BEST OF TIMES

BEST OF TIMES…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity . . . Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.

At last we were home and it was really special having Jamie there with me.  Mum and Dad were very sympathetic about the loss of his grandfather and marvelled at all we had accomplished on our holiday.  I told them that if they hadn’t dragged me up the mountains when I was knee high to a grasshopper I wouldn’t have been up to it.  When Maddie appeared I told them that I was going to finish with Andrew.  We walked Maddie back to the aunts, and on the way back I phoned Andrew.  I told him I was back and would get in touch once I knew my off-duty and arrange to meet.  I had to tell him in person but I was dreading it.
Back home we had a lovely chat with Mum and Dad and then, exhausted went to bed – I in the room I shared with Gran (she was in the States) and Jamie who was in Evan’s room (he was on holiday.)  Next morning I saw my parents off on holiday, made breakfast and took Jamie up a cup of tea.  Jamie then went shopping and to have a hair cut.  Alas I had forgotten about Wakes Week and all the shops were closed and the Valley was earning its name – The Valley of Death.
Jamie geared for climbing and hostels was looking decidedly scruffy – especially in the trouser department so I purloined a pair of Evan’ s trousers – beautifully pressed – Mum was an excellent valet – and then he looked presentable if rakish.  The only time my sweet-tempered brother ever got angry with me was when he discovered what I had done.  We went to the Aunts for tea and came back with Maddie, our chaperone and her baby.  I enjoyed bathing and feeding the baby then Jamie and I went to the flicks – at least they were still open.  We walked back over the tops and Maddie had gone to bed.  Alone at last.  Mum had left a wimbry pie (a sort of blueberry grown wild on the moors) so we demolished it and talked and spooned and looked at the stars.
During the weekend we were often alone together late at night and as we got more passionate Jamie said that he respected the fact that we were in my father’s house and would not betray that trust.  I just wished I had a prettier petticoat than my mother’s which as too big for me and I had to knot the straps.  All I felt was a delicious, warm, oozy feeling.
The next day I took Jamie to a farm we used to stay at in the Ribble Valley.  They had known me since I was a child and I was proud to show off Jamie whilst Mrs Walker gave him the once over.  Always a bit unnerving as her eyes looked in different directions, but he passed muster and we were given a splendid lunch.
When we got home Maddie had been joined by Paul who had returned from down south.  I wondered how he would behave as originally it was he who stopped me going to the Commem Ball with Jamie.  However they seemed to get on – there was a lot of bonhomie and I cooked tomato omelettes for all.  Sometime over the weekend we went to look at the Unitarian Church where Maddie had been married.  That night we stayed up almost till dawn – our last night.  It was time to return to hospital. Get back to work and tell Andrew I couldn’t see him anymore.