The Last Word
By
Jane Goodhew
The weather was abnormally hot for the time of year instead of an
average 23C it had remained in the high 30s even at night it had not dropped
below 26C. They were not complaining it
was why they travelled abroad especially at this time of year when in the UK
the weather was becoming cold and wet and the nights were drawing in so they
seemed to be in perpetual darkness. She
hated the dark days of winter and would love to be able to live permanently in
the sun but in reality that was unlikely to happen.
They decided not to spend the days just going to the beach or by the
pool, tempting as it was just to laze in the warmth and enjoy the sight of
blue, blue skies and be thankful for the occasional breeze. They got up early and by 8.20 am were on the
first local bus to
The miles passed and the bus continued to climb the steep road until
it reached the top and the view was spectacular, fields, woodland and in the
far distance the sea. What more could a
person ask for? The sound of a snore
told her, as it would seem her daughter preferred to sleep than to enjoy the
scenery but at least she was there and had not refused to go with her. Nearly two hours later they had reached their
destination but had not a clue what they really wanted to do as although they
had done their homework and looked up on Trip Advisor ‘things to do in
We stopped at a café well we actually stoped at 3 as the first two
were either not suitable or we were just ignored as the other customers were
young mothers with noisy children so we decided to move on. The third was a small place frequented by
locals, on the corner of a back street, a young boy and his mother sat eating
and laughing at something the other had said.
A very young girl came to give us a menu, the only snag it was
completely in Bulgarian and the girl try as she might could not understand that
we just wanted a drink and some small snack.
She went away with a smile and came back with a lively, older girl who
had been to
Emma was becoming more irritated by each passing moment as we walked
further and further yet seemed to get no nearer the sea just one dead end after
another. Her phone informed her that she
had walked 12,000 steps, not that that meant anything to me and anyway walking
is good for you although perhaps not in this heat and not when the last dead
end seemed to drop down onto a motorway!
The consolation prize was that the sea could be seen in the distance so
keep positive and walking.
Finally, we found a tourist information and were shown the correct
directions to get us to the beach and just in time for lunch we found the ideal
restaurant right on the sandy beach, overlooking the crystal clear, turquoise
sea and unlike our resort not completely taken over by sunbeds and
umbrellas. The cost of the afore said at
28 Lev per day would be an unnecessary extravagance when there were so many
places to explore and public transport reliable and cheap. Once again we seemed to be invisible as
waiters went to other customers and continued to ignore us, that is until I
helped myself to a menu. It had the
desired effect and the most charming as well as tall, dark and yes, handsome
waiter with a smile that would melt the hardest of hearts asked if we were
ready for him to take our order. If I
were 20 years younger I would be more than ready but back to reality, we both
ordered and then just sat back and watched as the world went by and we
appreciated the end result of our long walk.
A few tables down were a glamourous middle aged couple; they sat and
ate in silence barley looking at one another or at the beautiful
surroundings. If one were a cynic you
might assume they were married as for so many once that ring was put on your
finger all the sweet nothing whispering and long, lingering looks seem to
vanish and be replaced by a stoney silence.
She was made up immaculately, as if she were going to the theatre, her
dress was pure silk in a pale lilac with a long scarf draped over her delicate
shoulders. He was in a light coloured
day suit not the way one would dress to be literally down on the beach but more
at one of the expensive restaurants high up on the cliffs overlooking it with a
far reaching view to capture the sunset over the horizon and watch the moon and
stars as you sip your wine late into the night.
She looked up at him and a sad expression crossed her face as she put
down her knife and fork and reached across at him and holding his hand
whispered into his ear. He pushed the
chair back with such force and he turned and went but before he did he could be
heard saying ‘Morte’. He did mumble
something else but it could not be heard and he was gone. She tried hard to look as if nothing had happened,
the waiter came and put the chair back into place and took away the plates and
returned with her desert of a simple fruit cocktail.
Sometime later the waitress went across to ask if she required
anything else or would she like the bill, it was then that the silence and
peace was disturbed by a shrill scream and the waitress cried out for assistance. Something terrible had happened to the lady,
people went over to see if they could help and eventually an ambulance arrived
but nothing could be done, the lady in lilac was dead. We all had to remain where we were so that we
could tell the police exactly what we had seen or heard, I remembered quite
clearly her husband's final words but then I also recalled as her head had been
lifted up to see if she had choked on something, a wasp had flown out. Therefore, the verdict anaphylactic
shock. What an ending to a day out.
Copyright Jayne Goodhew