Sent Packing

Sent Packing                           by Maggie Jakins          

‘Come on, Jen, it’s your big birthday today and I promised to take you out for tea and a bun. You can get a discount now on Wednesdays,’ Frank reminded his wife tactfully as he searched for the car keys. He wanted the day to go to plan and was keen to get going. Keeping a secret, especially from Jen, had been a challenge, but so far everything was going smoothly.

‘You know I don’t like a lot of fuss, and I’m more than happy with the presents you gave me this morning,’ Jen said, although having dropped enough hints about that posh designer handbag she had seen in town, she had painted on a smile as she unwrapped a practical new suitcase in a green and brown khaki design, that Frank had surprised her with before breakfast. They’d had a few unexpected expenses this year and the only holiday they had managed to book was a four-day trip to the Isle of Wight. Jen couldn’t imagine how the huge case would look in the lobby of The Seabreeze Hotel. She had to agree, though, the case did have plenty of useful compartments, ideal for travelling, as Frank had helpfully pointed out.

Jen dragged herself from her comfy chair and made her way to the bedroom, deciding that she needed a bit more makeup now that she had become ‘a woman of a certain age’. She loved the soothing calm of this room with its soft neutral colours, carefully chosen coordinated cushions, and the costly silk rug they had brought back from some exotic location. The relaxing space was her haven and Jen almost wished she could stay here instead, snuggled up in bed for the day, wrapped in the soft pink sheets and duvet.

‘I’ll go start the car,’ Frank called out impatiently and Jen heard the front door of the bungalow click closed. Less than ten minutes later she was sitting next to him, fastening her seatbelt.

‘Are we meeting Sarah and Martin, love?’ she asked. ‘We haven’t seen them for ages. I spoke to Martin on the phone last week, but he didn’t say much. He’s probably forgotten his mum’s birthday, again…but Sarah usually sends me a flowery card.’

‘I shouldn’t think so. The kids are always busy these days, they don’t get much time off work,’ Frank replied as they left the driveway. Jen noticed he was biting his lip – a habit he had when he was hiding something, and she had a horrifying thought that he might have invited all their friends and family to the café, Jen’s idea of the worst surprise ever. She was surprised though when Frank headed out of town and took the main road, heading south towards the sea.

‘Thought we were just going to that little café in the village, Frank. They do a great carrot cake and a decent coffee,’ Jen said, looking around for signs of where they were heading.

‘You deserve better than that,’ Frank said. ‘Let’s make an afternoon of it.’ But he was biting his lip more than ever.

An hour’s leisurely drive towards the coast brought them to “The Snug”, a quaint, upmarket tea shop that Jen remembered had been their favourite haunt when they first moved to the area. To her relief, only a couple of the tables were occupied, although Jen glanced around nervously, half expecting to hear muffled giggles from behind the curtains.

To his credit, Frank pulled out all the stops, ordering a mouthwatering selection of cream cakes and fancy sandwiches which all came on an elegant three-tiered stand. They washed it all down with tea from delicate china cups, which Jen was afraid to pick up. She secretly wished that Frank might have embarrassed her with a silly balloon or even asked one of the staff to put a birthday candle on a cake, but knew that was not his style. It would have been fun, she thought.

‘That was a lovely surprise. I’d forgotten about this place. Thanks, love,’ Jen said as they made their way back to the car.

They spent the rest of the afternoon taking the scenic route home, Frank saying that the traffic would be horrible on the main roads after four o’clock, and she knew he was right.

‘There’s no rush to get back, is there?’ Frank asked, but Jen thought he was driving a lot more slowly than he normally did, although he was full of cream cakes.

The sun was starting to dip as they turned into their road, marking the end of a perfect day.  Jen didn’t recognise the two cars that were parked on the driveway. Attached to the rear of one was a fair-sized trailer and for a moment Jen thought she recognised the pink sheets hanging over the sides.

‘Frank, we’ve got visitors. Did we invite anyone over?’ she asked, concerned that she had let someone down. Frank had stopped biting his lip, but an odd smile was creeping across his face.

‘I think the blue one is Martin’s new car,’ he replied. ‘I forgot to say, he and Sarah might pop over with your presents. They must have brought someone with them, too.’

Jen stepped hesitantly through the front door, expecting to be greeted with a chorus of “Happy Birthday!” The first thing she noticed was the smell of fresh paint.

‘Martin, Sarah. Why didn’t you say you were coming?’ she asked. ‘Hope you haven’t gone to too much trouble; we’ve just been out for cake.’ Her eyes took in their overalls that were spattered in green and brown paint, similar to the colours of her new suitcase. A man she recognised as her son’s workmate was standing behind them, trying unsuccessfully to hide a roll of wallpaper behind his back.

‘Come and see your birthday surprise, Mum,’ Martin said, placing his paint-covered hands on her shoulders and steering her along the hallway towards the bedroom.

Jen stood at the doorway taking in the vision before her. Gone were the soft hues of pink and grey. Gone was the costly silk rug. Even more gone was her little piece of calm. The bedroom walls were painted in an olive green. One wall had been hastily papered in a chaotic jungle scene, complete with two giraffes peering through the foliage. The duvet cover resembled an African sunset, on top of which were cushions depicting monkeys and cheetahs. A shaggy, zebra-print rug was rolled out on the floor.

‘Do you like it, Mum?’ Martin asked watching her face, which was becoming paler than the sheets outside in the trailer. ‘Sarah and I were both watching that TV show where they do a house make-over, and we know how you like your travels. Josh pitched in to help us get it done before you came back. We only just made it in time. Good job, Dad.’

‘I’m speechless,’ Jen said, hiding her horror under a false smile. ‘I didn’t see that one coming. Thank you, darlings… Frank??’

‘It was all their idea,’ Frank said, ‘…after I’d told them we were going to Kenya on safari to celebrate your special birthday in real style. You’d better start packing that new suitcase.’