For 'Puss',
and her laugh!
In Memory of my 'Field of Rape' wound!
Mature man finally gets together with his niece's babysitter, but things don't go smoothly at first.
"Abroad"
"Sorry, Sis!" I said, full of depression, as I gripped the steering wheel with frustration, and glared out through the windscreen at the gathering dusk. "It's never happened to me before, honest!"
"Do you think that we have tried everything? You know? To get it going?"
"Well, I have. What about you?"
"You know I don't have any experience with this sort of thing!"
It was the end of a perfect afternoon: - cream teas in the Nature Reserve Café, with views across the reservoir to the variegated hues on the heathland hill on the other side. Hand-in-hand wander around the reservoir itself; and heavenly hugs as we watched the sky colours reflecting off the calm waters as the autumn sun set.
I was
so
close to panicking. Sissie had promised Libby and her husband John that she would arrive by 6pm, and would be able to babysit for the rest of the evening; and here we were, gone 5:30, and a half an hour away from Libby's, in the fading light of this carpark, both of us full of frustration.
"Really, what do you think is wrong Jack? Is it age?"
"That shouldn't have anything to do with it! I went and had it checked out last week, ready for tonight, as I wanted it to be special for you, and our first date. I was given the all clear -- age notwithstanding, everything should be working perfectly!" I started wriggling in the seat with vexation, "And I don't know why it's not."
"What about the thingy? You know? The ... the ... plug?"
"No, they're new."
#
I tugged the knob in vexation -- still no response -- still no joy.
"Careful!" she said, "Don't hurt yourself!"
Then, to give vent to my frustration and to let off some steam, I slapped the dashboard with both hands.
Out of the corner, of my eye, I saw what I thought was a flicker in the dial.
Intrigued, in spite of my frustration, I set about investigating.
I switched on the side lights, so that the speedometer/fuel gauge was clearer.
Sissie realised that my mind had changed tack, so she went still and quiet.
#
I checked the ignition. It was ON!
Then why the
fuck
was the fuel gauge reading empty?
I rapped the glass on the 'clock' a couple of times. The fuel gauge needle didn't budge.
"What?" asked Sissie, as I slumped back in my seat.
I turned off the ignition, and sighed, " 'Ang on."
I got out of the car, taking the keys with me, went around to the boot, unlocked and opened it, and took out the fuel can. Shaking it showed there was fuel in it, even if it wasn't a full gallon -- 'A bit like me.' I thought, 'Not the full gallon!'.
I prepared the nozzle, unscrewed the cap to the fuel tank, and emptied the can into the tank. Then I recapped the fuel tank, re-secured the nozzle, and put the can back in the boot, then closed and re-locked it. I returned to my seat, and took a deep breath, and turned the ignition ON, and watched.
The fuel gauge needle didn't budge -- well there was less than a gallon in the tank, even now; so
maybe
not.
I tapped the glass again -- still no joy.
I pulled the starter knob, and the engine chundered: -- no joy.
I did it again.
And again.
And again -- but this time -- Oh Joy! She started, and purred with life. Not bad for a sixty‑odd year‑old Morris Minor (my second‑best girl) --
with
some fuel in the tank, of course. (Oh, and in case you haven't worked it out for yourself -- my first-best girl was sitting beside me.)
"YEEESSS!" I screamed in elation, as I bounced up and down in my seat, waving my fists in the air.
"Well done!" And Sissie wrapped her arms around my neck, and gave me a solid kiss on the left side my lips.
I crashed out of my celebration as Sissie's kiss diverted most of my blood from my big head to my little one (she could usually do that to me -- and
,
up until now, with only a 'look'). I swallowed convulsively, as I tried my hardest not to look at her, failed, looked -- then just couldn't
not
grab her; then I sucked her lips and tongue into my mouth.
God, how I wanted this woman! She had put me off for going‑on two years, but she, at last, had relented, and agreed to this date.
Little head took over; so -- big steering wheel, and little bucket seats notwithstanding -- I readied myself to flip up the front of her skirt to go for her 'joy button', tongue first.
She was rescued immediately (to her own frustration) by a park warden rapping on my window.
I wound it down a little.
"I'm sorry sir, but you will have to leave the park now, as I am just about to lock the gates."
"Oh, OK!" I muttered blearily; and looked an apology at Sissie.
She giggled, as we arranged ourselves to leave.
The engine was still running, so once we were ready, I just slipped into first gear, the warden offered, "Hope you enjoy the rest of your evening!" Then he winked at Sissie, who's under‑the‑breath giggles ripped into loud guffaws, as I drove away.
I stopped at the first filling station we passed, and pumped in a few quid's worth of petrol --
and
refilled the fuel can -- and rapped the speedo/fuel-gauge glass before we left, which failed to get the needle to even attempt to move, so I knew that I had some work to do in the near future.
We were half an hour late getting to Libby's; which wasn't so bad. After all, we
had
phoned ahead and apologised.
And "At Home"
As I followed Sissie in, the 'Wretches' lurched towards us when they saw us.
"Gran!" yelled Matty.
"Yeay!" screamed Erica.
And, crouching down with her arms outstretched in welcome, Sissie got swamped-under by her grandchildren, as she attempted to give both of them kissie-kisses -- to their wriggling and squealed delight.
"Hello Libby." I said, as she came forward to greet me.
"Uncle Jack." she murmured as she kissed my cheek; then backed her head away from me with a raised eyebrow.
"So, you had car trouble!"
"Yeah. Sticky fuel gauge, it seems, so we ran out of petrol." We'd
told
her all this over the phone.
"Poor you. And you had to do some repairs as well, I see."
"Er ... no, I didn't."
"Well, it looks like you did. Here, let me get this for you." and she pulled a new tissue from a small pack in her pocket, peered closely at my face, got me to spit on the tissue -- then she gently wiped at the skin to the left of my lips.
"Looks like you got some red something-or-other on your face -- Red Hermetite maybe? There, that's better -- all gone." And she finished up with a final dab.
"Oh, thanks?"
Then Libby just
had
to labour the point, didn't she? She peered at, then sniffed, the red discolouration on the tissue.
"Hey, Mum. Did you realise that your lipstick is the same shade of red, and has the same smell as the stuff Uncle Jack must have used to repair the car? Red Hermetite maybe?"
"Beg pardon?" Sissie had this ... confused[?] ... expression on her face.
Libby turned to me, and with a (well, at least an attempt at a) wide-eyed, guileless expression, said, "Well, I presume it's Red Hermetite. Not that I know anything about it, of course, but I know John uses it on his engines when he's been fiddling.
"Have you been fiddling with anything, Uncle Jack? Your engine, say? Or something else? Someone else's ... er ... engine, for example?"
Then she switched her attention back to her mum.
"Yeah, I think Uncle Jack had some on his face; probably to do with fixing his car. What do you think?" And Libby gave Sissie the biggest unsubtle wink I have
ever
witnessed.
Sissie blushed scarlet, and hid her face in her grandchildren. You'd have thought that she had transformed into some kind of alien, the way the kids craned away so that they could get a clearer stare at her.
À propos of nothing really, but ... I thought John had done a very good job when he painted the lounge ceiling.
With what would have been a delightfully devilish look on her face -- if Sissie and I hadn't been the butts of her amusement, Libby gazed at
me
with raised eyebrows.
"Well, Mum? Have you decided what you are going to do tonight after we get back? Are you going to go home; stay here; or are you going to throw caution to the wind, and doss down on Uncle Jack's couch ... or something?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling wounded, "How is your Mum 'dossing down' on my couch 'throwing caution to the winds'? And what's wrong with my three spare bedrooms?"
"Well ... didn't I hear that at one time you used to sleep-walk? I don't want you -- naked -- to scare my Mum by sneaking up on her while you are both asleep."
That
got the 'Wretches' sniggering conspiratorially behind their hands with each other.
And Libby leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Just make sure you don't sneak up on her. Whether or not you are in the nude -- one or both of you. Unless she's wide..." her eyebrows flickered up-and-down, "awake ... , O-
Kay
?" Labouring the point
again!
But this time emphasising it with a sharp elbow to my ribs.
I swung my head around, "You ... you're sure you're ... OK[?] -- with ... this?" I whispered, feeling guilty at both my situation and putting Libby under any sort of stress.
She nodded, solemnly.
"Deal!" I said, and pecked her a kiss her on the lips.
She hugged me, and kissed me full-on, arms squeezing around my waist.
Hands squeezing my bum cheeks.
Then she smiled smugly at my hot (flushed?) face.
"I think that she needs you, Uncle Jack." she whispered, "She had more life in her voice as she was apologising on the phone for being late this evening, than she has had any time since Dad died.
She then continued in an even softer whisper, right into my ear, which gave me the shivers right down my spine, and raised the hairs on the back of my neck. "But ... if you hurt her -- I
promise[!]...
that I will present your bollocks to her as earrings -- even though you
are
her brother. Got that?"
Goaded, I gabbled as I hissed back, "Look, Libby, I haven't stayed single, waiting for her 'til now -- only to discard my longings by mishandling this opportunity."
!!!
SHIT!