by Carol Wyer
She glared at him. ‘Prick?’
He did not display any remorse. ‘Erm. Yes, a prick. You shouldn’t be hanging around losers like that,’ he continued, running his hands again through his dark hair. ‘You’ve got much more about you. You don’t need idiots like that.’
‘Oh really? Suddenly you’re an expert on who I should see too. It’s none of your business, mister nosey journalist. I don’t need either your opinion or your advice. You’ve got a nerve waltzing in here, trying to impress me, pretending to offer help when you’re probably waiting for me to make a fool of myself again. I wouldn’t be surprised to read a column all about the daft woman who scurries about on her knees, making pig noises.’
Jake raised an eyebrow. ‘Well...’ he said, attempting to lighten the mood.
‘See! I knew it. I don’t trust you at all, especially after what you did to Rob.’
‘But he deserved it,’ Jake protested.
‘No,’ she said firmly, ‘he didn’t deserve it. You went too far and I am not interested in your proposition. Goodbye.’
Charlie turned smartly on her heels and walked off. She marched downstairs, past Art and headed for the door.
‘Charlie?’ called Art.
‘I’m going home. See you tomorrow,’ she shouted and left.
Forty-Five
Charlie drove straight home. She flung open the back door and headed for the kitchen. She crashed and banged about in her cupboards, looking for her teabags. Who the bloody hell was this man to try and interfere in her life? He hardly even knew her. They had shared a few minutes together at Alton Towers, discussing music and suddenly he felt he could bash up men he didn’t approve of, decry her efforts at helping the radio station and arrogantly decide to play some sort of avenging hero.
She found the teabags at last and dropped one in a mug. She turned on the kettle and stood fuming. At that moment, there was a loud shriek, followed by fluttering. Bert landed on her kitchen top.
He growled loudly. She screamed.
Unperturbed, Bert cocked his head.
‘Christ Bert! What the heck are you doing here?’
Bert bobbed up and down. ‘Hello, hello. Good moaning. Mmm mmm.’
‘You scared me half to death. How did you get in?’
She looked about the kitchen and discovered the window was ajar.
‘Oh no! I must have left it open last night after I baked the cakes. Anyone could have broken in.’
Bert made kissing noises and murmurings.
‘Come on. I’ve got some grapes in the fridge and then you’re going back to Peggy. She’ll be worried sick about you.’
Charlie opened her fridge, pulled out a container of grapes and gave two to Bert. He took them in his claws and flew to the top of her kitchen door. Whilst Bert sat there contentedly munching, Charlie phoned Peggy.
She picked up immediately, her voice quavering. ‘Oh Charlie,’ she began.
‘Don’t worry. I’ve got him. He got into my house through an open window. He’s perfectly all right. Frightened me to death when he landed on my kitchen top, but he’s fine. Do you want to come around and fetch him?’
‘I’m on my way. Naughty Bert.’
Peggy arrived a few minutes later and Bert flew straight to her and kissed her.
‘Love Peggy,’ he said.
‘I’ve never known Bert fly off like that,’ said Peggy, as she sat drinking tea with Charlie after she’d calmed down. ‘He always stays indoors and only comes into the garden when I’m there. I thought I’d lost him.’
‘What happened?’
‘It was just after you left this morning. I heard you leave. I was getting breakfast for us and saw your car go. Bert was looking out of the window and making all sorts of strange noises, so I peeped out too and saw a man standing in your flower bed, staring through your front window. I wasn’t sure if it was a burglar. He noticed me and signalled to me. He seemed nice enough. Didn’t look like a burglar, at all, so I opened the front door and spoke to him across our fence. He explained he was a journalist and asked if you were in. I told him I thought you’d gone out.’
Charlie felt the tension rise again. That man was too much. Fancy tracking her down at her home. Nosey parker.
‘Anyway, I said I didn’t know when you’d be home and it’d be best to find you at the hospital later today. He thanked me and went. I decided to pull some weeds while I was out there. Then, when I came back inside, Bert had gone. I didn’t notice him fly off. I called and called him.’ Peggy pulled a tissue out of the sleeve of her cardigan and wiped her eyes. ‘Oh Charlie, I thought he’d gone forever. I went up and down the road, shouting his name. I took seed cake and asked all the other neighbours if they’d seen him. Someone phoned the local pet shop in case he got handed in. I was beside myself. Thank goodness you came home and found him. I was going mad with worry. I don’t know what I’d do without him.’ Bert sat on her shoulder, making cooing noises.
‘You frightened me, Bert,’ said Peggy, rubbing his beak. ‘I’m so glad you didn’t go far. Who’s a lovely boy? Bert’s a lovely boy.’
‘Bert’s a lovely boy,’ repeated Bert.
‘Did Jake, the man you saw, say anything else?’ asked Charlie
‘Only that I needn’t tell you I’d seen him. He wanted it to be a surprise for you. Oh dear, have I ruined the surprise now? What a silly old lady I am.’
‘Not at all. I’ve already seen him. He came to the café. It wasn’t much of a surprise. I told him I wasn’t interested in his silly interview.’
‘That’s a shame. He seemed such a nice young man. I got the impression he was quite keen to see you and not just to interview you. Oh well. There are plenty more fish in the sea.’
‘Yes, and there are some large sharks too,’ said Charlie and gave a shiver.
Forty-Six
Charlie and Mercedes were sat in the studio having a brainstorming session on what else they could do to raise money. Jake’s claim that she couldn’t do this by herself had galvanised her into action and Charlie was trying to come up with new possible ways to attract funds. She recalled Susannah’s suggestion of the calendar and ran it past Mercedes.
‘It’s been done too many times. I’ve seen firemen charity calendars and even Greggs the baker’s produced one.’ said Mercedes. ‘I think it’s a good idea but I don’t think it’ll wow the public. Calendars need to have more appeal. Unless you want to strip off, along with some of the doctors and nurses here, I don’t think a calendar would work. That’s my thought on the subject, for what it’s worth.’
‘I see your point. We’ll abandon the idea of a Challenge Charlie calendar.’ said Charlie. I ought to have brought it up before now. Susannah suggested it a while ago but it went to the back of my mind.
‘No harm done. The shark dive is pulling in money. Sean dressed up as a large furry shark at the weekend and collected money from hospital visitors. Patricia’s pots have been popular and we can’t do much more at the moment. We’d have to go for really wild ideas if we wanted to raise the profile to an entirely new level, like send you Volcano Boarding.’
‘Volcano boarding?’
‘Yes, snowboarding is old school these days. The most extreme way to slide a slope is at Cerro Negro in Nicaragua. It’s a live volcano, which erupted as recently as 1990, and has become a hotspot for extreme boarders, who can reach speeds of up to eighty kilometres per hour as they course down the volcano. You get to hike up, have a boarding session and finish off with mojitos.’
‘The only bit that appeals is the mojitos.’
‘You have no spirit of adventure.’
‘I do. I’m not prepared to do anything completely barmy.’
‘Fair enough. I’m a prime example of what can happen if you try to live in the fast lane,’ replied Mercedes.
‘Oh Mercedes. I didn’t mean you were mad.’
‘I know you didn’t. No one has been a better friend than you, throughout all of this. I get these mad desires. I get
consumed with the idea that I want to do something exciting. Look at all the paraplegic athletes there are. They’re all fulfilling their needs. They’re inspirational. I could take up a sport. There’s wheelchair basketball and wheelchair hockey. There’s so much on offer now. I’ve been checking it out. Do you know there was a paraplegic woman in Whistler, Canada, who actually bungee-jumped in her wheelchair. I watched the video. It’s incredible. There’s an organisation called 9Lives Adventures that helps people like me experience extreme activities such as skydiving. It’s abroad though. Ryan says it’s frustration that’s making me aim high and I should start with more sensible achievements, then build up. I thought about starting with rock climbing. Apparently you only really need to have strong shoulders. I’m thinking about going to the gym to get me in shape.’
‘Are you sure you really want to do all these wild activities? It’s not just a protest because you can’t have what you really want?’ asked Charlie gently. ‘And whilst I’m sure Ryan would walk over hot coals for you, and hold your hand while you climb Mount Everest, he’d be inconsolable if anything were to happen to you while you were experiencing one of your big adventures. You have to consider him too now, Mercedes.’
Mercedes shrugged. ‘You’re right, as usual. Ignore me. I’m having one of my off days. Put it down to my period.’
‘Oh. So no joy again?’
‘No. I think I might try another specialist. I’m sure this one has missed something. We go at it like rabbits almost every day. Ryan thinks he’s going to wear his little man out!’
Charlie laughed. ‘Poor bloke.’
‘He should count himself lucky. How many men get it offered on a plate every day? Better get going. I have to go to town and get some provisions. I might see if I can get the van up to eighty miles per hour on the dual carriageway. That can be today’s excitement,’ she said, looking down-hearted.
Charlie did not know what more to say. Mercedes would bounce back. Nothing kept her down for long. Yet, Charlie could see that her friend was becoming more and more frustrated about being unable to conceive. Maybe she should mention adoption again. If Mercedes did not settle down soon, heaven knows what she would take up to replace the emptiness inside her.
Forty-Seven
The day of the open water dive arrived. Charlie had spent the afternoon before, at Alastair’s, undergoing another session of hypnotherapy. He went through the relaxation techniques with her and was sure she would be able to do the dive.
As she stood beside Liam at Dosthill quarry, she was pleased to note she was not feeling too frightened. Liam had bustled about her and made sure she was comfortable in her suit. He made plenty of jokes and went through what they could expect to see in the quarry. It seemed strange to be alone with him, without Felicity and Craig for company.
The quarry was surrounded by leafy trees. Charlie was pleasantly surprised to see that there were changing room facilities, a dive shop and even a catering van. Liam promised to treat her to a bacon sandwich after the dive.
Side by side in their diving gear, they studied the map of the quarry so she knew what to expect. Liam, mindful that his student was a nervous diver, took his time with her and explained all the underwater sights.
‘We’ve got a caravan, a boat, a couple of cars and a barge down there. I don’t expect you to discover them all, but it’s good fun looking out for them. As for fish, well there’s jack pike, giant pike, golden carp and giant perch. They’re completely harmless.’
Charlie felt a shiver run down her spine.
Liam noticed the concerned look on her face. ‘They’re perhaps the shyest fish in the whole of the UK. Besides, the vis isn’t too great down there today, to say the least. Hence the head torch,’ he added, pointing it out to her. ‘You’ll be lucky to see me next to you, let alone trembling fish hiding in the weeds. Focus on me, enjoy the experience and complete your PADI licence. After all, this is a training dive site, not the Caribbean, and training is what we’re here to do. Ready to go, buddy?’ He gave her arm a friendly squeeze.
‘Yes, I’m all yours. Let’s do this.’
‘Hope you don’t mind cold water. It’s chilly in there. That’s why we’re wrapped up in these dry suits today rather than the wet ones you’re used to. They’re thicker and should help keep some of the cold out. Come on, let’s waddle over and join the ducks.’
Liam took her out towards the platform. A couple of male divers wandered over to them, carrying equipment.
‘Hi. Not seen you before. First time here?’ asked the older of the two, looking over at Charlie.
‘Yes. I’m not sure what to expect.’
‘It’s a nice site. I’m sure, you’ll be wanting to come back for more. We’re here to get in some interval diving before we go away to Bermuda for a boys’ week away. We go every year. Leave the women at home and go off to check out fish.’
‘The water’s a lot warmer over there,’ said the other, peering into the quarry. ‘We don’t often come along in the week. We normally only dive here at weekends. It can get fairly busy then. Today’s dead by comparison – hardly any cars in the car park. Better get prepared, I suppose.’
All of a sudden Charlie was unsure about the dive. She had a ridiculous idea that there would be sharks in the water. She began to tremble. The older of the two men noticed.
‘Hey, don’t worry. It’s perfectly safe down there. Besides, you’re with one of the best instructors,’ he said, nodding at Liam. ‘He’ll make sure nothing happens. You’ll love it. Concentrate on finding the treasure.’
‘Treasure?’
‘Well, the old cars and the like. See how many you can find. Focussing on that will concentrate your mind. It’s a wonderful experience. Trust me. I’ve been doing it for years and only ever had good times. Relax and have fun.’
Charlie thanked them. Liam wished them a good dive.
‘Ready, Charlie?’ he asked.
‘I think so.’
‘I can wait if you need me to. Even if I have to sit in this tight suit all afternoon.’
‘I’ll be fine in a couple of minutes. Need to prepare,’ said Charlie. She shut her eyes and thought about her last session with Alastair. She knew if she could control her breathing and focus on the safe place in her mind she would manage it. She thought about Amy. Amy would be cheering her on. Amy wanted to swim with dolphins. Charlie regretted that she never had that chance. She would do this. She would see the fish and the old broken bits of sunken treasure for her. It might not be dolphins, but it would do.
‘I’m ready,’ she said with more confidence than she felt.
‘That’s my girl,’ Liam replied. He and Charlie checked their tanks, jackets and masks, then entered the water via the platform that jutted out into the quarry.
The cold took Charlie’s breath away. She paused, and then, as instructed, she deflated her buoyancy control device little by little and descended into the murky depths. She used the dropline to make her way down. The sound of bubbles escaping from her regulator was soothing. Her breath became more regular. Liam checked she was okay. She nodded, and they swam away from the line, Liam leading. The sensation of floating was very calming, although she continued to grip her regulator tightly between her teeth. Soon, Charlie could make out the shape of a van ahead of her. Liam shone his torch on it. She’d found her first treasure.
Charlie had little idea of time as she concentrated on her breathing and on Liam. The further they swam, the worse the visibility. Charlie’s mind became fully occupied with managing her buoyancy and staying close to Liam who continued to check on her. He shone his torch into various weeds to try and spot fish but they eluded the light. At the edge of the quarry, though, hiding in the green weeds was one solitary fish. It was quite large. Liam hovered over it but it merely stared at them. Charlie felt euphoric. She wasn’t frightened of being down here, surrounded by water and everything that was in the water with her.
It was soon time for Charlie to make an emergency asce
nt. They had discussed how to do it and, following Liam’s signal, she removed her regulator and kicked off towards the surface at speed, yelling so her lungs could not explode. It was the final enormous release for all the pent-up emotion she had been clinging to for so long. At the surface she burst out laughing. Liam popped up beside her and pulled out his regulator and removed his mask.
‘Congratulations,’ he said. ‘That was one terrific ascent. You went off like a cannonball.’
They clambered out of the quarry and helped each other remove their tanks and jackets. Charlie pulled down the top part of her suit and dried herself off with the large towel Liam had handed to her. The flimsy swimming costume she wore underneath the suit was wet through and she shivered with cold. However, the relief at having completed the diving certificate was so great that she hugged Liam tightly. He returned the hug with enthusiasm. Deciding that the air in the tank had gone to her head, she pushed away before her embrace could be misconstrued.
‘You’re a fabulous instructor. I couldn’t have done it without you. Now, what about that bacon butty? My treat. To celebrate.’
After drying off, the two of them sat in Liam’s car eating bacon sandwiches, enjoying a warm cup of coffee and telling jokes.
‘So, this man is stranded on a desert island. He’s been all alone for ten years. One day, he sees a speck on the horizon. He thinks to himself, it’s not a ship. The speck gets a little closer and he thinks it’s not a boat. The speck gets even closer and he thinks it’s not a raft. Then, out of the surf comes this gorgeous blonde woman, wearing a wetsuit and scuba gear. She comes up to the man and she asks, “How long has it been since you’ve had a cigarette?”
‘“Ten years,” he replies.
‘She reaches over, unzips the waterproof pocket on her left sleeve and pulls out a pack of fresh cigarettes.
