Page 46 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

PATTI

‘You have enjoyed your stay?’ Leo asked as he and Patti took Rags and Coco for a walk the next morning.

‘Very much. I wish we were here longer,’ she told him.

She didn’t feel ready to go back to her normal life yet.

She loved it here, the wildness of the countryside, the sun, the fruit trees everywhere, the smell of citrus mingled with oleander and jasmine, the little white house and sparkling blue pools.

And Leo. She would miss seeing him almost every day.

They got on so well, and she sensed that he liked her, but they were always with the others, so it was hard to tell if it was anything more than friendliness he felt.

And maybe it was only friendliness that she felt.

It had been a while since she’d been close to a man, and she was on holiday.

She was probably reading more into her feelings, and the smiles he gave her, than he meant.

‘Spain is a beautiful country, will you come over and visit Keith and Mary again?’

She nodded. ‘I certainly will now that I’ve conquered my fear of flying.’

‘You were afraid to go in an aeroplane?’ He looked so surprised. ‘I thought nothing would fear you. You are so strong and,’ he paused for a moment, obviously trying to think of the word he wanted, ‘fearful… no fearless, yes that is the word. As if you look life in the eye and take it on.’

He said the words with feeling. She turned her head to look at him.

His dark eyes were rested on her and their gazes locked.

Her heart did a somersault and her throat felt dry, she moistened her lips with her tongue.

‘Thank you. I wouldn’t say that I’m fearless, but I am determined to live my life and not let fear stop me from doing anything.

’ She pointed to the tattoo at the top of her right arm ‘That’s why I had this! ’

‘Tell me about yourself. You have children, yes?’ he said quietly.

So, as they walked she told him about her marriage to Adrian, Amanda, her divorce, the cancer.

She talked and he listened and then she asked him about his life and he told her about his wife, Elena, and children, Sophia, Pablo and Carlos, how Elena’s death had devastated him.

‘One moment your life is full, your house is busy and there is no time. Then, in a flash, it is all gone. And all you have left is time. Endless days and long nights.’ His expression was solemn, his eyes sad as he gazed over at the two dogs running around.

‘I miss Elena every day but she has gone and I am here.’

‘Sandra is struggling to get over the death of her husband too,’ she said softly. ‘I am lucky, I guess, my ex-husband is still alive. A divorce is easier to handle than a death.’

‘Surely a divorce is like a death. Your marriage has died.’

‘It died long before we got divorced so in a way the divorce was a relief.’

They talked about everything. Their lives, their hopes for the future, their likes and dislikes.

Patti thought she had never felt so close to anyone before.

How she wished she wasn’t going home on Wednesday and could get to know this man more, spend more time walking and talking to him.

You’re far too old to go all swoony-eyed over someone you’ve met on holiday, she told herself.

They were on their way back now, the dogs back on their leads. Soon they came to Leo’s house, which like Keith and Mary’s house, was surrounded by a wall and a high gate.

‘Please come in. We will get a cold drink and you can see the picture of my mother,’ he said as he unlocked the gate and pushed it open, standing back to allow Patti to go first. She gasped as she stepped inside.

There was a large flat area where his car was parked, then the garden was graduated downwards, with colourful plants and cacti growing on different levels.

The path led to a pretty pale lemon painted house, with dark brown shutters.

There was a pool to the side, set on a crazy paved terrace, surrounded by orange and lemon trees.

‘You can let Rags off the lead now,’ Leo said, slipping Coco off her lead. ‘He knows where to find his bowl of water.’

As soon as she let the little dog off the lead Rags and Coco ran around to the side of the house. Leo and Patti followed them. She saw a large kennel on a platform, two bowls of water by the side. Both dogs ran over and started drinking.

Suddenly, she was aware of a clucking sound from the left. Chickens? She glanced around and saw a wired pen with half a dozen chickens strutting about. A hen house on stilts was in the furthest corner.

‘Do they lay eggs?’ she asked.

‘Yes, I have fresh eggs every day. Sometimes there are too many and I share them with my friends and neighbours.’

Then she remembered the fresh vegetables and eggs he’d given Mary the other night. ‘Where is your vegetable patch?’ she asked.

‘It is down here.’ He led her to some steps. Looking down she saw rows of cabbages, lettuces and other vegetables. He stood by her, hands in his pockets, gazing proudly at the vegetable patch.

‘This must keep you busy,’ she said.

‘It does. It is good to have something to fill the time. Shall we have a drink? A cerveza? Sangria? Water or perhaps fresh orange or pomegranate juice. It is from my own trees.’

‘You have pomegranates growing too?’

‘Si.’ Leo pointed over to a tree where she could see large pomegranates hanging from the branches. ‘Fresh pomegranate juice sounds delicious! Thank you.’

They walked back to his house and she paused, wondering whether to wait outside while Leo fetched the drinks, but he beckoned her in. ‘Come, I will show you my home.’

Inside, it was very traditional. A big lounge with dark wooden furniture, tiled floors, a wood burner for heating, a huge coffee table, comfy sofa and chairs and a large TV.

The far wall was covered in photos. Leo’s wife and children, she guessed.

On another wall was a large painting of a woman in a red and white dotted flamenco dress, poised mid-dance, a man on a stool beside her playing the guitar.

‘My mother and father,’ Leo said proudly.

‘It’s a wonderful painting,’ she told him. ‘Who was the artist?’

‘My father. He used a black and white photo of them both as a guide.’

‘That’s amazing. What a talented family.’

Her gaze rested on a certificate on the wall, Leonardo Sanchez. She read through, picking up the word dentista. ‘You were a dentist?’ she asked. Then added. ‘Oh, you trained in London. So that is why your English is so good.’

‘Si, I retired a few years ago.’

‘Leonardo, it’s a nice name. But you prefer Leo?’

‘It is easier to say.’

She nodded. ‘My name is Patricia, but I prefer Patti.’

‘Patreecia,’ he said slowly. ‘It is pretty.’

Their eyes held for a moment then Leo turned. ‘Come, let us get those drinks.’

The kitchen was huge too, again with dark wooden cupboards, a gas stove and a wooden table and six chairs.

‘It’s very spacious.’ Patti gazed around, imagining Leo, Elena and their children gathered around the table eating and chatting.

‘Too big now, but when the children were little we needed the space.’ He opened the fridge and took out a jug of pomegranate juice, put ice in two glasses and poured the drink over it. ‘Would you like tapas? Bread and cheese?’ he asked.

‘No, thank you. I’m fine.’

He took out two bowls and filled one with olives and the other with a mix of nibbles anyway, then placed it all on a tray. ‘Let us sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.’

Both dogs were lying in the shade when they went back out. Leo put the tray down on the table on the terrace, taking the glasses and dishes off and placing them out.

‘Please, sit down, help yourself.’

Patti sat down on the nearest chair, picked up one of the drinks and took a long sip. ‘This is delicious. Just what I needed.’ She gazed around in admiration. ‘It must be wonderful to live here and drink juice from your own trees. And eat fresh vegetables and eggs.’

‘It is, yes.’ Leo sat down beside her. ‘Life is good.’

They sat and talked more, Leo told her about Elena who had died in a car accident almost ten years ago. ‘The bends here, they are so dangerous.’ And his son and daughter who now lived in Barcelona and Madrid. ‘They need to be where the work is. I don’t see them often now, but we keep in touch.’

‘Have you thought of moving nearer to them?’ she asked.

He took a long sip of his juice before replying. ‘They have asked me, but my life is here.’

She thought about Sandra, and Don trying to persuade her to move to Cambridge. She told Leo about it. ‘So you are glad that you didn’t move to be by one of your children?’

He leaned back, gazing out over to the mountains. ‘The city is not for me. When you are young you are always chasing things, but when you are older it is different. You want a slower life. It is good to go out, to do things, but it is also good to come home to peace and quiet.’

Patti reached for a handful of the nibbles then leaned back to enjoy the view too. There weren’t many places more peaceful than this. She didn’t blame Leo for wanting to stay here. She wished she could stay here, with him.

The thought took her by surprise and she blinked. Wow, talk about getting carried away.

‘Will you be sad to go back and leave all this?’ Leo asked quietly. His eyes were fixed on her face, as if her answer was important to him.

She bit her lip as she considered this. ‘I will miss it. And Keith and Mary and…’ she stopped herself from adding ‘and you’ but as if he knew what she was going to say he reached out and placed his hand softly on hers.

‘And I will miss you. You are…’ he paused as if searching for the right word. ‘Una luz – a light in the room.’

Was he saying that she lit up the room? She stared at him, wondering what to say.

‘Maybe you will come again to visit your brother very soon?’ His voice was soft and his eyes were still on her face.

She nodded. ‘Yes, definitely.’

He sat back and smiled. ‘I will look forward to that.’