Chapter 25
The trip from Portsmouth to Dover was made without incident. After lunching at Folkestone and stopping briefly at Beachy Head for photos, they arrived at Dover in the mid-afternoon. Now while most of the party had gone down to the base of the cliffs to swim and relax in the sun, Eddy and Lee decided to take a stroll together.
After taking a quick walk through Dover, they both decided to enjoy the out-of-town scenery, so they headed up past Dover Castle, where they could look out over the English Channel, where – despite their best efforts – they could not see the French side due to haze. So they both decided to walk along a pathway that ran along the top of the white cliffs.
"Ya know", Lee said as she strolled with Eddy, "the sunset would look a lot nicer if we were looking at it over on the French side".
"That's geography for ya, Babe", Eddy replied as he pointed out over the cliffs, "I'm not a genius in the subject, but at least I do know that the sun doesn't set in the east".
Both of them had been walking hand-in-hand along the path for a little while, but the setting sun was their cue to start heading back to where the mini-bus was parked, so they turned around and started retracing their steps.
"Ya know, Eddy", Lee remarked, "I'm still a little bit ambiguous about your using 'Babe' as a pet name for me. Sounds kinda condescending at times".
"Sounds like Double-Dee's vocabulary is rubbing off on ya some", Eddy playfully replied, "but seriously, what else can I call ya? You made it clear to me that using the same name that Lindsay calls ya would be a ball-breaker!"
Eddy had been referring to the time when he and Lee had been practicing for the Nutcracker Grand Pas de Deux at the Peach Creek High School talent contest two Christmas' ago. Eddy had suggested 'LeeLee' as a pet name, not knowing that it had been used by Lindsay to address Lee back in Grade School before Edyta Babik's forced breaking up of their friendship. Lee's reply to Eddy over that suggestion was something that he never forgot. When Eddy had gotten to read Lee's diary and found out why that was, he understood.
"Yeah, I know and I'm sorry, Love", Lee said sympathetically, "but thanks for understanding why it needs to something exclusive between Lindsay and me. So I guess you'd better stick to 'Babe' for the time being".
At that, Lee leaned over and kissed Eddy on the cheek. Eddy said next: "Tell ya what: I promise I'll find something better to call ya asap. After all, if we're gonna end up being at the Royal Ballet School together, 'Babe' might not be the thing for me to say to ya in front of the other dancers!"
Lee chuckled at that. As they were walking back to the car park, Eddy said next: "Speaking of exclusive, Double-Dee and I are going to try to help Ed out some tomorrow when we go for the guys day out".
Eddy was referring to the agreement that tomorrow – Day Five of the vacation – that the group would be doing their resumption of the London walkabout with the guys going one way and the girls the other.
"What's Ed needing help for?" Lee asked.
"Well, it was my fault actually", Eddy replied, "When I gave you that necklace back at the Ballet school, May pointed out to Lumpy that he hadn't gotten something similar for her. Double-Dee got Marie her gold necklace when they were first dating, and now that I've given you one, Ed wants to do likewise for May".
"Does he have the money for it?" Lee asked.
"Nah, he doesn't", Eddy answered, "which is why the rest of the guys have agreed to chip in and buy Ed one to give to her".
"Ed may not be the brightest bulb in the group, Eddy", Lee said after thinking about what Ed had said, "but Ed is someone who wants to be able to provide for May without help. How are you gonna convince him of accepting something from the rest of youse?"
"It'll be more or less a fait accompli", Eddy replied, "and Ed'll come around when he gives it to May. Seriously, those two act like goofballs a lot, but they really love each other, and the bottom line for Ed is to make sure that May is happy. The necklace will certainly do that. If he wants to pay us back at some later time, that's fine".
"Yeah, I'm sure you're right", Lee replied as she fingered the necklace around her neck.
"I wonder how the others enjoyed their swim?" Eddy said next, "By the way, thanks for suggesting the walk. I think it's better than going swimming in the channel. That water looked cold!"
"Well, I really did want to show off my new bikini", Lee confessed with a blush, "but that is classified 'For your eyes only', and I didn't want to have to put up with the comments that I'd be getting from the others over it".
"That good, huh?", Eddy breathed? Lee nodded with a grin and a wink. Edy grinned back.
As Lee and Eddy headed back to the car park, the others had finished their swim, then getting changed back into their clothes and were now heading up to the car park from the beach. Sarah and Jimmy were each chewing on a Mars bar, while Johnny was chewing on a toffee-apple he had grabbed from a street vendor.
"Don't spoil your appetites", Chuck Statorowski had cautioned them, "as we'll be getting back to the Petersham for dinner".
For that reason, the other couples: Rolf and Lindsay, Ed and May, Kevin and Nazz, and Edd and Marie had refrained from snacking. All of them had enjoyed their little sea-side swim and had worked up an appetite.
"You know, Marie", Edd was saying, "it was here that the inspiration for the song 'I do like to be beside the seaside' occurred. The working class of Colonial Britain did not have all that many recreational pleasures that they could experience on limited means and beach excursions was one of the few that a lot of them could look forward to doing".
"Yeah, but what would one make out of 'Mad dogs and Englishman going out in the midday sun', Oven Mitt?" Marie replied with a giggle, "Songs can be inspiring, but cultural differences can really make a person's head spin some trying to work some of those lyrics out".
"I endeavor to try and understand as much as possible, but you are right, Marie", Edd responded, "at times, it can overwhelm a person".
"Just when you were overwhelmed and fainted at the British Museum?" Maire rhetorically asked with a giggle.
"Please don't remind me of that, Marie", Edd said as the others who were in earshot chucked. "That is still rather embarrassing".
"You going back thee tomorrow with the guys, Cutie?" May asked next.
"Whatever we end up doing will be a decision that we will make jointly", Edd replied, "And I am assuming that you ladies will be doing likewise when you go out on your London excursion".
"Too right, Double-Dee", Nazz piped up, "There are some places you guys wouldn't like to visit that we wanna go see. It's a girl thing, so I don't think you'd understand. Isn't that right, Girlfriend?" she said to Marie. Marie nodded.
"I muse confess that your two 'X' chromosomes do make for certain habits and interests rather difficult for myself and other members of the male gender to comprehend at times", Edd confessed, "but regardless, I hope that all you ladies do end up enjoying tomorrow's excursion".
"Uh, what did you just say, Double-Dee?" Edd enquired, "I kinda stopped following what you said after the word 'confess'".
"He means that he hopes the girls have fun while we have fun, Ed", Kevin translated.
"Well, this son of a shepherd hoped to drop in on one of the local Urban Ranger chapters while we're here", Rolf said, "Jimmy and Johnny also want to do so".
"Tomorrow's Friday, Rolf", Lindsay pointed out, "what makes you think that you'll be seeing any of them on a weekday?"
"Ah, my sweet Schmetlokin", Rolf replied, "Rolf will be making enquiries tomorrow during tomorrow's walkabout. So Saturday while some of us are watching the cricket, Rolf, Jimmy, and Johnny will hopefully be meeting up with the Rangers".
"Are you sure you'll be able to get to do so?" Lindsay asked next.
"Don't worry about that", Johnny said, "Rolf is world-known amongst the Urban Rangers for his winning of the 'Hairy Chest of Resilience' Badge. The Grand Poohbah of the Brotherhood of Urban Rangers is based in London and he had issued Rolf an open invitation for him to visit. He'll put us on to a local chapter".
"Sounds like you'll be having fun, Jimmy", Sarah commented as she finished her Mars bar, "I hope that whatever Lindsay has in store for us will be just as fun!"
"Don't worry about that, Sarah", Lindsay assured her, "The girls are going to having the run of London Town!"
Most of the boys rolled their eyes at that but none of them decided not to comment. It had been a long day and they just wanted to get back to Richmond and the hotel to eat and sleep.
"You know, Oven Mitt", Marie said after a minute or so, "I find it surprising that you'd be part of a 'Boy's day out', given your…"
"Geekiness?" Edd finished off for her. Marie put her hand over her mouth.
"I didn't mean that, Double-Dee", Marie said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything nasty".
"Well, you had suggested that I do more social interactions with friends, Marie. You pointed that out after we watched that film 'A Beautiful Mind'. John Nash is one of my heroes, but I earnestly hope that my academic knowledge will not blind me to social norms", Edd replied, "so there is no need for you to apologize as you are just being concerned about my well-being".
Marie leaned over and kissed Edd on the cheek. She had watched that movie with Edd on cable TV a few months ago and had seen the actor who played Nobel prize-winning mathematician and economist John Nash – despite his mathematical genius – being out of his depth in social interactions. Kind of like a male version of 'Bones'. She loved Ed deeply, but was worried about his thirst for knowledge overwhelming everything else about him. In a way, her 'trust-building steps' in order to loosen up his reticence about sex was part of dealing with this worry of hers.
"Hey, there's Eddy and Lee!", Ed exclaimed as they made it back to the mini-bus.
"Enjoy your swim?" Lee asked them all rhetorically as they came up to the mini-bus. A lot of nods and 'yeses' resulted.
"That was quite enjoyable", Jimmy said, "You missed out of something fun you two!"
"Waking along the cliffs was fun too, Jimmy", Lee replied, "even if Dover Castle was closed for renovations".
Edd glanced up at the round tower of Dover Castle with the Union Flag fluttering from its flagpole. He was disappointed in its closure, but the swimming that he had with Marie down by the beach more than made up for it.
"Okay folks, let's get in. We've got to get rolling", Mr. Statorowski reminded them.
With that, they all got into the mini-bus. Mr. Statorowski started up the engine and they proceeded to depart Dover and head back to Richmond.
