Chapter 13 #2
‘Oh. No. Sorry, Janice, I didn’t mean it like that.
I was just saying it would be the same acronym as all these youngsters like Amy use when they’re texting, you know.
Well, maybe not Amy actually. She is very polite.
’ Bob looks at me pleadingly for support.
Bob might be a bit of a joker, but he’s got a heart of gold, and he’d never want to upset anyone.
Janice still doesn’t seem to have got it.
I stifle my laughter into a sort of cough and try to come to Bob’s rescue.
‘Yeah, Bob’s just saying that if we were the Frequent Flowers Society, it would be shortened to FFS, which could look rude as it’s also short for…
well, what Bob just said. So it’s just as well we’re the Frequent Flowers Club instead. ’
Janice finally catches on. ‘Oh, I see.’
The others have managed to adopt more serious faces by now.
‘Shall we get started then?’ I say brightly, eager to change the subject.
‘So, I’ve listed all the things I could think of which need to be done to prepare for the wedding, but if you think of anything I’ve missed, please say and I’ll add it.
Other than that, the main goal for today is to work out who’s going to do what.
As you can see, there’s a lot to get through, so we’re all going to need to muck in, especially as it’s only a few months away. ’
‘This is marvellous, Amy.’ Olive beams at me. She looks as though a weight has been lifted off her shoulders instantly. I’m guessing she’s been worried about all the planning, but didn’t like to say so.
‘Is there anything you’d like to add to it? Olive? Joe?’
It’s all gone quiet as everyone reads through the document.
‘I can arrange a car, if you like,’ offers Frank.
‘A friend of mine has a beautiful old Rolls-Royce Phantom. He mostly lets it out to filmmakers, but he’ll lend it to us, I’m sure.
’ I can’t say I’m surprised by this – Frank is one of those big, bubbly, outgoing types with a huge network of contacts who are always ready to help each other.
‘Goodness, that would be a luxury!’ Olive looks delighted at the prospect of being transported to the wedding in such style.
‘And rather appropriate,’ adds Laurence. ‘A little ethereal symbolism, if you will.’
‘Elle has offered to do the flowers, of course,’ I mention, adding relevant initials against the car and the flowers on my plan.
‘That’s so kind of her – and all of you. I really don’t know how we’d have done this without your help.’ Olive is clearly touched by the amount of support.
‘Outfits. That’s over to you two to decide what look you’re going for, how formal etc. So just let me know if there’s anything you want help with.’ I scribble down Joe and Olive’s initials on my plan.
‘Well, I’ll need some help choosing a dress – would you come with me, Amy? And I wanted to ask you a special favour too.’
‘Of course, ask away.’
‘Well, as you know, I’ll have Joe’s granddaughters as two little bridesmaids, but I’d really like to have a grown-up one too, so I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind being my bridesmaid, Amy?’
Wow! That was completely unexpected.
‘Oh, Olive, I’m so honoured, I’d love to.
Thank you so much for asking,’ I reply. And we exchange a warm hug.
I get on well with everyone at the FFC, but Olive is really special and has become a bit of a mother-figure for me.
She’s the one I turn to first if I need advice on something, the one I’ll call or email if I’m having a particularly bad day with grieving, the one who often invites me over to dinner, ‘just to make sure you don’t fade away, Amy,’ as she says.
So I’m really thrilled she’s asked me, and I feel quite emotional, but I need to pull myself together. No crying right now.
‘Wonderful. Bridalwear shops here we come!’ Olive looks excited already.
And I am too. It will be lovely picking a dress with her.
Honestly, you’d never think she was in her seventies.
She has such a trim figure, thanks to the fact that she still cycles to the shops and still does yoga every day.
And she’s so elegant, with her neatly styled hair.
So, yes, dress shopping will be lovely. It’s just that after the disappointment of the séance, today is one of those fragile days, when any emotion can almost instantly morph into tears if I’m not careful. But I mustn’t give in to the temptation to cry again because I have other things to do.
I have to get on with my plan to contact James too.
The weeks are ticking by, and every day that passes is another day when I worry about him and when he could be forgetting about me.
And now is the ideal opportunity to see if anyone is interested in getting involved in the next step in my quest to contact him.
Having done the séance thing already, I’m not worried about bringing up the subject of a spiritual mediumship evening – it’s going to take a lot more than that to shock them now.
And at least I can go to this on my own, if need be, so they won’t feel under any pressure to come along if they don’t want to.
It’s not until the new year anyway, so they’ll have time to think about it.
As it happens, quite a few seem keen.
‘We could make it into a bit of a night out, couldn’t we?’ suggests Liz. ‘Maybe go for a drink or two afterwards?’
Liz is a relative youngster, at only fifty-six, and no doubt enjoys a night out on the town from time to time.
That idea goes down well, so that’s the plan. We won’t have any drinks beforehand as that’s apparently not conducive to communicating with spirits.
‘Mustn’t mix your spirits!’ Bob jokes. But afterwards we can have a couple of drinks at a wine bar and then we’ll get a cab back to Chipping Wotton.
The lovely thing about this plan is we’re going to have a good time regardless of what happens in the actual spiritualism session – so it kind of takes the pressure off that all working out.
I’m hoping that means I won’t be devastated if James doesn’t come through, although of course I would love to hear from him.
I just want to know there’s more. I want to know he’s okay.
No, that’s not true. Of course I want to know he’s okay, but I also want to know that he still loves me.
So, the reality is, I will be devastated if he doesn’t come through.
But at least this way I can drown my sorrows at the bar afterwards, and I’ll have some of my loveliest friends with me to support me.