The stars

The children stared at the sky just as Freda stormed out of the pub in a fury, screaming at us for interfering and our match making. I listened unsure of what to say. Looking at Rory, feeling sorry for the older man in a blazer. What was Mark thinking of? Could these two really have been compatible?

“Ruby, leave her, let her calm down. What are those kids staring at?”
“The stars, I think”. Frustrated I said, “She’s upset, of course I’m not leaving her.”

Following Freda, I knew he had meant well, but I needed to sort this out. We had well and truly messed this up. A nice break in the New Forest had now turned into a slanging match.

I now became aware of the growing crowd. What was going on here? Looking up I saw the stars twinkling back at me. Hearing the word Capricorn, I noticed the handsome man delivering a lesson on the star constellations. Across the pub garden, there was Freda sat crying on a bench.

The world seemed to stand still. The young woman crying as the astronomy lesson continued.

Freda

Am I going to be single forever? Should I just settle? Ruby is happy, why can’t I be? Life is just ticking away, but I dont need her match making me.  I get to choose my own men, my best friend should not be searching for me.

The night appeared especially dark tonight. With everything going on, the depression filling me and then the blanket of stars above me. Did this mean anything? Such a beautiful night and here I am with tears racing down my face. Things had to get better soon.

Ruby

Sitting down beside Freda, I took her hand.
“Sorry, we didn’t mean to upset you so much.”
“Look, we were trying to help you. I’m your best friend, you always will be, but I need to think of Mark as well.”
“Ruby, I’m scared. It’s lucky that Rex doesn’t like cats as I could wind up being a lonely spinster with God knows how many cats.”

“You won’t be a lonely spinster.”
“Just a spinster then.”
“No Freda, come on, you are a pretty woman, you will find someone.”
“Sorry, I’m walking, I need to be alone.”
Standing up, she now wrapped her coat around her and walked away. What could I say now? Maybe giving her space was the answer.
No, it wasn’t the answer. The repressed anger now rose in me as I cried.
“Right, I try my hardest to involve you and keep you happy, but you just throw my efforts back in my face.”

Shouting

“What you set me up with a blazer clad  weirdo. How could you think that we would be a match?”
“Seemed okay to me” I shouted. Why was I shouting at her?
Watching her walk away, I had crossed a line, especially as the Astronomy teacher was now looking over.
I didn’t notice Mark approaching until I heard his calm voice.
“Ruby, she will be okay, you know that don’t you?”

“Mark it’s 10.00 at night and she is headed off into the dark. Do we go after her? Actually, we are going after her.”
Grabbing his wrists, I pulled him to his feet.
“Come on, she can’t have got far.”

Freda

Aimlessly walking, what am I doing? Ahead of me are the children and their handsome teacher. No tweed jacket in sight. Tall, dark hair and my type, if only I was brave enough to do something.

Just passing eye candy. At least I could be interested in someone even if I was unlikely to ever know them.

Next morning – Ruby

Time to return home today. We found Freda alone on another bench. So, the holiday hadn’t worked out. Maybe I need to stop trying to fix her. This might be a long road but she needs to accept that I need my own life, things can’t continue as they are.

For more see, Holiday and loneliness in the New Forest – part 12 this is part 13

Written for Grammys Grid, first sentence – ‘The children stared at the sky just as’