Chapter 32
32
BABS
Sunday afternoon
‘Exactly how far out is this house?’ Babs asked from the back seat of the dusty four-by-four which was bouncing along the dirt track up and down mountains. She looked out of the side window and felt dizzy, she hadn’t realised they were that high up. She hoped there was no oncoming traffic because there was nowhere for Santiago, the estate agent, to do a turn and the thought of him having to reverse down this narrow mountain path was terrifying.
Santiago’s eyes met hers in the mirror. ‘A few more minutes, seňora .’
‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Babs? So peaceful. Look at all these olive trees. No traffic or noisy neighbours here,’ Geoff said excitedly.
No life either, Babs thought but she didn’t want to say anything. Geoff had looked so happy and relaxed since they’d arrived in Spain that she didn’t want to burst his bubble. It was because he was on holiday, people always relaxed on holiday, she told herself. He was enjoying the adventure of it all. He’d promised he wouldn’t move if she didn’t want to, so she was trying to be fair, to give it a chance. They were going further and further up the perishing mountain, she noticed in panic. Why did people build houses so high up?
Finally, they came to a stop. ‘Here we are!’ Santiago announced.
Babs stared at the huge pale yellow house in front of them, what she could see of it anyway, as most of it was surrounded by a crumbling wall and big iron gates. This looked like a mansion. Surely it couldn’t be in their price range. Geoff was out first, racing around to open the door for Babs, much to her surprise. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that. ‘Isn’t this amazing!’ he exclaimed.
Amazing isn’t the word she’d have chosen to describe it but before she could express her opinion the gates opened and an elderly Spanish man stepped out, smiling broadly. ‘Buenos dias.’ He kissed Santiago on both cheeks.
‘Buenos dias,’ Santiago replied, turning to Babs and Geoff. ‘Seňor and Seňora Marston.’
He indicated the man. ‘This is Miguel. He is the owner.’
‘Bienvenido,’ Miguel kissed Geoff on both cheeks. ‘Bienvenida.’ Welcome. He did the same to Babs. Then he indicated for them to come in.
‘Come, seňora , come and look around. You will be… how do you say—?’ he thought for a moment.
‘Dazzled.’ Santiago finished for him, leaving the car outside and following Miguel through the gates.
Dazed is more what Babs felt as she looked at the orange and lemon trees scattered about the huge garden which seemed to stretch on forever.
‘Come! Come!’ Miguel beckoned. He’d locked the gates behind them and was leading them over to the huge, sprawling house. Pushing open big wooden doors he beckoned them inside, leading them through the lower level of large, high-ceilinged rooms at top speed. Babs barely had time to notice that they all had tiled floors and were filled with dark wooden furniture. Talk about a whirlwind tour!
‘This is a typical Spanish home,’ Santiago told them as they followed Miguel up narrow spiral stairs to the upper floor, to more huge, dark rooms. He flung open heavy wooden blinds and the sun poured into the room.
‘The Spanish leave the blinds closed in the daytime to keep the houses cool,’ Santiago explained.
Miguel stepped out onto the balcony. ‘Come!’ he beckoned.
They all followed him out. Babs gazed at the expanse of land around them, the mountains rising up at the back. They must be about halfway up the mountain, she realised.
‘It takes your breath away, doesn’t it?’ Geoff exclaimed.
It certainly did, but not in the way Geoff meant, Babs thought. ‘Where’s the nearest village?’ she asked.
Santiago spoke to Miguel in rapid Spanish then turned to her, a big smile on his face. ‘Only a twenty-minute drive.’ He held out his hands. ‘Look at the wonderful view. You will wake up to this every morning.’
‘It’s marvellous,’ Geoff agreed. He turned to Santiago . ‘Muy bonita casa.’ He enunciated the words in what he thought was a Spanish accent. ‘That means “very pretty house”,’ he informed Babs.
Babs rolled her eyes. ‘Do you have anything a bit nearer civilisation?’ she asked.
Santiago sighed and exchanged a knowing look with Geoff. ‘Always, the ladies, they want the shopping, the cafés…’ He shook his head as if Babs was being frivolous. ‘Do you not think this is beautiful?’ he asked. ‘The mountains, they are majestic.’
‘It is, but I was thinking somewhere not so far from the village. And not so high up,’ Babs said. ‘We’re getting older now, you know. This house will be difficult for us to manage.’
Santiago sighed again. ‘I will see what I can do, seňora. ’
After saying goodbye to a beaming Miguel, who thrust a carrier bag of lemons in their hands – ‘You take, fresh from my trees’ – Santiago set off again along the bumpy mountain track. By the time they reached the next house Babs felt like she’d been on a fairground ride.
‘This house is only ten minutes’ drive to the village,’ Santiago said as he opened the door for her again.
More iron gates, this time they opened automatically as they approached and Santiago drove through, the gates closing behind them. The sprawling house – white with a terracotta roof – looked modern, as if it was recently built, and was surrounded by olive trees.
Now this is a bit more promising, Babs thought.
‘This is a new house, but it isn’t quite finished,’ Santiago told them as he took a set of keys out of his pocket and opened the front door. ‘Unfortunately the owners split up and went back to Sweden. They’ve left me to sell the house.’
He led them into a huge room which was completely bare apart from a few wires hanging out of the wall. ‘This is the kitchen.’
‘It’s massive!’ Geoff exclaimed.
‘What are those wires?’ Babs asked, eyeing them suspiciously.
‘For the cooker and other… appliances, seňora. ’
The lounge was huge, too, with wide picture windows which Geoff was already gazing out of. There was no rail on the stairs and the bedrooms had no doors. Santiago led them to a huge bathroom, empty apart from a claw-footed bath along one side, which again hadn’t been fitted.
It was like a shell, Babs thought. No kitchen, no bathroom, nothing.
Geoff was excitedly deciding what he would put here, and there, declaring how wonderful it would be to design the interior of the house however they wanted. Babs was speechless.
‘Come and see the pool. Imagine yourself swimming in this, or gliding across the surface on a lilo,’ Santiago said.
He led the way out the back, down some steps, around the corner and there in front of them was a huge pool, full of clear blue water. It looked cool, tempting. For a moment Babs imagined swimming in it. She walked along the side to the end, intending to walk further down the garden when Santiago gasped and pulled her back. ‘Careful, seňora, the fencing, it is not finished yet.’
As he pulled Babs back she gazed down in horror at the sheer drop down the mountain. If she’d gone a few steps further… She shuddered.
Geoff had joined them now. ‘Wow!’ he gasped.
‘It’s a view…’ Santiago paused again to try and think of the English translation to what he wanted to say. ‘A view to die for!’ he said triumphantly.
‘That’s what I’m scared of!’ Babs said faintly.