Half an hour later most ladies had finished their card for the elderly and the poor. Delilah had carefully cut the instruction leaflet into smithereens and wiped the tiny pieces into a neat pile. She then dripped some glue over it and sprinkled a liberal amount of glitter onto her artwork.
"Goodbye!" she announced. "Must be off. Seeing a man about a tomato." She shuffled out of the hall.
Eileen waited for Delilah to be through the double doors and then quickly rushed over to the snippets of glittered instruction leaflet. "It's not dry yet!" She quickly scooped the little pile into the dustbin. "There. No stains. She did try her best, our Delilah." She used a tissue to wipe some glue and glitters off her hands, looked on her watch and then addressed the women. "Ladies! You have all worked very hard. I'm sure that the Big Wheel will appreciate what we have accomplished today. Thank you very much for your effort. I would like to address the group again if I may, but can I first count on your help in cleaning this up?"
There was the sound of chairs moving on the community hall floor, papers being stacked, scissors being put back into the scissor basket and the women chatting. A sudden shriek interrupted them when Susie found Delilah's teeth underneath a stack of papers, but it was immediately followed by laughter and the incident was handled efficiently by Sal, who shook some wobbly eyes out of a plastic bag and used it to store the teeth safely until they were reunited with their owner.
Then suddenly Beethoven's Fifth rang out! Queenie produced a smartphone out of her handbag and after some fiddling with it, she managed to pick up. "Gaye?! … You what, dear?...Already? But it isn't till next week!...Oh, I see. Yes, I'll be right over."
She fiddled some more with the smartphone to hang up, didn't manage and just chucked the thing back into her handbag. "Eileen, I'm sorry but I have to go. She's gay, you see. I mean, it's Gaye. Well, she is. And also ,it is." She waved her hand in frustration, willing herself to get on with it. "But she's home already. I wasn't expecting her till next week! She doesn't have a key. I have to go. I hope you'll manage without me?"
"I'm sure we will! Off you go!" Eileen waited for Queenie to gather her things and leave. "Bye Queenie, dear! See you next week!" As soon as the door closed behind Queenie she clapped her hands. "Ladies! Your attention please! Your special..." she tapped her nose with her index finger, "..attention! Gather around in a circle! No, Rosie. A circle of chairs please."
All the women quickly grabbed a chair and sat down. Eileen stood in front of the circle of women, her shoulders back and her regalia proudly forward, a glint of conspiracy in her eye.
"Ladies," she said. "We all know that Queenie will, in two weeks time reach the big Seven-Oh."
"Oh!" shouted Rosie, jumping up out of her chair. Then she sat back down, confused. "Seven of what?"
"Decades," replied Eileen without missing a beat. "Now ladies, she has told her daughter that she doesn't want a fuss. Which means, of course, that she wants a big fuss. And ladies? We shall give her one!"
"A fuss?" asked Pauline.
"A party." Eileen held up her hands to quiet the excited whispers. "But her real birthday is on the Saturday and of course she'll be expecting something *then*." She paused a moment and leaned towards her audience. "So we'll surprise her on the Friday! Her last evening of being sixty-nine!"
Applause erupted. The women excitedly talked about who was going to bake what and when, and whose outfit definitely needed a new pair of shoes for the party and when they would find time to go into town to get them.
"Ladies, if I can have your attention for a few more moments, please?" Eileen calmed them down. "We have to decide upon a present."
"A dog!" said Rosie. "You can get her a dog, seeing as I will already give her a cheese!"
"And she doesn't have a dog yet," added Pauline.
"It's good for protection," said Caroline.
"And for exercise," added Tip.
"That's decided then, a dog," said Eileen. "Who has one going?"
They discussed who in the surroundings had had nests or had a dog up for adoption and what type of dog would be most suitable for Queenie. It was decided that Tip would make a round of inquiries and pick up the dog. All other ladies were to get together next Thursday and bake.
At the end of the meeting Eileen had a bag full of postcards for the elderly and the poor and a well thought out plan to surprise their friend Queenie for her 70th birthday. All in a day's work for the chairwoman of the Women's Guild.