The next instalment is here for your entertainment.
Enjoy and look out for future instalments. Love Fran and Dora.
It was nine months since Fran had dragged her three old school friends on an adventure in her old VW camper van “Dora”. They had had a great adventure, they had loved just being together but mostly they had loved the fact that they had remembered that they were capable and interesting women. They had rescued a child from drowning, saved almost an entire shinty team from a wayward umbrella and been the Belles of the ball at the Kilmory Camanachd dinner and dance fundraiser. Fran looked through her photographs of their journey and smiled to herself as she remembered Betty’s deerstalker, Joni’s crutches and Helen’s reiki pants. Surely it was time to get together and have another adventure.
As Fran worked on her latest painting, a fishing boat on the pier at Mallaig, and struggled with the detailing on the pier side sheds, her mobile rang.
“Hey Fran?”
“BettY!”
“It’s been almost a year.”
“Aye, ah know but there’s been no sign of the magic box.”
“So?”
“Well we need the box so we know what to do.”
“Really?”
“Aye, otherwise we will just be four directionless women..”
“Ha, no change there, but seriously Fran, I have just come off the phone with Joni and she’s really down. The dreaded M is hitting her badly and she is suffering, won’t go out, won’t really talk and when I went round the other day she wouldn’t let me in said she had a migraine.”
“Ah, I didn’t know. That’s bad.”
“Yes, she is spending too much time watching day time tele and sitting about on her own.”
“Right, well, let’s do it as we did it last time. I will send an invitation to you all and we will go from there.”
“Ok, but I hope it doesn’t take as long as last time,” Margaret sighed.
“Have faith, my dear friend, have faith.”
Fran got out her sketch book and started work. Stretching out her tired shoulders as she finished, she thought she would just e mail the invitation to her friends and see what the reaction was. As her finger hovered over the send button memories of the last trip jumped into her mind’s eye and she smiled.
“Hi Fran, got your invite.” Helen e mailed back. “I am wondering if we can do you under the trades descriptions act? That looks very professional though, I will await further details.”
“Hi Fran, nice work, let me know!” Helen fired almost straight back.
Nothing from Joni.
Fran checked that the e mail hadn’t bounced back and then sat back to wait.
Fran realised there was one person she hadn’t told about her plans and so later that evening she took her evening glass of wine and an invitation out to Dora.
“Hey chum,” she said. “I’ve brought you an invitation for our next women’s outing.”
“Hmmp! Another oestrogen road trip, with a group of strident women. What’s not to love?
“Hey Dora, sorry, have I woken you up on the wrong side of the chassis, or are you suffering from the vanopause?” Fran laughed at her own joke.
How it was possible for a camper van to change it’s facial expression had always been beyond Fran but Dora showed her disdain for that particular quip.
“I am built to drive the open road,” she responded. “Bring it on.”
Fran took a long sip of her Chenin Blanc and smiled.
2.
“Fran. It’s time. No time to waste. Can I count on you?”
“Yes, Betty, how are you?” Fran was used to Betty’s conversation starters. She always assumed that you knew what she was talking about as if you had been part of her thought process. “What are you wanting me to do?”
“Wednesday morning, intervention at Joni’s.”
“What, intervention? Oh, no, wait, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I have an appointment, sorry.”
“What kind of appointment, it’s all set up. Helen’s coming, change your appointment.”
“Slmg wd.” Fran said the words so quickly that she hoped Betty wouldn’t hear her.”
There was a silence and then a laugh and then Betty said: “Did you just attempt to say slimming world in a way that I wouldn’t understand what you said?”
“Yes,” mumbled Fran.
“Well you can go to an evening meeting.” Betty said knowledgeably.
“No, I can’t because you weigh heavier at night and I haven’t lost for two weeks, so I am not going to an evening session.”
There was a silence while both women pondered this.
“Betty, it’s hard for me when I don’t lose weight. Some ex-pupil going ‘come on Miss, hop up then and let’s see what you’ve lost this week.’ If I haven’t lost it’s just embarrassing. So no, I can’t come on Wednesday.”
“Well, why don’t you miss a session then? I am sure you can go a week without learning about ingredient of the week and seeing who has lost the most. How long have you being going anyway and is it still Fat Phyllis running it? If I remember correctly her favourite ingredient was tinned potatoes.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about this Betty.”
“Well, all us menopausal women have to manage the weight gain malarkey. Pick me up at ten on Wednesday. See you then.”
Fran, exhausted as usual by their conversation went through to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She turned her back to the window to lean against the kitchen counter. As she lifted the cup of Black Cohosh tea to her lips she saw that the sun was shining through the stained glass window of the camper van and Dora was shining onto the kitchen wall. All systems go.
Dora was ready. Throughout the winter Fran had been working to improve and adapt her old van to ensure that her friends would be comfortable and have a good time on their second adventure. She drank her tea quickly and sent a short text message.
“Hope you are all set ladies, the reflection has lit up the wall and I am on my way.”
Fran climbed aboard Dora and smiled as she saw the magic box sitting in the middle of the floor. As she stowed her bag and started the engine she was singing “Leaving on a jet plane” and she felt a warm feeling of contentment. Dora fired into life and drove down the drive resolutely refusing to look behind her. Fran’s phone was beeping but she didn’t look, all would be well.
“Here we go then!” said Dora. “Wonder what’s in store for us?”
“Who knows Dora, who knows?”
Betty was standing at her gate holding onto to her bag and a Border terrier puppy. Dora looked in horror. “No-body said anything about puppies!” she exclaimed. Betty opened the passenger door and heaved herself, the puppy and her bag in.
“What’s with the puppy?” asked Fran
“I am looking after it for next door. They’ve gone to France for a fortnight, sorry. She’ll be no trouble.”
“Hmmp,” said Dora.
“She is house trained Dora,” said Betty who was wondering why she was feeling guilty about upsetting a van.
“It’s fine, Betty She is really cute. Name?”
“Angela.”
“ What?”
“I know, I know.”
Helen was sitting on her deck in an upright chair, her bag was lying at her feet and she appeared to be asleep. Dora beeped her horn causing Angela to start barking and scrabbling against the window. Helen jumped up looking really shocked and as is she had woken from a trance. “Probably cleansing her chakras,” laughed Betty, clutching the puppy to her chest in an effort to calm it down.
Helen slid open the side door and climbed in. “Blimey, I nearly had a heart attack there. I was just having a final meditation. Been feeling a little fragile today.”
“Told you,” mouthed Betty.
“Chakras in order then?” asked Fran. Betty burst out laughing.
“You can laugh but when all my chakras are whirling, bright and clean I feel more balanced, is that a puppy?”
“Yes, meet Angela,” Betty held the puppy up for inspection. “I know.”
“Got your reiki pants on?” asked Fran.
“No!” Helen tried to sound put out. “But they’re packed!”
By this time they had arrived at Joni’s house. There was no sign of her and the mood in the van dampened. They saw the curtains twitch but she didn’t appear.
“Come on Betty, I think your intervention is happening today.” Fran jumped out and made her way up the front steps.
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