Episode 64 - Rolling back the years

‘Are you sure that you want to do this darling? There’s still time to cancel if you’d rather not go.’

Fiona was worried about her husband. Simon had always known that he was adopted but in all the years that they’d been together he had never shown the slightest interest in looking for his birth mother.

‘We can’t go back now Mum, they’ve spotted us.’ Said Ollie as he shepherded his parents up the path to Gloria and Malcolm’s villa.

Malcolm was feeling nervous as he opened the front door ‘Thank you all for coming. Gloria is in the kitchen putting the final touches to supper, why don’t we go out onto the patio and I’ll fix us all a drink. I don’t know about you but I could murder a beer right know’ said Malcolm as he led the way through the lounge to the garden. ‘What I can get everyone? Fiona would you like a sherry?’

‘A sherry sounds lovely but I you don’t mind I’ll take it through to the kitchen and see if I can help Gloria. ‘

‘Of course I’ll bring it through in a minute. Simon, Ollie will beer be OK or would you prefer to have a glass of wine.’

‘A cold beer sounds just fine to me’ answered Simon as he slipped of his jacket ‘and I’m sure that this son of mine has been looking forward to a cold beer all afternoon. It must be thirsty work painting indoors in this heat.’ laughed Simon.

Malcolm silently breathed a sigh of relief. All day he had been dreading this moment. How was one supposed to act in a situation like this? He had been worried that Simon might feel as awkward as he felt and that the evening would be a strain but so far so good. Ollie was making light work of the dish of olives and Simon looked far more relaxed that Malcolm had dared hoped.

As he made his way into the kitchen to retrieve the beer from the fridge Malcolm smiled when he saw that Gloria and Fiona were chatting away together.

‘Fiona, let me get you that sherry. Is Amontillado OK?’

‘That sounds lovely, thank you.’

‘Gloria can I tempt you with a small glass?’ asked Malcolm

‘Tonight I think that a large glass would be in order. I don’t usually drink mid week.’ Explained Gloria to a bemused looking Fiona ‘but tonight is a special occasion and I think that I might need a bit of Dutch courage.’

‘I know just what you mean.’ Smiled Fiona. ‘This evening isn’t going to be easy for any of us.’

‘Don’t get me wrong dear I’m not dreading the evening, just the opposite in fact. I have been waiting for this moment for my whole life. You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to know that I am last going to be able to sit and eat with my son and his family. It’s like a dream come true.’

Fiona looked at Gloria standing so proud and tall in her neat little kitchen and felt guilty that she had been so angry with Ollie. No young mother should have been put through what Gloria went through. To give up her baby, never knowing what had happened to him or even who had adopted him. Thank God, she thought as she helped Fiona carry the supper dishes out to the patio, things these days were so different.

As Gloria fussed about putting the lovingly cooked food on the table she felt that her heart was bursting with pride for this handsome man and his lovely family. Watching her son as he passed the dishes around the table she wondered what life would have been like if she had been allowed to marry and bring up her baby herself.

‘Penny for your thoughts.’ Said Simon looking anxiously at Gloria

‘You must think I’m so rude’ said Gloria ‘you’ve come all this way and I’m sitting here not saying a word.’

‘We don’t think that at all. Do we Simon?’ said Fiona quickly

‘No of course we don’t. I was just worried that it was maybe all a bit much for you.’

‘I was seeing you there sitting at the table laughing and joking with Ollie, it reminded me of when I used to go to your father’s house for dinner. They always made me so welcome and treated me like one of the family.’

‘What went wrong Gloria, why weren’t you able to keep the baby?’ asked Fiona

‘You have to realise that things were very different forty six years ago. I suppose it sounds daft to say but things were more innocent then. Clifton and I met at the art class in our church youth club. The first time I met him I fell in love with him. He was so kind and gentle. I was only sixteen and he was my first boyfriend. We used to go walking in the park and sit for hours in the café sharing a cup of coffee and a sticky bun. The world could have exploded around us and we’d never have noticed we only had eyes for each other.

My parents were worried that we were far too young to be getting so serious but I was head strong even then and thought that they didn’t understand what it was like to be in love. Why is it that every generation of teenagers think that they are the first to feel that way? We couldn’t imagine ever being apart and when Clifton asked me to marry him I wanted to tell the world but he was far more sensible and said that it should be our secret until I was eighteen when I would be old enough to get engaged without having to ask anyone’s permission. You must understand that we never planned to sleep together before we were married, it just happened the once, but once was all it took and two months later I realised that I was pregnant.

If we’d been older things would have been so much different. But I was still a school girl and there was no way that my parents would let me keep you. We were both heartbroken when my father forbade Clifton from seeing me again but what could we do, we were still children ourselves.’

‘I don’t blame you. I loved my adoptive parents and they did everything they could to give me a good start in life. I suppose that when I was growing up I did wonder about my birth parents but I was afraid to go looking for you. But now I’m glad that Ollie found you and I hope that we can try and make up for at least some of the past forty odd years.’ Said Simon

‘Oh my darling I hope so too’

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Malcolm stood up from the table and raised his glass ‘I’d like you all to join me in a toast. To our new family’

‘Our new family’

Episode 60 - The Silly Fool

At times like this Gloria’s first reaction was to make tea. Malcolm thought that he could do with a brandy but as it was only just after lunch he supposed that tea would have to do.

Gloria was a firm believer in the restorative powers of a hot sweet brew no matter that it was 32 degrees in the shade, shock was shock.

‘So tell me again when did the police turn up at Michael’s house?’ asked Malcolm putting extra milk into his tea.

‘Lizzie said that the police car passed her when she was on her way down to the village to open the shop, so it must have been about 9 o’clock. As soon as she reached the shop she phoned Fliss to tell her.’

‘And what did Fliss do?’

‘Well apparently Fliss had been feeling guilty ever since she had found Carla. She blamed herself for not going to see her sooner. She thought that the police were going to Michael’s to ask him about Carla so she rushed over to his as soon as she had put the phone down from Lizzie.’

‘So when did she realise that Michael had been arrested?’

‘As soon as she pulled up at his house. That tall officer, you know the one who was here the other day? He was leading Michael out of the house in handcuffs. Poor Michael was sobbing and Fliss didn’t know what to do for the best.’

‘So what exactly has he been arrested for?’

‘Murder. Oh Malcolm it’s ridiculous. The police have made a terrible mistake; poor Michael wouldn’t hurt a fly.’

‘Well they must think that he’s capable of it. I’m surprised though that they told Fliss what they were arresting him for. It’s not as if she’s family or anything.’

‘Oh it wasn’t the police who told her. There was a journalist outside the house and he told her that Michael had been arrested for the murders of Sonny and Clara. The cheeky beggar asked her for a comment. She refused of course.’

‘’Well it just go to show that you never know who you are living next door to.’

‘You don’t believe it do you?’ asked Gloria incredulously. ‘Well I think that there has been a terrible mistake. Michael isn’t capable of murder. Look at the way he helps us with all the fund raisers. And you saw him at Sonny’s funeral. He could barely hold himself together that day.’

‘Maybe that was his guilty conscience kicking in.’

‘Malcolm how can you say that. You saw the state he was in. and why would they think that he had anything to do with Carla’s death, they were friends for heaven’s sake.’

‘I overheard her neighbours talking to Maria the other day. Apparently they had told the police that they saw Michael calling at Carla’s the night she died. They didn’t think anything of it at the time, they often saw him at her house but when the police said that her death wasn’t an accident they went down to the police station and saw our officer Arroyo.’

‘This sounds all very circumstantial to me’ said Gloria as she got up from the table to clear away the tea cups.

‘And what would you know’ snapped Malcolm ‘you don’t know hat’s going on the world half the time.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Well my dear, you must admit, you can be a little naive at times.’

‘Just because I think the best of people, rather than taking notice of idle gossip’

‘It’s not gossip you silly fool it’s a police investigation. Michael has been arrested for murdering two of our friends. Dear god woman one more and he would be a serial killer and you still believe he’s a nice man.’

Gloria couldn’t believe what she was hearing ‘How dare you patronise me’ she shouted

‘Well don’t be so bloody stupid then’ muttered Malcolm knowing that he had gone too far but still unable to drop it added ‘it’s about time that you joined the real world.’

‘And which real world would that be, your world?’ she snapped ‘the very important world of Malcolm Westbury headmaster. Who spent so much time in his precious school doing his very important job that when he retired he didn’t have a life to live anymore, well not in England. Your real world Malcolm? One that meant I had to up sticks and move out here to Spain with you so that you could reinvent a life for yourself?’

Malcolm looked at Gloria in horror. Had she really felt this way all along? He couldn’t believe that she had realised that when he retired he was leaving behind the only life he had ever known. What had happened to the quiet little mouse he had married to turn her into such a bitter woman.

‘Did it never occur to you Malcolm that I might have wanted to stay in England? No I suppose it didn’t, after all what did I have to stay there for. It wasn’t as if we had to worry about leaving children behind. Was it?’ She spat in fury.

‘You know that I wanted a family as much as you did, but we agreed a long time ago that what would be would be. And if that meant that we couldn’t have children then that’s all there was to it.’

‘Malcolm don’t you understand, it was mean to happen.’

‘What do you mean? I thought that you’d come to terms with the fact that you couldn’t have any children?’

‘But I do have a child.’

Malcolm looked at Gloria in disbelief ‘When?’ he asked

‘Before I met you. A long-time before I met you in fact. I was seventeen years old and my parents made me have him adopted.’

‘It was a boy’

‘Yes, I called him Simon, he’s all grown up now of course and I’ve not seen him since the day I gave birth to him.’

‘Why are you telling me all this now?’

‘Because his son has found me. You know him, Ollie, the young chap who was been working for Liam and Cassy.’

‘But he’s’

‘Yes’ laughed Gloria ‘he’s mixed race. Just like my son’

‘Why didn’t you tell me before? Why have you kept him a secret all these years?’

‘Why do you think Malcolm?’ cried Gloria ‘you wanted a child so much how I could I ell you that I had given mine away. Then, as the years, passed it got harder and harder to tell you.’

Malcolm was shocked to realise that his face was wet with tears and reaching out for his wife he clung to her feeling his silent sobs wracking his body.

‘So when do I get to meet this grandson of yours’ he asked through his tears

Gloria looked up into the face of the only man she had truly loved and whispered ‘Soon my love, very soon.’

Episode 47 - Who's there?

‘Good morning darling. Do you want some juice?’ Asked Malcolm, as he finished laying out the table for breakfast.

‘Not this morning, I think I’ll just have coffee. I had a terrible night, weird dreams, must have been all that cheese we had after dinner.’

‘Didn’t get to me. I slept like a baby.’ Said Malcolm as he helped himself to a large bowl of muesli ‘Do you want me to make you a fresh pot?’

‘No you start, I’ll make the coffee. Aren’t you going to the club this morning?’

‘Yes, I’ve arranged to meet Ken at the first tee at eight o’clock. What have you got on today?’

‘I promised Sally at the donkey sanctuary that I would go through the books for her. They have to get this year’s figures to the accountants by the end of the month and nobody has had the time to go through them yet.’

‘Well that should keep you busy for a few hours. Would you like to come up to the club house for a spot of lunch later? It might make a nice break from all that book keeping.’

‘I don’t know if I’ll have time. Let me se how I get on with the accounts. What time do you think you’ll back at the club house?’

‘Not sure, probably about one o’clock.’

‘Well if I’m finished I’ll meet you there otherwise I’ll see you back here this afternoon.’

‘Don’t work too hard’ called Malcolm as he picked up his golf bag and turned the key to open up the patio doors. ‘That’s funny they were already open, have you been out this morning?’

‘No darling I haven’t been awake long, we must have forgotten to lock the doors last night.’

‘Strange, it’s usually the last thing I do before I go up to bed. Oh well lucky we have the all night security patrols, back home we would have been robbed in our beds. Even so we’d better be more careful in future; you never know who’s watching you these days.’

‘Yes dear, you’re right, after all look what happened to poor Sonny’

‘Exactly. Well I’ll have to shoot off now or I’ll be late for Ken. Bye Darling see you later’

‘Bye, have a good game.’

***

Gloria yawned and rubbed her eyes as she put down her pen. Walking into the kitchen she realised with a start that she had worked through lunch and it was now three o’clock. Well, she thought, with the size of her waistline, missing lunch for one day wouldn’t hurt but right now what she really needed was a strong cup of coffee. Carrying her cup out onto the patio Gloria moved her sun lounger into the shade.

‘What’s that?’ she said as the wheels of the lounger skidded to a halt. Bending down she noticed a small rectangle of clear plastic caught under the front wheel. ‘It must have fallen out of Malcolm’s wallet.’ She said to herself, putting the plastic in her pocket. Lifting the hot coffee to her lips Gloria looked across the gardens towards the communal pool. It wouldn’t be long now before the pool was filled with families making the most of the long school holidays. Gloria looked forward to seeing Los Vista busy with children running about having fun. A lot of the full time residents resented the yearly invasion but Gloria loved to see the families returning year after year and seeing how the children had grown.

When they were first married Malcolm, fresh out of teacher training college, had longed for a family. Over the years he resigned himself that it wasn’t meant to be and poured all his energy into his job. In those days, Gloria thought, being childless was just one of those things you had to get on with. But it didn’t stop hurting, no matter how old you were.

The ringing of the telephone snapped Gloria out of her day dreaming and hurrying indoors she picked up the receiver

‘Hello, 769218’

Gloria waited for the caller to speak, ‘Olla, is anyone there?’

Straining Gloria could faintly hear someone breathing ‘Hello, who is?’

Feeling more and more anxious Gloria shouted down the phone ‘who is this, what do you want?’ Suddenly the line went dead and Gloria looked down at her trembling hands.

At the public call box in the village Ollie put down the receiver and cursed himself. Why couldn’t he speak, why couldn’t he tell her that he knew her secret, what was he frightened of. After all these years of searching he had finally found her and now when he had the chance to talk to her why was he standing here crying like a baby?


***


‘Cassy do you know where Ollie is, I wanted to ask him to shift some stuff down to the house’

‘He said he had to go down to the village.’

‘What’s he gone there for?’ Asked Liam. ‘There’s nothing open at this time of day. Everything is closed till four o’clock.’

‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask but he did say that he’ll be back before the workmen finish their siesta.’

‘Do you think he’s got a girlfriend down there?’

‘Liam, how should I know, I’m not his keeper.’

‘No my little sweetie but you are just about the nosiest person in the world and nothing usually gets past you.’ Laughed Liam

‘That’s not fair. I am not nosy.’ Said Cassy indignantly ‘I just take an interest in what’s going on around me.’

‘Take an interest’ laughed Liam ‘your interrogation techniques are legendary. Do you know your Mum told me once that if she ever wanted to know what your Dad had been up to all she had to do what set you on him? The poor man never stood a chance of keeping a secret from you.’

‘Can I help it if people trust me?’ Said Cassy

‘So what have you found out about Ollie, does he have a pretty little girl crying herself to sleep over him?’

‘I don’t know what he get’s up to. It’s not as if he’s rude or standoffish, quite the opposite he’s a lovely boy, but it’s strange, anytime I’ve ever asked him anything I come away feeling that I know less than I did before I asked.’

‘I know just what you mean, I asked him the other day about his degree but by the time we’d finished talking I realised that I had told him all about my time at Uni and still hadn’t found out even which one he had gone to.’

‘Do you think he is doing it deliberately?’

‘The more I think about our young friend the more I think that he is hiding something. ‘said Liam ‘and it’s beginning to worry me.

Episode 27 - We’re looking for volunteers

‘I’m sorry we’re late Gloria. Michael wanted to get dinner organised before we came out.’

‘Don’t worry Sonny you’re not the last, we are still waiting for Mrs Hale.’ said Gloria Westbury as she shepherded Michael and Sonny into the lounge.

‘Gloria, I’m sorry, I meant to tell you earlier, I saw Mrs Hale in the village this morning and she said that she wouldn’t be able to make the meeting. I don’t think that she’s feeling too well, she looked quite pasty.’ said Malcolm as he passed out the fresh lemonade that his wife had made earlier.

‘That’s strange’ said Michael ‘we saw her yesterday and I swear that she deliberately avoided us. Do you remember Sonny, it was just after we’d left Lizzie’s new stall in the market?’

‘I wouldn’t worry about it mate, she’s always been a bit strange if you ask me’ said Ken trying to get comfortable on the Westbury’s hard kitchen chair.

‘Nobody is asking you’ muttered Lizzie ‘and stop fidgeting, you’re worse than a kid’.

‘Well let’s get started then’ said Malcolm hurriedly. ‘I’ve called this extra-ordinary meeting to see if we can rearrange the catering for the fete. I’m sure you will all agree that in the circumstance new don’t want Fliss to have anymore on her plate. I’m sure that she’s busy enough looking after Martin’

‘Has anybody heard how he is now?’ asked Lizzie

‘Yes’ replied Cassy ‘I spoke to Sophie on the phone the other day. She says that he is doing really well. Still gets very tired of course but that’s only to be expected.’

‘Those poor girls’ said Gloria ‘it must have been such a shock especially as they live so far away. It’s a good thing they were here for his party.’

‘Maybe it was the shock of the party that gave him the heart attack.’ muttered Lizzie

‘Shut up you silly fool, it would take more than a party to do it.’ snapped Ken glancing knowingly at Malcolm.

‘I’m sure that we’ll hear more in due course’ said Malcolm pompously ‘but in the meantime if we could have some volunteers for the catering’

‘Can I make a suggestion?’ asked Cassy ‘what if we all agree to make some cakes and scones at home and then we would only need to have one person on the stall to sell them and make the tea and coffee’

‘What a good idea. I don’t mind serving if everybody helps with the baking. Fliss and I have bought the tea and coffee already, so as long as nobody else wants to do it I’ll volunteer.’ said Michael, much to the relief of the rest of the committee.

‘Thank you everybody, if nobody else has any other business’ said Malcolm gathering up his notes ‘I think that we can close the meeting’

As the rest of the committee started to leave, Ken and Lizzie stayed behind to help Gloria clear away the tables. ‘Malcolm, do you fancy a pint down at the club?’ asked Ken as he carried the last of the glasses out to the kitchen. ‘I’m sure the girls will get this lot washed up a lot quicker without us getting in the way’ he joked as he put his arm around Malcolm’s shoulder.

‘Fine idea, you don’t mind if we disappear for a quick half do you my love’ he asked Gloria who was now up to her elbows in hot soapy water.

Gloria looking for approval from Lizzie turned to Malcolm and sighed ‘I’m sure that Lizzie won’t mind helping, will you dear?’

‘We’ll not be long, see you back home then Liz’ Ken called over his shoulder as he led Malcolm out through the patio doors.

‘Bloody cheek’ muttered Lizzie

‘’Never mind the washing up, I’ve got a nice bottle of Rioja Blanco cooling in the fridge. Do you fancy a glass?’ asked Gloria wiping her hands on her floral apron.

‘Don’t mind if I do, thanks very much. Shall we sit outside with them? Asked Lizzie as she started to move the garden furniture back out onto the patio.

‘That sounds lovely dear. Shall I bring out the bottle?

‘Oh Gloria you’re a woman after my own heart’ laughed Lizzie.

Lizzie was surprised that Gloria had suggested having a glass of wine; she couldn’t ever remember seeing her drink during the day. In fact glancing across the table at Gloria she wondered if there might be another reason why she was so quick to agree that the boys should go off to the club.

‘Is everything all right honey, you’re not looking yourself at the moment.’ Asked Lizzie

‘You’ll think I’m silly’

‘Oh Gloria don’t be daft, what’s the matter?

‘It’s all this business with Martin, it’s got me thinking, what if something like that happened to Malcolm. What if Malcolm had a heart attack, I don’t know how I would cope on my own.’

‘Don’t you have any family who could help?’

‘No, we never had any children and I’m an only child so I don’t even have any brothers or sisters to call on.’

‘What about Malc, does he have any family?’

‘There are some cousins in Yorkshire but he doesn’t keep in touch with them. It always seemed enough you see, just the two of us.’

‘’I know what you mean, my family might be a right royal pain sometimes but in an emergency I know that I’ve only to ask and they would catch the first flight over.’

‘You’re very lucky to have them dear.’

‘And you’re lucky to have a man who loves you and friends who care’ said Lizzie as she enveloped Gloria in a bear hug ‘don’t ever think that you’re on your own honey, me and Ken will always be there for you’

***

‘I thought you might like a whisky to go with that that pint’ said Ken putting the drinks on the table that Malcolm had found in the busy golf club bar. ‘You were lucky to get a table, its three deep at the bar. There seem to be a lot of faces in here I don’t recognise.’

‘They are from a club in England out here on a golfing trip. Mind you, every time I see them they are in the bar. I haven’t seen them on the green once.’

‘That takes me back’ laughed Ken ‘I used to come over on golfing trips with my mates when I was still on the taxis in London. Four whole days without the missus, we used to have a ball. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Lizzie to bits but it was good to get away with the boys every now and again.’

‘Gloria and I have never spent a night apart’ said Malcolm wistfully ‘not once in thirty five years.’

‘Bloody hell Malc, even murders get time off for good behaviour.’










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