Page 29 of The Cruise Club

‘Watch out, the cork will pop!’ Betty cried as Carmen peeled Betty’s fingers away and placed the bottle in the fridge.

‘I hope you’ve had an interesting afternoon?’ Fran asked Carmen.

‘Yes, I did, and I must thank you both for caring for Mum.’

Betty, arms tightly folded, called out, ‘I don’t need carers. You haven’t stuck me in a nursing home yet.’

‘Any time,’ Fran assured Carmen and patted her shoulder. ‘Will you join us for dinner, or do you fancy a change?’

‘Oh, no, I mean – yes,’ Carmen stammered. She longed to sit with Fran and Sid again and not go through the agony of making new acquaintances.

‘Lovely, if we get there before you, we’ll save you both a place.’

‘Thank you, Fran. You and Sid are very kind.’

‘Don’t mention it.’ Fran smiled. As she reached the door, she turned and whispered, ‘If you’ve time tomorrow, we could have a shopping trip in Rhodes?’

‘Well, I don’t know…’

‘Smashing, that’s settled. See you later.’

Carmen closed the door and moved back into the room to unbuckle Betty’s sandals. ‘It will be lovely to have dinner again with Fran and Sid, won’t it?’

‘I think they’re terribly common.’ Betty thrust out a foot, almost striking Carmen’s face. ‘That woman wears far too much makeup. If I wanted to mix with a clown, I’d join a circus.’ Betty sniffed and wriggled her toes. ‘And as for her husband, his cheap cologne almost gags me.’

Carmen leaned back on her heels and stared at Betty in disbelief. ‘Mother,’ Carmen said, ‘how could you? Fran is just trying to be friendly.’

‘Friendly? Oh,please…’ Betty shuffled deep into the sofa and, with a nifty movement, raised her legs and placed a cushion behind her head. ‘Pass me a blanket. I need a nap,’ she said, ‘and make sure you press my blue outfit. It’s hanging in the closet.’

As Carmen searched for a blanket, she wished her mother was hanging in the closet from the strongest hanger on the highest hook. She flicked her gaze to her watch and sighed. Writing time was over, she’d never get the rhythm back today, and the Rainbow Sleuth would have to take a back seat, his sleuthing postponed until her inspiration returned. Betty dampened Carmen’s writing like rain on a perfect picnic. But if her mother slept for an hour or so, with any luck, Carmen might steal away for a swim.

Carmen tucked the blanket around Betty, who’d fallen asleep, her false teeth clicking like castanets as her snores rose, filling the room with wheezes and snorts.

‘Sweet dreams,’ Carmen muttered and, with a shake of her head, tip-toed away.

Carmen arrived at the pool on the lido deck and, seeing that most of the loungers were occupied with bags, towels and hats, found a chair near the hot tub and sat down. As she slipped out of her sandals and eased the towelling robe from her shoulders, she became aware that the pool was full ofpensioners, all standing around. Deciding that she’d never find room in the water to have a swim, Carmen was about to push her arms back into her robe when a hand reached out to stop her.

‘Don’t be shy,’ a young man said, ‘you’ll feel much better when you’ve shaken off your excesses and got your body moving.’ He tossed Carmen’s robe to one side and pulled her to her feet. ‘In you go!’ He smiled.

Carmen felt herself propelled towards the water and guided down shallow steps until she was waist deep. To her delight, the water was warm and silky, and the late afternoon sun a caress on her skin as she joined Kyle’s Senior Splashdown.

The warm-up began, and as Carmen placed her hands on her hips and turned from side to side, she was amused to see the varying get-ups surrounding her. Passengers of all shapes and sizes bobbed about, their brightly coloured swimming caps blended with floral swimsuits and Hawaiian patterned shorts in a blur of movement. She spotted Don in the shallow end, his red Speedos glowing like a lighthouse while Debbie, demure in a skirted tankini, wore rubber flowers on her headgear. Close by, Colin and Neeta stood out in minuscule swimwear. Neeta’s bikini was tiny and as she moved, her enhanced breasts threatened to break free from her top.

Carmen felt like a slick of algae in the sludge-green one-piece that had been tucked in the back of her bedroom drawer. If Fran was still game for a shopping excursion, Carmen decided that a new swimsuit would be at the top of her list.

‘Let’s work those legs!’ Kyle called out. Pacing aroundthe pool, his back straight and clapping his hands over his head, he lifted alternate legs in a goose step.

‘Blimey, it’s like being in the army,’ Don could be heard to grumble. ‘I feel as though I’m at a Victory Day Parade in Moscow.’ He turned suddenly as Debbie, one kick too high, fell back and disappeared under the water. ‘Come on, stop mucking about,’ he said as a spluttering, red-faced Debbie choked her way to the surface.

‘Feel the burn!’ Kyle called out.

Carmen thought Kyle was taking the Senior Splashdown far too seriously as she struggled to keep up with his forward lunges and noted that others were also feeling the strain.

‘Hang on to your noodle, Colin!’ Kyle called out.

‘He hangs on to a lot more than that,’ Neeta laughed and ran her fingers over her long silver earrings, studded with emeralds that glinted in the sunshine. Ignoring Kyle’s ongoing instructions, she slowly made her way out of the pool and into the jacuzzi. Her bikini clung to her shapely figure, and all eyes swivelled as Neeta gave a playful flick of her hair and dipped her toe in the bubbling water. ‘Anyone coming to join me?’ she asked.

There was a sudden scramble as many moved forward creating a surge of water, and partners’ hands reached out to pull them back.

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