The end of Valerie's world
One morning John woke early and sat up in bed coughing, then laid back on the pillow, closed his eyes, and stopped breathing.
He’d had heart failure, and in that moment Valerie’s world fell apart.
His sudden death left Valerie dazed and numb, so a friend called his children.
Two days later Johns children flew over and moved into the house.
Valerie couldn’t stop crying and couldn’t manage, so they took charge of the funeral arrangements and did the shopping and the cleaning. At first they seemed very understanding and supportive; but it was just a facade.
With cold blooded efficiency they cancelled the Golf club membership, the mobile phone accounts, sold the boat and the cars, put the villa on the market at a reduced price for a quick sale, emptied his bank account, and told Valerie that she would have to leave.
Valerie was still dazed and numb when Rodney and Vanessa packed a couple of bags, took her to a local hotel, booked her in for a month, and left her there.
She never saw them again and they don't return her calls.
Within a week, Valerie had gone from happiness, love, and financial security, to being penniless, friendless, and homeless.
Her “friends” from the Golf Club and the Marina were suddenly busy.
They would cross the street, or turn their backs if she tried to approach them.
Funny isn’t it, these well off people who'd all been entertained at Valerie’s house, couldn’t spare the price of a cup of coffee or a few minutes of their valuable time.
Valerie was miserable and lonely when the hotel asked her to leave.
But with no money to stay there any longer, there was nothing she could do.
She left with her two bags, and a kind spanish hotel manager gave her a little sack truck and 20 euros. She walked to the promenade seat where she used to sit with John, where they would cuddle and watch the waves come in; That's where she was sitting now.
With no money to pay rent, or to return to England, she became what we call a “rough sleeper”, although few “rough sleepers” will have clothes as expensive as hers.
Valerie sleeps where she can, goes to the sea to bathe early in the morning, and keeps herself neat and tidy so she can use the toilets in bars and cafes, without drawing attention to herself. She never uses the same bar twice in a week.
She doesn’t blame John for failing to protect her. He trusted Rodney and Vanessa to honour the agreement they made with him.
Valerie stopped talking. She went back to watching the sea as if I wasn’t there; brief smiles flitting across her face, as if reliving each moment she had spent with John on their boat.
I think she’s waiting to join him.
Incidentally Classyrags in Moraira is the place to find a pretty dress for that special dinner or dance
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