The Woman Who Kept Everything Read online

  Gloria shook her head. ‘Yet we’ve had a lovely summer so far, don’t ya think?’ she replied.

  She realised that now the young woman was in conversation with her, and the fact that she had actually stepped inside the shop, meant she was a potential customer.

  ‘Why don’t you take a seat and we can try and find somewhere nice for you to go?’ The young woman smiled. There was a badge on her jacket that said ‘Keri’ on it.

  Gloria did as she was told and plopped herself onto the nicely padded blue seat.

  ‘Would you like a cup of tea or coffee or a glass of water?’ Keri asked.

  ‘Why yes, ducks. That would be nice. Tea, milk no sugar thanks.’

  Gloria was also vaguely aware that by accepting a drink she was, probably, being ensnared by the travel agency employee. She noticed a sign nearby that said Keri was Employee of the Month. Gloria wondered if this was going to cost her – or rather Clegg – dearly.

  But then, she reasoned, she could always say ‘No!’

  So she settled down with the tea and proceeded to happily look through inspiring brochures showing safaris in Africa, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, amazing photos of exotic fish whilst snorkelling in the Maldives, Japan’s cherry blossom season and all manner of incredible sights being offered to today’s discerning travellers.

  After a while she yawned, glanced at her empty teacup and said: ‘Well that’s all very lovely, ducks. But I don’t have a passport no more, see. So we’d need to be looking at summat bit closer to home, love.’

  Keri looked put out and her smile vanished. ‘So where were you thinking of then?’

  ‘Well I know people who’ve been on coach trips around the country. So let’s have a look at some of them brochures. I’ve never been on a coach trip. Got any leaving some time soon – or even today, ducks?’

  ‘Well no, madam! Of course not! You can’t just come in here and expect to go on your holidays straight away, like that. Is that why you’ve brought your suitcase with you? Thinking you could just go off somewhere today?’

  Gloria’s tiny suitcase sat on the floor, looking quite curious in the travel shop. You never see people’s suitcases in travel shops do you?

  Suddenly thinking how ridiculous all this was Gloria burst out laughing and then couldn’t stop. ‘Oh I’m a silly old woman, aren’t I? I’m sorry, ducks. I wasn’t really thinking straight!’

  She had to get out of there as soon as. But she just couldn’t stop laughing. It was infectious. The other two girls in the office started laughing too. She hoped they weren’t laughing at her!

  Just then one of the phones rang and a chap from out back came in to answer it.

  Everyone started to pull themselves together.

  ‘No! Really? Okay, then. Yes, yes. Well that’s bloody incredible, Sam. No, they won’t believe it!’

  The girls glanced at each other, nervously. They probably weren’t supposed to swear in front of the customers, no matter what the reason. Gloria looked at his badge: Dave. Dave seemed to be the only chap working there. He most likely got away with swearing because their boss was a bloke too.

  He put the phone down and came over to Gloria.

  ‘Right, missus. I overheard what you were sayin’ just now and – guess what – this could be your lucky day! Well truth is, we’ve got a coach party leaving today for Eastbourne if you fancy going there. Two people have just cancelled so if you like you can take the place of one of ’em. We can do it for £150 for three nights, half board, instead of £180. It’s yours if you want it. Tell me what to do. Sam’s callin’ me back in five.’

  Gloria’s mouth dropped open. Keri looked startled at this sudden amazing turn of events. What on earth … ? The other two girls jumped up.

  ‘But where are they boarding from, Dave?’ said one of them. ‘Outside the bank, usually, round the corner, isn’t it? Is that where they’ll be today?’

  ‘Yup. He’ll be there in fifteen. Well, missus? You up for it?’

  Well, what could Gloria say? She was still adventuring when she last looked. And yes, she actually DID fancy it!

  ‘Why the hell not, lad? Yeah. Book me in, son. Go for it. Life’s short. But can one of you show me where to go? And I’ll be payin’ by credit card, ducks!’

  Chapter 25

  Who’d’ve believed it?

  ‘One moment, I’m seventy-nine years old, depressive and housebound, living in muck and surviving on potato soup and tea; the next, I’m travelling the nation and indulging in all manner of new experiences!’ Gloria thought, delightedly.

  Ooo! And this latest adventure wasn’t even on her bucket list but she was going to add it immediately. Next stop for Gloria Frensham: Eastbourne!

  She’d never been to Eastbourne before and didn’t even know where it was. So the girls showed her on their map.

  ‘It’s on the south coast, right along from Southampton as you look at the map. See? There, look. And the sea’s not murky like ours can be on the east coast. It’s a turquoise like the photos in our window. Yes, really.’

  And this was going to be a proper holiday. No more sleeping rough on floors, covered with newspapers like at Mabel’s. No more taps seized up with no water or dodgy electricity like at her house. They were going to a proper three-star hotel, near the seafront, she was told. The price included breakfast and evening meal. So it was going to be much better value than the Norwich hotel.

  The girls at the travel agent’s all excitedly grabbed their coats and escorted Gloria down the road and around the corner to where the coach was collecting all the other punters, so they could wave her off. They were still giggling about the incredible turn of events that meant a seventy-nine-year-old lady had walked into their travel agent’s, with her suitcase and within twenty-five minutes was off on her holidays! It was going to be party chatter, for them all, for years to come.

  Everybody on the coach also smiled at her and waved from the back when she got on. They were a cheery lot.

  ‘Hello, love!’

  ‘– lo.’

  ‘– lo.’

  Gloria had to be helped up the steps by the driver. They were a bit steep, they were. She found a spare seat, next to an elderly gent. She secured her seat belt and then they shook hands and said hello.

  It was a relief to be sitting down. It was so tiring running all over the place enjoying herself. Ha, ha! She was told it would be a three and a half hour trip, which would be just enough time for a nice little nap. She could hear the excited buzz of the other holiday-goers, as they organised themselves. It would be nice to meet some new people, she thought, as her eyelids closed, but socialising could wait.

  * * *

  Gloria awoke on the shoulder of the elderly man next to her, a couple of hours later. Oh! She’d been mortified by that.

  ‘But you don’t snore very loudly – or dribble,’ he told her, with a smile, which made her more embarrassed than ever!

  ‘Here, love. Glad you’re awake. Where do you come from, then? My name’s Dot,’ said an old lady, behind her.

  Gloria relished the chance to be interrupted by someone.

  ‘Well my name’s Gloria and I’m from Norwich actually. Where’re you from?’

  ‘Ely. My son dropped me off. Been going to Eastbourne every year since I was divorced. It’s where I met my Stanley. He was me fourth husband, God rest ’is soul.’

  ‘Fourth husband? Where’d you get the time to court and marry four men?’ Gloria said, incredulous.

  ‘Ha, ha. I always get asked that. I just loves going on nice honeymoons! No, just kidding! Ha, ha! Just kidding.’

  ‘And my name is Joe,’ said the elderly gentleman Gloria had fallen asleep on. He extended his hand for her to shake, again. She took it, blushing, feeling they were beyond handshakes now.

  Then the coach erupted into a chorus of people asking after each other and the chatter went on, until the coach pulled up at their hotel, near the seafront.

  The sun was shining and the s
ea was just as beautifully turquoise as Keri at the travel agency had said it would be. It even looked like photos she’d seen of the French Riviera!

  Gloria was helped down the steps of the coach and stood admiringly on the pavement. How could she be here in this beautiful place? She was smiling and felt totally happy. Two seagulls screeched overhead. She breathed in the warm salty air.

  ‘Aaahh, lovely!’

  Once they’d all left the coach and checked in, the receptionist told them they should meet in the bar, later that evening, for their welcome drink. At that time they’d also be informed about the hotel’s facilities and any excursions planned for their stay, if they wished to partake.

  ‘Oh, I’ve been to these things before, Gloria. Out to get a bit more cash outta ya. But sometimes the trips are good. I’m seein’ some friends down here, so I won’t be coming tonight but I’ll see ya at meal times,’ said one of the ladies.

  ‘Is it worth me coming down for the meetin’ then?’ said Gloria, worriedly.

  ‘Oh yes,’ said Joe. ‘They do different trips each year. Plus it’s nice to meet everyone properly, you know. Come down about five-thirty. Dinner’s at six-thirty. So I’ll see you there later.’

  ‘Cor, Tils, I’m gonna have a ball here,’ Gloria said to her room, after checking in, and as she unpacked her few items and hung them in the wardrobe.

  However, her bedroom here, she noted, was quite small. It was a single, unlike the one she’d stayed in at the Norwich hotel. But that didn’t matter. Main thing was, it had a delightful sea view. ‘Just like Mabel’s got now,’ she grinned, washing her smalls with bath gel provided, like she did at the Norwich hotel.

  Afterwards she sat on a chair by the window, gazing out at a speedboat bouncing across the sparkling waves, sipping a nice cup of tea she’d made, from the complimentary refreshment tray. The boat sounded like a large wasp through the closed windows.

  ‘Well, well. Eastbourne! Who’d’ve thought it?’ she said, sighing in pleasure.

  Chapter 26

  Gloria sat between the two gents, Joe and Vittori, on the coach party’s long dining table, in the hotel, that evening. The two men looked very smart in dark jackets and white shirts. Everybody had made an effort with their evening attire. Gloria couldn’t remember the last time she’d worried about what to wear for an evening out.

  The hotel’s three-course meal plan meant you could start with prawn cocktail or vegetable soup followed by a chicken dinner or cheese salad and then trifle or fruit cocktail and tea or coffee.

  She’d been told it was typical coach-party food, by Dot, implying it was somehow lacking. But Gloria didn’t see it like that. Besides, she hadn’t been used to any culinary delights in her life so far, so whatever had been served would have been perfectly fine. Plus she was amongst like-minded people in a lovely relaxing atmosphere. It was also nice that the waiters didn’t rush them, between courses, and the diners even had time to chat with their servers, if they wished, which was definitely lacking in some places. So it made the whole event of ‘eating dinner’ a marvellous experience in Gloria’s opinion.

  Before dinner, at the five-thirty p.m. meeting, Gloria had chosen and paid for three excursions: the afternoon Eastbourne Bandstand concert, a city sightseeing tour and she was delighted that Joe, who seemed to be the perfect gentleman, had persuaded her to book the boat tour around Sovereign Harbour because she’d told him she’d never been on a boat before.

  ‘Never been on a boat, Gloria? Goodness, then it’s something you’ll have to try while you’re here. I’ll come along too, of course, to show you the ropes, as it were, and what about you, Vittori? It’s your favourite trip, isn’t it?’

  ‘Si. I like to do boating. It remind me of back when I was in Italy and my father, he had a boat and we went to fish because he have restaurant too. He dead now, so I no go back and my family here now.’

  ‘Well, I think I’ll try that then, gentlemen. Especially if you look after me on the boat. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d have the guts to go.’

  ‘You’ll love it, Gloria, but you’ll need to wear something warm because it can get rather chilly.’

  ‘After the meal we usually have a walk along the prom, if you fancy doin’ that, too, Gloria?’ Dot called from further down the table. Dot wore a flowery Crimplene dress that looked as if it was two sizes too big for her. It reminded Gloria of the dresses she’d been given at Green’s Nursing Home.

  Gloria nodded and swallowed a mouthful of chicken. ‘Not too far, I hope, but I fancy a little walk before bed.’

  ‘Oh we usually have a drinkie poos after the walk, in the hotel bar, before we go to bed,’ a lady called Freda told her. Freda looked quite elegant in a long white dress, trimmed with gold, and a grey shawl around her shoulders.

  ‘And sometimes a game of cards too,’ said someone else.

  Gloria looked shocked. ‘What? You do all that before bedtime? Are you all crackers?’

  Everybody laughed and laughed.

  ‘Nooooo. We just love to party. That’s why we come here!’ Freda said.

  ‘We’ll get you into it,’ said a plump woman wearing a dark dress with a string of pearls round her neck. She’d introduced herself as Florence. ‘But mebbe not if you’re tired tonight. Are you tired, love?’

  Gloria nodded. ‘I am a bit. I’ve been havin’ a rather tiring adventure this last week.’

  ‘Ooo! The adventurous type. Well, go on then! Tell us all about it,’ said Florence.

  ‘You’ve got to tell us about your adventures now. We’re a nosy lot and want to know what you’ve been up to!’ said Freda, her eyes bright.

  ‘Well, I’ll finish me dinner first, if you don’t mind, and then I’ll tell you. And I’ll tell youse, after me walk, in the bar with a glass of stout!’

  * * *

  She had them rolling with laughter at her exploits this last week, after escaping her dominating son. They were saddened by Mabel’s problems but thought her daughter sounded hilarious with all her hang-ups.

  ‘Aye. Wait ’til they get to our age. Then they’ll realise what an UN-FUN time we have of it. Apart from excursions to Eastbourne, of course. That’s when we get to let our hair down, not tear it out! Ha, ha!’

  They said she should’ve brought her friends Jocelyn and Tilsbury with her and Gloria decided if there was a next time, she’d definitely bring them.

  Gloria felt that the evening walk, along with the hum of easy-going chatter and lilting music coming from other cosily lit hotels and bars, had done her the world of good and she’d walked much further than she’d expected to. She was surprised at the still-salty atmosphere of the seaside, even at night. And, oh, it was just so lovely going out with that crazy fun-loving group of people she’d just met. The ease with which they gossiped and partied made her feel as though she’d been friends with them all her life.

  Gloria had never had a crowd of friends like these. Even at school it had always just been her and Jocelyn and Mabel. In fact, she realised now that she’d felt isolated all her life, only knowing a few people. So she was loving the bonhomie of just being here with everyone else. It pepped her confidence up, no end, and she hadn’t laughed so much, like this, since she was a girl.

  And that was something else she’d realised.

  One way or another, Gloria discovered, all the elderly people on the coach tour had experienced hardship, long-term health issues or their partners dying. But whatever their misfortunes, it was clear to see that this bunch of elderly people still looked forward to their uncertain futures – even knowing they were at the bottom of that proverbial hill. And they also looked forward to it with good humour and courage.

  Joe told her that his wife had died four years ago. So his daughter had persuaded the distraught Joe to go away on a short break – she’d chosen Eastbourne for him – and it had brightened his heart and lifted his spirit so much that he’d been coming each year ever since.

  ‘I never thought that meeting this crazy bunch
of golden oldies would give me enough reason to pack my suitcase each year and come on holiday to Eastbourne. I wanted to die when my Carol died, you see. Couldn’t see the point of life without her. She was my everything; my world. My daughter is sympathetic and helps me out, of course. She’s very attentive and kind and she makes me go out and about a bit. She gets me to go to a Sudoku group and Bingo sometimes. But it’s not the same as being with my Carol.’

  Gloria had heard other stories like that.

  ‘Putting one foot in front of the other is how I’d describe it,’ Florence said. ‘I lost both me parents and me husband to cancer of one sort or another, over an eight-month period. My son became me rock. Helped me no end, he did. And so I do this ’oliday twice a year now.’

  ‘Twice?’

  ‘Aye. Once in April, ’specially if it’s been a rubbish winter. Then mid-summer ’cos it’s the best time to visit. My treat to myself, love. You gotta have summat to look forward to, otherwise life gets unbearable, don’t it?’

  Gloria nodded with a sad smile.

  She realised, at that moment, that everyone was very happy here. It was like a kind of ‘time out’ for old folks. But it was also a valuable, stimulating time away from all their problems; away from the problems that old age brings. It was also a welcome break away from overbearing or, sometimes equally frustrating, over-caring family members.

  Everyone was happy and relaxed, here, and in the mood for having fun. So it was a nurturing environment to be included in.

  Gloria smiled at them all. ‘You’re an inspiring bunch, I must say. And it’s a real pleasure to know you all,’ she said quietly.

  ‘Aw, that’s a nice thing to say!’ said Freda.

  ‘Oh, how lovely you are to say that,’ said Florence.

  They all bunched around her and rubbed her arm or hugged her. Vittori took her hand and kissed it and Joe kissed her cheek. She blushed and everyone started laughing.

  ‘Joseph’s got a girlfriend. Joseph’s got a girlfriend …’

  Chapter 27