Page 4 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

SANDRA

It was so good to see Patti again, Sandra thought as they both dismounted.

It was a wonder they hadn’t bumped into each other before as Patti only lived a few minutes away.

Sandra hadn’t been out much since Brian died though, had she?

And she might not have recognised Patti with her short cropped red hair.

She used to have long fair hair and she’d lost so much weight.

She looked great though, in that red jacket she was wearing over a grey knitted dress and knee-high black boots.

‘Do you have shopping to get or are you just having a wander around?’ she asked, thinking that if Patti wasn’t in a rush maybe she could suggest that they go for a coffee.

‘I’m having my first tattoo today,’ Patti replied, an impish grin on her face. ‘I’ve got an appointment in ten minutes.’

‘A tattoo?’ Sandra tried to hide her surprise. Not that she had anything against tattoos, but wasn’t it usually something the youngsters did?

‘Yes. I know most people might think I’m a bit old at sixty-eight to have my first tattoo but,’ Patti paused before continuing, ‘I’ve finished all my treatment and been clear from breast cancer for a year now, so I want to mark the occasion.

’ She pointed to her red spiky hair. ‘Hence the cropped hair. It’s growing back now but it’s taking its time, so I thought I’d dye it. ’ She patted it with her hand.

Oh, my goodness, that’s why she’d lost so much weight, poor Patti, that was awful.

‘I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that, it must have been dreadful.

But how wonderful that you’re now cancer free.

And I love your hair, it really suits you.

’ Sandra moved aside a little, aware that they were blocking people from getting onto the bus.

Patti moved over too. ‘It’s been a bit of a tough ride, but I’m over it now and focusing on the future.’

‘Good for you.’ She had to ask. ‘What tattoo are you having?’

Patti opened her bag and took out her phone, opening up the phone case she made a couple of taps on the screen.

‘This,’ she said, turning the phone to show Sandra a fine line image of two elongated bull’s horns with ‘Grab life by the horns’ written above them in cursive script.

‘I know it’s a bit ballsy but that’s how I feel! ’

‘It’s fun and feisty,’ Sandra told her. ‘And a wonderful sentiment.’

‘I promised myself that if I survived, I’d live my life to the full, no fear, no excuses, I want to make every single day count.’ Patti closed the case and put the phone back in her bag. ‘And I’ve always wanted a tattoo, so I’m going for it.’

‘Good for you. Where are you having it?’ Sandra asked. They were both walking side by side out of the bus depot now.

‘My upper right arm, loud and proud! So that I can see it and remind myself every time I waver. Although, truthfully, I’m wavering a bit now,’ she confessed. ‘But I really want to do this, and it can’t hurt more than all the treatment I’ve had, can it?’

‘I’m sure it won’t. I can understand you feeling nervous though. Would you like me to come with you for a bit of moral support?’ Sandra asked impulsively, then wondered if she was being pushy. Patti might not want an audience.

‘Would you?’ She could hear the relief in Patti’s voice. ‘That would be amazing, but only if you have time.’

‘I’ve got plenty of time,’ Sandra told her, glad that she’d made the offer now. It was only a small thing, after everything Patti had gone through, but she wanted to support her brave friend, who she could see was a bit apprehensive. Who wouldn’t be?

‘Thank you, I appreciate it,’ Patti said. She glanced at her watch. ‘We’ll have to dash though.’

‘Hello, ladies. I’m presuming one of you is Kit’s gran come for your first tattoo?’ A tall, burly man with close cropped hair, wearing jeans and a black vest top revealing tattoos covering his arms and neck, greeted them as they both walked in.

‘That’s me.’ Patti half raised her hand. ‘My friend has come with me for moral support. Are you Paul?’

‘I am and I have strict instructions to look after you.’ He grinned. ‘I have to say that I don’t get many ladies your age having tattoos.’

‘I like to be a trendsetter,’ Patti told him flippantly, taking off her coat and sitting in the chair Paul indicated. Sandra sat beside her and watched, fascinated, as Paul took out his phone and pulled up a picture of the design Patti wanted. ‘Kit said this is what you want.’

Patti peered at the screen then nodded. ‘That’s the one.’ She turned her head so she could see the top of her right arm and pointed just below her shoulder. ‘I want it here.’

He nodded and indicated the black leather reclining seat. ‘Make yourself comfy.’

Paul pulled on disposable gloves, sterilised the working area, prepared the ink then set to work. Sandra talked to Patti throughout the process to distract her as she watched, fascinated.

‘Does it hurt?’ she whispered.

‘Not really. It’s like a hot scratch,’ Patti told her but Sandra noticed that she winced a few times.

When the tattoo was finished Paul showed it to Patti in a mirror. ‘What do you think?’

It looked so neat, Sandra thought in surprise, as if Paul had drawn the design on with a pen rather than injected ink through Patti’s skin. The area around it was red and a bit raised.

Patti nodded approvingly. ‘Perfect. Thank you. When will the redness go?’

‘In a few days.’ Paul put a dressing over the tattoo and handed Patti a small tub of cream.

‘Leave the dressing on for at least two hours, then apply a thin layer of this cream several times a day for the first few days. It’s important to keep the tattoo hydrated,’ he instructed. ‘Any problems, come back to see me.’

‘I will,’ she promised.

Sandra helped her on with her coat and they left.

‘You were very brave. Didn’t it hurt at all?’ Sandra asked.

‘Not really, it was a bit uncomfortable, like a scratching sensation. Thanks so much for coming with me. I’m so pleased we bumped into each other again,’ Patti said with a smile. ‘I don’t suppose you fancy a cup of tea and cake to celebrate? My treat.’

‘I do!’ Sandra replied. ‘But it’s my treat!’

‘Absolutely not, you gave me much needed moral support,’ Patti insisted.

As they sat down, over a slice of fruit cake and two pots of tea, they chatted away and it was like they couldn’t stop, there was so much to catch up on.

‘Do you remember how we used to chat so much in our lunch break we had to put the timer on our watches to remind us when we had to go back to work?’ Patti laughed loudly at the memory and Sandra smiled.

How she remembered that laugh! Many a time she’d heard that laugh as Patti talked to a customer at the till and everyone would turn around to see who it was. It was a laugh that filled the room.

Patti told her how her granddaughter Kit was studying art and design.

‘She’s a lovely girl, kind, full of energy.

She pops in on me a few times a week. She recommended Paul to me, she’s got a few tattoos herself.

I’m meeting her when she’s finished uni, she wants to check everything went okay.

’ She took a bite out of her cake and chewed it before asking.

‘When are your son and his family moving away?’

‘Don’s moving next month but Laila and the children are remaining here until the house is sold. They want me to put my house up for sale now too so we can all move at the same time. They’re hoping it will all be sorted out by the summer holidays,’ she added.

‘It’s nice to be wanted. It’s a big move though. Are they expecting you to move into their new house with them?’

Sandra paused as she was about to take another sip from her cup. ‘You know, I did wonder about that myself, Don wasn’t specific but I presumed he meant for me to get my own place.’

‘Would you want to move in with them?’

‘Absolutely not. I want to keep my independence.’ Goodness, she loved her son and grandchildren but she didn’t want to live with them.

‘It might be best to establish that right away then.’ Patti finished her mouthful of cake then asked, ‘So you’ve never been to Cambridge?’

Sandra shook her head. ‘No, but Don is taking some stuff for his flat tomorrow and I’m going with them so I can have a look around.

’ She finished her drink. ‘I’m just not sure I want to move though, Patti.

It’s such a big upheaval and I love living in Worcester.

But I’ll miss them so much if I don’t go with them. ’

‘Well good luck. How about we meet up again on Monday and you can tell me all about it?’ Patti suggested.

‘Deal.’

‘Great. Then let’s swap phone numbers and we can message each other.’ Patti took out her phone again. ‘Read your number out to me and I’ll send you a text.’

Sandra read her number out and Patti keyed it in using her index finger, one digit at a time, like Sandra did. The youngsters always used two thumbs and were so fast. A minute or so later a text pinged in from Patti. She opened it to see a hand waving emoji. She saved the number in her contacts.

‘Got it.’

The two friends chatted away then a text pinged in Patti’s phone. She glanced at the screen. ‘Goodness, it’s Kit. I didn’t realise it was that late. I’d better go.’ She grabbed her bag and stood up. ‘Enjoy your weekend.’

‘You too. See you on Monday.’ Sandra waved cheerily as Patti dashed off.

Sandra arrived home feeling a lot lighter than when she’d left. It had been good to get out today. She’d shut herself away far too long.

Later that evening a text arrived from Patti with a photo of her tattoo, it still looked red and raised but the design was clear. She wrote:

Patti

All healing well, and it got the thumbs up from Kit. Thanks for your company again.

Sandra messaged back.

Sandra

A pleasure.

She smiled as she put down the phone. Patti had cheered her up no end.

She needed to stop fretting and see what she thought of Cambridge tomorrow.

It was kind of Don and Laila to ask her to move with them.

She was fortunate to have such a loving son, she reminded herself, some people didn’t have family who cared about them.