Page 10 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

PATTI

Patti had the kettle boiling and a box with a selection of hats, scarves and other accessories on the kitchen table when Sandra arrived. ‘I’m having a green tea, what do you fancy? I’ve got quite a selection of herbals plus normal tea and coffee.’

‘I’ll have coffee please. I don’t really get on with herbals,’ Sandra replied.

‘I didn’t at first, but they’re healthier for me so I have a couple a day. Got to balance out the wine and cocktails.’ She grinned and indicated the chairs around the table. ‘Take a seat, I’ll be with you in a minute.’

‘Are you having a clear out?’ Sandra eyes were fixed on a jaunty purple beret on the top of the box.

‘No these are all for our Instapics. Kit often posts photos of herself wearing different hats, sunglasses, etc., so I thought we could do that too. It’ll be fun.’ She placed a mug of coffee on the table. ‘I’ve had all these for years, let’s have a sort through and see if there’s anything we like.’

‘I’m not too sure about this Instagram account,’ Sandra said as she sat down. ‘What would we post on it? I don’t know about you but I don’t think my life is interesting enough for people to want to see photos about it.’

‘I thought that.’ Patti put a plate of assorted biscuits in the middle of the table and sat down with her own mug.

‘But Kit said that the photo of us both with our tattoos has got over a hundred likes now and we should open our own account. Kit often shows me her Insta, or some funny pics from other accounts. People post all sorts, what they had for tea, a new dress they bought, photos of their pets. You don’t have to be living an exciting life for people to connect with you, you just have to be relatable.

And how about we make it a joint account – two old gals having fun. ’

Sandra nibbled away at a chocolate digestive. ‘You really think people want to see photos of two older ladies messing around?’

‘Why not? We can make it light-hearted and playful. It might inspire other older folk to try new things and have a bit of fun in their life.’

Sandra looked at her dubiously. ‘How do we share the same account though?’

‘Kit said that it’s simple, if we both download Instagram and share the log in details then we can both access the account and post. She said we just need an email address, a username and a password.’

‘I’m not sure it will be that easy. Sometimes it takes me ages to do something on my iPad that Rana and Kali do in no time. Still, we can try. Phone or iPad?’ Sandra asked.

‘Phone to set it up I think. We’ll probably be using it mainly on our phones anyway as they’re always with us. Kit said we can use it on our tablets and iPad too though.’

‘Okay.’

They both picked up their phones, searched for the Instagram app and downloaded it. Then Patti set up a shared email account. ‘Done.’ She looked up from her screen. ‘We’ll need a name for the Insta account.’ A smile twitched at the corner of her lips ‘How about The Old Gals’ Bucket List?’

‘Good idea,’ Sandra agreed. ‘We can post photos of the various things we do as we tick them off our bucket list.’

‘Right, that’s our Insta account created. Now we have to write a short intro. How about something like, “You’re never too old to make your dreams come true”,’ Patti suggested.

‘Sounds good to me.’ Sandra peered over her shoulder at the screen. ‘And we need a profile photo of us both.’

‘Hence the accessories.’ Patti pointed to the box. ‘Let’s make the photo really fun.’ She pointed to a mirror she’d propped up on the worktop behind them. ‘I’ve brought this down for us to use.’

They both had a giggle as they tried on the various hats, sunglasses and scarves.

‘What do you think of this?’ Sandra finally settled for the purple beret, and a pink feather boa. She picked up a pen and held it like a cigarette holder. ‘Do I look good, dahling?’

‘I love it!’ Patti chuckled. ‘All you need now is a pair of big sunglasses to set it off. And I think I know the exact pair.’ She searched through the box and found some pink heart-shaped sunglasses. ‘Try these.’

Sandra slipped on sunglasses then got up to look in the mirror, studying her reflection this way and that. ‘I don’t think anyone will recognise me.’ She sounded pleased.

‘What do you reckon to this?’ Patti asked. She’d donned a red bakers’ cap, rainbow-rimmed sunglasses and a red chiffon scarf knotted at the neck.

‘Fabulous, dahling!’ Sandra told her.

‘Thank you.’ Patti blew her a kiss. ‘Now let’s see if I can take a decent selfie of us both. Kit said that the trick is to hold the phone up high.’ She picked up her phone and went over to Sandra. ‘Budge up and I’ll take a couple of shots, we can choose the best one.’

They stood close together and Patti held up the phone, trying to get both their head and shoulders in the frame but it was hard to click the button with her thumb. ‘Drat, this isn’t as easy as it looks!’

She took a few shots but when they checked them out, one showed just the top of their hats, the other the wall behind them, and the third one was blurred.

They both turned as they heard the front door open and someone shout, ‘Gran!’

‘It’s Kit,’ Patti told Sandra. ‘She has a key to the house, so that she can keep an eye on me, although it’s more me who keeps an eye on her.’ She winked. ‘In the kitchen,’ she called out. Great, now Kit could take a photo of them both.

She heard the front door shut then a few seconds later Kit bounced in, her hair – blue this month – tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head, her blue eyes sparkling.

She was wearing her trademark baggy jeans slung low on her hips, rainbow-coloured trainers that she’d dyed herself and a purple top revealing a couple of inches of tanned (from a bottle) midriff.

A smile burst across her face as she looked at Sandra then back at Patti. ‘You both look fab. I’m guessing you’re Sandra. Nan has told me all about you.’

This remark was directed at Sandra who nodded and smiled. ‘Hello, Kit. Delighted to meet you.’

‘Back at you. Now, is all this for the Insta account?’

‘Yes, I’ve been trying to take a selfie of us, but they haven’t worked out.’ Patti held out her phone so Kit could see the photos.

‘It takes a little while to get used to it. And it’s easier if you use a selfie stick. I’ve got one spare, so I’ll bring it to you next time I drop by. Shall I take a photo of you both?’ Kit offered.

‘Please!’

Kit looked from one to the other thoughtfully.

‘You could both do with some lipstick on – bright red would be good – and how about I paint your nails different colours and you can hold them up to your face like this.’ She partly concealed her mouth with the palm of her hand, spreading out her fingers so her nails were showing. ‘See what I mean?’

Patti screwed up her nose. ‘I’d love that, but have you seen my nails?’ She held out her hands. ‘One of the things on my bucket list is to stop biting them.’

‘No problem, I picked up a couple of packets of false nails today, you can have one. I’ll do them for you.’

‘Brilliant,’ Patti said in delight.

Kit glanced at Sandra’s nails. ‘Shall I stick a pair on you too? Your nails are fine but it would be good to have long ones for the photo.’

Sandra nodded. ‘Please. And you must let us pay you for them.’

‘My treat – they’re only cheap.’ Kit rummaged in her bag, taking out two packets of false nails, a bottle of yellow nail varnish, and another bottle of blue. ‘Do you have red nail varnish, Gran?’

‘I do. I’ve got a few different colours upstairs. I’ll go and get them.’

Patti returned with a bottle of red, a bottle of purple and one of pink. ‘Will these do?’ Kit had spread two sheets of newspaper on the table, Patti noticed in relief. Very thoughtful of her.

Kit nodded. ‘Right, ladies, place your hands out on the newspaper and I’ll get working on those nails. Shall I start with you, Gran?’

Kit looked at the finished sets of nails with pride. After fixing the false nails on, she’d painted each nail on Patti’s right hand a different colour, then did the left hand to match. She’d done the same for Sandra but in a different order. ‘Well, what do you think?’

Both women held out their hands and gazed admiringly at them.

‘They are gorgeous. Thank you, darling. Now I’m even more determined to stop biting my nails,’ Patti exclaimed. ‘I’m going to grow them and stick some pretty gems on them!’

‘They really are,’ Sandra agreed. ‘Thank you, Kit.’

Sandra’s her eyes were sparkling. She’s enjoying herself, Patti thought happily. She’d been worried how downcast her old friend had looked when they’d first met – even though it was natural in the circumstances – and felt so pleased she’d been able to cheer her up a little.

Kit took several photos of them together, calling out instructions, ‘Pout – no not that much!’ ‘Turn towards each other’ ‘Look up’ ‘Pull your glasses down onto your nose and peer over them.’ Finally, she finished and sat down to look at the photos she’d taken.

Patti and Sandra peered over her shoulder.

‘I reckon this one, what do you two think?’ she asked.

Patti and Sandra crowded around the screen.

The photo showed them both looking at the camera, hands with their fingers spread across their mouths, displaying their multi-coloured nails, glasses perched on the ends of their nose, hats jauntily poised on their head. They looked so alive. She loved it.

‘It’s brilliant,’ she said.

‘Perfect!’ Sandra agreed.

‘Right, let me filter it, then I’ll upload it to your account.’

‘No way. No filters here,’ Patti said firmly. ‘We’re not bothering with any of that. What we post is going to be real. Right, Sandra?’

‘Absolutely! If you can’t be real at our age, when can you?’

Kit shrugged. ‘If that’s what you want.’ She uploaded the photo to their Instagram account and handed Patti her phone back. ‘Fantastic name. Old Gals’ sounds sassy and fun.’

‘That’s the image we want.’ Patti explained how they were going to upload photos of them attempting to fulfil their bucket list, and other fun things they did.

‘That’s so inspiring. And why don’t you ask other people what they want to do for their bucket lists too? That would encourage interaction.’

Sandra turned to Patti, her eyes sparkling. ‘Shall we?’

‘Why not?’ Excitement was buzzing through her. She was enjoying herself so much.

‘Take a photo of your bucket list and tick off the things as you do them. That will get everyone’s interest. You’ve already got your tattoos so that’s one ticked off.’

‘Good idea. Let me get my notebook.’ Patti took it out of her handbag and opened it up to the written bucket list.

‘I’ve got my list in my phone case.’ Sandra opened the case and took out the piece of paper. ‘Oh, I must add “get a tattoo”. It wasn’t on my original list.’

Patti ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook. ‘Might be best to write it out again.’

‘Thanks.’ Sandra wrote out a new list and ticked off ‘get a tattoo’. Then they both handed their lists to Kit who took a snap of them.

‘Perfect! Now watch carefully.’ Kit uploaded both the photo of the lists and the one showing their tattoos. Then she added a caption saying ‘That’s one ticked off both lists.’ She grinned, ‘You’ll soon be influencers.’

Next, Kit showed them how to create a story and a reel then gave them a quick tutorial on how to find people to follow and how to accept followers.

‘I’ve followed your account. Give your Instagram account name to your family, Sandra, then they can follow you and you can follow them back.

Be careful though both of you, you get some weirdos messaging you.

I’ll turn off message requests from people you don’t follow and disable message notifications, then you should be okay. ’

‘Thanks, love,’ Patti told her. ‘We’d better watch you, so we know how to do it.’

Kit showed them how to go into settings, and the options they could choose. ‘There you are. I bet you soon have loads of followers.’

They both thanked her and Sandra picked up her list and put it back in her phone case which she slipped into her bag.

‘It was lovely to meet you, Kit, but I’d better be going now.

’ Then she realised she was still wearing Patti’s beret, sunglasses and feather boa.

‘Oh goodness, I almost went home with these on!’ She took them off and went to put them back in the box.

‘Take the beret, if you want. It looks great with your purple coat,’ Patti told her. ‘And you did say that you’d like to start wearing a hat.’

‘Really? Thank you.’ She put the beret back on. ‘That’s another one off the list!’ She turned to Kit. ‘Thank you, Kit. It’s been a pleasure to meet you. See you tomorrow, Patti.’