Doris danced round the kitchen, her mood lifted. What was this music, that composer who died young, they played it at that concert they went to… Thank goodness for the radio to ease the monotony of kitchen chores. She was having a big tidy up, making space. It was just as well her son and his family were not coming straight to her after flying in from the USA. Their delayed annual holiday was starting with a further two week delay in quarantine at an air bed or b&b; for the best really, she had managed to avoid getting English Covid, she didn’t want to get American Covid. Cassie next door would help her order a big shop next week, though goodness knows what the children’s likes and dislikes would be this year. The top cupboards would have to stay untouched, Doris had not used her stepping stool since lockdown, the last thing she wanted was a fall and end up in hospital on a ventilator. She just needed everything to look orderly so her son would see she was still coping fine.
Doris was startled out of her conducting with the wooden spoon by the phone ringing.
‘Hello.’
‘Good morning, my name’s Natasha and I am calling from…’
‘Hold on a moment, I’ll just turn the radio off, I can’t hear you.’
‘Noo… Wait, what’s that music, I love it, I’ve heard it before, but I can never find out what it is… ’
‘Lovely isn’t it, I know the composer…’
‘Who is it?’
‘…but his name won’t come to mind.’
‘Do you know what the piece is called?’
‘Some rhapsody I think, don’t go away, let’s hope they tell us what it was before the news comes on.’
Doris held the phone near the radio and strummed the counter top with her other hand, it was that time they went with Mary and her husband, narrow seats, no leg room for the men, concerts like that were off the agenda now with social distancing.
‘Oh that was lovely, thank you so much, I’ve tapped it into my phone, I’ll download it later.’
Just as well Natasha caught the presenter’s voice, Doris had been so wrapped up in the gorgeous music she hadn’t heard what he said.
‘You are very welcome Natasha, one of my favourites. I don’t do downloading, I still have CDs. By the way, why were you calling?’
‘Oh er um I understand you were involved in an accident recently and may be eligible for compensation.’
‘No, no I’m fine, I have been very careful, apart from that time with the secateurs, where are you calling from, council covid welfare ?’
‘So you have not been involved in a motor vehicle accident lately?’
‘No dear, I haven’t driven for years and Cassie next door doesn’t have a car. I usually get the bus, but we’re not supposed to use those now. Cassie orders on line for me, I’ll have to get a lot more next week. My son and his family are over from the USA, I think we’ll have a good old English roast and I’ll make him his favourite chocolate cake, even if his wife is on one of her diets and I never know what her children are going to eat… ’
Strange, the young woman had hung up.
Times and Tides of a Beachwriter 