Page 16 of The Cruise Club

Carmen was, indeed, having a lovely time.

In the comfort of her quiet cabin, her glasses were perched on the edge of her nose and her fingers flew over the keys of her laptop.

The Rainbow Sleuth had finally got back on his detecting horse to saddle up and set off on his mission to solve a mysterious crime.

Lost in her make-believe world and inspired by Ruskin’s talk, Carmen’s brain whirled, and words raced across the page.

Unable to relax, Carmen suddenly felt that the story might evolve in a more intriguing way.

Her sleuth was piecing together clues faster than she could get them down and as she envisaged the quaint village, cobbled streets, and cosy Cumbrian coffee shop where the story’s pivotal scene occurred, Carmen focused.

‘Thank you, Ruskin!’ Carmen whispered as she scribbled notes and typed away.

Outside, the view from the open patio doors was like a painting, and as the ship glided through the smooth waters of the Aegean, muslin window drapes caught sunlight that filtered through the fabric.

But Carmen didn’t notice the slow-moving dance.

She was in her own world, breathing life into her characters.

When a knock sounded on her cabin door, Carmen didn’t hear. When it came again, banging furiously, she almost leaped out of her seat.

‘CARMEN!’ Betty yelled. ‘Open up this instant!’

With a longing look at the screen, Carmen saved her work. Another few minutes and the chapter would have been reworked.

‘Coming, Mum.’ Carmen reluctantly pushed back her chair and brushed strands away from her face. Her fingers were clenched into fists as she marched across the cabin to fling the door open.

Standing on either side of Betty, Sid and Fran smiled apologetically. ‘Hello, love,’ Fran began, ‘your mum wonders if you’d be kind enough to help her prepare for dinner.’

Betty waved her cane. ‘You’ve been dilly-dallying all afternoon, Carmen. Anyone would think you didn’t want to spend time with your poor old mother.’

‘I’ve hardly been…’ Carmen began to reply but knew that reasoning with Betty was useless. Instead, she followed the group to Betty’s room where Betty flopped down on the sofa.

‘Your mum won a bottle of champers,’ Fran announced. ‘Shall I pop it in the fridge so it will be chilled, and you can both have a drink before dinner?’

Betty, her knuckles almost white, gripped the bottle like it was her last loaf of bread.

‘That’s a great idea,’ Carmen said and began a tugging match with her mother.

‘Watch out, the cork will pop!’ Betty cried as Carmen peeled Betty’s fingers away and placed the bottle in the fridge.

‘I hope you’ve had an interesting afternoon?’ Fran asked Carmen.

‘Yes, I did, and I must thank you both for caring for Mum.’

Betty, arms tightly folded, called out, ‘I don’t need carers. You haven’t stuck me in a nursing home yet.’

‘Any time,’ Fran assured Carmen and patted her shoulder. ‘Will you join us for dinner, or do you fancy a change?’

‘Oh, no, I mean – yes,’ Carmen stammered. She longed to sit with Fran and Sid again and not go through the agony of making new acquaintances.

‘Lovely, if we get there before you, we’ll save you both a place.’

‘Thank you, Fran. You and Sid are very kind.’

‘Don’t mention it.’ Fran smiled. As she reached the door, she turned and whispered, ‘If you’ve time tomorrow, we could have a shopping trip in Rhodes?’

‘Well, I don’t know…’

‘Smashing, that’s settled. See you later.’

Carmen closed the door and moved back into the room to unbuckle Betty’s sandals. ‘It will be lovely to have dinner again with Fran and Sid, won’t it?’

‘I think they’re terribly common.’ Betty thrust out a foot, almost striking Carmen’s face. ‘That woman wears far too much makeup. If I wanted to mix with a clown, I’d join a circus.’ Betty sniffed and wriggled her toes. ‘And as for her husband, his cheap cologne almost gags me.’

Carmen leaned back on her heels and stared at Betty in disbelief. ‘Mother,’ Carmen said, ‘how could you? Fran is just trying to be friendly.’

‘Friendly? Oh, please …’ Betty shuffled deep into the sofa and, with a nifty movement, raised her legs and placed a cushion behind her head. ‘Pass me a blanket. I need a nap,’ she said, ‘and make sure you press my blue outfit. It’s hanging in the closet.’

As Carmen searched for a blanket, she wished her mother was hanging in the closet from the strongest hanger on the highest hook.

She flicked her gaze to her watch and sighed.

Writing time was over, she’d never get the rhythm back today, and the Rainbow Sleuth would have to take a back seat, his sleuthing postponed until her inspiration returned.

Betty dampened Carmen’s writing like rain on a perfect picnic.

But if her mother slept for an hour or so, with any luck, Carmen might steal away for a swim.

Carmen tucked the blanket around Betty, who’d fallen asleep, her false teeth clicking like castanets as her snores rose, filling the room with wheezes and snorts.

‘Sweet dreams,’ Carmen muttered and, with a shake of her head, tip-toed away.

Carmen arrived at the pool on the lido deck and, seeing that most of the loungers were occupied with bags, towels and hats, found a chair near the hot tub and sat down.

As she slipped out of her sandals and eased the towelling robe from her shoulders, she became aware that the pool was full of pensioners, all standing around.

Deciding that she’d never find room in the water to have a swim, Carmen was about to push her arms back into her robe when a hand reached out to stop her.

‘Don’t be shy,’ a young man said, ‘you’ll feel much better when you’ve shaken off your excesses and got your body moving.’ He tossed Carmen’s robe to one side and pulled her to her feet. ‘In you go!’ He smiled.

Carmen felt herself propelled towards the water and guided down shallow steps until she was waist deep. To her delight, the water was warm and silky, and the late afternoon sun a caress on her skin as she joined Kyle’s Senior Splashdown.

The warm-up began, and as Carmen placed her hands on her hips and turned from side to side, she was amused to see the varying get-ups surrounding her.

Passengers of all shapes and sizes bobbed about, their brightly coloured swimming caps blended with floral swimsuits and Hawaiian patterned shorts in a blur of movement.

She spotted Don in the shallow end, his red Speedos glowing like a lighthouse while Debbie, demure in a skirted tankini, wore rubber flowers on her headgear.

Close by, Colin and Neeta stood out in minuscule swimwear.

Neeta’s bikini was tiny and as she moved, her enhanced breasts threatened to break free from her top.

Carmen felt like a slick of algae in the sludge-green one-piece that had been tucked in the back of her bedroom drawer. If Fran was still game for a shopping excursion, Carmen decided that a new swimsuit would be at the top of her list.

‘Let’s work those legs!’ Kyle called out. Pacing around the pool, his back straight and clapping his hands over his head, he lifted alternate legs in a goose step.

‘Blimey, it’s like being in the army,’ Don could be heard to grumble.

‘I feel as though I’m at a Victory Day Parade in Moscow.

’ He turned suddenly as Debbie, one kick too high, fell back and disappeared under the water.

‘Come on, stop mucking about,’ he said as a spluttering, red-faced Debbie choked her way to the surface.

‘Feel the burn!’ Kyle called out.

Carmen thought Kyle was taking the Senior Splashdown far too seriously as she struggled to keep up with his forward lunges and noted that others were also feeling the strain.

‘Hang on to your noodle, Colin!’ Kyle called out.

‘He hangs on to a lot more than that,’ Neeta laughed and ran her fingers over her long silver earrings, studded with emeralds that glinted in the sunshine.

Ignoring Kyle’s ongoing instructions, she slowly made her way out of the pool and into the jacuzzi.

Her bikini clung to her shapely figure, and all eyes swivelled as Neeta gave a playful flick of her hair and dipped her toe in the bubbling water. ‘Anyone coming to join me?’ she asked.

There was a sudden scramble as many moved forward creating a surge of water, and partners’ hands reached out to pull them back.

‘Now, now, Neeta!’ Kyle wriggled his finger in mock annoyance as he endeavoured to get his session back on track. ‘Let’s all do a jumping jack!’ His megawatt smile encouraged the oldies but was soon replaced with a frown as everyone ducked to avoid flying limbs.

‘The medics will be busy if he keeps this up,’ Don said to a red-faced Debbie, who gripped her noodle as she jumping-jacked up and down.

Kyle moved on to water-bound arm curls and exaggerated hip twists.

With each knee-high, Carmen stared anxiously at other participants and wondered if joint replacement waiting lists were still achingly long.

As the session cooled down, Kyle instructed his class to shimmy like chorus line stars.

Bosoms and bottoms wobbled as everyone attempted to shake it, shake it, shake it , as Kyle sang along.

‘Fabulooous!’ Kyle called out, clapping his hands. ‘Same time tomorrow everyone, don’t be late!’

As the pool emptied of bathers and Carmen began to enjoy a swim, she watched Kyle towel down his neon Speedos and comb his immaculate hair.

Kyle’s body was that of an athlete, tanned, toned, and sprightly.

Oh, to feel and look so well , Carmen thought, and wondered how many swimmers would be up to another Senior Splashdown.

She knew that there was an excellent medical facility onboard and felt that after today’s session, some might be making good use of it.