Lovely day and where better to enjoy the morning than sitting in Pat and Brian's garden. All good stories today, Brian with his interest in history told us about the defensive shields creating if practised well a deadly machine bringing death to the enemy. Joan Read recounted a daughter's bid for independence. Ann's story depicted terrible conditions suffered by children down the mine. My story was of an event during wartime. Joan told of grandchildren visiting their grandparents. Sheila told of a stroppy teenager growing up. John about a boy with learning disabilities and a gift for horse riding. Pat told of an idyllic day in Hythe watching the liners leaving. But Rosemary was the outright winner.
Next month "I wished that"
SHOW HER: As they entered the Art Gallery she said to her two grandchildren "I actually KNEW this famous artist when I was at University" "Yes, we KNOW Grandma" Toby replied with a sigh and a shrug "You've TOLD us that lots of times already!" Sarah looked at her grandchildren's bored expressions and thought for the hundredth time that maybe she should have travelled up to London alone to view this amazing collection, rather than dragging the children along with her.
It wasn't really the sort of outing they'd expected, and she knew that she'd only brought them with her as a sort of excuse, support and defence mechanism in case she happened to meet her long-ago friend, the famous artist Alex. For if she DID set eyes on him she wasn't sure how her heart would react. Would it turn cartwheels as it used to do all those years ago? She was afraid that it might well do so!
Suddenly Toby said hopefully "There's a cafe over there Grandma. Can we have ice-creams please?" As the children sat enjoying their ice-creams and she sipped her frothy coffee, she let her mind wander back to those heady University days - and ALEX!
All the girls on the Art and Design Course had been madly in love with Alex, including herself. Maddeningly, even though Alex had accepted their adoration, he only ever remained friends with them all, never singling one girl out for special attention, no matter how hard they had each tried to win his heart.
She smiled to herself as she recalled how overwhelmingly THRILLED she had been when he eventually invited HER up to his digs one evening, promising to show HER his latest artistic efforts. She had gone full of hope that at last he had chosen HER to be the one he had decided to date out of all the other girls. But how bitterly disappointed she had been when she'd realized that all Alex intended to do was to SHOW HER HIS PAINTINGS - with NO hidden agenda at all!
Suddenly her memories were interrupted by a muted buzz and a whole new atmosphere in the cafe. She looked up and saw Alex standing in the doorway surrounded by a small group of adoring people. As he entered the cafe Alex's eyes scanned the tables and the various folk sitting at each one. His gaze passed over her with not one shred of recognition, as her heart did the accustomed cartwheels.
Alex made his way to the discreet table in the far corner which had been reserved for him and his Civil Partner Rory. And as her heart stopped doing cartwheels she thought for the umpteenth time of all the girls whose hearts had been broken by him, never realizing that he was gay.
She gathered up her bag with a sigh and asked her grandchildren "Would you like to go on a river trip and up in the London Eye now instead of looking at any more paintings?" "Yes please. Grandma!" was the relieved reply, as she determined to enjoy the rest of the day with her grandchildren, and TRY at least to put the past firmly behind her.
