Page 35 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

Patti and Sandra were sitting outside, sipping orange juice, the next morning when Mary came along, her face like thunder.

Oh dear, it looks like she and Keith had had another argument, Sandra thought.

And she could guess what about. Their jet skiing adventure.

She half wished that Keith had managed to talk Mary out of going, she was dreading it herself.

Patti really wants to do this, she reminded herself.

‘Want some?’ Patti held up the jug.

‘Please.’ Mary sat down beside them. ‘I know I’m a bit early, but I had to get out before me and Keith have a barney. He’s still trying to talk me out of jet skiing.’

‘I hope we aren’t causing trouble between you both,’ Sandra said worriedly. ‘Maybe we should cancel.’

‘Absolutely not! I want to do it, and I love you two being here. You’re both like a breath of fresh air. Honestly, I’d almost forgotten what it was like to have fun. I’m so pleased that you came to visit.’

‘Keith will come around,’ Patti said comfortingly. ‘The more things you do and come home safe, the more he’ll relax.’

‘I perishing well hope so!’ Mary picked up the glass of iced orange juice that Patti had just poured for her. ‘Right, let’s knock these back and get on the road. Before we lose our bottle.’

‘Are you driving?’ Mary asked with a grin as Patti opened the door to the driver seat.

‘Oops, I can’t get used to driving on the other side of the road!’ Patti said as she went around the car and got into the other side.

‘Me neither.’ Sandra sat behind Mary at the back, so that Patti could half-turn in her seat and talk to her. ‘Did it take you long to get used to it?’

‘Not really. All you have to remember is whatever country you drive in the driver is seated by the white line in the middle of the road,’ Mary told her.

‘I never thought of that!’ Patti replied. ‘Shall we put some music on? Get us in the holiday mood?’

‘Sure. I can only seem to get Spanish radio but there’s some CDs in the dashboard.’

Patti pulled down the dashboard cover and took out a few CDs. ‘Beatles, Abba or Party Selection?’ she asked.

‘You two are the guests, you choose,’ Mary replied.

Patti spread three out on her lap, the CD cases face down. ‘Left, middle or right, Sandra?’

‘Right,’ Sandra said.

‘Beatles it is then.’ Mary put the CD in the slot and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ blasted out a couple of seconds later.

‘I love the Beatles! They were my favourite group back in the day,’ Sandra said. They all joined in, singing away as Mary drove along.

Mary parked the car at the meeting point and they all got out.

Sandra looked over at the row of jet skis and her stomach plummeted. What on earth was she thinking? She could barely swim and she was going to ride on of those contraptions on the open sea!

‘I can’t do this,’ she stammered. ‘You two go ahead. You can share a jet ski. I’ll watch and take photos.’

‘Oh, love, it’s just an attack of nerves. You’ll be fine once you get on,’ Mary told her.

Sandra shook her head vehemently. ‘No I won’t. I can’t do it!’

‘Of course you can! Remember, feel the fear and do it anyway!’ Patti told her. ‘Come on, San have a bit of backbone. Don’t wimp out on us now.’

‘I am not “San”! and I am not “wimping out”!’ Sandra retorted crossly, her hands on her hips. ‘I don’t have to do everything you want to do! You need to stop being so damn pushy!’

‘Wow! Keep your hair on!’ Patti retorted, glaring at her.

Mary looked worriedly from one to the other. Then Patti’s face broke out into a grin. ‘Well, you can tick “standing up to people more” off your bucket list now!’

They all collapsed into a fit of giggles.

‘Seriously, you’re right. I shouldn’t try and talk you into it if you don’t want to. Sorry. I just didn’t want you to miss out on the fun,’ Patti apologised.

Sandra took a deep breath. ‘I know. I’m sorry too, I didn’t mean to snap. I will join you, but for me. Because I want to,’ she said determinedly.

‘Good for you!’ Patti grinned. ‘Let’s do this!’

Rob, the instructor, gave them life jackets to put on, briefed on how to use them, and safety precautions for using the jet skis.

‘What if we bump into each other?’ Sandra asked, still nervous.

‘The jet ski automatically turns off if you get too near another jet ski, or are about to leave the zone you were meant to be in,’ Rob told her. ‘And I’ll be riding alongside you.’

‘It all sounds pretty safe to me,’ Sandra said, relieved.

‘Let’s take a photo for Insta,’ Patti said. ‘We’ll post it now and let our followers know that we’re about to tick something else off our bucket list. Shame we won’t be able to post one of us actually riding them on the sea!’

‘We’ll be taking a few photos so you can choose one from those. And let me take a shot of the three of you now,’ the instructor offered. ‘Tag me in on your Instagram account and we’ll share any photos you put up.’

Sandra gulped as Mary and Patti mounted their jet skis.

Whatever had possessed her to agree to do this?

She should have let Mary and Patti share a jet ski, whilst she sat in a café sipping a cocktail and waited for them to come back.

Instead, she had to get on this contraption and try to stay afloat.

And the sea was far too wavy right now for her liking.

You’ve had a safety lesson, you’re wearing a life jacket and Rob is accompanying you, she reminded herself. Just get on it!

‘Come on, Sandra!’ Patti called. ‘You can do it.’

Sandra took a deep breath. ‘Coming!’

Rob waited alongside her as she got on the jet ski, put in the tether key and started it up. ‘Now take your time, go really slow until you get used to it,’ he shouted.

He didn’t need to worry, she had no intention of going fast! Patti and Mary were soon ahead but she took her time, scared of crashing or falling off.

I must be mad! I can barely swim!

‘Come on, slowcoach!’ Patti shouted as she raced past Sandra on her jet ski, the wind blowing through her short hair, making it stick up like hedgehog’s prickles.

‘Catch us if you can!’ Mary followed, her head thrown back with laughter, leaving a spray of foam in her wake.

Adrenaline suddenly flooded through Sandra. She’d show them! She increased her speed and shot through the waves, her hands clenched on the handlebars of the jet ski, exhaling the salty air, excited at the sheer wonder of what she was doing.

‘Steady on ladies!’ Rob called.

She was actually enjoying it! The wind in her hair, the sun on her face, laughing as she caught up with Patti and Mary.

‘Isn’t this brilliant?’ Patti called.

‘Yes, yes it is!’ she replied. ‘It’s wonderful!’ She wished Brian could see her now, he would have been pleased for her, she was sure of it.

‘Hey, look!’ Patti shouted and pointed in front of them to a couple of dolphins who were jumping out of the foamy water. It was spectacular.

This is living, Sandra thought. She was so glad that Patti had come back into her life, and asked her to join her on her visit to Spain. She was starting to live again.