It’s Sunday night, so we went to the Dolphin to meet the two T’s, Trev and Tim… and we talked about holidays and travel, and Trev told us about a holiday he had spent in New Zealand, a few years ago.
Trev and his wife Ann were doing a tour; they had done South Island and had caught the ferry over to North Island and picked up their hire car. They had also hired some golf clubs, keen golfers as they were, and they set off on their travels, staying over at what are called homesteads, farmhouse accommodation.
After a great day’s golf they found that the homestead they were booked at was rather further away than they had anticipated. They arrived late, still in their golf gear and asked where they could get dinner.
The welcoming landlady told them a nearby hotel was very good, and also said they would be fine going in their golf gear. However when they arrived, everyone seemed very poshly dressed and as they stood at the bar organising a table, Ann was very aware of a group at nearby tables looking at them. However, they were quickly shown through to the dining room, and more aware than ever of the party staring at them, and being conscious of their golfing gear (which knowing Trev and Ann was very smart and fashionable) they asked to be put behind a floral arrangement.
They sat at their table feeling very uncomfortable, although the staff were very pleasant and friendly; the looks they had been given by the group of people in the bar made them feel awkward and embarrassed at what they were wearing. A lovely dinner arrived and they relaxed somewhat, and the hubbub and laughter of other diners soon put them at ease… On the other side of the floral display there was a very happy, noisy group, having a wonderful celebration of something.
“Trevor… that lady who’s laughing, doesn’t she sound just like our friend Molly?”
“Molly? Ted’s widow? The one who met his old RAF chum after he died?”
“Listen, that lady just sounds like her…”
Ann tossed her napkin on the table, got up and went round the other side of the floral arrangement… and yes you’ve guessed, the lady with the loud laugh was their friend Molly, and she had been sitting in the group by the bar and seeing Trev and Ann come in had said to her friends, good heavens, that couple, they look just like my friends from England, Trev and Ann!
Molly had married her late husband’s friend and moved with him to New Zealand; they and her step-sons had come to the hotel for a family celebration, all in their finest clothes!
Lois Elsden 