Page 34 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

SANDRA

They’d just finished booking for the jet ski when Don phoned Sandra.

‘What have you been up to over there?’ he asked curiously. ‘I hope you’re keeping out of the sun. Sunstroke can be dangerous, you know?’

‘I know, dear, I always use sun cream, sunglasses and a sun hat. You should know that! You’re the one who had to be badgered to wear it.

’ She laughed as she remembered the battle she had trying to get Don to put on sunscreen and wear a sun hat when he was a child.

He hated it and was always trying to lose his sun hat, leaving it on the beach, in cafés, but she knew what he was up to and he never succeeded in leaving it behind.

He chuckled. ‘Rana is as bad now, Laila has to nag like mad to get her to wear sun cream and she absolutely refuses to wear a sun hat!’

‘Karma,’ she teased, delighted that they were having such a relaxed conversation. She told him about their shopping trip yesterday and that today they had stayed in around the pool. ‘I jumped in and I swam three lengths,’ she said proudly.

‘Well done, Mum. What are you up to tomorrow?’ He sounded genuinely interested.

She took a deep breath and braced herself for his reaction. ‘We’re going jet skiing.’

‘You’re what? Are you totally mad? Have you forgotten what happened to Martin?’

That stung. How could she ever forget how her adventurous, fun-loving older son had died? Realising this was going to be a difficult call, she got up and walked down towards the pool so she could talk in private.

‘Of course not, how could I?’ she replied. ‘But we’re going on the sea not up in the air. And we’ll be wearing life jackets and be with an instructor.’

‘Listen to yourself, Mum. You’re over seventy! I don’t know what’s got into you just lately. Dad would turn in his grave if he knew what you were up to!’

‘What a terrible thing to say!’ she snapped.

‘I think your dad would be pleased that I’m getting on with my life, Don.

He wouldn’t want me to grieve forever over him.

If I was the one who had gone first, I wouldn’t like to think that your dad would shut himself away grieving.

I would want him to have the strength to carry on living.

To get some pleasure out of his days.’ She sounded more angry than she had intended to, but Don really was insufferable sometimes.

There was silence on the other side of the phone.

Then Don said slowly. ‘I want you to be happy, Mum. I don’t want you to be shut away grieving, as you were.

But I want you to be safe too. I don’t want to lose my mum as well as my dad.

That’s why I want you to move with us, Mum. So we can help you and look after you.’

She sighed, her anger leaving her. ‘I know, love.’

After their call ended she stood there for a moment, looking at the moon shimmering on the surface of the pool and scattering of stars sparkling in the inky night sky.

Don’s words played on her mind. What should she do?

It wasn’t a bad thing that Don wanted her to move by him, was it?

A lot of parents complain that they hardly see their grown-up children, and here was Don wanting her to still live nearby. She should be grateful.

Except she didn’t want him to worry about her like that.

And there was Laila too, surely she didn’t want Sandra there all the time?

It was time Don concentrated on his own family, not feeling like he had to keep looking out for her too.

And if she moved to Cambridge, they would be the only people she knew and the truth was, they would be too busy working to see that much of her.

She would likely be lonely. Isolated in a strange area.

Patti and Mary both gave her sympathetic looks when she returned to her seat on the terrace. ‘I take it Don doesn’t approve of us going jet skiing either?’ Patti said.

Sandra rolled her eyes. ‘He doesn’t approve of me doing anything! And he’s still pressuring me to move with them. I really don’t know what to do. What if I move to Cambridge and I’m not happy there?’

‘If your son hadn’t mentioned you moving with them, how would you feel? Would you be wishing that you could go with them?’ Mary asked.

Sandra thought about this. ‘No. I probably would be wishing that they weren’t moving away, but it wouldn’t even have occurred to me to go with them. I love my home. I want to stay where I am.’

‘There’s your answer then.’ Mary looked up from stroking Rags who was lying on her lap. ‘Don’t let anyone else talk you into moving if you don’t want to. You might regret it and then you’re stuck.’ She put Rags down. ‘Come on, boy, let’s get you fed.’

Sandra noticed that Patti was watching Mary thoughtfully as she went into the house. ‘Do you think your sister-in-law regrets moving to Spain?’ she asked.

‘I don’t know. They seemed really happy here at first but now that Keith won’t go anywhere it’s probably just pretty lonely for her.’

Mary looked a lot more cheerful when she came back out. ‘Well, ladies, are you all ready to go jet skiing tomorrow?’

‘You bet,’ Patti said. ‘I can’t wait!’

No, I’m dreading it, Sandra thought but she kept her feelings to herself. She didn’t want to spoil this for Patti. Besides, she would be fine, people went jet skiing all the time. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.