FOREVER FRIENDS

“Ooh isn’t it pretty!” Tina expected that Frank would hear her, even though she was getting out of the car and he was still inside the cabin.  She stood in the postage stamp front garden of the rented beach cottage wondering how it could be maintained so well. Ferns, at the side fence bulrushes or something of that ilk alongside, pink and purple hydrangeas, at the front fence, the Norfolk pine standing sentinel in front of the house, and a couple of standard iceberg roses on either side of the front veranda.  The grass was neat and there would be enough room in the drive for…

Frank struggling up the path with cases, tried to hide his ire.

“Tina could you open the door, pleaeeassee darling; after all, we are going to be here for the long weekend.”

“Oops” laughed Tina “you do have a point, love.” She opened the front door, then ran back to the car, picked up two bags of groceries and carried this inside, just as her mobile rang. 

“Blast.” irritated, Tina fetched the phone from her jeans pocket and answered automatically.

“Hello Tina Smythe speaking.” she did not recognise the pukka voice.

“Clementina? Is that you?”

“Yes,” Tina was puzzled as it was a rare thing for anyone to use her full name “who is this?”

“Sorry, my dear I’m Rupert Dove, Elizab… Betty’s… husband.”

“Rup what the…” Tina nearly laughed but he spoke again.

“I won’t be coming for the weekend I’m afraid, but …Betty is on her way. Would you mind awfully if she told you the story; she is fragile. I believe Valerie and Nevin are on their way, too. I’m sorry I must dash. Toodle pip.”  clunk, the dead sound followed.

“Frank, I have had a strange call,” said Tina as she walked down the hall.

“From Rupert?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Betty has just been on the phone to me.” said Frank rummaging for a battery as the kitchen clock had stopped “I’m going to pick her up at the station, and I need to leave now.”

“How very odd,” said Tina resisting the temptation to scratch her head.

“All will be revealed I guess darling.”

 A car came into the drive. Val Piper came out, opened the boot, retrieved two cases, and her husband Nev followed with enough food for an army.

“Hi Guys,” said Nev “what is it, Frank?”

They listened to Frank’s story, Val looked as dazed as Tina.

“Righto. “Frank, I will take you to the station, fetch Betty and return to our home as it were. Ladies beer in the fridge please,” said Nev in his best school teacher voice.

“Yes Sir, at once Sir,” said Tina giving a mock salute.

Val just laughed “It’s going to be a good weekend.” Tina was not so sure.

They inspected the bedrooms two with a queen size bed the third with twin singles. Each with their ensuite bathroom, how convenient. The kitchen was spacious and fairly new, the lounge smaller but sported a good sound system and TV. The back veranda had an outdoor setting complete with an old couch. Just beyond this was a shower designed presumably to get the worst of the sand off before traipsing it into the house. Though the garden was neat the best thing was the path that led to the private beach, shared only by the neighbours on either side.

“Fancy a beach at your backyard, Val,” said Tina breathing deeply, and noticing with delight how clean the sand was and how clear the water was, totally free of debris. 

They heard the car horn, Nev loved honking his arrival. Three rings on the phone and hang up, meant ‘I’m on my way’, three knocks on the door meant ‘Nevin is here’, three honks on the horn meant “sit up and beg”, well not really, it was his joke.

Betty looked pale, and as though she had done a fair amount of crying, her eyes were glassy.

 She accepted a hug from Val and Tina and smiled as she saw the room chosen.

“We would have had this one anyway,” she said not to anyone in particular “I could go a cuppa tea, laced with …”

The kitchen table was as good a place as any to have this, Val and Nev brought the tea and Oreos over.

“Betty, what is it, love?” Val could be blunt at times, but this time her eyes showed concern.

“Rupert has left me for a woman who has had more husbands, or… than hot showers.” this statement invited the stunned mullet look.

“When?” a pianissimo chorus and that gaze that indicates disbelief.

“Last week.”

“Eh?” again, a simultaneous pianissimo chorus though shock was setting in.

“I’m not eating much,” Betty’s statement was dull, as she surveyed the Oreos “I fancy pizza tonight but it might not...”

“That’s fine by me” the chorus was closer to forte.

“I wanted to come, I had to get out of the house.”

“Yes” talk about a stilted conversation between stunned mullets.

Frank and Nev decided to go for a walk along the sand, the others ventured outside.

“He was the only one who ever called me Elizabeth, Rupert never shortened names, at least latterly.” Betty sniffed.

“Yeah, he called me Clementina.” Tina smiled, “funny thing is I never noticed it when we saw each other regularly.” she was thinking of the time so long ago when as neighbours they were in each other’s pockets, time and semi-retirement had changed that.

“Oh, he was Rup then.” said Betty with the ghost of a smile.  “now he’s just rude.”

“I always thought you were Christina,” said Val

“I wish.” said Tina “though I might still have shortened it.”

“And I hate Valerie.” said Val emphatically “Mum used to call me that when she thought I had done something wrong; invariably I had.”

Even Betty laughed at that.  “Yes, I got Elizabeth Jane and the threat of the hairbrush. Ah, well I’m sorry to put a dampener on the weekend but he was always good at timing, he should have been a musician.”

“Instead he is a maths teacher,” said Val

“Professor don’t you know?” chided Betty

“Really!” said Val contemptuously “I did not know.”

They sat watching the sea; its methodical soft purr soothing, as the waves came to the shore.

“Just look at them, Frank,” said Nev as they wandered up the path “I can’t believe Rupert toad did that to Betty. Mind you I always thought him odd.”

“Yeah,” said Frank “Professor of Mathematics, don’t you know.”

“Who you?” Nev teased

“Nah,” said Frank laughing “I was the boring old pen-pushing public servant, as you were in a way.”

“Yes, I guess,” said Nev “once a chalky always… Then there is Rupert.” he laughed and adjusted his sunglasses; they were slipping down his nose.

“I could go a beer,” said Nev.

“Good idea I thought you’d never ask,” said Frank.

“Let’s make this a good weekend mate” Nev smiled, Frank was still pensive.

It was pizza for dinner followed by ice cream and in between, a couple of bottles of soft merlot. They caught up with the news as you would expect of friends who had not seen one another for a time. Like the proverbial elephant in the lounge room, they tried to ignore Betty’s situation, but it could not really be forgotten. The sea air had made them tired, but as expected, Betty had trouble sleeping, but none crying. She should not have come, she thought.

Rupert Dove had his own plans which included Susan. Once he finished speaking to Tina he drove towards the hills, as far away as possible from the cottage retreat which had been planned for months. Elizabeth was such a wet blanket these days, whereas Susan was vivacious. and charming the perfect hostess for one, or several guests. She made him feel young again.  Instead of the same old stews for dinner, there was Italian or Asian meals, fancy bread, chutneys and dips and always, a cellar full of expensive wine. He stopped at the florist, chose a bunch of pink roses and got back into the car. Upon arrival, he saw a car parked outside Susan’s house. He thought nothing of it, drove into the drive, parked and, leaving his case where it was. retrieved the roses and almost skipped up the path.

The front door was open, Rupert heard voices. Susan’s and a male visitor, probably her brother who lived close by, though it did not sound like him.

“Oh Sue, I love you so much.” the statement of itself was fairly bland but what followed indicated where they actually were, and clearly it was a place where three would be a crowd. Did the bed always creek like that when…?

“Oh, careful darling what if Rupert were to arrive early?”

“Let him. I will show him how it is done.”  their laughter was smothered by amorous togetherness.

He could not help feeling nauseous. Looking through the open window, Rupert could see them blissfully unaware of the outside world, their own was far more exciting.

She saw him and froze, the other man sat up embarrassed.

“Rupert?” she too was embarrassed “Oh goodness is that the time?”

“It’s time to put these roses in water Susan.” said Rupert pointing to his left hand “before they die too.”

Silence can be very heavy at times. Sue her face aflame looked haughtily at Rupert.

“You are the only person who ever called me Susan.” her voice was brittle “I was christened Peggy Sue, shortened to Sue.” There was an odd expression on her face.

Rupert thought fleetingly of Elizabeth, who always preferred Betty, wondering how she was coping and if he dared…   He looked at the roses and left them at the step.

“Rupert Dove, you are a silly old bugger.” he thought.

Without a word he turned, got into the car and drove as fast as the speed limit would allow. With luck, he would arrive at the cottage by 11 pm.

Betty had tossed and turned for nearly two hours. She got up, dressed and as her room was at the back of the house it was easy to leave with as little fuss as possible. She stood at the water’s edge; the only noise was the sound of the waves meeting the shore How peaceful this place was. Random thoughts vied each other for attention. She walked along the sand trying to control the panic.  It would be so easy just to end it all right there and then if she were alone. She walked a few paces toward the sea, something held her back.

“Not here Bet,” she cautioned herself.  

She imagined Rupert cavorting, then remembered the look of horror on Val’s face when the story was told. She continued to walk towards the pier, her decision was made regardless; it was not worth living. Meanwhile, Rupert followed her quietly. The steps up to the pier were secure; Betty was approaching the edge as though ready to jump. As Rupert climbed the steps the wood creaked. Betty ignored it thinking it was a trick of her imagination.

 He ran “No, oh please God, no.” he thought “Oh Betty”

She took a deep breath, then felt arms around her. Turning she realised it was Rupert. He tickled her under the chin, not realising that Val Nev, Frank and Tina had been watching ready to be there if necessary.

“Go on mate kiss her.” Rupert turned to recognise Nev’s voice and did as suggested

It’s going to be a great weekend.” said Val. Indeed, it had only just begun.