Moonlight and roses?’ wondered Wil, ‘or the enticing smell of beef slowly roasting with herbs? I know what works for me!’ His nose twitched appreciatively as he approached Vi’s cottage and his taste buds twitched too.
Nevertheless he had in his hand a dozen pale pink roses twisted artfully into a package of crisp paper and cellophane. ‘Beautiful, ‘he thought, ‘and right,’ he admonished himself gently.
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Inside her spotless house, cleaned within an inch of its life since she had heard Wil was arriving on purpose before Lila did, Vi glanced anxiously in the mirror and hoped her glossy lipstick wasn’t a step too far. What happened in the next few minutes…………..she breathed deeply just as Wil did on the other side of the door.
She opened it and simply stared at the man on her doorstep. The overhead light haloed the top of his head outlining a growing thin circle on his otherwise full head of hair. She suddenly saw the pair of them for who they truly were, retirees who were lonely and longing for the exclusive company of someone who really cared. The chatter that usually spouted out of her mouth when she was nervous died away.
She simply stood there making a beautiful tableau for an entranced Wil. Her hair looked like a halo of curls and light.
‘You look like an angel,’ he said croaking slightly. ‘For you,’ he said trying to recover from the extravagance of his remark and offered her the bouquet of roses. She reached out sensing his awkwardness and taking the flowers and the hands that offered them in both of hers, she drew him into the small hallway.
Her touch encouraged him to adjust the flowers so he could put an arm around her and simply say, ‘Vi?’
Smiling broadly, she replied simply in a sweet response, ‘Wil.’ She carefully left the question out of her voice which prompted him to bend his head slowly to her shoulder and let his forehead rest on it.
‘Oh Vi! I hate to break this awesome moment but I think something is burning in your kitchen.’
With a small shriek normality was re -established and roses and all, Vi whisked through the door to the left. ‘Please pour us a glass of wine, red or white as you like,’ she gasped as she opened the oven door to turn the potatoes. Just as a few of them had caught on the bottom of the hot pan into dark crispy bits that she already knew, Wil loved.
While he busied himself with the wine, the Merlot breathing on the side table and the White in a cooler surrounded by ice, Vi put the roses into her heirloom cut glass vase and swept out into the living room with it.
Once more Wil stared, almost in awe as she put the flowers onto the shelf under the mirror so that they reflected into dozens of blooms. Perfection he thought.
Vi was enjoying his confusion. It was obvious that her departure from her usual tailored slax and crisp blouse into a soft flowing just below the knee floral dress with wedge heeled sandals had the desired effect. She smiled broadly, her confidence boosted,.
She approached him.
‘Thank you,’ she said softly indicating the roses with one hand and raising the glass of wine he gave her, ‘a toast?’ she inquired.
‘To ………..us,’ he obliged and they drew together to clink their glasses softly. Their eyes began to glaze as they looked seriously at each other.
At the door there was shuffling, an exclamation of ‘oh darn!’ and they sprang apart guiltily then laughed.
‘She’s arrived………….early!’ exclaimed Wil quietly.
‘NOT her usual style he laughed ruefully. ‘What a night to choose it!’
‘I thought I’d surprise you Vi and help you with the Yorkshire mini puddings,’ Lila announced briskly from the door. ‘It started to drizzle as I got out of my car so I put this plastic bag on…………. Hang on, what’s going on? Why was the door left open?’ She shuddered to a stop. ‘Oh no, I’ve just ruined the moment!’ she gasped. ‘Just excuse me, I’ll just back out and let you get on with ……..things,’ she muttered. ‘Trust me to get in the way………..Oh Lila!’
‘Woah! You haven’t ruined anything Lila dear,’ said Wil in his generous kind fashion. ‘In fact you’ve come at the RIGHT moment to celebrate with Vi and me.’ He poured another glass of wine and while Vi took her coat he gave it to her.
‘Celebrate!’ Lila almost shrieked, ‘and about blooming time. A toast,’ she announced, ‘to Wil and Vi, a couple………..at last.’ She swigged a mouthful of wine and hugged each of them who were stupefied by her words. ‘I’ve been itching for you two to overcome your…………whatever it is that you had to overcome! You are made for each other and I’m delighted.’
The beef was rescued from the oven by an exuberant Lila, she poured the Yorkshire pudding batter into hot oil in patty pans while Vi perfected the meal with gravy and steamed vegetables.
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The 3 friends glowed together in the candlelight clasping each others’ hands and laughing together. The beef was still pink in the centre and the potatoes were crisp with fluffy hearts.
‘Who would ever have thought we 3 unlikely people could have ended up being the best of friends.’
‘Driving a bus, toppling us upside down onto its roof….. ‘
‘And unlikely Vi having shears in her bag to cut me free of that seat belt………and do you remember Lila how she bossed us into position to kick out the emergency window? You with a broken foot and me almost helpless too.’
‘Just in time too,’ remembered Vi, ‘before the bus burst into flames We could have been incinerated like cockroaches!’ she exploded.
‘Oh my we have MUCH to celebrate,’ they agreed.
‘I was in a deep depression,’ remembered Lila, ‘ready to commit something awful,’
‘I was a grumpy dowdy disillusioned music teacher who had come to hate everybody,’ grimaced Vi.
‘And my chief pleasure in life was driving that bus so fund my next holiday abroad, added Wil. ‘How we’ve all changed, grown. You two gave me a fresh perspective and a new goal in life.’
‘And what a suitable light hearted story of survival have I got for us to enjoy tonight,’ exclaimed Lila happily, ‘almost as though I knew that the evening needed something sweet for a change.
They stayed at the table reminiscing and enjoying the closeness of being together. Lila, young enough to be Vi’s daughter, looked fondly at the two older people she had come to regard as ‘family’ and wondered fondly where the future would lead them.
As the last delicious morsel of Malva pudding with a rich homemade custard was eaten, Lila clapped her hands lightly together and announced, ‘story time,’ and the 3 of them prepared themselves with coffee for yet another story of survival.
