The Last Bike Ride - Part 2 Chapter 15/15

Chapter 15

While Sophie waited at Bournemouth airport for Arécy to arrive, Juliette was waiting at the surgery to see her doctor.
She knew he wouldn’t be pleased with her after she hadn’t bothered to go and see the cardiologist he had made her an appointment with. She was feeling better than she had back then, and she just wanted something for her stomach now.
Sophie and Ranjia hugged when they saw each other, and waited for Michelle to finish her flight paperwork before they could leave the airport.
“How are you, Sophie? I don’t really have to ask. You really are blooming! Not long now, eh?” as she rubbed Sophie’s bump.
“Ranjia, I’m so grateful to you for coming over.”
“Oh, honey, don’t be silly. I can’t wait to meet your Mum!”
Michelle joined them carrying something under her arm.
“You found time to do some shopping then, Micki!” joked Sophie.
“Come on, let’s go, Sis.”
“You’re still OK with us going to see Nikki at her school?”
“Of course, I’m dying to meet another one of your sisters!”
“She’s another fan of your work, as well. I thought she would be able to meet us at home, but she wasn’t able to get away from school. That’s why I rang you.”
“Really, Sophie, it’s no problem!”
“I expect the boys at the school won’t mind seeing you, either!” added Michelle.
They didn’t. Nikki had mentioned to the school Head of Art that Arécy was coming to meet her and the word went round the school like wildfire.
Nikki had arranged lunch for the four of them in the main canteen, but there were so many admirers there that they had to lock themselves away in a spare room to eat in peace.
“Arécy, it’s so good to meet you.”
“Nikki, please call me Ranjia.”
“Ooh, Nikki, you are honoured!” joked Sophie, just as she had done with Michelle when she met them at the airport and her sister had used the artist’s real name.
Ranjia had asked Michelle to use it when they met in France.
She thought it odd that Ranjia had offered her name so quickly after what she had said about it when they first met at the gallery.
Florence was surprised to see her old friend Sarah’s name appear on her phone as it rang. She hadn’t heard from her for a while, and hadn’t had to see her professionally for a long time.
“Hello, Doctor Moore, this is a surprise! How are you?”
The two had been at school together and had stayed friends as they went their different ways as students. Sarah had moved back to Bournemouth a few years earlier and was now their family doctor in the local surgery.
“Flo, I’m fine, thanks. And you?”
“Really well, Sarah. Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I am. Where are you? In Birmingham, or Newquay?”
“I’m at the flat. I’m here for a couple of day working on something.”
“Listen, Flo, I’m glad you’re there. I saw your Mum just now and she’s not good. I was really pissed off that she hadn’t gone to see the cardiologist that I arranged for her about three months ago.”
“What? That’s the first I’ve heard about it.”
“I thought she would have at least told you, Flo, especially you. She would always tell you things.”
“Shit! Thanks Sarah, I’ll go down and make her see sense.”
“Someone needs to. She can’t keep putting things off. Her blood pressure was way up when she was here just now. I gave her something for it. Just make sure she’s taken the pills.”
“OK. I’ll try and make some time to see you while I’m here. How’s that lovely fella of yours, by the way, and the kids?”
“They’re all great! Look, just go down and make sure she’s taken the pills. I’ll tell you about them when I see you. Bye!”
“Oh, Mum,” sighed Florence, as she rang off.
Juliette had always been the same, just like her mother before, always wanting to hide any weakness from everyone, thinking they knew better than any doctor.
‘Is it wanting to be some kind of hero?’ Florence was thinking as she walked down to the flat below, ‘wouldn’t it be more heroic to face up to these things? Who knows?’
Florence found Juliette in bed. She never went to bed during the day.
Juliette said,

“Dad, is that you?”
“No, Mum, it’s me. What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I must have been dreaming just now.”
‘God, she looks rough,’ thought Florence, ‘and I’ve never heard her talking like this.’
“Were you dreaming about Grandad?”
“Yes, we were in Spain together. Just him and me. Then he had gone off somewhere, he said that I’d know where to find him, and to come later. I keep having strange dreams like that just lately.”
“Mum, did you take the pills Sarah gave you?”
“She shouldn’t have told you about that. It’s not ethical.”
“Mum, she’s not just our doctor, you’ve known her for thirty years since we were at school together – she’s one of my oldest friends. She’s worried about you. And why didn’t you tell anyone about the cardiologist?”
“Oh, I must have forgot,” she lied.
“I’ll get the tablets. I saw something from the pharmacy as I walked in. Was that them?”
“Yes, thanks, darling.”
Florence called Nikki.
“Nikki, you need to come home, Mum’s not good.”
“Oh, bugger. Do you mean right now? I’m with Ranjia and …”
“Who?”
“Sorry, Arécy, and Sophie and Micki are her with us.”
“OK, just get here as soon as you can.”
“Guys, sorry, that was Flo. She said that Mum’s not too good and wants us there as soon as we can.”
“Come on, let’s go!” said Ranjia.
“She’ll be fine for a while, surely” replied Nikki.
“Well, I’m going, and I want someone to drive me. Come on!”
They rushed to keep up with Ranjia and got in the car and drove away. On the way, Nikki said,
“Thanks for that, Ranjia, I don’t know what I was thinking.
Michelle turned to Ranjia, who was sitting in the back with Sophie,
“Look, Ranjia, if Mum’s in bed she probably won’t want to see you. She’s very private like that, and usually only let’s doctors see her when she’s in bed.”
“I understand, Michelle, I’ll keep out of the way.”
Florence met them at the door.
“Flo, this is Ranjia.”
“Hi, do come in. I thought you were Arécy.”
“It’s Ranjia now. Look, names aren’t important right now. I’ll sit out here. You need to see if your Mum needs anything.”
Michelle had gone straight in to see Juliette while Florence was being introduced to Ranjia, and then came back out.
“Ranjia, Mum really wants to meet you. She said she’ll pretend that you’re a doctor!”
They went through to her room. Nikki had arranged some chairs around the bed.
“All four of you together with me twice in one week. Thanks girls!”
“You’re worth it, Mum”, said Sophie, kissing Juliette tenderly.
Sophie looked at Ranjia, who knew why, and nodded.
“Mum, Rhys is away, and we both wanted to tell you this, but he said he doesn’t mind me telling you now. I know you don’t like to know, and I felt the same, but I just couldn’t wait to find out. You’re going to have a grand-daughter, Mum, and we’re going to call her Stephanie.”
“Oh, darling, a girl at last! I’m glad you told me. I’ll call that lovely Rhys of yours later to congratulate him.”
“Mum, I’ve already asked someone to be her god-mother, and she’s here to see you!”
“Hello, Mrs Martin, I’ve been looking forward to seeing you.”
“Please, call me Juliette. I’m glad you could find the time. You must be so busy.”
“I’m just so glad to be able to meet you.”
The sisters listened to Ranjia telling Juliette about that night.
“He didn’t have to do what he did, you know, but he stayed with me to help, and Sophie’s probably told you that he stayed with me for all the years since. I want you to know, Juliette, that now that I’ve found out how his ride home to you ended, I’m going back to my old name. I won’t forget him. How could I? But he’s all yours now.”
Juliette had been trying to hide her feelings from this beautiful woman next to her, but the tears were welling up in her eyes.
“I doubt whether Sophie has told you this, and I’ve been struggling with myself about whether to tell you or not, but I want to put your mind at rest”
Sophie went to stop Ranjia, but sat back in her chair and put her arm around Michelle.
“Juliette, you must be thinking if anything else happened between me and Steve that night. I have to admit that I was hoping that something would, but he told me he hadn’t been unfaithful to you and wasn’t about to start then.”
Juliette’s face changed. It had been almost rigid until then, but now it was calm, and she laughed. She looked somehow relieved.
“What is it, Mum?” asked Michelle, “why are you laughing?”
“I don’t know why I’ve been worrying about what might have happened between you that night, Ranjia. He wouldn’t have been able to do anything anyway. Even in the summer his parts would shrivel up after his bike rides and it would take a long hot shower to restore things!”
They all laughed together.
“Juliette, I’ve got something for you.”
Michelle handed the large package she had carried from the airport to Ranjia.
“I hope you like it.”
Juliette struggled with the wrapping and tore off some from the top to reveal part of a hat with a cockerel on it, then some more from the bottom of the frame where the label had been changed to just ‘Steve Martin’, and then Juliette saw his face.
“Dad!” gasped Florence, Nikki, and Michelle in unison. They had all seen a photo of it but it was so life-like now.
“Ranjia, it’s perfect,” said Juliette, “thank you so much.”
Juliette kissed the picture, looked at it again, and said,
“Oh, Steve, where are you?”
She closed her eyes and started her eternal search.

The End