A Midlife Holiday by Cary J Hansson

Author:Cary J Hansson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789198758726
Publisher: Cary J Hansson

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‘To sailing!’

‘Sailing!’ Helen held her glass up to meet Kaveh’s.

‘Were you scared?’

Was she scared? The question lingered.

The lesson had lasted an hour. Sixty minutes out of a whole lifetime and, sitting in this restaurant with damp hair and the smell of the sea on her arms, she couldn’t understand how that was possible. Because for Helen, those sixty technicoloured minutes had been as decisive as the centreboard had been for the boat. Slicing her life into sections. A before sailing and an after sailing, in which she now lived. As someone different. Someone who could capsize and survive. Helen of Troy who? She may have launched a thousand ships, but Helen Winters had uprighted one!

She was happier than she could ever remember being. Filled with a sense of achievement she wasn’t sure she’d ever experienced. It made her think again of all those times she’d stayed on shore, packing thermos flasks and creating nutritionally balanced picnics so that everyone else could go off and experience what she just had.

Why? Why had she done that? She could kick herself. And everyone else. Why, for example, hadn’t Lawrence ever spoken to her like Kaveh had? Why hadn’t he encouraged her? Why hadn’t he even asked her? Then again – and the thought soaked up any sea-salted giddiness that still lingered – why had she waited to be asked? She looked up at Kaveh. ‘I was terrified,’ she whispered. ‘When can we do it again?’

Kaveh laughed, a loud and genuine sound. ‘Can we have some lunch first?’

Smiling – which she couldn’t stop doing – Helen picked up the menu.

‘You don’t need that,’ Kaveh said. ‘They do the best moussaka in town. I’ll order for us.’

‘Okay,’ she said, and put the menu down. She had a feeling she’d let this man decide anything for her. And then she remembered. Caro, who should be here already. ‘What about Caro?’

‘I’ll order for Caro as well.’ Kaveh stood up. As he did, his phone bleeped. He paused to read the message, an inscrutable look on his face. Then he tucked the phone in his pocket and walked away to the back of the restaurant.

Helen picked up her glass. She could only guess what Caro would make of the fact that not only had the restaurant been chosen for her, now the menu had too. And where was she anyway? It was already ten minutes past the arranged meeting time. Reaching into her bag, she found her phone. She had two new messages. One from her son, one from her husband.

The lasagne you bought is two days out of date now. Do you think it’s safe to eat? Jack.

Maybe able to get an earlier flight. Can’t wait for some home comforts and snuggles. Love L

The phone slipped from her hands, her fingers too slack to hold it. The tendrils of damp hair at her neck were cool and the wine on her lips richly sweet. Three feet away, through a shimmering door shape of heat and dust, was Cyprus.

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