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27 Mayıs 2023, 16:16
I sat in the car and waited for Jade to come out.* Finally, the car door opened and she jumped in wearing tight ripped jeans, a white blouse and clutching a small blue handbag.?You took your time, as always,? I said, rolling my eyes and starting the car.?Well, I needed to fix my makeup. Everything in the boot???Yes, if you packed it or put it by the door, I put it in the car.* If you have forgotten anything we will have to go out and buy it whilst we are there.* There is a large shopping centre just up the road from where we are going.?Jade smiled, ?that could be expensive, you know I love to shop you?re just feeding my addiction.?I said nothing as I pulled the car off the drive and we turned up the street toward the main road out of the city.We drove in almost silence, listening to music for a couple of hours before pulling into a service station to get a drink and a bite to eat.?Chris, are we going to the hotel first???I was thinking that we could go to the hotel and see if we can check in early and then drive round and see Louise?s parents.?Jade nodded and I took her hand, ?look you will be fine. Hey, I have met your parents and whilst I can?t introduce you to mine think of them as my adopted parents.??Not the same thing, is it? I am going to be judged against their daughter.?I laughed a small little laugh, ?no, you are not. I have told them about you and trust me they are delighted, it appears that everybody it seems wanted me to move on for years but never said anything.* I should warn you they can be a bit crazy, Alan is a bit deaf. Actually, he is a lot deaf so be prepared to repeat things a lot and they will bicker constantly in a funny and loving way that couple do when they have been married like for forever.* "Oh, and the glasses will drive you crazy, he is constantly losing them. The kids when they were very young thought it was brilliant as he wanders around looking for them and they are screaming at him that they are actually on his head.* I Should also warn you that the temperature in the house will be akin to the hottest part of the Sahara desert so don?t wear any thick layers.?Jade failed to look convinced by my storytelling and I could tell she was very nervous.We arrived at the hotel and they very kindly let us check in early as our room was already ready.* Dropping the bags off we quickly freshened up and then made the short drive of no more than a mile or so pulling up outside a red-bricked semi-detached house with immaculate lawns and well-tendered borders full of flowers.Getting out of the car I waved a hand at the https://escortium.org (https://escortium.org/) front garden, ?Alan is a very keen gardener and if you like gardens, then you are in for a treat as behind this house is a very large and long garden.* A nightmare if you suffer from hay fever but brilliant for garden parties when their whole family comes round.* I doubt if the rest of their kids and grandkids will pop round today whilst we are here, but should the hordes descend it might seem overwhelming and it is ok for you to take yourself off for a bit.* "One Christmas I counted forty-five people in the house. I might have missed a couple of children when counting, and by the end of the day, both myself and Amy had gone to hide in an upstairs bedroom where we played some board games on our own away from the rest.* That was when Amy was about seven or eight so the family has grown even larger now with more grandchildren and even, I imagine a few great-grandchildren.?Taking her hand, I led her up to the white UPVC front door and turned the handle. As expected, it opened.I whispered to Jade, ?in all the time I have known them, they have never locked that door during the day when they are home.??Alan, Irene,? I shouted as we walked down the hall and I turned into the living room area.*As we walked in Alan was just in the process of getting out of a large, high backed armchair and Irene was putting down some sewing on a small coffee table which was in front of a dusty pink three-seater sofa where she was sitting.?Ah, here he is. Good journey down, lad?? Alan's voice was loud and gravelly. He shook my hand, his grip still as firm as ever.?Not bad,? I was almost shouting as the TV was blaring out in the corner.* I reached down and picking up the remote turned the tv down about ten levels.* I turned to Irene and bending down, kissed her on the cheek.Irene was a small, stocky woman who, when I had first been introduced to her, had despite her size been quite intimidating.* That intimating feeling was not without cause she had raised six kids all whilst working as a midwife.* Working and raising a family as a woman had back in the day, been quite unusual and that determination also meant that she ruled and looked after her family with a rod of iron. Even now, one look from her would quieten the largest of her sons without a word being spoken.?You want a cup of tea, love?? She asked, looking up at me.?Go on then,? I replied, ?but first I must introduce you to Jade.?Alan moved forward and grabbed her hand, ?welcome, Jade. About bloody time he moved on. Pretty young thing you are. How you doing? How long have you known Chris? I hear you are still at University??He shook her hand and Jade managed through the barrage of questions to mutter a hello.?Alan, ALAN, ALAN, leave the poor girl alone, will you, let her speak for Christ?s sake,? Irene had stepped in, ?pleased to meet you, heard quite a bit about you.?Jade looked a bit surprised by that comment.?Oh, not from him,? she jabbed a finger at me, ?he never tells us anything about what's going on in his life, from Amy she talked quite a bit about you.* Come on, let?s go in the kitchen and make them drinks and we can have a quiet chat away from old deafo there.* Chris, sit yourself down and keep Alan company.* Can you make sure he has got his hearing aid in will you and that it is actually turned on for once??*Irene turned to smile at Jade and led her out of the room towards the kitchen.Alan turned and sat back down in his chair whilst I took a seat on the sofa.?Do you want the paper, kid?? Alan waved the Daily Mirror at me.?Come on Alan, you know I have never read the papers.* Surprised you are still getting it.??Stuck in our ways. Not got this internet thingy, happy with the paper and the TV. Too old to change now, probably couldn?t work it even if we did get it.??Think you have plenty of grandkids who could help you on that front. How many you got now???No bloody idea, would have to write them all down. See, our Christines had another one. That?s her second, bonny little lass, right cute.?I just nodded and listened as Alan told me about the new additions and what had changed in the last year since I had last visited.* As he finished, Irene came back in with Jade behind carrying a tray with four mugs of tea on it.* Jade looked a bit more relaxed, smiling at me as she put the tray on the coffee table and sat down next to me.Alan reached over and picked up a mug with ?world's best granddad? written on it, ?no bloody biscuits?* We have guests.??You know where they are if you want one get off your arse and get one and bring the packet in for the rest of us,? retorted Irene.Alan stomped off to the kitchen and Jade looked at me with a combination of bemusement and wonderment.Irene patted her leg, ?don?t mind us, we have been together a bloody long time and with contentment comes contempt.?I laughed, ?you don?t mean that, Irene. You both love each other dearly.??Of course, we do, but I am not letting him think he is getting it easy,? she looked at Jade, ?that?s the secret, treat them mean to keep them keen.?Jade nearly choked on her mouthful of tea at that comment and I just shook my head leaning over and kissing her on the cheek before whispering in her ear, ?I did warn you.?We stayed for a couple of hours and then left to go and get showered and changed before going out for a meal.* As we left, Irene reminded us to come back the next day for the family get together where Louise?s brothers and sisters would be there with their families.* I told her I had not forgotten and it would be nice to see the rest of the family tomorrow.Apart from a couple of passing comments on the way back to the hotel, I deliberately avoid talking about meeting Louise?s family.* Whilst I had gotten used to visiting them on my own in the years since Louise had died, I had not expected to have such conflicting emotions whilst sitting in her parents? house with my new love. It had been a lot to process for all of us.Jade, for her part, also remained silent, perhaps sensing that for once it was better to leave me to my own thoughts for a little bit.Walking to the little restaurant I had booked for our evening meal, Jade linked arms with me. She, as always, looked resplendent in a pair of beige high waisted shorts with a matching beige blazer which cut in at the waist and underneath a white vest top.* She had gone for a pair of strappy high heeled sandals.*?You ok?? She asked me.?Yes, why wouldn?t I be? How are you after this afternoon and meeting her family?? I was deflecting the question.?I love them. They are a bit mad, but I can see from what you have told me about Louise where she got her determination and drive from. Irene is a really strong woman.?I smiled, ?she is and she really liked you.* She said you were beautiful and intelligent and then whilst you were in the toilet gave me a warning, well a threat really, saying that I was to treat you right and not mess you around.??Did she?* When we were in the kitchen, she quizzed me about why I was with you, but in the end, she said that if you treated me the way you had treated her daughter then I was a lucky girl.* They think very highly of you.?I felt a bit embarrassed by that last comment and immediately deflected the uncomfortableness I was feeling by cracking a feeble joke.We were shown to our table, ordered our drinks and after quickly perusing the menu ordered our food.?So, what did you say to Irene when she asked why you were with me???I told her you were a great shag,? Jade said grinning.?Well, that is a given, but seriously, what did you say??Jade looked at me for a second or two clearly deciding whether she wanted to tell me, ?Well, I said that you were good looking and that I had always been attracted to older guys.?