Early-Morning Conversations 2 To Bucket ListNot to Bucket List
Early-Morning Conversations 2: To Bucket List or Not to Bucket List
“The Galápagos Islands,” says Nick, reading from his phone. “Machu Picchu. Now your legs are strong again, you could do that. Or the pyramids. Very popular.”
“I’m not allowed to fly, remember?” says Eve. “And I’m not sure I could face going all the way to the pyramids by train.”
“OK, then,” says Nick. “Paris. Rome. Bruges. Take the children. Cultural trip.”
“Maybe,” says Eve consideringly. “I don’t really feel like traveling, though. What else does it say?”
“Meet a celebrity.”
“I’ve met celebrities,” says Eve, after a moment’s thought. “They’re not all that. They’re just normal people but with more makeup. What else?”
“Skydive.”
“Definitely not. What else?”
“Bungee jump.”
“Isn’t that pretty much the same as a skydive? What else?”
“Get married.”
“Done,” says Eve regretfully. “It’s a shame, because planning a wedding would be a really good distraction. I could always get remarried, I suppose. Meet someone cute in the cancer center and fall in love. And then I could write the novel We Met in the Chemo Queue .”
“?‘Write a novel’ is on the list, actually,” says Nick, peering at his phone. “But I think you’ve got that covered. It also says, ‘Seek out sensory pleasures, or return to those you have enjoyed in the past.’ Shall I book you a massage?”
“I’d like to find a really good marmalade,” says Eve thoughtfully. “Like that delicious stuff we ate in Italy.”
Nick roars with laughter. “Better marmalade. Is that your bucket list? Are you Paddington Bear?”
Eve laughs in turn. “Maybe I don’t want a bucket list at all. I think what I want is just to live like we do anyway—you know, do our work and go for walks and watch Come Dine with Me— but have a slightly nicer version of it. Normal but better. Call it ‘Normal plus.’?”
“?‘Normal plus,’?” says Nick. “I like that. Let’s aim for normal plus in everything we do. So when we go out to see a film, we upgrade to slightly nicer cinema tickets.”
“Exactly. And we eat nicer food than we would have done normally.”
“ When we watch Come Dine with Me , we have exotic snacks,” suggests Nick, “and therefore elevate the experience.”
“Exactly.” Eve laughs. “We eat kiwi fruit and mango slices. Get us!”
“So your bucket list is basically marmalade, kiwi fruit, mango, and Come Dine with Me ,” comments Nick. “You’re not very demanding, are you? I was waiting to plan the whole skydiving Machu Picchu holiday.”
“Seriously?” Eve laughs.
“Seriously,” says Nick, his face suddenly grave. “Anything you want to do, Eve. Anything. I will make it happen. From mango to Machu Picchu to…I don’t know. Fly to the Space Station.”
“OK, here’s the thing,” says Eve honestly. “I’ve done a lot of exciting, bucket-listy stuff in my life. I’ve done glamorous travel and I’ve walked the red carpet and I’ve swum with dolphins. I don’t need to do any more of that stuff. I just need to be around. Have fun with the children. Have fun with you. See friends. Small pleasures.”
“Are you calling Come Dine with Me a small pleasure?” says Nick in mock outrage.
“Well, obviously not. It’s the hugest pleasure of my life.” Eve laughs again. “But you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean.” He nods. “Normal plus.”
“Normal plus.” She picks up the iPad and starts typing briskly while Nick watches her with curiosity.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“I’m starting on my bucket list, of course,” she says, and smiles at him. “I’m browsing posh marmalade.”