Page 32 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

PATTI

‘Want one?’ Sandra asked, holding up a mug as Patti padded barefoot into the kitchen of the casita on Sunday morning, yawning and still wearing her nightshirt.

Yesterday had been fun but tiring, Patti had zonked out with exhaustion as soon as her head hit the pillow and had only just woken up, whereas Sandra looking bright and breezy in a floral sundress and had obviously been up for a while.

Patti instinctively ran a hand over her cropped hair to flatten it. ‘Please.’ She perched on the nearest chair. ‘Our posts are getting us a lot of interest. Did you see how many comments we got on our Insta this morning? We’re getting quite a following now.’

Sandra nodded, her back to Patti as she made the tea. ‘I think it turns out there’s a lot of people who secretly have a bucket list. Hopefully we’re inspiring some of them to have a go at doing the things on it.’

‘It seems that we’ve inspired Kit too, in a way. I woke up to a message from her telling me that she and Carly have decided they’re going to take a gap year when they get their degrees and do some voluntary work.’ She stretched her arms lazily. ‘I’m so pleased.’

‘The girls today have got more about them than we had,’ Sandra said as she added milk to both mugs. ‘We were brought up to think that we had to marry, and we had to do what our husbands wanted. Thankfully it’s different now.’

‘Do you regret marrying so young?’ Patti asked. She knew that Sandra had been barely out of her teens when she married Brian, whereas Patti had been in her mid-twenties when she and Adrian married. ‘You both seemed happy together.’

‘We were – mostly. And no, I don’t regret it.

It’s what we did back then. But I am glad that things have changed and it’s accepted for girls to have a life before settling down, or even to not get married at all.

’ She put a mug of steaming tea on the table in front of Patti.

‘And I’m really pleased that my granddaughters will have the chance to travel, and to have a career, even if they do get married. ’

Patti nodded. ‘I agree. The world’s the oyster for them now, isn’t it?

I’m afraid that most of the load still seems to fall on the women when they get married and have a family though.

My poor Amanda is run off her feet, Jake helps out around the house, but it still seems to me that Amanda’s expected to do the most.’ She picked up her mug and blew softly across the surface to cool the tea down then took a long gulp. ‘Oh I needed that. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome. I think I’m going to take mine outside. It’s such a lovely morning.’

‘I’ll join you… unless you want a bit of alone time?’

‘Goodness no. I have plenty of that at home.’

They both carried their mugs outside and sat chatting, enjoying the warm sunshine and the gorgeous view.

‘This is just what I needed,’ Patti said, lifting her head up to the sky so she could feel the morning sun on her face.

‘Me too,’ Sandra agreed. ‘I think we’re both going to go back feeling very relaxed.’

A little while later Mary appeared, once again in shorts but this time with a vest top. ‘Want to join us for breakfast?’ she called. ‘We’ve got fresh orange juice and croissants.’

Patti and Sandra both looked at each other and nodded.

‘Sounds great! Thanks,’ Patti replied. ‘Just give me chance to shower and get dressed.’

‘Half an hour?’

‘Perfect!’

They all sat outside on the terrace, eating butter croissants and jam – Keith had his dry – and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice.

‘It’s a beautiful day,’ Sandra said. ‘I can understand why you’ve both moved over here to live. It would be wonderful to have such gorgeous weather and spectacular views.’

Mary dipped her finger in a blob of jam that had escaped from her croissant onto her plate and licked it before replying. ‘It is, but after a while it gets a bit samey when you’re in all day. And you miss your family and friends.’

Keith shot a look at her but didn’t say anything.

‘I get that. I vid-chat to my daughter in Australia regularly but it’s not the same as a chat over a cuppa, is it?’

‘How long has your daughter been living in Australia?’

‘Over twenty years. Brian and I were so looking forward to visiting her…’

Mary placed her hand on Sandra’s comfortingly. ‘I’m sorry, love. Would it have been your first visit?’

Sandra nodded. ‘We meant to go before but something always came up. They’ve visited us a few times though, when Becky worked as cabin crew. She could have got us cheap flights too back then.’

‘Life has a habit at throwing curveballs at you. Perhaps, when you feel a bit stronger, you’ll go by yourself?’ Mary suggested.

‘I will. It’s top of my bucket list and I’m determined to do it,’ Sandra told her.

After breakfast they sat out on the terrace chatting. Then Mary suggested going for a walk. ‘We can go along the track by the mountains, nothing strenuous.’ She glanced at Keith. ‘Want to join us? Walking is good for you,’ she added. ‘And we can take Rags.’

Keith hesitated.

‘Come on, we can have a chat as we talk,’ Patti coaxed.

He nodded. ‘Okay, but only a little stroll.’

Mary went inside for Rags’ lead and when he saw it, the little terrier started barking and running around happily.

They all changed into their trainers, put on sun cream and sunglasses and set off, turning left outside the gates and walking along a dirt track with mountains in the distance. After a few minutes Mary let Rags off the lead and he bounded off joyously.

When they came to a row of detached houses Mary called Rags to her and fastened the lead onto his collar again.

A man came out of the second house, walking a crossbreed on a lead.

He was about their age but had a full head of silver hair and was ruggedly handsome, Patti noticed.

His face lit up when he saw Mary and Keith, the smile reaching his warm brown eyes. He looks nice, Patti thought.

‘Buenos, Keith, Mary ?Qué tal?’ He pronounced their names ‘Keeth’ and ‘Maree’. He kissed first Keith then Mary on both cheeks. Patti was getting used to that custom now.

‘Bien, Leo. Es tú?’ Keith replied.

‘It’s our friend Leo, He’s asking Keith how he is,’ Mary whispered.

Leo’s gaze swept to Patti, then to Sandra, then back to Patti.

‘This is Patti, my sister, and her friend, Sandra.’ Patti wasn’t sure whether Keith had exhausted his knowledge of Spanish or was speaking English for their benefit.

‘Encantada, seňoras.’ Leo kissed Sandra on both cheeks then Patti. She felt a little flutter as his lips brushed her cheek, his eyes holding hers for a second before stepping back. ‘You are here on holiday?’ he asked in a thick Spanish accent.

Phew! He could speak English, Patti thought in relief. ‘Yes, for two weeks.’

‘Then hopefully we will meet again. Coco has missed her walk with Rags.’

‘I usually take Rags for a walk every morning, we often meet up with Leo and walk along together,’ Mary explained.

‘And you’ve missed the walks because we’ve been here?’ Patti felt really guilty. ‘Please don’t let us stop you going about your normal life.’

‘It’s not a big deal. Our garden is plenty big enough for Rags to have a run around. Besides, Keith has taken him while we’ve been out, so at least it’s got him out of the house a bit. Although I suspect that he hasn’t walked far.’

‘You must pop around for a cerveza and a chat, Leo. We’re in most evenings. In fact, why don’t you come around this afternoon,’ Mary said. ‘Come for dinner.’

‘Thank you, that would be wonderful,’ Leo replied. Coco tugged at his lead. ‘I must go, Coco is eager for her walk. Luego.’

‘He seems a nice man,’ Sandra said as Leo walked off, Coco trotting by his side.

Rags barked and pulled at his lead, as if protesting that he wanted to go with them.

Patti wondered if Leo’s eyes had lingered on Sandra when he’d pulled away from the hug, as they seemed to do when he hugged her.

You’re making too much of this, kissing someone on both cheeks is the Spanish custom, she told herself.

‘He is. His wife, Elena, died a few years ago and he’s lived on his own since. He sometimes pops around. He and Keith like to put the world to rights over a cold cerveza – beer. Although it’s been a while.’

Patti turned to Keith. ‘Well, at least you won’t be surrounded by women tonight, Keith. You’ll have another man to talk to.’

‘I don’t mind. It’s nice for Mary to have company.’ Rags pulled at the lead again, urging Keith to keep walking. ‘Let’s head back now. I could do with a cool drink.’

‘Me too, it’s getting warm, isn’t it? I think it’s going to be a hot afternoon,’ Sandra said, taking a tissue out of her pocket and wiping the sweat off her forehead.

‘Just the right weather to spend by the pool,’ Mary said.

They had crusty rolls and salad for lunch, on the back terrace, then changed, putting their swimsuits underneath their shorts, and did a bit of sunbathing. Patti kept a thin cotton shirt over her swimsuit and wore a big sun hat. The cancer had gone but she still had to be careful.

‘I think I’ll go for a dip, anyone want to join me?’ Mary said after a while.

‘I will,’ Sandra said. ‘I need to keep practising.’

They both slipped off their shorts and jumped into the pool.

‘You don’t fancy joining them?’ Keith asked.

‘I will in a while, I have to limit my time in the sun,’ Patti told him.

‘Yes, of course.’ Keith glanced over at the pool where Sandra and Mary were racing across to the other side, Sandra doing the breaststroke and Mary the crawl. ‘Sandra’s nice, easy to get on with,’ he said.

Patti nodded. ‘She is. I’m so pleased that I met up with her again.

I was starting to feel a bit lonely and wondering if I’d done the right thing moving back to Worcester but then I bumped into Sandra and she’s been such a support.

’ She pushed her sunglasses back up on her nose a little.

‘Actually, we’ve supported each other. Her husband’s death really devastated her and her son is rather dominating.

I know it’s with the best of intentions, he’s trying to look out for her, but she’s anxious enough without him flapping around her putting doubts in her mind. ’

Squeals of laughter floated through the air as Sandra and Mary both stood on the side of the pool then jumped in.

‘I’m going for a swim. Coming?’

‘Sure. Race you to the pool!’

As they ran over to the pool and dived in, Keith in the lead by a few seconds, Patti thought how much happier he looked than when they first arrived.

He’d gone into a shell, she realised, like she had when she’d first been diagnosed with cancer, and Sandra had when she lost Brian.

And now he was scared to come out of that shell and start living.

Well Keith might not have a bucket list, but she had added one more to hers. She was going to help her brother live his life again.