Splintered Lives (27 page)

The following day there is a market in the centre of the town, where the locals sell their fruit and vegetables, as well as, carved wooden pieces depicting their gods or animals.
 
There are also clothes, hand made, knitted jumpers and colourful jackets and shirts.
  
Sahida is on holiday as well and she accompanies them to look around the market, where most of the wares are set out on the pavements.
 
It is a vibrant sight the atmosphere around the market is light-hearted and festive.
 
The three of them meander around the streets and have a day of relaxation.
 
The following day is Mula’s birthday and Simon decides to make it a special occasion, having a dinner booked for the two of them at the hotel in the centre of the lake.

Simon has confided in his aunt that he means to propose to Mula and has brought the ring to show his aunt.

“Oh I’m so pleased.”
 
She cries as she gives him a hug.
 
“You are such a perfect match.
 
I hope that you will be very happy.”

 
Mula is excited to be going to the Fishtail Lodge and after her shower she puts on a butterfly necklace that Sahida has bought from the market.
 
It looks lovely on her slim brown neck and it matches the green dress she has chosen to wear.
 
Simon wears a light stone coloured suit, looking very handsome with his velvet-like skin and dark thick hair.
 
A very romantic looking and loving couple turn up at the hotel after the boat ride to get there.
 
The manager has a surprised look on his face as he greets them and hands them over to the head- waiter.
 
But everyone in the dining room looks up as this handsome pair is shown to their table.
 
Simon is a little nervous but Mula is excited by the ambiance of the place and the rich aroma wafting from the kitchen.
 

“I’m really hungry.” She says as the waiter hands her a menu.
 
“What do you recommend?”
 
She asks him.

Simon gives the waiter an indication with a nod of his head for the waiter to leave them for a moment.
 
He then gets hold of Mula’s hand and asks the question shyly.
 
”Will you marry me?”

Mula’s eyes light up and then tears show in the corners as she feels the emotion of her love for Simon.

 
“I’d love to.” She replies her voice full of love and hope for the future.
 
Simon is different from any other man she knows, he has a caring way with his friends and his patients and is considerate and gentle.
 
He must have had a loving upbringing although he has no memory of it.
 
She has been told his story by Sahida who remembers his mother and is still grieving for his father, her brother.
 
Dr Menon has insisted that Simon must be given the family name and Simon is content not to worry too much about the loss of his memory.
 
Sometimes a cloud passes over his thoughts but he shrugs it off and gets on with his life.

The waiter hovers around their table and the happy couple order their meal.

All the other diners hear the pop of the opening of the champagne and give the couple a clap of hands as they all have beaming smiles on their faces.

Simon acknowledges their approval and Mula gives a wave of her ringed finger, with a happy smile on her face.

Chapter 40

Sarah and David have just retired and after a lovely family double celebration of their silver- wedding and retirement, David has secretly booked a
Caribbean
cruise for a treat.
 
Sarah is thrilled that she is now a grandmother as Anne has married her doctor and they have a baby boy.
 
She sees Anne on a regular basis, as her husband is now a G.P. in a town only thirty miles from her parents.

After the party, David folds Sarah in his arms and puts an envelope in her hand.

“What’s this?” she giggles.
 
She is a little worse for wear because of the drinks she has been consuming during the party.

“Open and see.”
 
David replies with a laugh in his voice.
 
He is not used to seeing Sarah a little bit drunk.

“Oh this is wonderful.”
 
She cries as she dances David around the room, I have always wanted to go on a cruise.

They settle down to sleep and Sarah is held safely in David’s arms.
 

“I’ve missed Simon tonight.” She whispers almost to herself.

“Me too.”
 
David holds her tight and a few tears are spilt by both of them, “He should have been here for our celebration but we will always remember him with pride and love.”
 
They eventually sleep in each other’s arms

Charlie always wakens early and he makes Sarah and David a cup of tea about ten o’clock.

“Come on you two sleepy-heads.” He calls from the kitchen.
 
“Your grandson wants his grandma and granddad and Anne and Dan haven’t all day.”

Sarah is in the shower so David replies.
 
“We’re coming but Anne can bring him up if she wants to.”
 
At this a whoop of joy is heard coming up the stairs and Anne arrives with little Dan on her back.
 
She gently throws him on to the bed and into David’s arms.

“Come on little one let’s have
a snuggle
.” As David hugs the little boy and then begins the tickling game the baby always loves.

 
“Oh dad I remember you doing that to me and Simon when we were little kids.”
 
Anne tells her dad and a sad look comes over her face as she remembers her brother.

Although it is autumn, the day is bright and when everyone is clothed and fed they set off to walk around the lake.
 
Dan wears a harness on his back and little Dan is delighted to be carried by his father, who he adores.
 
The rest of the party follows and Dan is excited as he sees the wild life and the other walkers and their dogs.

Charlie remembers the many times he and Simon have done this same walk and although he often feels a loss, he is grateful that he has this other generation to care for.
 
Anne will not be long before she extends her family with another addition.
 
She says she wants a sister or brother for little Dan.
 
Charlie will be thrilled when the family is enlarged and the house will be full of laughter again.
 
He shakes his thoughts of Simon out of his mind and catches up with the others.
 
There is plenty of kidding going on as Anne teases her mother about the forth -coming cruise.

“You’ll have to buy a new wardrobe of clothes for Mum.”
 
She tells her dad.

“Oh dear, will I?”
 
Laughs David who has already decided to take her to Manchester and fit them both out with some smart clothes.
 
He has booked one of the better cabins with a balcony and he intends to give Sarah the best time of her life.

Dan who has a great sense of humour begins to dance the hornpipe and little Dan is whooping with laughter, as he rides on his father’s back and they are all bent double with the ache of their laughter.
 
Little Dan has taken any gloom for the loss of Simon out of all the members of the family group and by the time they reach home they are all in a happy frame of mind.

Anne packs their things in the car and they wave to all the family until the car is out of sight.

Charlie goes to his part of the house to read his Sunday papers and Sarah and David begin to plan their holiday.
 
Sarah hasn’t felt so thrilled for a long time and she wants to know about their itinerary.
 
David finds the brochure and they spend the rest of the evening looking at the interesting places they are going to visit.
 
They read up about the history and the enterprise of each island as well as the politics.

Then they read about the life on board the ship.
 
Sarah feels an enthusiasm she hasn’t felt for years and her love for David overwhelms her.
 
He is so thoughtful and he always knows just what she wants and needs.
 
Their closeness has increased over the years, their life together feeling like they are both inside a comfortable cloak, that is wrapping around them, keeping them warm and safe.

David has been to the Caribbean before in his life as a civil engineer.
 
He has also been as a volunteer at various disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions.
 
He fell in love with the islands and the people with their laid-back ways and he is sure Sarah will feel the same way as he does.
 
Charlie has been with him a couple of times, as a fire fighting volunteer, when David’s mother was alive.
 
David is looking forward to the long sail in the south Atlantic when Sarah and he can relax and feel the sun on their faces, after the poor weather of the last three summers at home.
 
They have literally been let out of school, and they feel a little like they felt when they were teenagers, going off to University.
 
They have both loved their teaching jobs, but as the years have passed, it has become much harder and the work has changed from actually teaching to spending too much time filling in forms and making out reports.
 
They feel the freedom and they intend to make the most of it.

They arrive in their cabin after a train journey to Southampton and are thrilled with the comfort of it, as this will be their home for the next month.
 
They step on to their balcony but it is too cold here in England to linger so they close the French windows and take a look around the inside.
 
It is roomy and smart with all the mod cons and they hug each other like children.
 
There is a knock at the door and a cabin boy appears with their luggage, he gives a quick smile and disappears before David can tip him.
 
Sarah begins to unpack and they are soon on deck as the ship leaves Southampton, where people on the dock wave them out.

There is a cold wind and they soon scuttle inside to be warm and to discover the amenities of the great liner.
 
Soon it is lunch- time and they go to find the various restaurants.
 
They have decided to use the main one which has waiter service for their evening meals but they go to the nearest they find for their lunch, because they were too excited to have had a proper breakfast. When they venture out again on deck the sun has warmed up and they find sun-beds to lie on and begin to relax and enjoy the sail.

“Look at the dolphins.”
 
David says and Sarah gets up and stands by the rail as the dolphins leap out of the water as they follow the ship.
 

“Oh this is so great; I’ve only seen dolphins in the zoo.”
 
Sarah says as she feels the freedom of the beautiful creatures and their graceful movements through the ocean waves.

The sun becomes warmer as the days pass and they are able to wear the swimwear and beachwear they have bought for this holiday.
 
They are careful to use high factor sunscreen, but they soon begin to turn a lovely bronze colour and they still make a handsome couple.

In the evening they dance to the resident band and they have not forgotten the steps they were taught years ago.
 
Sarah loves dressing up and David looks stunning in his tux.
 
The long sea journey comes to an end when they arrive at the docks in Barbados.
 
They go on deck with most of the passengers to see their arrival in Bridgetown.
 
The area around the dock is filled with shops selling jewelry and
colourful
clothes.
 
The town has a duel identity, smart public buildings and graffiti on some of the walls around the places, where the poor people live.
 
And as we travel around the island on our cruise bus we see opulent areas where the beachfront hotels are situated, and the tiny little houses that are for the locals.
 
The lush interior is tropical and looks exotic to our eyes. The driver stops at a place where we see green-blue sea caressing a silver white beach with palm trees edging the land with the sparkling blue of the sky overhead.
 
We can’t believe our eyes after the bleak
grey
weather we left at home.
 
We return to the ship, ready for our shower and the sail- away party on the deck.
 
As we leave Bridgetown with its lights like a necklace around the shore, we dance on deck to the band and have some champagne brought by our cabin boy who smiles shyly at us.
 
He takes a second look at Sarah and says.
 
“I think I know you, you came to my village many years ago and you taught me English at school.”

Sarah is astonished she says. “Is that
Raj
from the village where I lived, in the seventies?”