THE FULL MOONS PART 2. WE ALL NEED A HOLIDAY. DAY ONE
"Cora and I decided we all need a holiday"
Ruby's face lights up "a holiday?"
"Yes we were hoping you both would agree to England"
"England?"
Mulan stuck her head round the kitchen door
"England?"
"Cora has friends there on the south coast, and later I would love to tour London"
"London?"
"Are you going to repeat my every last word Ruby?"
"Every last word?"
Cora chuckled. Ruby was teasing again.
"Then that's settled" the girls grinned and googled London immediately.
"We leave next week then after the full moon".
Nag nag nag. "No mother. Yes mother".
As usual, I mentally shut out her shrill voice. I replace it with fantasies, I slip into my favourite where I throttle her. Her eyes bulging and oh so surprised as I tighten my hands around that Wrinkled turkey neck. Shouting in her face, laughing at her feeble attempts to loosen the grip "what do you say now? Mother, Huh?. What do you have to shriek now mother?".
My hands shake violently with the thrill of anticipation. Not today. Not today mother. I bite into my fist and let the pain quickly bring me back from the edge, and still, her voice a high pitched tinnitus piercing my ear drums. Nag nag nag. "Yes mother. No mother".
The basement stifles me. A glance at the small window at the top of the wall that looks onto the street, time for North London rush hour and the thud thud of feet from passing strangers hurrying to get home. I look back at her red face.
Soon mother I will exceed your disappointing expectations of this dull stupid boy. Soon you will learn to fear me.
"Why am I smiling mother? Because I love you of course".
"Omg it's cold"
Mulan pulled Ruby closer as if she needed an excuse.
They were walking across the beach stones with the sound of gulls over them. The Wind constant and all had given up on trying to keep hair in place. The girls pulled their hoodies tight, Cora had lost her hat after the third attempt of pulling it down hard on her head. The girls laughing as they ran up the beach to retrieve it before the sea gobbled it up.
Granny let nothing spoil her love for the view.
The scene was beautiful, and they hadn't packed enough sweaters.
They ate fish and chips out of white paper on the promenade seats out of the wind with an audience of long legged gulls who normally would not hold back stealing food except for Cora's steely stare. She had no magic here but her formidable presence lacked little.
The girls then went back down to the sea to paddle and throw stones while the two elder women leaned together in a peaceful, content happiness.
So good to leave the ups and downs of home behind for a while.
Then back to the hotel for warm baths and an English high tea accompanied by delicate savouries of either cucumber or egg and cress sandwiches, with the crusts removed, and cut into triangles, scones with clotted cream and jam, cakes and pastries.
Cora though had to fetch Eugenia back though after a 15 minute wait, as she headed to the kitchen to see why it was taking so long, formidably striding through the kitchen doors and met with startled faces!
Welcome to England Granny.