Page 71 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz
‘I can’t believe what those vile wee hallions have done.’ Cath starts to pick up all the waistcoats now spread round the room.
‘I’d like to give them a slice of my mind,’ Bonnie declares.
‘A slice? Is mean slice of cake?’ Ingrida asks as she picks another hat off the floor.
Ruby bangs the costume rail with her fist. ‘Piece, slice, I want to shove an entire cake into their faces. Wait until I get my hands on that bloody woman and her cronies…’
Monica interjects. ‘We cannot afford to be distracted by this. We are on stage again after the next two numbers. Quick, everyone, find your costumes and change.’
‘We have no idea whose trousers are whose…’ I start before Monica pulls a pair off the floor and checks theback seam.
‘Thankfully, I labelled each pair on the inside hem. Ingrida, these are yours. And the waistcoats are easy. They have the matching flower to our hats.’
‘Brilliant.’ I sigh with relief and help Ingrida to sort the rest of the trousers as Bonnie and Cath pair up the waistcoats, wristbands, and bowlers.
Time is marching, so we hurriedly strip off our red tunics and leggings, discarding them where we stand, and start to pull on the new outfits. Some of the flowers have been damaged, so Monica, still in her underwear, deftly pulls out her pocket sewing kit from her bag and retrieves a tiny pair of scissors. She trims the satin petals to neaten them up.
When Monica has finished, Ruby, who is the first to be dressed, calls, ‘Here, I’ll take those, Monica.’
I see this as Ruby’s attempt to make reparations – offering to put the scissors away – but Monica simply hands them over without looking at Ruby and turns to pull on her own costume. Any anger Monica might be showing towards Ruby is surpassed by our combined fury at the actions of Sheila’s group.
‘How dare they? Can we report them to the organisers?’ Bonnie asks.
‘They’re not worth the energy it would take,’ Cath tuts in the mirror as she quickly brushes her hair. ‘So spiteful. And just because their dance went so badly wrong, as if that was our fault. To be sure, I should have guessed when we were out of the room, they’d be acting the maggot.’
Ingrida and I exchange a baffled look.
‘Maggot?’ We all start to chuckle.
‘Maggot is too good a word for them,’ I say, zipping myself into my trousers. I am glad Cath has lightened the moment.
‘What is this word maggot?’ Ingrida looks up from lacing her jazz shoes.
‘A disgusting little grub that feeds on rot,’ Ruby calls as she crosses to the rail where the Bold as Brass costumes hang ready for their second and final number.
‘Accurate description I think.’ Cath laughs. ‘They are rotten to the core.’
‘And Sheila has rotten teeth,’ I add. ‘What? What are you laughing at, Ruby? Well, it is true. Her mouth is full of amalgam fillings. Every time she laughs you can see them glinting.’
‘Asha, you’re a hoot.’ Cath sniggers. ‘Well, I think we should call those Bold as Brass women Sheila’s Maggots from now on.’
‘Ha ha. I like it.’ Bonnie applies more bronzer to her face and neck. ‘Well, we’ll show them. Their grubby little tactics won’t stop us dancing our best.’
‘Well said.’ Monica removes her red ribbon and undoes her ponytail to brush it straight and flat.
My fingers fly over my waistcoat buttons, but I cannot pull the top one close enough to fit in the buttonhole. ‘Are you sure this is mine?’ I call to the others. ‘I am struggling to do it up.’
‘Yes, look – yellow flower like your hat, Asha.’
Monica is right. This has to be mine, but it is much tighter around the bust than it used to be. I have not puton weight, have I? I flatten my chest to squeeze the top buttons in place and sigh with relief when they fasten. Perhaps it is my new sports bra purchased especially for the competition? I should have worn it in. I feel a small niggle at the back of my mind, but my attention is taken up as I catch Ruby in my peripheral vision.
The scissors are in her hand as she determinedly starts to quietly snip at the costumes on the rail in front of her. I open my mouth in shock, planning to say something to stop her, but my words dry up. Sheila’s group has tried to scupper our chances after all. I am not close enough to see exactly what Ruby is doing with those scissors, so I deliberately look away. No one else appears to have noticed her and it is better I do not witness whatever it is she is doing, so I am not complicit in her actions.
Truthfully, inside I find I am cheering Ruby on. Sheila’s group deserves to be punished for what they have done.
Ingrida, also now changed, is removing her red head band when she points to the screen. ‘Ohne. We have missed the Body and Soul group. Look. They have just finish. They are smiling and bowing. I think they are getting very much clapping. I did so want to watch them.’
‘Whose costume is this?’ Bonnie holds up the green bowler hat and pin-striped suit.
