Seriously Mum, How Many Cats? by Alan Parks

Author:Alan Parks [Parks, Alan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Alan Parks
Published: 2015-01-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 1 9

Beards and Trunkies

I hadn’t been back to visit the UK for over five years. In terms of family, I have Mum and my brother and both sets of grandparents still alive. Earlier in the year I got a phone call from Mum saying that she thought I should come back for a weekend, as her parents were having a party for their 60th wedding anniversary. She thought it was about time I paid them a visit and the grandparents on my Dad’s side.

I didn’t really want to go back to the UK. I do miss friends and family, but I don’t really miss the lifestyle, all the rushing around and the crowds. I booked a flight to leave on the Friday and return to Spain on the Monday. I was sure I could manage that.

In the build-up to my trip I had been messing about - asking questions like “Do cars fly in the UK now?” and “Will people be talking into smart watches and wearing Google Glass?”

But the truth was very different, nothing really changes at all, and I think that’s my problem.

I have become accustomed to our life here in the middle of nowhere. I am happy in my own company. Some people might even call me a hermit.

My main concerns had been traffic on the roads and people in the streets. The thought of the sheer numbers of both these things brought me out in a cold sweat. On top of that I was nervous about leaving Lorna at The Olive Mill for the first time in five years. I just had to hope that everything would be OK, and if there was an emergency that somebody would be able to help.

I was only going back for three days and I had it planned like a military operation: a meal with Mum and Mike on the Friday night, anniversary party on the Saturday night, followed by a football tournament with my old team on Sunday morning, and finally a barbecue with Dad’s side of the family on Sunday afternoon. No time to sit around being bored.

Lorna dropped me at the train station in our customary way and I crossed my fingers that Frank would get her home in one piece. Hopefully with his new tyres on there wouldn’t be a problem. I made sure I told Lorna to let me know as soon as she was home.

I bought my tickets for the train and found my seat (yes that’s right, you get given a seat number here) for the journey. An hour passed in the blink of an eye. I quite enjoyed seeing the scenery on the way down to Malaga. When I got to Malaga station I had a slight problem as the platform and ticket machine were in a different place to the last time I was there and it took a few minutes to work out. Even after I found my way to the right entrance a man had to point me to the correct platform for the airport - I must have looked like such a tourist.

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