A Morris Man's Tale Part 2

All characters are fictitious, If a character name is used in connection with a side, it?s just co-incidence if that given name belongs in that side. Insofar as song lyrics being included I don?t know the legalities or etiquette involved, I have given the opening few and last few lines if that is all that is needed or the song in full if the text needs it and credit to the author in either case, traditional songs are treated the same but credited as Traditional.

This is a fiction story, not fantasy and while there is a lot of passion and some very erotic action in later parts and in book two if you are looking for raw action then I am sorry but this isn't the book for you.



Chapter Three
Love?

?Ok, you stay there whilst I get myself sorted out and then get things started?. I push back the duvet and unzip my bag, getting out I scoot to the edge of the bed and locate my t-shirt and trousers, sliding into them next stop is the bathroom, toilet and wash my hands. Coming out I come face to face with Jenny, she stretches a little and says, ?Morning again.? and gives me a peck on the lips as she passes me to go to the bathroom herself. I fill up the kettle and put it on one of the back rings, they are quicker than the front ones, and go for a delve under the oven for a couple of frying pans, just as I get down Jenny tries to exit the bathroom, not possible as my size tens are in the way. Keeping hold of the pans I get up and tell her that ?it?s all clear now, safe to exit?.
As she comes out of the bathroom and heads back to the bed I say ?cheeky, I didn?t know you had the same fashion sense as John Major!!?
?What do you mean??
?In an interview it emerged that he tucked his shirt into his underpants, the cartoonist Steve Bell always portrayed him with his pants outside his trousers, check where you have your t-shirts tucked.?
?If you were a gentleman you wouldn?t be looking.?
?I never claimed to be a gentleman, now scoot back onto the bed and give the chef your breakfast order, bearing in mind that if you are staying here, and I really do hope that you will, there probably won?t be any more solid food till tonight, The options are sausages, bacon, black pudding and hash browns, no eggs I?m afraid, I can?t handle them so I don?t bring any.?
?Everything except black pudding for me please.?
?Two of each?? I ask.
?If it has to last till tonight then yes please.?
I go onto auto pilot then, This is the breakfast Lynda and I had every time we were away with the van and the Morris, Lynda staying in bed until I put the bacon on to fry, Then she moved quickly, up, dressed and out to the awning, lay the table and cut and butter the bread before the bacon was too crispy.
?This will take twenty five minutes before we can eat; mugs of tea will be ready in two or three minutes. Are you up for a few verses of Drunken Sailor while I?m cooking?? She nods in the affirmative.
I begin it in what I hope is a comfortable key, as soon as I start Jenny joins in. ?What shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning. Wey-hey and up she rises, Wey-hey and up she rises, Wey-hey and up she rises, early in the morning.
What shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor, what shall we do with a drunken sailor early in the morning.? Again I harmonise on the wey-heys with long heys. Wey-hey and up she rises, Wey-hey and up she rises, Wey-hey and up she rises, early in the morning.
?That?s good, no need for more revision there. I assume you know your way round an MP3 player, see if you can find a reason for it all, by Eric Bogle,? I get the teapot out and the tea bags,
?Let me know when you have?
?Found it.?
I lean across and turn the radio on, switch input to Aux and turn the volume up a bit. ?Have a good listen, if or when we do it, I?ll do the bass, you take the high line. If you have a look in the top draw by the wardrobe you should find the Eric Bogle songbook so you can follow the words.? The kettle starts to whistle so I make a brew while the song is going,

(Bass)
Summer's smiling on the city, it?s another lovely day in Sydney,
Sunshine pouring down like honey in a golden waterfall
But in the room where Clare is dying, no sunshine sends the shadows flying,
No children gather round her crying, there's no one here at all,
Except perhaps for the man who sees each little sparrow fall.

(Tenor)
Don't talk to me about lonely souls crying,
Dark quiet rooms and old people dying.
I don't want to hear, I don't want to hear it at all.
Tired old people die alone every day,
Don't blame me, I didn't make it that way.
That's just how it is, don't look for a reason in it all.

(Bass)
Winter weeping on the city, a wet and windy day in Sydney,
Rain drops rolling fat and heavy down Clare's window pane.
The rain upon the tin roof beating, disturb the rats as they are feeding.
Back to the nest they all go creeping, leaving Clare alone again.
It's been a long and lonely time since Clare could hear the rain.




(Tenor)
Don't talk to me about the meaning of life;
don?t sing your songs that cut like a knife.
I don't want to hear, I don't want to hear it at all.
Lonely old people ain't my concern,
from dust we come, to dust we return
And that's all there is, don't look for a reason in it all.

(Bass)
Springtime?s come at last to Sydney; flowers are blooming in the city.
In all their multi coloured glory, they rise to greet the year.
Memories in chain recalling, footsteps on the front porch falling,
Voices through the window calling, is anybody here?
Clare Campbell's lost and lonely soul is a long, long way from here.

(Duet)
Don't talk to me about life's seasons,
don?t ask me for answers, don't ask me for reasons.
I don't want to hear, I don't want to hear it at all.
From the moment we're born, we start to die;
A man can go crazy if he keeps asking why.
That's just how it is; don't look for a reason in it all.
?Wow, that?s going to be difficult to perform,?
?It isn?t as difficult as it sounds; just concentrate on the tune of the second part, once you can carry that all you have to do is sing the words. The difficult bit is the duet at the end, we will probably both sing the same words and tune.
?Tea up, when your bit comes up have a go.? I pass her a mug of tea, following the song in my mind I know that in...Four ..Three..Two.. One..
?Don't talk to me about lonely souls crying,
Dark quiet rooms and old people dying.? She comes in perfectly, it seems as if she would be more comfortable singing a tone or two higher, but she continues to sing along with the song, as I continue with breakfast, ?last time through Jenny,? I say, ?I am putting the bacon in now, how do you like your bacon, crispy or just cooked.?
?Just cooked, I don?t like my food burnt to death thanks.? While the bacon is starting, I turn on the water heater and then open the cupboard to get the bread, cut a couple of slices and butter them, turn ninety degrees and drain all the water off the bacon, turn the bacon and then turn up the heat under it. Take the bread and refilled tea pot out to the table. Back inside get two plates out and the cutlery. ?Breakfast up, Jenny, come and get it.? I plate up, remembering not to give her black pudding.
?Hey, I?m not even dressed yet, I can?t go out like this,? she says holding out the Faversham T-shirt.
?If it?s ok in front of me it should be ok in front of everyone else, but if you?re worried just slip your trousers on, but hurry, this chef doesn?t like serving cold food!
?Ok I?ll go like this if you?re sure, which side should I sit.?
?You choose, it makes no odds either way.? She goes to the far side of the table so that her back is to the window; I place her plate in front of her, and return inside for my plate and the assorted pills and potions that keep me running smoothly.
?This is a smashing start to the day, do you live like this all the time, or just to impress the visitors.?
?This is normal when I?m in the van, the rest of the time its Shreddies or Gerbil food.?
?What?s Gerbil food??
?That?s one of the less impolite names for Muesli.? Silence descends as we work our way through our breakfasts, I have to confess I am very hungry today, whether it was the nervous energy used yesterday or the smaller portions for dinner last night, or something else I don?t know. Jenny tucks in with all the enthusiasm of a youngster who knows they will burn it off. My body stores it as fat like an old miser hoarding pennies. I pour another mug of tea for myself and offer the pot towards Jenny, she nods yes, so I pour her one as well. As I wipe the last of the fat from my plate with the last of my bread, I lean back and let loose a very satisfied sigh. Jenny is not far behind in finishing hers, ?That was brilliant, I need at least ten minutes settling time before I think about washing up,? she says.
?Don?t worry about that, we?ll let breakfast settle for a bit, maybe take a lap around the field, to see who?s about, I might even let you get dressed first!?
?I was so comfortable I forgot that I came straight out.?
?Smile please, visitors approaching the door now,?
?Who is it?? She asks, trying without much success to stretch my t-shirt down to mid thigh.
?Hello Ken, Sue, how are you both this morning??
?We?re ok, Thanks. Looks like you are running late today, Have a lie-in did you? I see at least one of you managed to get dressed, Frank, I?m disappointed in you, keeping a disorderly van.?
?Ease up Ken; Jenny?s blushing so much that I?m scared the awning might catch fire.? I said. Sue chipped in, ?Give them some peace, it was their first night!? ?Please, the pair of you, stop trying to embarrass us, I?m immune as I?ve known you too long. Yes, we did get up late, but yesterday was a bit of a ?mare for Jenny, so after we left you we spent an hour talking about this and that, played some music and it must have been close to midnight before we got settled. So why are wandering around, at this time of day wouldn?t you normally be kitting up by now??
?We wanted to make sure you were ok, this being your first solo, sorry this was going to be your first solo since Lynda died, and we didn?t expect you to find company quite so quickly.?
?Yes we?re ok, thanks, just letting our breakfasts settle before beginning the chores, and working out what to do with the rest of the day; I assume it?s a liquid lunch at the Gordon around one o?clock, and according to the program Bounty Hounds are on about then.?
?That sounds like a plan then, see you later? said Sue ?Bye?
?That?s got the middle of the day sorted, I don?t know about you but I?m going to pop my pills and potions and then go horizontal for a bit? I take my Glucosamine, Cod Liver oil capsule and wash them down with the last of my tea, ?coming to listen to some music for a bit.?
?Why not, although I feel guilty leaving the table like this.? Inside the van I switch on the radio to Aux and laying back on the bed suggest Jenny chooses the music from the MP3 player, I am surprised to hear Morris music, The Mother of all Morris, to be accurate and definitely not the best Morris CD I have, but well worth listening to.
?Is there any particular reason you chose this one.?
?No, but this is a Morris weekend, and I ought to at least know a little about what I will hear.? She says as she lays back on the bed beside me, ?cuddle me please?? she asks as she lifts her head to allow my arm to go around her shoulders and she rest her arm across my stomach, this isn?t very comfortable after a big breakfast so I move her arm up a bit, ?Oh why is this so addictive? I never felt this way with Lynda although I was twenty five years younger then.? By halfway through the CD I am starting to feel heavy eyed and know this is no time for another jaunt with the faeries, Jenny is still awake and moving to the music so I don?t have worry about disturbing her too much when I start to get my arm out from under her,
?Sorry but I was getting too comfortable for our own good, if Ken and Sue come past and see the plates still on the table we will never hear the end of it, you stay here and I?ll get started.? As I start to get up from the bed I am suddenly yanked back by my t-shirt, ?I said I would do the washing up Mr Chef, now sit, if you want something to do play a tune on something or sing another song of the sea.?
On her way past me I make a grab for her with the idea of delaying her getting to the sink, as I hold her she turns in my arms and pushes me back on the bed, bending down she kisses me soundly on the lips, ?now behave and play something.? I was that surprised all I could do was to watch her go to the sink; she had such a wiggle going on under my t-shirt I could do nothing else. ?While you?re starting on the washing up I?ll have a wash and do my teeth, see you in a bit.? After a few minutes I come out to find most of the washing and drying done so I begin putting stuff away, in another couple of minutes and it?s all done. Your turn for the bathroom, do you fancy another brew when you are finished? ?Yes please.? Once the kettle is on I turn off the water heater.
?Don?t come out until after I tap on the door, I am going to get changed,? all the blinds are down so I just close the door and strip, sort out clean clothes Dead horse t-shirt, loose flannel check trousers and clean underwear, no socks as I will be wearing sandals so I am sorted, what can I do to help Jenny? She only has the clothes she wore yesterday; best wait till she comes out. I tap on the bathroom door and a minute or so later she comes out wrapped in the bath towel, ?I forgot to take my clothes in, I will have to make do with what I had on yesterday.?
?I know they don?t fit you anywhere near properly, but you?re welcome to have a rummage through my t-shirts, one of them might tie in around your waist, or maybe we can get creative with the sewing kit and a couple of bandanas, later on when we go down the town we could splash out in one of the charity shops to get you a couple of changes of clothing.? The kettle starts to whistle and so I turn to the cooker and start to make the tea, after I poured the water into the pot I turned round just as Jenny was about to put on a Widders t-shirt, her back was to me and the towel was on the bed and she was bare, obviously a rare sight, very slim, hips flaring nicely and I thought it was the cut of her coat! I can see the swell of her breast in the wardrobe mirror, very, very nice, no visible droop. Thighs firm and well muscled as she worked on her balance as the t-shirt slid down over her bust, time to turn away, I don?t want to be caught peeping.
?Well, what do you think??Asks Jenny, I can feel myself blushing, ?bugger it I?m fifty, why should I colour up over an innocent question?? I finish pouring the tea before I turn around to look, being aware that she only had the t-shirt on but not knowing it if you get my drift, ?That looks good, can you give it a bit of shape, put your hand on your hips and gather a bit of material, she looks very uncertain so I walk up behind her and holding her hips move her towards the mirror on the wardrobe as I gather a few inches of material each side and ask.
?What do you think? Over trousers with a bandana to hold it close should look good. ? From her viewpoint and mine over her shoulder the tee looked good but from a hip level view it would be much more interesting.
?Yes, I like it, could you turn round so I can finish dressing, please.?
?Eh, errh, oh yes, sure.? I sort of fluster out and finish making the tea. Tea?s up.? She is now fully dressed except the t-shirt is loose, I go to the middle shelf of the wardrobe and pull a lilac and black bandana and folding it parallel to the diagonal fashion a belt of sorts, I drop to my knees, ?come closer please,? I place the bandana around her just above her hips and tie it with a necktie knot on her left hip, once it is in position I re-arrange the t-shirt gathers to keep as much of the artwork square but with good shape for her body. ?There you go, how does that appear to you.?
?That looks very good; you really are very talented you know, what sort of work do you do??
?I don?t,? while continuing my answer I get off my knees and bursa merkez escort bayan swing round to sit on the bed, Jenny sits beside me. ?Lynda and I had a nice little pickup on the lottery eight years ago, so I went from full time as a toolmaker to a part time job in a shop two and a half days a week, I didn?t have to work but it was good to have another interest apart from the Morris, our kids and the allotments. The idea was to have lots of long weekends away from April to October in this van, taking our bikes sometimes, semi retirement really, just practicing for when we did finally finish working.?
?Do you mind me asking what happened??















Chapter Four
Conspiracy
?I don?t mind you asking, but answering might be difficult for me, in two words, Breast Cancer. Lynda?s mum had it but that wasn?t what killed her that was related to her diabetes, two of Lynda?s aunties on her mums side died of breast cancer. Because of the family history, Lynda qualified for the new gene analysis screening and that showed Lynda had a very high chance of also falling victim, Sarah was tested at the same time and thankfully she had only the normal low risk of breast cancer. Lynda was given the option of a double mastectomy as a preventative treatment with reconstructive surgery later. The mastectomies took place two weeks later, they found cancer cells in the removed tissue when it was studied after the operation but it was too late for any worthwhile treatment for Lynda by the time they had her in on a follow up, there were secondary?s in half a score of places; the funeral was four weeks two days after the recall.? At the end of this short story I am predictably crying and Jenny holds me and cuddles me up close. ?That is my potted life story, and only goes to show,,,,, what? I don?t know, and I?m fed up with all this self analysis and depression that goes with it. I?m fed up with only seeing weeds; I want to see some flowers for a change.?
?Look, Frank, we?ve both had a crap twelve months, what we?ve had is gone into the past, and I never thought I would hear myself say this but all we can do is look forward, maybe we were supposed to meet and support each other, how do I know, but I do know there are a lot of flowers out there and for me you are one of those flowers, look inside yourself and try to see what others see, maybe you will see a flower. It?s possible that being here with all the window blinds down, curtains drawn and the door shut isn?t helping matters, let?s let some of that sunshine in.? After this little talking too from Jenny she slides off the bed and kneeling between my legs gives me a long gentle kiss on the lips, after the kiss ends with a searching look into my eyes she gets up and crawls across the bed to open the front blinds and curtains.
?We started opening up just in time, Ken and Sue are now leaving their van and I think it?s Harry and Val as they have two youngsters as well with them, they have their kit on and have black faces. You go and wash your eyes; I will see you outside in a minute, as I go into the bathroom I see Jenny sitting in the van doorway putting her shoes on. When I have done my face again I come out into the awning, Sue, Val and Jenny are talking a few yards away I hear Sue saying sorry to Jenny over the embarrassment caused by the earlier conversation, and Jenny?s voice is quieter when she replies or maybe it?s just that she is facing away from me and the breeze through the trees masks her voice but I don?t hear her reply.

?Don?t worry about it; talking to Frank it would appear to go with the territory, he said the pair of you had a, now did he say, wicked or warped, sense of humour either way we don?t have a lot of choice, but he did say you could both be trusted totally, and although I have known him less than a day, I have some feelings for him, I haven?t a clue what they are but he is getting to me. I think part of it is he told me about Lynda, it takes a lot of trust for a man to open himself up like that, I feel connected somehow, I don?t know how to explain it.
?If he talked about Lynda you really are in the inner circle, he hasn?t told us about what happened yet, it still hurts too much I think.? Sue whispers, ?He?s coming,? and in a normal voice, ?What are you planning doing today,?
?I think a bit of clothes shopping around the charity shops, lunch at the Gordon, was it the Bounty Hounds that Frank said were playing and then just walk and talk and do the tourist thing.?
?What time are you thinking of going down the town Frank?? asks Sue.
?If Jenny?s ready, probably in a couple of minutes, I?ve just got to get my box, tankard, wallet and a jacket then lock up and go? ? I just need my handbag and phone and I?m good to go.? said Jenny.
?Come on then, Jenny, let?s get organised and burn off some of that breakfast.? It takes less than a minute to get ready, when we come out and zip up the awning Blackwater are swapping drums, sticks and bags amongst themselves. It is not a bad walk down to the town, up the steps out of the sports field, through the car park to the main gate, along the private road by the University of the Creative Arts (U.C.A.) across a playing field with a lot of old earthworks in it, (Fort Pitt?) the play area, some of the more juvenile members, and these are not necessarily the youngest, want to play, the sensible (?) ones make like grownups telling the children they can?t play now, maybe later if they are good. The next buildings of note are the old almshouses on the hill down to the high street. We cross a major road at the pedestrian crossing, and continue down into the high street itself, closed to traffic for the sweeps festival, there are a few shops before the first side out dancing.
?We will see you later? we yell to Ken and Sue, as we peel off into a Sue Ryder charity shop, Jenny starts looking through the rails at quite a rate, she obviously knows what she is looking for I might as well just stand back and admire the view as she takes her coat off and hands it to me, She finds a pair of shorts, I would have called them hot pants, she holds them in front of herself and looks to me for an opinion, as a personal opinion I don?t like hot pants, I did in the seventies, but that was different, you don?t need to ask me how, but it was. What do I do? I won?t chicken out, I twist my wrist both ways with my hand open and flat to indicate ?iffy? and then give thumbs down. This gets me a smile and a nod. Half a dozen items along and another hanger is selected this is a skirt, green tie dye, looks like corduroy, mid calf, it will be too heavy move or flow nicely, thumbs down, again a smile and a nod, a couple of minutes go by and another hanger selected a gypsy type blouse this time, white floral, the neckline looks very wide, puff sleeves.
Is she winding me up or testing / teasing me, deliberately picking unsuitable items, that gypsy blouse would have fell open at the front and it would have given a lovely view of her breasts, because remember, no bra when I saw her putting my t-shirt on. I wander over to her and whisper in her ear, ?just you and me in the van, those hot pants and the gypsy top on you and I might consider myself a happy, dirty old man, but I?m not a dirty old man, I would like to see you dressed in a relaxed and easy style, so start looking properly or shall I choose four tops, two skirts and two pairs of trousers, and you will use them or those or streak!?
?He or she who pays the piper calls the tune.?
?Are asking me to put my money where my mouth is??
?No, just winding you up, the look of almost panic when I picked out those shorts was so, so, funny I couldn?t resist going with it, sorry love, I?ll be good.?

Meanwhile up the road outside the Eagle, Val and Sue are discussing Frank and Jenny;
?Did you see the looks in their eyes when they talk to each other, and him telling her about Lynda, if they aren?t holding hands or got their arms around each other when we meet up at lunch, then I?ll be getting the beer in for the rest of the day,? Says Sue.
Val chips in with, ?I wonder if they really only just met, they were both very relaxed about sharing the sleeping accommodation, they could have met a month or two ago and are trying to hide it.?
?No, that doesn?t fit at all. Frank couldn?t lie to save his life, he is lousy at it, and he knows it. That is a lot of his attractiveness to those who know him, I always thought of him as a one woman man, when he lost Lynda I wouldn?t have been surprised if he had lost it as well. I suppose their kids helped him to keep himself together.?
?Here come the rest of the side, is Ken out of the pub, yet? Asks Val,
?He?s only gone to the gents; you make him sound worse than he is.?
?If I hadn?t seen Harry slip off with all the tankards less than ten seconds later I might have believed you, I suppose Ken knows what you want.?
?Yes Ken knows, I wonder what the bar staff will say when he makes it.?
?What do you mean, ?makes it?,?
?It?s a shandy but with water instead of lemonade, in times of old it would have been called ?small beer?.?
?What?s small beer then??
?When proper beer is made the spent hops and malt instead of being thrown away are boiled up again to make a second much weaker brew, this, because it had been boiled was safer to drink than the spring or stream water that the men in the fields would often have to drink. As this small beer was so weak and lacking in alcohol and flavour it couldn?t get them drunk, that?s why small beer is a bit of an insult.?
?So it?s watered beer, then??
?To me, now, yes, But I couldn?t drink full beer this early in the day anyway, here they come,?
?Hello Ladies, Here?s the first one of the day, may it be a good one.? This is from Harry.
?The day or the beer,? Says Ken, ?well have you got them married off yet, Sue??
?I don?t know what you mean, I admit we were talking about them and I just might have dented your weekend beer fund, but I think it?s safe.? Ken raises an eyebrow in question. ?I bet Val that when we meet them in the Gordon they will be holding hands or cuddling each other, the stakes were beer for the day?
?My beer fund is safe.? Was Ken?s simple but heartfelt reply.
Back in the charity shop Jenny is still going through the racks but more slowly, a strappy sun top comes out and is proffered for appraisal, muted orange, it looks small but she knows her size, that gets approval, a minute or so and a white floral blouse comes out and is draped across my arm, a bit further along and she stops, ?these are all too big, don?t need trousers or coats, this will do here,? and she walks to the till, I am about to reach for my wallet when I get told in no uncertain terms to put it away. After the goods are paid for we leave and continue along the high street, there is a hospices charity shop next we are only in there for a few minutes, nothing takes Jenny?s fancy before the Eagle, so we stop and watch Vixen do a seven man (woman) dance, I like Vixen, and not just because it is a ladies border side, they have an attitude to the dancing that lifts it, and they have some good dances too. ?This is brilliant, I never knew stuff like this existed, what?s it called,? ?the dance style is Border, The tune is called Princess Royal, this tune is more usually danced to by a Cotswold side, and it looks like it?s Cotswold next.?
?I know I sound stupid, but what is Cotswold?
?You aren?t stupid, you are just ignorant of this part of our history, traditions, and so on, as a general guide, Cotswold sides tend to wear white trousers and baldrics, some have floral hats, the moves and stepping are more complex than border and the bands are usually lot smaller, sometimes a single whistle or concertina.?
The next side to dance are Coton Morris from Cambridgeshire, all white with black waistcoats and bell pads. They have three musicians; two melodeons and a whistle.
?I think Blackwater will be on next, Ken is trying to organise them.
?I wonder what they will do; there are about a dozen of them, six to dance and six in the band or eight and four.? Ken goes on and introduces the side and announces that they will be dancing Ally Pally, a fairly showy dance with lots of movement to get the rags moving. There are a couple of figures in it, interlocking squares, and cross