That's Life ( Pt 19 )

Suddenly the words I'd uttered earlier about not wanting a man in my life, had gone completely out the door and the window. This new guy I'd now fallen for was like a dream come true, he was kind, which was poles apart from what I'd been used to with this family, and he was so good looking as far as I was concerned.

 

It was now June, we'd been going out for nearly two months, his demonstrations of caring had gone beyond anything I could have imagined, the weeks had just flown by so quick. My friend at the flat had rejoiced in my news and had been kind enough to have my son for the night on many occasions.

 

My confidence was slowly returning and I hadn't cried for ages, his love was reinforcing my strength to cope with anything. We had many a blissful Saturday and Sunday together when my ex husband had his son for the weekend. One Friday evening, this gorgeous hunk of a man who I'll call Kevin...that wasn't his real name, picked me and my son up in his car. I told the landlady I was going away for the weekend, which she wasn't happy about at all, giving me her usual line of harassment.

 

“I told you I don't want men friends up in your room as we discussed!” She said.

 

“He's not just any man friend...he's also helping me out.” I replied, thinking how dare she order me around. My thoughts were that she was getting the rent money, so why should she care where I went, after all she wasn't my mum.

 

 

We dropped my son off with his dad at the usual meeting place, then we went to the pictures to see the Star Wars film...Return of the Jedi. I trusted this man completely when he asked me over to his home for the weekend, it was so nice to be cared about once more, all my thoughts of never allowing men into my life seemed to have vanished in a haze of love.

 

He had a lovely home that sat on the picturesque Cotswold Way, his garden looked out over the valley for miles. That weekend he took me for rambles in the beautiful countryside. Some of the cottages and farm houses he showed me were remarkable, the people who lived in them must have been very rich, they certainly looked after their homes, this was a million miles away from what I'd known back in Bristol. On the Saturday night, he took me to his local pub where I met some of his friends. My spirits were lifted even more when he took me for a meal, I couldn't remember the last time a man had taken me out for something to eat. When the weekend was over, I found I was eager to get back to see my son, but not to go back to my room in that house.

 

I'd been given a taste of another kind of life, it was exhilarating to be with this man. But going back to pick my son up was exciting too, I'd missed him so much and wanted to cuddle him, it was still like a part of me was missing when I didn't have him with me, but some how this man made it easier to bear.

 

My new man took me to pick up my son, then gave me a lift back to the house in his car, pulling up outside the door, it was a far cry from where I'd just come from, but at least this room was my own domain, so that kind of made my outlook not so bad.

 

It was nearing the end of June, I was completely besotted with this new man that had now made my life so much easier to handle...I know I keep on about it, but he made such a big impact on me.

 

It was on one of our weekends at his house, that he asked me if I'd like to come up to Yorkshire, where he originally came from, to meet his dad and stay with some friends. I jumped at the chance, it would be like a holiday for me and my son, we both needed the break away from the landlady and her husband.

 

So anyway, when we got back to my lodgings, I approached the landlady and told her I would be going away for a long weekend. She seemed put out and didn't like the fact that I kept going away. “You know what I said about having men friends up in your room!” She announced to me once again...I was fed up with hearing that line.

 

“He's not one of my men friends,” I said, getting annoyed. “He's one man who really cares about me and my son.”

 

“Well! I don't like it!” Was her reply.

 

I didn't say anymore except, “well sorry, but that's the way it is.” I made my way up to my room shutting the door behind me, feeling so many different emotions. I couldn't wait for the next weekend and I knew it would seem like an age till I saw him again.

 

Carrying on with my daily routines wasn't easy, all I could think about was seeing him again and having a break. But Friday came around soon enough and Kevin picked me up after work. I was ready, everything I'd needed was packed into my haversack, with all my son's stuff in black bin liners, plus carrycot. We were ready for the off as I couldn't wait to get away from the lodgings.

 

When we got back to his lovely house, the first thing I did was to feed and settle my son down, discovering that Kevin had cooked me a meal that evening, served up with two bottles of red wine, which we downed and got quite tipsy on. It was so relaxing to be with this man, without the fear of that family around, no...it was actually perfect with just the three of us and I was liking this more and more.

 

It was early Saturday morning when we set off for Yorkshire, I was excited because it was a place I'd never been before. One of the first places he took me, was the Museum of Steam Engines, he was mad about these huge towering engines, I never realized just how big they were until I stood next to one. We also walked along by the river hand in hand...very romantic, and also fed the ducks, he was a true gentleman and pushed the pushchair for me too.

 

His friends up in Yorkshire made me and my son very welcome. They had two older children, a boy and a girl who really took to my son. Their son also took great pleasure in play fighting with Kevin on the floor, where they'd end up in tickling fights...poor Kevin always came off worse in the end. The room we slept in was very comfortable and had a huge amount of space, with a view out the window to die for, of fields and more fields.

 

We spent most of Sunday with the family, who cooked us a great dinner, then we all went for a walk around the area, it was so quiet and peaceful, their house was surrounded by countryside, I often wonder if it's still like that now.

 

On the Monday morning we went to visit Kevin's dad. He was a nice man, but he was unable to get around any longer and depended on home help. He did hold my son and seemed quite comfortable having his photo taken with baby on his lap, though he was a bit shaky and nervous of dropping him. I did feel sorry for Kevin living so far away from his dad as it worried him that his dad could die and Kevin wouldn't be around, Yorkshire was so faraway from Bristol where he worked.

 

We'd planned to come back home on the Monday, but there was so much to do, we decided to stay another day so that Kevin could take me to the city of York. We went to the York Minster and the Shambles, where I had so much fun going in all the gift shops and ended up buying some souvenirs of this wonderful city which reminded me a bit of Bath. I just loved walking around the antique shops where I could have spent hours. But all too soon our trip came to an end and we made our way home on the Wednesday.

 

As Kevin had the week off of work, I decided to stay at his place till the Thursday, knowing there wasn't anything for me to return to...but my return was far from what I expected.

 

To be continued...