting.”

“We went to Loro Parque last week and Mount Teide. The kids enjoyed the park immensely, but we've been rather tied up with looking for property since then.”

“Yes, Paul, Cheryl was telling me last night. I must say I felt rather envious when I heard you'd bought an apartment. Fancy being able to hop over anytime you want.”

“Not quite hop over, Roz,” said Cheryl smiling graciously. “ Paul still has to work for a living, don't you, Darling? Possibly me and the children will be able to come over on our own now and again?”

Though Paul nodded, supposedly in a agreement, there came an anxious feeling as he wondered what he'd done.

***

“Did you have a nice time last night at the Sanchez residence?” asked Lucy politely, as the two men joined Lesley and herself at the table.

“Yes,” Uwe replied, settling himself beside her. “ They live in a splendid villa and we were given excellent hospitality.”

All right for some, thought Lucy, feeling nervous now that they were there, because she had to run the Welcome meeting without Kath, that morning. “ So, we'll have breakfast, then we'll go to the Sunlight Bar and prepare for the meeting?”

“I'm helping,” said Lesley, feeling she had to say something to Heiko, who was looking at her, appraising her slender body, dressed in well cut lilac trousers and a creamy coloured short sleeved blouse.

“You are, that is very kind of you?” he said. “ So we will be in each other's company today.”

“Not for all of the day,” advised Uwe, “ because Lucy must stay at the hotel. Isabelle has volunteered to take us on a trip up Mount Teide. Sanchez arranged this last night, remember?”

“Oh yes, we drank a lot of wine. Pardon me, Lesley, but perhaps we can spend our final evening together. Lucy?”

“Yes, that would be very nice, you can listen to the resident band, Candelaria. They come to entertain us two or three times a week. Shall we go to the buffet now, as I don't want to be late starting the meeting?”

Lucy got up from her seat, feeling really annoyed with the way things had turned out. That blooming Kath. Yesterday morning she'd been really looking forward to spending the whole time with the Germans while they were here, and now here she was trapped in the hotel on duty! She wouldn't put it past her supervisor to be throwing a sickie.

***

“Do you want to go to the Kid's club, Evan?” asked Sonya.

“Is Jack going?”

“Oh, I don't know, love, shall I go and ask his mummy?” Evan nodded.

Cheryl was at the hot buffet helping herself to baked beans to put on toast. She was looking very summery in a white strappy top, blue cotton trousers, gold pumps and her sunglasses perched on the top of her long auburn hair.

“Your sun tan's coming along well, Sonya, “ she commented, added a slice of fried tomato to her cooked breakfast as the girl ambled over. “ How's things?”

“Okay. Evan was wondering if Jack was going to Kid's club?”

“Oh, we haven't made our minds up yet. Annabelle wants to take her new friend Jade, but her mother wants to take her to the Welcome meeting, which is putting Annabelle out somewhat. We really want to hang around in the sun today, because we've been missing valuable tanning time with all the too-ing and fro-ing we've done. Tell you what, we'll put Jack in the Kid's club and Annabelle can take Jade in when the meeting's finished. That should suit everyone, I dare say.”