A Debt of Honour – Episode 34
A Debt Of Honour
« Previous Post- 1. A Debt of Honour – Episode 01
- 1. A Debt of Honour – Episode 34
Ellie was determined to make a big effort and cook up a storm for their dinner.
When Calum came wearily back from work to his flat, it was to find that she had beaten him to it.
He sniffed appreciatively.
“Smells good. What is it?”
Smiling over her shoulder, Ellie stirred industriously.
“A surprise. The first of two surprises, in fact.”
“Does the second one smell just as good?”
“Even better.”
Balancing the wooden spoon carefully on the pot’s edge, she went to throw her arms around him.
“Mm,” she said indistinctly, as they kissed. Then, pushing him away a little, she smiled.
“How would you like . . .?” she started.
“To eat now? Yes, please. I’m starving.”
She shook him gently.
“Let me finish. How would you like if I suddenly produced a magic wand and waved it?”
“Bringing a new bottle of ketchup?” he asked hopefully.
“You have no soul, just a computer where your heart should be.” Ellie sighed resignedly.
“No, a magic wand to transport us to Bondi Beach, where we could walk in the shallows, and listen to the noise of the surf coming in.”
“But what if that noise isn’t surf breaking, but the sound of Great White sharks brushing their teeth before dinner?” he asked, smiling.
“You have been watching too many scary movies. OK, if the beach doesn’t appeal, how about a trip up Brisbane River, or a visit to the Great Barrier Reef?” She pulled a face.
“Before we destroy its beautiful corals with ocean warming.”
Calum disentangled himself, and took out his wallet. Extracting a single £5 note, he showed her the empty interior.
“How far will this fiver take us?” he asked. “It won’t even cover the car park charges.”
Ellie danced with excitement.
“What if my wand can cure all that?”
“I don’t see any magic wand. All I see is the love of my life burning the dinner.”
There was a distinct smell of singeing food in the flat, but Ellie had more important things on her mind.
“Let the dinner look after itself for a bit,” she said impatiently.
“What if I told you that we could make these miracles happen? Bondi Beach. The Barrier Reef. You name it.”
Ellie ran over to her bag on the sofa, rummaged through it, and triumphantly brought out carefully folded pages of print-out.
“Look!” she said, thrusting them at him. “It’s two tickets to Brisbane.”
Calum examined the tickets.
“They are the real deal right enough. But I still don’t understand.”
“Our tickets have been booked by Neil. We fly out in two weeks’ time.”
Calum stared at the e-tickets.
“I thought Neil was somewhere in South Africa?”
“He was. But when he finished his business in Stellenbosch and was due to fly to New Zealand, he changed his mind. And his ticket.
“He flew to Brisbane instead, and rescheduled his New Zealand dates.”
“Why?” Calum’s smile showed he already knew.
“To have one last try at persuading Mum to marry him.
“He says that all his best decisions were made on the spur of the moment. Like that one.”
“And did it work?”
“Oh, no –”
Ellie abandoned him and rushed over to the dinner. Too late. Dark smoke billowed everywhere.
“Rats!” she said, turning off the gas. “Now I’ve ruined everything!”
“Only the dinner.”
Coming over to look at the pot, he sighed.
“It was a cheap pot,” Calum said. “And I bought it in a charity shop.”
He picked up the smouldering dinner and carried it carefully to the empty steel sink, where he poured some cold water into the pot. Clouds of steam billowed out.
He looked round, smiling.
“I should maybe have bought the set of three. Not just picked out the middle one.”
“I’ll do better next time,” Ellie promised. “Shall we go out for a meal?”
“On five pounds?” he asked. “No chance. We will have to dine in. I think there’s some bread and cheese in the cupboard.
“And we can talk about our trip to the other side of the world.”
He leaned his head to one side, biting his lip.
“Your mum did say yes, I take it?”
“What do you think? A wonderful, kind-hearted man once told me they’d be happier together than apart.
“Deep down, they both knew that. Whether they are in opposite rooms or opposite ends of the world.”
To be continued…
