Page 8 of The Old Gals’ Bucket List

SANDRA

Don phoned again the next morning to see if Sandra had thought any more about moving to Cambridge with them.

‘I can’t make up my mind that quickly, Don. I’m not rushing into this.’ She put the phone on loudspeaker, propped it up against the bread bin then took a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and poured some into a glass, taking a sip.

‘At least let the estate agent value your house, then you’ll know what price you could expect. They could take photos so that when you’re ready to sell, they can go ahead immediately.’

The thought of someone walking around her house, valuing it, made her shudder.

She wasn’t ready for that yet. Nor was she ready for the big tidy up operation it would entail.

She wanted things to remain exactly how they were, Brian’s coat hanging up in the hall, his shoes on the rack, his clothes in the wardrobe.

A wave of grief flooded through her. She couldn’t do this, not yet.

She took a moment to compose herself then replied, her voice a little shaky even to her ears.

‘There’s no rush, dear. I know you have to leave next month, but Laila and the children will still be here for a while.

I can put my house on the market when yours is sold.

It will give me more time to sort things out. ’

‘Mum, our house might sell quickly, which means you could be there on your own for months. We’ll be miles away. It will take me a couple of hours to reach you. It’s not even as if you have close friends to turn to.’ She could hear the exasperation in his voice.

‘Actually, I do have a friend,’ she said, irritated by his attitude.

‘On Saturday, I bumped into someone I used to work with at the supermarket back when you were a teenager – Patti, you might remember her, she was a cashier. Though she moved away years ago. Anyway, she’s moved back now and she’s on her own too. ’

‘So, on the basis of meeting this one person you used to know decades ago again, you’ve decided not to move?’

‘I never did decide to move. It was your idea,’ Sandra replied calmly.

‘I know you mean well, love, and I’m very grateful to you for looking out for me but I really think that it’s best if I stay here until I decide what’s right for me to do.

’ This house has been my home for years and is where all my memories are, she wanted to add, but she knew that Don would only tell her she had to let go of the past. ‘Anyway, I must go now, Don, I’m in the middle of breakfast. I’ll speak to you later.

’ She quickly ended the call before Don could say anything else, put the phone on the table, poured some muesli into a dish, added yogurt and sat down at the kitchen table to eat it.

To be honest she was dreading Don, Laila and the girls moving away, she would miss them terribly, but she had to get used to it.

It was time she stood on her own two feet.

What was that tattoo Patti had on her arm.

‘Grab life by the horns.’ That’s what she had to do too.

It’s what Brian would want her to do. She loved him but he was gone, and she still had a life to live.

It was a life without Brian, but she had to make the most of it.

Maybe she should have a tattoo done too, reminding her to live her life!

Idly, she scrolled inspirational tattoos.

She was amazed at the selection. One in particular caught her eye.

It was a sideview of a small butterfly with half-open wings, written in a circle around it were the words ‘Embrace change, love life.’

She studied it for a moment, something about it was calling to her. She imagined it just above her right wrist, reminding her to live her life. She clicked on the photo and saved it to her gallery then, on impulse, sent it to Patti with the message.

Sandra

Just saw this. Tempted.

A reply shot back.

Patti

Go for it, gal!

She wouldn’t have done this if Brian was alive.

Brian never took a chance, neither did she.

They lived a safe life. But he’d confessed to her one day – when Martin had sent them a video of him bungee jumping – that he wished he could be brave enough to do something like that.

‘I always take the safe route, worried that something might go wrong,’ he’d told her.

‘I wish I’d got Martin’s sense of adventure to go off and explore the world like he’s done. ’

Tragically, Martin had died far too young in a paragliding accident. But he’d packed a lot in his short life, far more than they had done.

Brian had played safe, but he’d still died far too soon.

She messaged Patti back.

Sandra

I’m going to do it. Can you give me the number of the tattoo studio we went to?

Within seconds Patti pinged the number back.

Patti

Want me to come with you?

Sandra

Yes please!

Sandra phoned the tattoo studio immediately and luckily they could fit her in that afternoon, so before she could change her mind, she booked the appointment, then messaged Patti.

They agreed to meet at the bus stop, as they had the other day.

Sandra was a bit nervous, she had to admit, but if Patti could do it so could she.

And the tattoo was just the start. As Patti suggested, she was going to sit down and think about what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

She’d already started making her bucket list, which was rather exciting.

Suddenly, life seemed full of opportunities rather than empty days.

Paul grinned when they both walked in. ‘Hello again, ladies. Any more of your friends planning on having a tattoo?’ he asked, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. ‘I might offer Senior Rates.’

‘You never know,’ Patti replied with a wink. ‘We might even be back for another one and we’ll be wanting those Senior Rates if we do!’

Paul chuckled. ‘It’s a deal.’

Patti was right, having the tattoo done wasn’t very painful, more of a scratching sensation.

Although Sandra had to clench her teeth a couple of times, but Patti distracted her by chatting away just as she herself had done when Patti had her tattoo.

She felt quite proud of herself when Paul had finished.

‘Do you mind if I take a photo of you both showing your tattoos to put on Instagram?’ Paul asked. ‘I often do that with my clients.’

Sandra and Patti both looked at each other then nodded. ‘Go for it!’ Patti said.

‘Can we pout?’ Patti asked mischievously as Paul took his phone out of his pocket.

‘Go ahead!’ he said with a grin.

The two friends looked directly at the camera, pouting away. They giggled and tried a few different poses, making sure their tattoos were visible.

‘That’s fantastic. We’ll take a look through the photos in a minute but first let me put a dressing on that tattoo.’

When the dressing was in place Paul gave Sandra a pot of tattoo healing cream. ‘You know the rules.’

She nodded. ‘I do.’ She was feeling quite proud of herself for doing this.

Paul held out his phone and flicked through the photos until he found one they all liked.

They were both laughing, half turned towards each other, Sandra holding out her arm to show her tattoo and Patti with her shoulder turned towards the screen so that her upper-arm tattoo was visible.

They looked happy, vibrant, Sandra noticed in surprise.

‘We look like a right trendy pair of “old gals”,’ Patti said with a grin.

‘You certainly do. Are you on Insta, ladies? I could tag you in it.’

‘No but my granddaughter is, so I’ll get her to look you up. She’ll be amazed to think we’re Instagram models!’

They both went giggling out of the shop.

‘Let’s celebrate with a cocktail before we go home,’ Patti suggested. ‘A trendy cocktail bar has just opened around the corner.’

‘Fabulous idea. And my treat this time.’ Sandra hooked her arm in Patti’s and they made their way to the bar.

‘What are we like! It seems quite decadent to be drinking cocktails in the afternoon,’ Sandra said as they sat down at an empty table.

‘It’s called living our life.’ Patti picked up the drinks menu from the table. ‘Why don’t we go for something really wild?’ Her eyes scanned the list then a smile formed on her face. ‘How about a Porn Star Martini?’

Sandra hesitated for a second then nodded. ‘Sounds good!’

Patti ordered the cocktails. ‘I’ve been thinking, do you fancy taking up dancing? It would be fun to learn a new dance, and the exercise is good for us.’

‘I’d love to do ballroom dancing, the dresses are gorgeous. I did mention it to Brian but he didn’t fancy the idea.’

‘I’ve always fancied a bit of jazz myself,’ Patti replied. ‘I’d love to keep it a secret from the family then at the next do take to the dance floor and surprise them. They’re used to me having two left feet and jigging along completely out of step.’

Sandra tittered. ‘I could just imagine Don’s face if I started doing jazz! Why don’t we see if there’re any dance classes locally.’ She paused as her phone rang and glanced at the screen. ‘Sorry, it’s Don. I’d better take it.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘Where are you, Mum? I called in to see you but you’re not here.’

Drat. He always dropped in from work before going home and she’d forgotten the time.

‘I’m in town having er… coffee with Patti,’ she said, deciding it was best not to mention the tattoo yet. ‘I’m fine, love. You carry on home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Here you are ladies, two Porn Star Martinis,’ the waitress said, bringing their drinks over.

‘Mum!’ Don practically screeched. Sandra held the phone a little way from her ear. ‘Are you in a bar?’

Sandra was about to deny it but stopped herself. She was an adult. She could go for a cocktail if she wanted to. ‘We’ve just stopped for a quick drink.’

‘Marilyn phoned me about that apartment, Mum. Someone else is interested in it. If you don’t put a deposit on it soon it will be gone and another one might not come available for ages. Please think about it. I really believe it would be ideal for you.’

Sandra was suddenly filled with resolve. ‘I’m not going to move to that apartment, Don. I’ve told you, I want to wait and see how I feel when you’ve all moved before I uproot myself.’

‘Mum, you’re being ridiculous. I can’t possibly move to Cambridge and leave you here alone.’

She bristled. Ridiculous for wanting to stay in her own home? ‘That’s your choice. Staying put is mine,’ she said firmly. ‘Now I must go, dear, I’ll see you tomorrow.’

‘Well done,’ Patti told her when she ended the call.

Well done indeed, Sandra thought. The old Sandra was coming back. Brian’s sudden death had shocked her, knocked her off kilter, now she was righting herself again.

And it was all thanks to Patti. She couldn’t believe that her friend had moved nearby at the very time Don was trying to persuade her to sell up and move hundreds of miles away. It seemed like fate.