Page 3 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

PATTI

‘I’ll pop in later to see how you’ve got on, Gran. And remember to get some healing cream from Paul, you’ll need to keep the tattoo moisturised.’

‘I will, dear.’ Patti’s eyes swivelled to the clock on the wall.

She’d already missed the earlier bus that she hoped to catch so she’d have to get the next one.

She’d been about to go out when Kit had phoned and they’d been chatting for ages now.

It was nice that she got on so well with her granddaughter.

Strange how different your relationship with your grandchildren was to that with your children.

‘You were never that patient with me’ was her daughter Amanda’s constant refrain, which Patti had to admit was true.

She and Amanda had always had a strained relationship.

Still did. ‘I must go, Kit, or I’ll miss the bus,’ she said.

‘Okay, Gran. See you later. Good luck!’

Patti grabbed her coat and bag, pulling the coat on as she hurtled out the front door, closing it behind her, and down the front path.

The bus would be here any moment. It’s a good job she only lived around the corner.

She raced to the stop, already gasping for breath, just as the bus was pulling up.

Thank goodness another woman had been there to stop it, otherwise she would have had to wait half an hour for the next one.

‘Tell him to hang on!’ Patti yelled, as she dashed over.

The woman turned and raised her hand in acknowledgement. She took her time stepping on and getting her pass out of her bag, giving Patti chance to jump on the bus before it set off. That was kind of her.

‘Thank you,’ Patti puffed as the bus doors closed.

‘You’re welcome,’ the woman replied, then made her way down the bus, her purple three-quarter-length coat swinging, dark denims tucked into brown leather boots.

She sat down on a vacant seat near the window, opened her bag and dropped her purse back inside.

Patti followed her, holding on to the bars for support as the bus turned a corner.

She frowned as she got nearer to the woman and took in the short white, chin-length hair framing her elfin face, high cheekbones, pink lipstick.

There was something familiar about her, but she couldn’t place her.

As if sensing her stare, the woman glanced over, her pale blue eyes meeting Patti’s, and they both recognised each other at the same time.

‘Patti Jordan!’

‘Sandra Wheeler!’

‘Goodness me, it’s been years!’ Sandra exclaimed. She moved her handbag off the empty seat beside her for Patti to sit down.

‘Twenty at least.’ They’d worked at the local supermarket together many years ago, before Patti had moved to Nottingham. Sandra had long dark hair then, and her eyes – which Patti noticed were now tinged with sadness – used to twinkle with a quiet humour.

‘It must be. How are you, Patti?’

‘I’m good. How are you? Do you still live around here?’

Sandra nodded. ‘Have you moved back or are you visiting?’

Patti’s ex-husband’s company had relocated him to Nottingham years ago.

‘I live here. Adrian and I divorced a few years ago, we managed to keep it amicable though. When I retired, I started to feel at a bit of a loose end, so I moved back a couple of months ago. I’ve always loved Worcester, and my granddaughter Kit – Amanda’s daughter – lives in student accommodation here. ’

‘I love Worcester too,’ Sandra agreed. ‘Where are you living now? Obviously not St Johns, unless you’ve been visiting someone.’ Patti used to live the other side of the river.

‘No, I’m just a couple of blocks away from you.

That is, if you’re still in the same house,’ Patti replied.

‘I expect you are. I remember you and Brian loved that house.’ Brian was a proper DIY enthusiast and had spent his spare time doing up their home.

He’d built a conservatory and a patio in the time Patti had known them.

He’d probably done a loft extension and all sorts by now.

‘How is he? And the kids?’ Sandra had three children, she remembered, a girl and two boys.

‘You’re probably a grannie, like me, now. ’

Sandra’s eyes misted over. ‘Brian died eight months ago, and Martin was killed in a paragliding accident fifteen years ago.’ She took a breath before continuing. ‘But yes, I am a grannie, both Becky and Don have children. And I’m still in the house. For now.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry, love. That’s awful.’ Patti reached over and patted Sandra’s hand comfortingly.

Martin was a nice lad but had always been a bit of a daredevil, tearing around on his motorbike and going off to remote places for weeks on end.

It was sad that he’d died so tragically.

And Brian too. She remembered how close Sandra and Brian had been and could see that she was still grieving.

‘So, you’re thinking of moving then?’ she asked, remembering Sandra’s ‘for now’.

Maybe she wanted to get away from the memories.

Losing someone dear affected some people that way, while others wanted to stay put and cling onto everything.

Sandra sighed. ‘I’m not sure. Don and his wife and children live in Malvern at the moment, but he’s been offered a job in Cambridge. They want me to move there too.’

‘That’s a bit of a way. Do you like it there?’

Sandra turned to her. ‘I don’t know, I’ve never been. I really don’t want to move from my home but I’ll miss them so much. Becky still lives in Australia so they’re my only close family.’

Patti could see that her old friend was conflicted.

She had met Don a few times when he’d popped into the supermarket to see his mum, he was a serious looking lad and did well at school.

She could imagine that he’d been very protective of Sandra when Brian died.

‘It’s not an easy decision to make, is it?

But be sure to make the right one for you, don’t be talked into anything you don’t want to do,’ she said softly.

‘Right now. I’m not sure what’s right for me,’ Sandra confessed. ‘How about you and your family? Do you have a partner or are you living on your own now?’

‘I live by myself, although Kit often pops in on me. Amanda still lives in Nottingham.’

The two women chatted away, sharing news about what had happened since they last met and chuckling over anecdotes about the old days at work.

Patti was so pleased she’d bumped into Sandra again.

She’d wondered if Sandra still lived in the area and had thought about looking her up a couple of times, thinking it would be good to see a friendly face, but hadn’t got around to it.

If she’d known about Brian she would have popped around and offered her condolences right away.

Poor Sandra, that must have been a hard blow for her.

Life could be cruel and something could come along to knock you off your feet when you were least expecting it.

When Patti had been diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago it had completely devastated her.

At first, she thought she was going to die and had been so angry at having her life cut short but luckily the treatment had worked.

It had been debilitating though and there were days she could barely drag herself out of bed.

Life had felt like one long struggle for survival.

She thought she’d never feel well again, but gradually she had started to feel stronger.

She’d promised herself that if she beat the bloody Big C she was going to look ahead to the future and get every ounce of enjoyment out of her life that she could.

And here she was, cancer free and back in Worcester, where she was happiest. And how lovely that she’d bumped into Sandra again.

They’d got on so well when they worked together.

She was glad that she hadn’t caught the earlier bus now, she would have missed her former friend. Thank goodness Kit had phoned her.

They chatted away, so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t realise they were at the bus depot until the driver stood in front of them and asked, ‘Are you ladies getting off or are you staying on for a tour of Worcester?’

‘Ooops! Sorry, yes!’ Patti said, and they both scooped up their bags and got up, giggling. It was just like old times.