Clouds Below the Mountains (13 page)

“I wasn't sure of having another child with Emily being seven. It's such an age gap, but your children's age gaps are quite considerable. Is this a second marriage or did you have other children in between?”

Kate thought she had better come clean to the woman and tell her the truth, but it was nice just for a moment, to bask in the glory.

“Fiona, I'm fifty six, going on fifty seven and Evan is Sonya's, she's twenty six! Still it's nice that you think I look young enough. Thank you for the compliment.”

“Don't mention it,” said Fiona, as her pretty creamy face flushed with embarrassment. “I hope I look like you when I'm fifty six.”

***

Jenni and Lucy sat at the back of the room, as they had the evening before. Jenni had gone to her room and had changed into a white round necked long sleeved top, with sparkles on the front, with black velvet wide legged trousers and silver high heel shoes. Lucy had put a dress on for a change and was looking gorgeous in a pink halter neck.

“Bingo in ten minutes”, she said, after looking at her watch, “then the flamenco show and after that it's disco time. Sometimes Mikey and his crew stay behind, although they've quite a hike to get back to their apartments.”

“Oh, don't they have a place here like you, Tina and Anna?”

“No, it's an outside agency that employs them, so they had to find lodgings that were cheap. I don't know if it's true what Mikey was telling me, but he said a man comes around every Friday with a brief case full of envelopes. He comes in, seeks them out, even if they're playing water polo or doing aqua aerobics, hands them an envelope each, then clears off again. Mind you, Mikey is a Scouser so he could have been having me on.”

“I wouldn't like that,” said Jenni. “What if he doesn't turn up one week and you don't get your wages?”

“I said that to Mikey and he said then he was probably bloody sacked!”

“Oh, this is so nice, Lucy, sitting here with no worries and no miserable boyfriend hanging around. Have you ever had a boyfriend, Lucy?”

“Not out here I haven't. I had one or two at home, but nothing serious. I don't want to get involved to be honest. I like my job, though Kath can get a bit heavy with me sometimes, but boyfriends become complications and I don't want any of them at the moment.”

“I wish I was strong like you. I seemed to drift into that relationship with Simon. It was all right when I was back in England. You've probably guessed that my parents aren't together now and somehow Simon was the one who gave me the love and attention that I didn't get at home. Though it wasn't love, I realize that now.”

“Ohhh, poor you,” said Lucy and gave her new friend a hug. “Never mind you'll get over it, people usually do. Anyway, are you up for a game of Bingo? Looks like the kid's disco has finished now.”

***

“Doreen, Milly, what time is it?”, Jean said, sitting up in her bed nearest the window, pulling at the heavy curtains to see if it was dark or light?

“What!,” said Doreen, pulling up on one elbow, “ what are you on about?”

“What's the matter?”, asked Milly, switching the bed panel light on.

“I'm just wondering what time it is?”

“It's nine o' clock, that's what,” gasped Milly, looking at the watch on her wrist.

“It's a bit dark for nine o' clock,” said Jean.

“What are you both on about?”, asked Doreen.

“We've slept for four hours,” Milly said and shot out of bed, as if there was bugs biting her!

“Never,” said Doreen, getting out of bed, peering at her own watch. “You're right, we have. We'll have missed the Bingo at this rate.”

“Never mind the Bingo. We'll have missed our dinner, the place closes at nine o' clock,” Milly replied, dashing into the bathroom to brush her hair and clean her teeth.

She was followed closely by Doreen, who without any embarrassment, pulled her knickers down and sat down on the toilet. Milly excused herself to go and sit on her bed.

“Look at my clothes,” wailed Jean. “They're all creased and crushed. I've never gone to bed in my clothes before. It's those drinks we had, I've never had more than a glass of sherry in my life!”

Milly couldn't help laughing, she couldn't help herself, the whole situation was hilarious, one that she was glad she hadn't missed.

They arrived at the restaurant, just as Miguel was about to turn the lights off. He, Juan and Rachael had been getting the tables laid, ready for breakfast as each guest had departed. Then he saw the three anxious looking women reading the evening's menu.

“Eeh, look what we've missed,” said one to the other two. “Chinese. All my favourites. Egg fried rice, barbecue ribs, chicken with black bean sauce and prawn crackers.”

“Sorry ladies, the restaurant closed at nine o' clock, the chef's gone home so he can't help you.”

They looked so crestfallen that his heart went out to them. It was like looking at your mother and turning her away.

“I know,” he said, as a bright idea hit him. “Can I make you a sandwich? I'm not very good at cooking, but I can make a sandwich very well. Sit here at this table and I'll go to the kitchen straight away.” There was murmurs of “oh no, you don't have to”, from the three women, but he could tell from their voices they were only being polite. He returned a little later with a plate piled high with dainty sandwiches, each filled with a piece of cheese and a bit of ham and he'd cut the crusts off to make them look nice.

***

“Oh, Fred, look at these two little moppets,” Mavis said, as Evan and Jack stood in front of their table gazing at them solemnly. “I haven't got any sweeties, dearies, sorry.” The two little boys ran away again, then the older boy was whisked off somewhere by his mother.

“What's your name, little boy?”, asked Mavis, as Evan came wandering back to look at her again.

“My name is Evan Lewis and I'm three years old. Do you know that there's a dragon living in a cupboard in this hotel?”

Mavis laughed at his serious expression and took out a pen from her handbag.

“No, I didn't. I'll have to get my husband to protect me if we walk past it. Would you like me to draw you a dragon on this serviette?”

“Yes, I'd like that.” Mavis drew him a dragon with a curling tail and smoke coming out of its mouth. Evan looked at it, then took her pen. “That's not a dragon, I can draw better than that.” He did a lot of scribbles, then he handed her back the serviette and said proudly. “That's a dragon.”

Mavis started laughing, and at that moment felt the happiest she had been since she'd got there.

***

“That's it, another attempt at winning hits the dust,” said Lucy, as a woman who had been on the Gatwick flight, danced about in delight at winning the Full House. “ Never mind,” said Jenni, who was in hock to Lucy for a Bingo ticket now. “There are always other nights for you to win it.”

“True,” said Lucy. “Look, the flamenco dancers have arrived back stage, you can see them through the crack in the curtains.

***

“I'm going to take Evan to bed,” said Greg, half way through the performance. “He can hardly keep his eyes open. I'll see you up there later, don't forget what I said.”

Kate smiled and nodded. She was feeling tired herself, but didn't want to miss having a bit of girly time with her daughter.

“See you all tomorrow, then,” said Greg, before he tried to weave his way through the dancers, who were encouraging members of the audience to get up and dance the conga with them.

The others said goodnight, then Cheryl said she would take Jack up, as he had become a sleepy head.

“Come, come dance with me,” said one of the Mariquito girls, a young woman in her twenties with dark brown flashing eyes. The bits of her body that were not covered by her red ruffled gypsy blouse and black ankle length frilly tiered skirt, glistened with sweat as she looked alluringly at Paul and Steve. They both got up in unison, then Paul found himself locked by her arms around his waist and Steve with his arms locked around her. Dancing around the room was a heady experience for both of them, especially as both had consumed a lot of beer.

“That's it, I'm knackered,” said Paul, as he and Steve came back to the table and suddenly Kate and Sonya found themselves alone.

“These men can't take it,” laughed Kate, after they had said goodnight to Paul and Annabelle, followed closely by Steve, Fiona and their daughter. “I'm really looking forward to doing my thing.”

“That's so old fashioned, Mum,” said Sonya, smiling at her mother's eagerness for the disco to get started. “You can strut your stuff or have a boogie, but doing your thing, I don't think so.”

“Can I get you ladies a drink?,” asked Juan, who had just come in from the Quiet bar where he had finished doing his shift.

“Oh, thank you,” said Kate. “It will have to be my last one though, I'm feeling quite squiffy. A gin and tonic, no ice.”

“And you, Senorita?”

“I'll have the same thanks.”

“Isn't that nice of him, Sonya? I suppose he saw us sat here with no men beside us and thought he would save us the embarrassment of sitting on a bar stool.”

“They work long days though, don't they? He was clearing away at breakfast and he's still here at midnight.”

“Yes, but they must have time off during the day and I'm sure people like him don't work all the year round. Shush, he's coming back with our drinks.”

To Kate and Sonya's amazement, Juan had brought three drinks back and not on a tray as would be expected of a waiter. In one hand he held two tall glasses of gin and tonic and a large glass of beer in the other!

“Bottoms up, Ladies,” he said, after he had placed their drinks before them and had made himself comfortable in a vacated armchair. “I hope you both will dance with me at the disco later.”

***

“This is Mikey, Damion (which Lucy pronounced Dam- e- on.), Susanne and of course you've met Tina and Anna. This is Jenni, my new best friend, who I am sure I will have a lot of fun with.” “Pleased to meet you, All right? and Hi were the assorted response to her introduction, then they all sat back and talked amongst themselves.

“Who's playing the music tonight, Mikey,” asked Damion. “ Do you want me to do it?”

“No, I'll announce a few and then I'll put it into auto. I could do with a bit of practice for that show we're doing next week.”

“Oh, what theme is it next week, Mikey?”, asked Lucy, who had seen the team do excerpts from “Saturday night fever”, the week before.

“Possibly “Grease”, maybe Abba, it depends on what I feel like doing really. I know all the songs off by heart. I used to do the cruise ships,” he said, as way of explanation to Jenni.

“Don't you need four people to play the parts of Abba?” asked Jenni. “You've got Susanne, who I'm sure is the perfect Agnetha and Damion for Bjorn, but what about Frieda, who do you get to play her part?”

“ Oh, I will have play both Benny and Frieda, run behind the curtain and do a quick change. There is someone who is perfect,” he said, looking accusingly at Anna, “but unfortunately she won't sing.”

“I'm not part of the Animacion team, Mikey. I'm part of the Kid's club. Though if you were to pay me, I am sure I would be able to sing like a bird.”

Mikey gave her a glare and stalked off to set his music deck in motion. “They're always like this together,” whispered Lucy, “ he fancies the pants off her.”

***

“My name is Juan, you will have seen that on my name badge,” the waiter smiled. “I know you are Sonya, because I have heard your father when I have attended your table, but what is your name, pretty lady?”

“Oh, Kate, “ she replied, feeling all self conscious as he asked her, though as Sonya's mother she wondered why she was feeling like that.

“Kate. You have a very handsome little boy, Kate. What is his name?”

She saw her daughter's eyebrows raising in a question. Oh, did it matter, she couldn't be bothered to

explain?

“His name is Evan.”

“I am the last of my mother's children also. I have four brothers and two sisters, though they are all married now with children of their own.”

There was a silence then, Juan fiddled with his glass and mother and daughter looked at each other blankly.

***

Mikey began the disco with a song from Tina Turner. The strains of “ Simply the Best” soon began to throb in the air. “Shall we boogie, Mother?”, asked Sonya, before Juan had chance to ask, as she didn't want Kate sitting on her own.

“Allow me,” said Juan and holding each of them by the arm, escorted them both to the dance floor.”

Kate knocked on her bedroom door quietly, knowing that Greg would be angry if she woke up their grandson.

“Where's Sonya?”, he asked, as he opened the door. “I didn't hear her going into her bedroom.”

“I left her downstairs with some other people of her age. You know the rep' called Lucy and the girl you rescued?”

“I said half past twelve, Kate, you should have told her to come with you.”

“The disco's only on for another half hour, Greg. Anyway, can I come in?”

“Oh, sorry,” he said, stepping aside to let her pass, then locking the door behind her. “ Evan's been as good as gold. Got into his pyjamas and not a peep out of him since.”

“Did you get into bed as well?”, noting that he had also got his blue checked pyjamas on.

“I watched the television for a while and then I dozed, then I woke up and had some of that brandy that we bought on the ‘plane.”

“Good idea, now you're all relaxed and ready for bed again.”

“Was there many there, or did most people go up when the flamenco dancing finished?”, he asked, while she changed out of her clothes and put her pink satin nightie on.

“Most people went, I was about the oldest there really. No, I tell a lie, those three sisters were being silly trying to do the slosh to one of the dances.”

“And did you and Sonya dance together?”

“Yes, there were a few of us, all dancing around our handbags as it were.”

“Good, I'll get into bed then. I'll leave the panel light on until you've finished in the bathroom.”

Kate got into bed a little later. It was cold in her half of the bed, so she moved towards her husband to give him a cuddle. She could feel his body tensing, as it always did whenever she moved towards him.

“Not tonight Kate, not while Evan is over there.”

“I only wanted a cuddle,” she said. “My feet are cold and this part of the bed is cold too.”

“You'll soon warm up. You'll be complaining in the middle of the night that you're too hot, you always do.”

Kate sighed and moved away, resentfully.

***

“So, Jenni,” said Mikey, “ the boyfriend's gone I hear, do yer have a vacancy for another guy?”

“Are you putting yourself forward as a candidate, Mikey?” asked Lucy, who was dancing nearby.

“I just wondered, I'm too old for her anyway.”

“Watch him, Jenni,” said Lucy, as they sat out for a breather later “ he tries it on with everyone.”

***

Sonya sat with Juan in a secluded corner. They had danced together for a little while after Kate had gone to her bedroom, but then Juan had suggested that they sat together away from the music, so that they could talk.

“How long will you be staying here, Sonya?” he asked softly, holding her small white hand in his big brown one and caressing hers with his thumb. Just the sound of his voice made her tummy feel as if it had butterflies chasing around it.

“We go back in two weeks time,” she answered, though her throat felt parched and her hands felt terribly sweaty.

“So, we can be with each other.” It was a statement rather than a question and the way she was feeling that moment, her answer could only be yes.

***

Kate lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, not that she could see the ceiling because of the blackout curtains blocking everything out, but she knew it was there and the red light in the smoke alarm was twinkling anyway. She listened to Greg breathing evenly and Evan over by the window in the little bed, snoring like a piglet. She felt like crying, but crying was fruitless, tears didn't work with her husband anyway.

She wondered why she bothered at times, it usually led to rejection. She couldn't remember the last time he had held her in his arms. Well, she could if she put her mind to it. It was usually on holiday, so it must have been Cyprus. That was where they'd had their last holiday. What a debacle that had turned out to be.

***

“Come here, honey bun,” said Paul affectionately, as he switched the television off and settled down in the bed with Cheryl in his arms. “Have I told you lately that I love you?” She giggled and said he should make those words into a song.

“No, seriously. Sometimes I don't think I give you enough love and attention. I go off at a tangent, chatting with people that aren't really important. I guess it's probably the salesman in me.”

“Paul, as far as I'm concerned that is why I fell in love with you. You chatted me up, sold me a dream and it didn't cost me anything but the price of my love. I'm so happy sometimes that it scares me, but what is more important is that dream came true.”

***

“Oh, I can't sleep, Fred, “ said Mavis, as she sat up in her twin bed and switched the light on.

“What do yer want me to do about it?”, grumbled her husband from under his covers.

“It used to be that you'd give me a cuddle and then I'd drift off to sleep.”

“Don't be daft Mavis, all that kind of thing finished years ago. Why do yer think we sleep in separate beds at home?”

“I'm not asking for sex, Fred,” she answered, flushing brightly as she said it, because such an intimate word wasn't used between them. “I'm just mentioning that when you used to give me a cuddle, I'd drift off to sleep.”

“Oh, that's all right then,” he said gruffly. “ I thought perhaps you were wanting to make demands on me body. I'm not Charlie Chaplin, yer know?”

“I know Fred, (and never have been ),” she said quietly. “I'll just go to the bathroom and find an aspirin, maybe that will help me to get to sleep.”

***

Lucy had no such trouble sleeping. She was dead to the world as she soon as she hit the pillow and didn't wake again until the alarm went off. “Botheration,” she said, switching her little travel clock off and lying back with her hands behind her head. What day is it?, she wondered? A working day obviously, if she had just switched off her alarm. It's Thursday, two more days and she could have a lie in.

She steeled herself to get out of bed. Although she was getting used to the amount of alcohol she was consuming each evening, she still felt dehydrated every morning when she woke up. Maybe tonight she'd stick to soft drinks, but there again she might not.

Her thoughts flew to Jenni, as she dried herself after her shower and began to massage her body lotion into her torso. She wondered if the girl had felt lonely after the gang had said goodnight to one another and got off to bed? She was glad she had stepped in with Mikey, when he had asked Jenni if he was in with a chance with her. He was twenty five for heaven's sake, while the poor girl was only seventeen. Even if Jenni had been older, she still would have watched out for her. Mikey was a rat, a love them and leave them rat and kept his brains inside his trousers as far as she was concerned.

***

“Your turn today to look after Evan, Mother?” asked Sonya, as the family walked down the corridor on their way to breakfast.

“Yes, love, my turn,” Kate replied brightly, though she would rather have been able to stay in bed. She saw that the clouds were down again below the mountains, so if that was a prediction of the same weather as yesterday, she wouldn't be able to have a sleep on a sun lounger today anyway.

“Your mother didn't sleep very well last night,” said Greg. “ She woke me up enough times while she went to the bathroom. It was probably all that alcohol you were drinking, Kate.”

And because I was so tensed up with your attitude toward me, she thought.

“Evan will probably want to go to Kid's club again, Kate,” Greg said kindly. “ So if you want to get your head down after breakfast, I'll be willing to pick him up.”

“We'll see,” she answered. “We'd have to think of something to do anyway, with the sun not being out.”

“I thought I might go to the stretching they do by the tennis courts at ten o'clock,” said Sonya.

“You could come with me, Mum.”

“I might just stretch out on the bed and read a book. That's about all the stretching I think I could do.”

They sat down to breakfast, waving at Paul and Cheryl, who hadn't saved them places that morning. Greg went off to find a high chair, while Evan sat on Sonya's knee.

“Good morning, Senora,” the waiter said to Kate. “Can I bring your family drinks? Coffee, fruit juice maybe.”

“That would nice, thank you. Coffee, Sonya?” Sonya nodded, but kept her head down buried into her son's shoulders, instead of smiling at the friendly young man.

“What's the matter with you?,” asked Kate, when the waiter had gone off with their order. “ I thought you and Juan were getting it together, when I left you last night?”

Sonya shook her head and was saved from answering when Greg came back, annoyed that he had to wait for a high chair, until a family had vacated their table.

Never mind, thought her mother, if she's got anything to tell me, she will in time.

***

“What are we doing today, girls,?” asked Milly, as they sat eating their breakfast, “any ideas?”

“Well, the weather doesn't look too good again. I hear we missed an hour of sunshine yesterday,” Doreen replied.

“Oh, don't remind me, Doreen,” said Jean, shaking her head in exasperation. “How I let you get me in that state yesterday, I really don't know. And then last night again! I'll have liver trouble when I get back home.”

“No one was forcing you, Jean,” laughed Doreen. “ Go on, you're on your hol's. You need to let your hair down a bit.”

“So, what do you want to do today?”, Milly persisted. “Shall we go on a trip somewhere? We could catch that little train that the rep' mentioned that takes you on a tour round about, or we could walk to the sea front and see if we can get as far as the harbour.”

“I wouldn't mind having a walk,” said Jean, thinking she needed to conserve her spending money and the train might be expensive to ride on.”

“Yes, it would probably blow a few cobwebs away,” agreed Doreen, knowing that Jean was a bit strapped for cash and didn't like to offer to pay for her ticket.

“Perhaps we could book something with the rep' when we get back,” said Milly. “ I quite fancy going on that Mount Teide tour.”

“Oh, that's expensive for what it is,” said Doreen hastily. “I'm sure the sun will be out tomorrow and we can do what we said we were coming here for. No point sitting in a coach, when we could be stretched out on sun loungers.”

***

“Hi Lucy,” said Jenni, as she came across her friend tidying up some leaflets under the rep's desk. “Have you had breakfast?”

“I whipped in and had a cup of coffee, that's all, Jenni. I have to be at the entrance in five minutes, to make sure the guests get on the coach for today's excursion. Did you sleep well, I went off as soon as my head touched the pillow?”

“I must admit I felt strange at first, thinking that Simon should have been at the side of me, but I just thought, it's his loss, and I should make the most of having a double bed to myself. So I spread myself out and within minutes I was gone.”

“So, have you thought about what you want to do today? I'm tied up here of course and someone wants a room change, so I have to see Reception, but I can keep you company at breakfast in about twenty minutes or so.”

“Oh, that's great, we can have a natter before I have a wander. Doesn't look as if it is a day for lying on a sun longer. Maybe I'll walk to the sea front and have a little look around.”

***

“What do yer want to do today, Mavis?”, asked Fred, as the couple walked out of the dining room.

“Not a lot. As you know I didn't sleep very well last night.”

“Have yer got a book yer want to read, ‘cos I can go and get a game in? It's archery at ten o' clock and then another game of boules.”

“I might go and do some of that stretching I saw advertised, it might help with me leg, you know?”

“Eh, that's for young women, not old biddies like you. They'll all be dressed in them skimpy shorts and bustlers, I think they call ‘em.”

“Well, I've decided I'm going, Fred,” said Mavis, annoyed that he called her an old biddie. “ I don't have to do all the exercises and I think you're wrong about what these young ‘uns wear. I think it's hooded tops and trackie bottoms. I've got a leisure jacket on over my blouse and my trousers are called jogging pants, so I think I'm suitably attired.”

“Please yerself then, I don't care really what yer want to do. I'll see yer at twelve thirty outside the restaurant.”

Good, said Mavis to herself, as her husband marched off with his nose in the air. A bit of peace from you for a few hours, will do me the world of good.

***

“Anyone for stretching?”, Susanne asked, walking around the swimming pool area, where a few diehards were sat in cardigans or coats over their swim wear. She sighed to herself, it was like this most mornings, people just couldn't be bothered making the effort. But Mikey, the head of Animacion, said the stretching class had to be available, just in case.

“Come on, ladies,” she tried again. “It will set you up for the morning. Get your blood racing through your bodies, ready for relaxing when the sun comes out.”

Susanne walked over to one of the tennis courts, where she had laid out five roll mats in preparation, and Mikey, who was overseeing the archery on the next court, whistled at her suggestively, because she was wearing a tight yellow figure hugging top and her navy blue shorts.

She looked at her watch, she would give it five more minutes then she would go and get a coffee by the pool.

“Are you the stretching lady?”, asked a white haired woman tentatively, who looked as if she was old enough to be Susanne's great grandmother.

“Yes, I am here to take the stretching class,” she answered kindly.