Chapter One
"Can you do me a favour Del, I'm fucked," asked my mate Bob, over my land line one Saturday afternoon.
"Oh well, depends..."I joked.
"I'm stuck on the M27, the whole fucking motorway is closed due to a major crash and I'm getting the message down the line, we're going to be here for hours."
"Shit that's bad, it's been a regular occurrence for a few weeks now, but never known anyone caught up in one, you're the first - mate, any way you said favour?"
"Oh I've known two people, you know Stu, didn't he tell you...and Martin, he was nearly involved....anyway, Jackie's expecting me to pick her her up and there's no way I can. It'll be a great help mate."
"So where is she?" I asked, checking my desk diary. "I'm free," I tittered, as that chap on a TV sitcom used to. Bob chuckled.
"That Well Being class at Weeke parish hall, she goes to every month. It's their big piss up today as the main leader and yoga teacher is leaving. The session she's in is due to wind up at 4pm, they clear the hall for the drama group. Can you.......?"
"Yeah course I can, does she know?"
"I haven't got a signal here, fucking charming Vodaphone," Bob moaned. "It'll be great maybe if you call her, you've got her number, and let her know. You know what she's like ...you know... anxious."
I agreed and we finished the call and I clicked play on the video I was viewing, knowing I had a good half hour before I needed to leave the house, forgetting to call Jackie. I was so wrapped up watching naked ladies shower in a Russian communal room on the trusty old Hidden Zone voyeur website.
My Ford Mondeo eased into the traffic on the B3045 Worthy Lane, down to the Station approach traffic lights getting a green, cruised up Stockbridge Road. Under the main line railway bridge and on, finally then turning right into Stoney Lane. The modern brick building, was surrounded by cars, a few occupied by husbands and there were several ladies exiting. Some were in fitness gear, some in ordinary clothes and one blue rinse, a severe spectacled, tall woman in a smart business suit. They were nearly all of a certain age, as Bob puts it. I knew, having by chance clocked some travel documents, but they might have been previous, when I was taking them both to Bournemouth airport, his wife Jackie to be at least 70, not exactly, we never asked and she wouldn't tell being ultra protective of an image she had created when she arrived in our midst a few years back, having transferred her abode from near Manchester to Badger Farm estate to live with Bob. They finally married in Spain where she owns a villa in Murcia.
Jackie's image was always smart, well turned out, top to toe. Not trendy but entirely suitable for a lady of 'a certain age', her white hair coiffed to neck level, induced curls and a bit of a fringe. Plenty of make-up, always, never saw her without. A few of the gang reckoned subtle Botox lip work and definitely a boob job, but when? Several wrinkles collected round her mouth and eyes and there was definitely a double chin, but she was attractive in an elderly way. Her image was enhanced by her experience which she couldn't resist telling anyone, of being a professional dancer in her youth. She had worked with the legendary Pans People - a glamorous five female dance group on TV, had done a stint as a pole dancer, performed a high level of ballroom dancing competition with a partner, and even now danced weekly with a bunch of females from the gang Bob and I circulated in. Bob didn't dance and was happy to see her go for weekends sometimes, purely for dancing.
I saw her appear at the front door, her eyes scanning the vehicles for Bob's. I stepped out and approached her, having to negotiate past lots of dotty old elderly to fit middle aged women, making unsteady progress to their cars or their lifts. She caught sight of me with surprise etched on her face.
I told her the reason for me turning up after she had reached up, kissing me as usual. I smelt alcohol -- a lot. She tried to usher me inside the hall for some reason, but our way was blocked by several inebriated women, obviously the worse for wear following the farewell party.
"I hope that lot aren't driving Jac," I moaned, thumbing towards some of them almost fighting to get out and causing Jackie and I hindrance in entering. That's the thing I find with the mature and elderly people, lack of patience, as if they more than anyone else had little time and had urgent needs to be some where. Usually where I want to be!
"There'sh been a short of check and I think they're all accou....accounted for Del," she slurred. "Look there'sh Marion," Jackie giggled and waved, clutching my arm.
Marion Leadbetter was one of the crowd we circulated in. Her husband Pete administered a youth club and led several missions to outlying countries world wide.
"OK Marion?" I asked, getting a nod as she fumbled in her bag.
"Yesh thansh Delboy," she tittered in response. "Got a lift with Jo, wherever she ish...now where'sh my keysh?"
"You don't need them you shilly bitch," snickered Jackie. "Got a lift you shaid...."
"Oooh yeah," Marion chuntered, reaching up to plant another damp lipstick kiss on my cheek. That made her drop her huge leather Hermes bag, which luckily didn't spill the contents apart from her stout black leather purse, which she immediately snatched up and what I could see was a packet of Always Panty pads.
I admired the roundness of her 63 year old bum in a dark green tweed knee length skirt and as I did, my groin was swiftly clutched and released by a passing woman. I whirled to see the grinning winking face of Debbie McKilroy, another of the gang.
A divorced woman of 50 or thereabouts, Debs was always up for a laugh and I had groped her bum several times, without protest or being reported for inappropriate behaviour to anyone.
"She does have a nice bum Del eh?" Deborah whispered, Jackie and Marion too busy with sorting the bag. "Duty driver for once. Got to be off, taking some of them home, byeeee."
Off she trotted. Jackie resumed trying to pull me inside the hall against the tide as it were. I didn't mind, there were some tasty and not so tasty faces and figures exiting, plus I had plenty of time. I was puzzled why Jackie was taking me indoors and hoped it wasn't to do some sort of clearing or carrying. There were many ladies I recognised inside the bright spacious room which was airy but at the moment reeked of alcohol, perfume, hairspray, clothing and at one point incontinence.
"Do you mind helping Del?" came the warning. I thought so - and got down to marshalling bottles and glasses into trays and cartons Jackie indicated. "Bob would have done this so sorry, but as you're here, it'll be a great help. Mrs Passendale has too much to do with the remains of the buffet...