Chapter 21
We said our goodbyes, and many thank yous to Genova and then the four of us boarded the ferry, which left exactly on time at five twenty that morning just as the dawn was breaking for what looked like a glorious day.
The early morning air was crisp and clear on our faces as we boarded the ship and made our way inside the boat to a very nice cafe area where we had some unbelievably good cannoli and coffee, which raised all our spirits.
‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we are still alive and not in some Italian hospital somewhere in traction,’ I said.
‘I was in hospital in Rome once, with appendicitis,’ Evelyn said, ‘and there were nuns. They were very efficient, but I was terrified of them.’
‘Do you think we will find the Avanti,’ Diana said, looking worried.
‘It’s a blooming great ocean liner, of course we will,’ I replied. ‘It can’t exactly hide behind the other boats, and if we can’t, well we will ask someone.’
Rapha?l yawned and passed a hand over his stubble.
‘I need a sleep,’ he said, ‘it’s been an exciting night.’
‘Thank you for everything,’ Diana said, ‘for staying behind in Pompeii. I don’t know what we would have done without you.’
‘My pleasure,’ he said with one of his dimpled smiles.
Twenty minutes later we were in Messina, the deck hands shouting in the clear morning air as they threw ropes onto the quayside and started unloading the cars.
Rapha?l went into the tourist information office and within minutes we were in a taxi, heading along the side of the harbour where suddenly we saw the reassuring, familiar bulk of the Avanti, and I think we all breathed a sigh of relief.
‘So, our unexpected adventure is over,’ Evelyn said, handing over a wad of euros to the taxi driver. ‘I have to say it turned out rather well, don’t you think?’
‘It did, thanks to Rapha?l and Genova of course,’ Diana said rather emotionally. ‘I don’t know how we can ever thank you.’
‘Let me take a proper picture of you,’ he said after a moment, ‘to celebrate.’
‘We were going to do that anyway, weren’t we?’ I said.
Diana thought about it and then looked up at him through her lashes.
‘We’d love to.’
Getting back on board felt like a celebration in itself and it wasn’t long before we were back in our suite and reassuring Alfred – who had apparently been beside himself with worry – that we were none the worse for our escapades. The daily newsletter was on the table – apparently we had missed the Argentine ventriloquist – and there were some extra chocolates on our pillows from the cabin staff.
We left Messina late that afternoon, and we missed out on seeing what I was sure was an interesting place. But perhaps having been left behind by the ship once, none of us was prepared to risk having the same thing happen again.
‘Do you realise after this that we only have a few days left of our holiday?’ I said. ‘We get to Santorini tomorrow, and then on to Athens. And then the plane home. It will be odd to leave the ship, say goodbye to Evelyn and go back to the real world where we have to do the cooking and clearing up ourselves, won’t it?’
We had both had a shower and were sitting in our towelling robes, drinking coffee and eating yet more Bear Claw pastries, which had to be my new favourite, despite their size and calorific value.
Diana brushed some crumbs off her chin. ‘It will. You know, I didn’t really think I would enjoy this trip as much as I have. It’s been completely different from what I was used to. From what I was expecting. Even missing the boat was okay in the end, wasn’t it? Although I don’t think I will forget that drive in a hurry. It wouldn’t have been like that with Casper. I would never have heard the last of it.’
I sighed. ‘Well, he’s not here. And Evelyn and I are perhaps not quite so rigid. If we can’t do something daft at our age, when can we? And by the way, that means you have limited time left, so you are going to have to get on with things.’
‘What things?’
‘Rapha?l. It’s obvious he likes you, and you like him. I mean, you’ve already kissed him, so you got that out of the way. And he wants to take your picture. Perhaps he will ask you to take off your clothes and be artistic.’
Diana snorted with laughter, but she didn’t say anything about what a daft idea it was and how she would never do that sort of thing.
‘Perhaps you should,’ I said encouragingly, ‘have one of those boudoir shots, where you look all sultry and sexy.’
‘Jill, it would take a lot of filters for that,’ she sighed at last.
But she hadn’t said no. That was interesting. I wondered not for the first time what was going on in my sister’s head.
We had been so close once we could have discussed anything, but her years with Casper had given her a veneer of reticence. Was that what happened to everyone? Was I like that? Hiding my true feelings. Worrying too much about what people thought of me all the time?
I thought about it for a moment. So many people knew a version of me, the one I presented to the world. I wasn’t actually like that inside. I was still somehow the same noisy kid who had gradually learned how to be a grown up. And to be honest all this adulting business wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
‘Anyway, you’re the one with the bosom, not me,’ Diana said after a few minutes. ‘I was behind the door when they gave out those.’
‘Perhaps you should have a boob job if it bothers you. Although I can tell you, if you do, finding a comfortable bra afterwards is almost impossible.’
Diana took a bite of her pastry, a strange new determination on her face.
‘I might,’ she said, ‘but, do you know, I think I need a face lift too. I’ve got a bit saggy around the chin over the last few years. And if I did it would be for me, not for anyone else I can assure you. I just wish I had appreciated being young a bit more when I actually was young.’
Good heavens, this was a turn up for the books and no mistake. My sister considering cosmetic surgery.
She took a swig of her coffee. ‘Well, okay, being realistic I might not do either of those things but before anyone points a camera at me, I’m going to go to the spa for a haircut,’ she said. ‘I decided on the drive down last night. After that snooze I had in the car, I think there was a fair amount of dog fur in there too, from that blanket, which didn’t help. And Evelyn mentioned someone who works there, and she said she would have a word so she would fit me in. I’m sick of messing about with all this hair, and I’ve never been any good at it. You’d think at my age I would have learned, but I’m just as clueless as I was at fifteen. And all I do is tie it back, sometimes with rubber bands which the postman drops on the ground by the front door.’
‘It’s always glamour with you, isn’t it?’
Diana laughed. And then she did something which she hadn’t done for a long time. She reached over, put her arms around me and gave me a hug.
‘Let’s not waste a moment of the time we have left,’ she said, ‘on this holiday or afterwards. Let’s do interesting and silly things. Let’s say yes to the next adventure, yes to the possibilities, yes to all the things we wanted to do and didn’t.’
I hugged her back, my heart filled with unexpected happiness. When this holiday had been discussed, I had hoped it would allow us to enjoy time together. I hadn’t for a moment imagined it would have this effect.
By the time we had got our act together, had a little snooze and got dressed, it was early afternoon. We investigated each other’s wardrobes and made some pointed comments about the amount of navy blue (Diana) and hectic patterns (me) that we owned. We agreed that we would go shopping together soon, and as Diana put it, think outside the box.
‘Is this all because of Rapha?l?’ I asked.
We had taken advantage of Alfred by then and ordered some cheese and onion sandwiches.
‘Absolutely not,’ Diana said. ‘I’ve been thinking about it and I realised that sexy as he is, I don’t need to launch myself into anything. It’s just really nice to feel that someone finds me good company.’
‘I think you’re good company or I wouldn’t have invited you on this trip,’ I said.
‘Not that sort of good company. The sort when you know a man is attracted, is looking at you as an individual. Those funny little glances, that unspoken interest. I haven’t felt that for a very long time. It makes me think about myself differently I suppose. I realised the other night when I couldn’t sleep, that I had never in my entire life really lived alone before. I’d gone from home to university, to a flat share, and then living with Casper. It’s a strange thing to wake up every day and know it’s just me there. I can understand the burden of loneliness that people talk about, and I know I’m lucky; I have you and some good friends, and I have Sam. For so long I have been either Casper’s wife, or Sam’s mum and then Casper’s widow. I think there is more to me than that, don’t you? Isn’t it about time I started being me?’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘definitely.’
This too was very surprising. It was as though something fundamental had changed and the sister I remembered from my childhood was returning, full of enthusiasm and always laughing about something.
‘Well then. I’m going to try. And I’m going to start today. In fact, these cheese and onion sandwiches are an example. I absolutely love them, but Casper didn’t. He said they gave me onion breath.’
I laughed. ‘Come on, Stinky. Let’s get dressed and go and find you a hair appointment.’
‘I’m going to get my lip waxed too. I was looking in the mirror the other day and realised I might be growing a moustache. I’m going to wear that pink shirt I bought in the ship’s boutique, and I have some fairly new jeans. I haven’t worn jeans for years…’
‘Let me guess. Casper didn’t approve of them?’
‘He said they were for young people and workmen. And he said it drew attention to my – you know – bottom.’
‘Nonsense,’ I said, ‘you have a great figure, it’s time you showed it off.’
I left Diana in the spa, swathed in a blue and white wrap, and went off to find a cup of tea in a nearby cafe which had the décor of a fin de siècle Parisienne tea room. I had to admit the Avanti was very well planned, one was never very far from somewhere to eat or drink. No wonder my trousers were getting tighter by the day.
‘Ah, there you are. I’ve just been having my constitutional around the ship.’
I looked up to see Evelyn, looking very bright in a flowery yellow dress and straw sunhat. She was sporting a thick support bandage on her injured foot.
‘Evelyn. How is your ankle?’
‘Oh fine, it’s a bit sore, just a silly sprain. I went to see the ship’s doctor. Such a nice man, he’s from Mumbai. He has three children, and he misses them terribly. Isn’t this weather a treat? So much better than England in the rain. What are you up to?’
I waved at her to join me, and she sat down, almost immediately attracting the attention of a waitress.
‘Hello Stella, how pretty you look today. I’d really love a cup of Earl Grey, and do you have any toasted teacakes or am I too late?’
Having reassured Evelyn that come what may, she would find one, Stella scuttled off.
‘So have you both recovered from our little unplanned excursion?’
‘I think so, actually it had quite an effect on Diana. She’s gone to have a haircut, and she’s talking about cosmetic surgery, although I don’t think she means it.’
‘I had a face lift years ago,’ Evelyn said. ‘I looked as though I had done ten rounds with Henry Cooper, and Douglas was furious. And in the end, it didn’t make that much difference. But I did have a tattoo after he died.’
‘Did you! Good heavens, what did you have done?’
‘Well, I was going to have a motivational phrase on my lower thigh, where only I would see it. Do one thing every day that scares you. But when it came to it, it was so painful, and I was such a fuss pot about it that the poor chap couldn’t finish the whole thing. So instead, I just have Do one on my leg, which perhaps works just as well. What they will think in the mortuary when I finally croak it is anyone’s guess.’
I spluttered with laughter into my tea and Stella returned with a pot of Earl Grey and a toasted teacake the size of the plate, which Evelyn proceeded to slather with butter. I wondered what Eddy would have said if he could see her.
‘So, a day at sea, and then Santorini and then on to Athens,’ she said, ‘and I suppose it will be farewell, because you and your sister will be flying home and I will be staying on.’
I felt rather sad at the prospect. Evelyn had become a good friend in the time we had known her. But perhaps she had that effect on everyone she met. When the Avanti sailed on across the Mediterranean towards the Suez Canal, the Indian Ocean and the rest of the world, we would be going back to England. I was sure she would make more new friends who would accompany her, listen to her stories and marvel at her energy.
‘And where will you be stopping?’
Evelyn took a sip of her tea. ‘Dubai, Colombo, Singapore, some other places and then Sydney, where, all being well, Wendy will be there to meet me off the boat.’
‘That’s going to be some reunion,’ I said.
‘Oh, we will be bickering within the hour, I expect. But it will be so nice to bicker with someone I love at last.’
I thought about this and realised it was true. I would go home to Eddy, admire his new patio and we would settle back into our old routine unless of course, I did something to shake it up.