CRUISING - 1. Make Your Dream Come True

Gran was watching TV when Caleb knocked on her door. “It’s me, Gran”

“Come in Sonny Boy”

“Watcha watching?”

“That travel show, Getaway”

“Is it good?”

“I particularly like this episode, it’s all about cruising”

“You mean on a ship?”

“Is there any other kind?”

“Well actually, there is but I don’t think you need to know”

“I’ll be the judge of what I need to know. Now you’ve got me curious, what does it mean?”

“Well, it’s a gay term for ….”

“Go on boy, you won’t shock me”

“OK, it means going out looking for sex; sometimes in bars or on the street or parks or beats. That sort of stuff.”

“I’ve heard of that just didn’t know it has a name. But what is a beat?”

“That’s where you would look for someone with the same needs as you. Um..I don’t mean you as in you”

“I know that, the word you’re probably looking for is, one”

“Yeah, thanks, but can we drop this conversation now?”

“Not until you tell me how you know all this. Have you been beating?”

Caleb laughed, “You…that is one does not go beating, one cruises at a beat. To answer your question, no Gran, I don’t think it’s safe to be wandering about parks late at night, and besides I found Lucas at school”

“Good boy, now do you want some fresh baked cookies?”

“Oh, yes please”

“Cold milk or hot chocolate?”

“Milk thanks”

When Gran returned with the snack, Caleb asked “Have you ever been on a cruise ship?”

“No, I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to. It used to be my dream when we had the farm. I always said to Nigel, that we would go cruising when we retired. I always wanted to do the Women’s Weekly world cruise, but it wasn’t to be”

“How come?”

“By the time we sold the farm, bought a house in Sydney, this house, and moved, we were exhausted and just rested and started to enjoy our retirement and our new home”

“So what happened that you didn’t make your dream come true?”

“That’s a lovely way to put it, Sonny Boy. Well by the time we would have thought about taking the holiday of a lifetime, unfortunately Nigel’s health started to deteriorate. He was sick for some time and eventually succumbed to his illness.”

“That’s so sad Gran. But you could have gone when you came to peace with the loss of your husband”

“Sonny, where are you learning these beautiful expressions?”

“It must be from reading. For a school assignment we had to write an essay about death, so I did some research, and that helped me get in the top five in our class”

“Well, I’m certainly impressed, my boy. But to answer your question, I’ve never really been one to travel alone”

“Not even in the safe environment of a cruise ship”

“It’s not the safety aspect; I just don’t like the idea of travelling alone”

“Couldn’t you find an old friend to go with?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’ve lost contact with all my old CWA friends and my life is now among younger people, like you and the boys, who wouldn’t want to go holidaying with an old fart like me”

“I don’t think that’s true, and you’re not an old fart, whatever that means. You’re the youngest old lady I’ve ever known. Did that come out right, I think I confused myself?”

“I know exactly what you mean, Sonny Boy. I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you a test to see if you really believe what you say”

“Of course I do, but what’s the test?”

“Eat op your cookies, while I make myself a cuppa and then I’ll tell you”

Gran returned with a steaming hot cup of tea from her Royal Dolton set.

“That’s a pretty cup Gran, I’ve never seen that before”

“I keep it for special occasions only”

“What’s so special about now?”

“I’m about to give you the test”

“OK, let me have it”

“Sonny Boy…would you like to…come on a cruise with me?”

“I couldn’t afford that”

“That was not the question I asked”

“I’d love to, but the cost, I don’t think Craig will pay for that”

“I’m not expecting you to pay or Craig, for that matter. It will be my treat for you. Also my way of apologising for putting you in an awkward situation, about Kilby, a few months back”

“You don’t have to apologise, were all good now. Just a silly misunderstanding”

“Regardless of that, I also want to thank you for giving me a new life. I haven’t been this happy since Nigel passed”

“Of course I’d love to go if it’s all right with you and Craig”

“It’s definitely all right with me, I love spending time with you. And I’ll clear it with Craig. Of course it will have to be in school holidays”

“Wow! I don’t know what to say Gran, it’s so generous of you”

“Never mind all that, tell me when school holiday start, so I can make the booking”

“Next are the winter holidays in June, I’ll write down the dates for you”

“Good that’s settled, we’re going cruising…in a ship, of course” Gran said with a chuckle at her own joke.

<>

“What!” exclaimed Craig “You can’t expect Gran to pay for your trip”

“But, she wants to. She has always wanted to travel but since your grandfather died she’s hasn’t had anyone to go with”

“Justin, can you come in here please”

When he arrived, Craig said “Caleb wants to go on a cruise with Gran, can you explain to him why that’s not going to happen”

“Why me, I don’t see any reason why not, if Gran wants to do that”

“She wants to, it was her idea”

“There you are, all settled” concluded Justin, then added “And of course we will pay for it. Won’t we Craig?”

“What? That’s a lot of money”

“Don’t pretend we’re not doing well at the restaurant, especially now the thefts have stopped”

“I know, but these cruises are full of old people, is that what you want” he asked Caleb

“Gran is old, and she wants a friend to travel with”

“I think she’d be better with someone her own age”

“Excuse me” interjected Justin “Why are you coming up with all these excuses. Don’t you want Gran to be happy; and Caleb also for that matter?”

“Of course I want her to be happy”

“Then if this is what makes her happy, let him go”

“I suppose it might be OK”

“Oh, one more thing; we’ll be happy to pay” concluded Justin.

“Gran has already offered to pay” Caleb replied.

“That’s generous of her, then maybe we could go halves with her. Craig…”

“Yes, I seem to be out numbered here”

“And would you want to disappoint Gran? I don’t think it would be wise to argue against her wishes. You get my drift?”

“Yes, yes…OK to all that” concluded Craig.

“That only leaves one more thing to be settled”

“And what would that be?” asked Craig

“When are you going?”

Caleb replied “I’ve already given her my school holidays dates and she’ll make the booking”

“Oh, there is one more thing” said Justin “I forgot to ask, where are you going?”

“I don’t know” replied Caleb “I guess Gran will decide when she talks to the travel agent”

“Bugger me!” exclaimed Justin “We’ll have to get you a passport”

“For a cruise?” asked Caleb.

“Depends where you go. If you get off the ship in a foreign country, you will need one”

“Then we should get one for you anyway. They last for ten years, so it will be needed some time if you want to travel when you finish school”

“Good thinking” said Craig

“Good to see you finally on board” Justin replied with a smirk.

<>

When Kilby came home from school, Edward was waiting with a special snack for him, as he wanted to have a chat about the past few months.

“Get changed and come out to the patio, I’ve got your favourite for after school snack”

“Ok, won’t be long” replied Kilby

Edward was feeling a bit nervous about talking to Kilby about a sensitive subject, but he was determined it had to be done. He invited Peggy, well it was more in the line of encouraging Peggy to join him while he waited for Kilby. While she can sometimes be very evasive, today she must have sensed something and willingly jumped onto Edward’s lap and settled down after having a few cat nibbles and a slurp or two of milk.

“Good girl, you sit there and help me relax while I talk to Kilby” She didn’t respond, just continued pawing at Edward’s lap until she settled and started to purr.

As he arrived Kilby noticed a plate of Arnott’s double coat Tim Tams and a packet of Smith’s cheese and onion chips. In his mind he went over recent events, as he was not sure if he was being rewarded for something, or in trouble. He took a seat and looked at Edward, who said “Eat up and we’ll talk”

“What about?” he asked nervously.

“I’ve allowed you a few months to grieve for your mother and you seem to have coped very well. I know your mother could be difficult, but she was still your mother and I know deep down you miss her.”

“I do sort of. I used to think one day she will get well and we could be mother and son again, but now she’s gone I’ve accepted that cannot be and she is finally at rest. No more drugs no more living on the streets and no more of the other”

“I’m pleased to hear you say that, because what I really want to say is, you have been very brave under very difficult circumstances. You are to be congratulated for that. And always feel free to talk about your mother if you want to. I’m always willing to listen. I don’t harbour any hard feelings toward her”

“Thank you Edward, I really feel at home here with you and Romel, you have been like the parents I never had. It’s kinda cool having two fathers, and a couple of uncles. Oops, I mean an uncle and an aunt” He said with a smile.

“That’s another thing I need to thank you for, understanding Rajani’s situation”

“Actually I find it interesting, watching his development. I didn’t think I would ever see that”

“Stay tuned, you never know what’s going to happen in this household”

Kilby laughed and added “That’s a relief. When you said we had to have a talk, I thought I might be in trouble”

“If you were in trouble, you wouldn’t be rewarded with your favourite snacks”

“S’pose not”

“Now, tell me what’s happening at school”

“Well I do have some good news. Remember you asked me if I had my eye on any particular girl as school”

“Yes, this is sounding interesting”

“I didn’t say anything before while I was just trying to get her attention, but now we have a date for Saturday”

“Excellent news, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet, thought she might give me a clue about what she wants to do”

“I think that’s your responsibility for the first date. You approached her so you have to make the suggestion”

“Is that how it works?”

“It did in my day, Despite women now being more affirmative, I don’t suppose much has changed about first dates”

“That’s good to know. I’ll start thinking of some ideas”

“If I can give you one more piece of advice, don’t be too ambitious for the first date, just something simple, like a meal or movie. Don’t want to peak too soon”

“How come you know so much about dating girls?”

“I don’t specifically, but it’s much the same with dating men”

“I never thought of it that way, but I think you’re right”

“Would a meal and a movie be too much for a first date?”

“I think that would be perfect. Don’t go overboard when choosing somewhere for the meal. A good reasonably priced café will be fine”

“Should I pay for everything?”

“Ah, now that’s where you have to be flexible. Offer to pay, but if she wants to contribute, accept it gracefully”

“I’m glad we had this talk. We really are like father and son now”

Edward did not reply, because he knew his voice would be croaky.

“Hey, have you heard Caleb is going on a cruise of the Pacific”

“I haven’t heard. But I suppose it’s time for Craig and Justin to take a holiday”

“They’re not going, he’s going with Craig’s grandmother”

“How interesting, seems odd considering the age difference, but Justin told me they do get along exceptionally well”

“Wish I had a rich grandmother to take me on hols”

“You’ve never mentioned your grandparents”

“Don’t know who my father is so….and Mum’s parents disowned her and cut off all contact when she went on the streets. I don’t even know if they’re still alive”

“That’s sad for you, but I’m nearly old enough to be your grandfather. Will I do?”

“Of course, you’re an awesome grandfather”

“But not one to take you cruising”

“That would be inappropriate”

“What?....Oh I see what you mean, very funny”

“But now you mention it, do you think one day we might…?”

“I’ll give it some thought and talk to Romel, we haven’t had a holiday for a while”