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Friendship and end of the holiday
Friendship
The eyes in the painting looked at me as I watched Ted and Freda. Freda was laughing with him like a happy school child. Listening to him talking about the formation of the stars that create Aquarius, she was hanging on to his every word. Was he what we needed to fix our friendship?
This had been quite a morning. Woken early by the doorbell, I hadn’t expected to find the Astronomy lecturer talking to Mark in the kitchen. Events then spiralled as Freda appeared in her pyjamas. Calling Mark into the front room, we watched as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Meeting her future partner making tea was not how I had expected Freda to meet someone. Ted seemed perfect, well-educated and handsome.
After our efforts to match make, why hadn’t Mark thought of Ted? He was perfect.
“Mark, wow, we’ve done it.” He shook his head, looking awkward.
“No, we haven’t, this isn’t good”.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Ruby, he’s married, but has cheated with a number of women.”
“Oh.” I could feel my skin start to crawl. I need to stop this.
“Is he really still married?”
A cheat
“As far as I know. He turned up here this morning asking about my girlfriend and her friend. Ted must have seen her during the argument last night.”
“Yes, and a handsome cheat is the last person she needs to meet.”
Still hearing Freda’s tinkling laugh, I felt sick.
“Mark, you need to have words with your friend.”
“I will, but Freda sounds so happy.”
“Mark, she’s going to be angry when she realises. It’s been a long time since she has even entertained seeing anyone. Listening to them laughing together that happy party needs to be broken up”.
“Well how about you call her in here.”
“I could, if you then talk to Ted.”
I looked at him, where was I going to start with this one.
Freda
After her anger at being set up, finding a handsome stranger in Mark”s kitchen had made a bad situation a good one. Staring up at him, she noticed the fleck of grey in his dark brown hair. She had never been interested in the stars but listening to Ted, she wanted to learn more.
Hearing Ruby calling, she was frustrated. Things were finally improving, maybe the New Forest wasn’t so bad, and now Ruby was interrupting the conversation. Leaving Ted leaning up against the kitchen cupboards, she walked into the other room.
“What Ruby?”
“Err, we have a problem.”
“What?”
“Ted is married and has cheated before.”
Sitting down, she felt weak, just when she thought she had met someone who could be special.
“Okay Ruby, well I guess we are heading home then”. Then a little louder. “The men here, except Mark, don’t seem to be worth knowing.”
“I think you are right. Think it’s time to get the car packed.”
Ruby
Well typical, I thought that maybe Ted was the solution, but no, a handsome cheat. Driving home we talked about the weekend, matchmaking attempt now forgiven and our friendship was as strong as ever. Freda had even laughed about Ted, when I was expecting meltdown.
So, we were back to square one. Finding a partner for Freda. However, she was insistent that she can find her own man. I needed to back off.
“Shall we call into the pub on the way back? We can see if they want us to perform this week?”
“That sounds like a good plan Ruby. We really could do with the work and after this weekend I think we need it.”
The pub
Approaching the pub car park, something was wrong. People were stood in the street, not right for six o’clock in the evening.
Driving around the town back street, life seemed busier than usual. Crowds without drinks in their hands, what had happened? Why was the pub shut?
“Freda we are going to go in the back.”
“What if it’s locked?” feeling deep into my pockets, I found two paper clips. Waving them I said,
“Remember I have skills.”
“But you haven’t use those in years.”
“You never forget how to pick a lock.”
“Oh Ruby.”
“Come on, let’s see what’s happening.”
Getting out of the car, my mind was playing all sorts of scenes. Was the pub just closed? Will I be right to force my way in? Reaching the door, we could hear faint sounds, but as thought, it was locked. Pulling out my mobile, I was hesitating to break in. Listening to the ring ring coming from inside, this didn’t feel right.
“That’s it, I’m doing it.”
Freda watched quietly as I set about opening the door. Once opened, shouting could be heard. On hearing crying, I had heard enough.
“Should have done this sooner”.
Things couldn’t get much worse. After a difficult weekend and Ted this morning I had not expected to be dialling 999 this evening.
What was happening inside the pub? After phoning for help, we stood and waited.
For more see, Not a match but a disaster – part 13, this is part 14
Written for Grammys Grid sentence prompt – The eyes in the painting looked
Just to note, the featured image is of the Wye Downs in the UK
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School holidays and plans during a pandemic
Annual leave
After all being home since March together, I’m now on annual leave and the children are on school holidays. Normally I would be taking the children out, I would have plans to see things and see friends. Despite my shielded husband returning to work on Monday I’m still scared to go out. I’m dreading next week, if he does catch COVID – 19, then what happens? Telling the children that daddy is on a ventilator is not something I ever want to do.
I’m sat here, waiting on the phone to Morrison’s. Tesco have put up their delivery prices in August so I’m hoping that Morrison’s can add us to their priority list. Yes, Morrison’s is walking distance but I’m scared to go in, especially as the children will be with me. For me, right now, the days of running into the supermarket are a memory.
To top everything happening right now, my dad is not well. I haven’t told the children but I keep crying. He’s still young, I have patients in their nineties and hundreds. Again I mustn’t project as these are early days.
I hated my school years, but 2020 is now the worst year of my life. Yes, I’ve enjoyed home-schooling but I’m feeling so stressed!
Holidays
So, two weeks are stretching out ahead of me. We could go to the woods, or to empty fields. Wandering around the town is not something I’m prepared to do. We could do some art, or read and write together – maybe a little too idyllic. How to do you get two game obsessed children of their gadgets? If I tell my nine-year-old, that he’s to come off it, he says, “okay”, but then continues playing.
I need safe outdoor play. My holiday is going to be harder than other years, I accept that, but most things involve crowds and people.
Safe at home
The difference between staying safely at home, in our small cocoon, to going back out into the world and seeing people is dramatic. The figures are now increasing again and parts of the UK are already locked down. The GP has now changed one of my husband’s medications to weekly, so more stress needing to go to the pharmacy more often. Till now they have been delivering it to us, this service has now stopped. Thousands have been relying on their government food box, or Boris box, this has now stopped. Despite shielding being paused, the virus is still out there and it’s still killing people.
The children are happily in their own little worlds, oblivious to our fears. My nine-year-old will ask to wear his face cover. My seven-year-old, I’ve contemplated buying her some on eBay. The conundrum with the facemasks are do you buy just a cloth face covering? Or do you buy one with a filter insert? Do I buy one for £5.00? or do I spend £25.00? I’m not medically trained, the theories that it does not affect children as much as adults, I’m not sure what to believe. As much as I can, I will continue to protect them.
The featured image was drawn after a lesson with my seven year old daughter on how the earth orbits the sun. A happy home schooling memory.
August plans
Writing commitments for this month include,
- The next part of my Ruby and Freda story.
- Write the Story for Writers Unite
- Blogbattle writing prompt.
- To write a 5000 word story on the Wild West, for the new Writers Unite Anthology.
- To continue with my time tunnel novel
(Please note anything purchased through my blog earns me a small amount of commission which helps pay for my blogs, thankyou).
I also need to entertain the children and support them with their reading and comprehension. My nine year old is skimming text and not taking in what is happening. His excuse of “I don’t like reading” is frustrating. If he doesn’t understand what is going on, then he’s not going to enjoy it. I’ve been reading him the ‘Wizards of Once’ and testing his understanding as I read. He is rarely answering correctly. How do you improve a child’s reading and listening skills? I’m hoping that as we read together, he will improve.
I need to take things a day at a time and stop worrying. I must see more of my dad, (and family) who I’ve hardly seen since March due to shielding, plus keep up with my writing and work on my garden. The weeds have well and truly taken over, but I’ve had no gardening motivation these last few months. Life as always is busy.
Last month I was included in MJ Mallon’s – Life in Lockdown, featuring writers thoughts on this current situation.
August
As we head into August, our world is going to change. One will be getting up at 6.30am to drive daddy to work. Another will be knowing more about my father’s prognosis and talking to the children about him. We all need normality now and the children need school in September. Watching Boris Johnson talking yesterday, I have doubts in my mind about whether school will happen. Yes, I should stop watching the news but day by day the COVID – 19 situation changes.
My head keeps turning to Netflix and Amazon prime. These last few months I have binge watched Dark, The Stranger, Safe and Catastrophe. Offspring and Absentia that both feature Matthew Le Nevez,and now Schitts Creek. Yes, a bit of an escape from life but they don’t help me write.
As I keep writing, we need to continue a day at a time. This is a difficult mindset, especially when bad news is involved, but we need to all try and do it, we also should rest and relax more. To look after ourselves, our mental health and our families. I really hope that next year is easier and better, right now there is so much going on. I’m glad that I haven’t got the temptation of a crystal ball to know the future.
So, how are you getting on right now? have you been shielded? and how do you plan to keep your children / grandchildren busy during the holidays?
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