Miranda - The Visit

I've got to admit that I was taken with Eda from the moment we met. And what's more we did have a lot in common, having both been dumped by what we had thought were loving spouses. Even our children were the same ages. And when I'd happened to mention that I was going to need a housekeeper, Eda had laughingly replied that she might apply for the job, because it was all she really knew how to do.

Exactly when the joke became a serious offer, I'm not quite sure. I'd interviewed several battleaxes and more than a few scatterbrained young girls, before I called Eda on the telephone and asked her whether she had been joking about becoming my housekeeper. When Eda went very quiet and didn't reply straight away, I sort of panicked, blurted out that it was a silly idea, then apologised for disturbing her and hung up.

Was I surprised a few days later when my doorbell rang and I opened it to find two people in uniform standing there. They were to turn out to be Eda's air stewardess sister-in-law and her English pilot boyfriend. To put it bluntly - and cut a long story short - they had been dispatched to enquire exactly what my interpretation of "housekeeper" was, i.e. the poor pilot guy had to enquire whether I was under the impression that Eda's duties as a housekeeper would extend beyond the bedroom door. Come on, you know full well what the poor bugger was trying to discover; a touchy subject that it was embarrassing for us to have to discuss.

Anyway, the net result of that unexpected visit was that Eda and her children arrived themselves a week later for a month's stay; to see if there was any possibility that it could work. Much to both Eda's and my amazement everything went swimmingly. They did go back to Holland at the end of the month, but only to bring the rest of their gear over to the UK.

I suppose there was one sticky moment when Eda's children first met mine. Our two seven - almost eight - year old daughters, possibly because Eda's daughter had a rudimentary knowledge of English she'd learnt in school - disappeared into the garden together almost the moment they were introduced. The two six-year-old boys, just stood and stared at each other for what seemed like ages. It was apparent to me that they were sizing each other up, and I'll admit I was wondering whether they were actually going to have a fight or something.

But then Eda's son suddenly pointed to my son's football that was still lying in the middle of the lawn where he'd been kicking it about earlier with his sister. Just like that, the two boys were gone and shortly yet another window was required in the old green house. Somewhat surprisingly, both boys insisting that they alone were responsible for the breakage.

Why did the children hit it off so quickly? Well you have to take into account that they had a lot in common. They'd had one parent literally abandon them, and my children and I had only recently moved away from the city. At that time they were yet to make many friends among the local children, so they were probably feeling just as lost in a strange place as Eda's children were. Whatever, they all became firm friends in a matter of hours, even if conversation between them was a little stilted to start with. It was during those first few days that their English-Dutch double talk began to materialise. They managed to confuse the hell out of me for weeks. I won't try to claim that a little gender rivalry didn't raise its head now and again either, once they had someone of their on sex to gang up with against brother or sister; but nothing serious or beyond what was to be expected.

My idea of giving each of the children their own bedroom went right out of the window; that first night the two girls shared my daughter's room and the boy's my son's. That's the way things remain today. I figure that sometime when they are older, they will want separate rooms, but we'll leave that decision up to them. There's no shortage of bedrooms in our old house.

There were several things that I hadn't taken into consideration when I invited Eda and her children to come live with us. My Beemer although there was plenty of room, wasn't really satisfactory for carrying six around in. Here Alana Carter - my boss's wife – and most likely with his encouragement and connivance - was not only one-step ahead of me, but came to our rescue.

A few days after Eda first arrived, Alana turned up at the house in her people carrier with her children, and not very subtly let it be known that her new car was being delivered the next day. The next thing I know – and leaving me to look after all of the children – Alana has taken Eda out in the people carrier to familiarise her with driving a right hand drive car, on what to Eda, was the wrong side of the road.

I do believe Alana spent a lot of time with Eda in the next few weeks, to make sure she didn't feel lonely or abandoned during the day when I was at work and the children were at school. We'd quickly arranged for Eda's two, to have a sort of try-out time at my children's school. Obviously, there were language problems to start with, but apparently nothing that either the schoolteachers or the children found insurmountable.

I've got to admit that Eda and I tiptoed around each other for a good couple of months. I'm not sure if Eda knew what the children found so funny when we were all together, but I had no idea. I thought they were giggling and laughing at my attempts to understand Dutch; I found it much harder to get my head around the language than the children did. In truth, the children had picked up on the atmosphere or unintentional vibes that had been passing between Eda and I. Honestly, I realised that I was attracted to Eda, but I had no idea whether those romantic feelings were reciprocated.

"Well, aren't you going to kiss Moeder, daddy?" My daughter asked, when Eda gave me my present on my birthday.

I stole a quick glance at Eda to see how she'd reacted to Denise's question. And well... I might be a little slow, but the slightly embarrassed smile on Eda's face told me that was what she was waiting for. Both our daughters clapped when I did kiss Eda. The two six-year-old boys pulled "Yuck!" faces; but then laughed when I asked them what was wrong?

I won't claim that things went very quickly after that, because they didn't. Eda did take to seeing me off to work in the mornings with a kiss on the cheek and welcoming me home likewise. But both of our daughters had been doing the same for a few weeks by then. To be honest I was doing my best to take things as slowly as possible. One has to take the old rebound mentality into consideration, even if you are convinced that you have fallen in love.

Denise and Mena kind-a moved us on to the next step one Saturday when we were all out shopping together as well. Eda and I sort-a lost the two girls in the High Street and when we found them they were staring into a jewellers shop window; at engagement rings! Talk about getting railroaded into something, I left that shop rather less well off than when I arrived. I hadn't actually asked Eda to marry me and she hadn't actually said she would either, but she was wearing a small cluster of diamonds on her finger, only not on her Left hand. Eda held out her right hand for me to put the ring onto. It was all sort of... well, confusing for me really. The two girls seemed to have it figured that it was a done deal.

I suppose it could have been the fact that I was still on Sven's case at the time, and therefore the subject of Miranda was in the foreground all the time. That stopped Eda and I getting on with things. Once the sting had taken place, Sven was in police custody and I'd dropped the bomb on Miranda that day that she'd been well and truly had; so to all intent and purposes she was out of my life.

Well, lets just say that things between Eda and I took off in a big way. The night I returned from Karen's place was the first night that Eda and I shared a bed together. The only problem is that I can't even claim that I seduced Eda that evening; I think, no I know that I drank a little more than was good for me when I got home that evening.

The next thing that I was really aware of was that someone had kissed me on the forehead, I struggled awake just in time to catch sight of a very naked Eda sneaking out of my bedroom before the children woke-up the next morning.

But what had lead up to us getting into bed together. Other than some vaguely remembered cuddling on the sofa in the lounge - that might possibly be termed light petting - , after the children had retired, was all I could recall – well I'm sorry to say, that that is all lost to me. You know, I can't even be sure whether we had sex or not that night. I had to gather my nerve and actually ask Eda whether I'd been mistaken - or dreamed - that she'd sneaked naked out of my bedroom in the early hours, whilst she was preparing breakfast.

"I believe that seeing Miranda yesterday, upset you Harry. You needed someone to hold you close last night." Eda replied, nonchalantly.

"How close Eda?" I enquired, trying to discover what, if anything, I'd missed out on. Without being too... well come on how do you ask a woman if you laid her or not. Not to recall the event might well be taken as an insult.

What I can only describe as a wicked grin came on Eda's face. "Ah, what you mean to ask me, Harry, is have you got to marry me now?"

"Eda, I'd marry you at the drop of a hat, you know that." I replied.

"Drop of what hat?" Eda repeated with a puzzled expression on her face.

"It's just an English saying. What I mean is say Eda, is that I'd marry you tomorrow... no, today if you'd only get around to saying yes."

Eda grinned. Then looked confused again before saying. "Do we really need to... you know, make it formal, Harry?"

"Look kiddo, I don't know about you? But I don't really fancy the idea of you dashing out of the bedroom before the kids wake up every morning. Besides seeing you naked like that this morning kind-a turned me on again. Eventually they'd find us rolling around on the landing floor together one morning."

Eda grinned yet again and then the confused expression returned to her face again. "I'm sorry Harry, I don't understand, I've been waiting for you to set the date."

Look our conversation went around in ever more confusing circles for some while, until I finally sussed it out, that there'd been a slight culture clash, more a case of crossed wires really. Probably made worse - or even caused - by the fact that I hadn't actually asked Eda to marry me in so many words. I'd just taken her into that jewellers shop and invited her to try on engagement rings.

I'd kind-of assumed that Eda would take that as a request to marry me. Which actually she did and in accepting the ring, she had to her understanding accepted my proposal and she assumed that I understood that she had.

What I hadn't taken into account - because I had no idea that the tradition varied in different countries - is that Dutch Protestants wear their wedding rings, and therefore their engagement rings as well, on the third finger of their right hand not their left.

Poor Eda had been getting worried that I'd changed my mind because I hadn't set a date or even brought the subject up again. And well... the fact that Eda had put the ring on what I perceived as the wrong hand, well, I interpreted that as that she was still thinking about it.

"Oh bugger this, I should have done this properly in the first place." I said to Eda. Then I dropped down onto one knee and asked her to marry me formally.

"Dad! That's not the most romantic place or time to ask Moeder, when she's cooking breakfast. Besides I thought you'd already asked her to marry you anyway." Denise interrupted from the doorway.

Ja, yes, today." Eda blurted out, giggling as she did so.

"Denise we've had a slight cultural misunderstanding; I'm just confirming things. In future Moeder and I will discuss everything very carefully, to make sure that nothing like it ever happens again." I said rising to my feet, only to have Eda wrap her arms around me then pull me into a clinch. Conversation was impossible for a few minutes after that, as we snogged each other like a couple of teenagers.

Denise crossed the room and pushed us away from the stove. "Don't mind me you two. I'll finish the breakfasts. You just make like I'm not here!" She said.

The wedding wasn't a big affair. Just Ben and Alana Carter, my children and a few friends on my side. I did invite her, but Karen and little Benjie were away on holiday that weekend. Eda's brother and his wife, plus his wife's younger sister - the air hostess - and her pilot boyfriend on Eda's side. Oh and Eda's children of course.

"I thought you told me that you didn't have any carnal intentions towards Eda?" The pilot asked me with a grin, when we got a moment alone.

"I lied; wouldn't you have done in my position?" I replied grinning back at him.

"Can't say I blame you Harry, there's something about Dutch girls that I can't resist." He laughed back at me.

"Hey don't get me wrong, we haven't consummated our relationship yet. Well... I don't think we have." I said.

Eda, teasingly had refused to give me the gory details of what had happened in my bed that night. Or, actually explain how both of us finished up in there naked, in the first place; she did kind-a hint that if I couldn't remember, then it was my own fault for drinking too much. I've made a solemn promise to myself never to over imbibe again.

"What do you mean, you don't think you have?" the pilot asked.

"Let's not go there my friend, its just too complicated. Just take it from me we'll be doing a lot of consummating tonight and for the next few days."

"Don't tell me mate; I'm with Gelda on baby-sitting duties while you're away and she reckons that there's to be no hanky panky either, what with your children in the house and all. Gelda seems to think that they might be upset that you and Eda aren't there and they possibly might go walk about during the night."

"Oh my god, I've died and gone to heaven!" Was the thought that crossed my mind later when a very naked Eda, walked seductively out of our hotel room's en-suite.

Remember that I'd only seen – or could remember seeing - Eda's naked back at that time. Catching sight of those perfect globes – unfettered - for the first time almost took my breath away. And Eda's nipples... Well, I'd always been aware that she had prominent nipples, they kind-a made their presence obvious whatever Eda was wearing. But I'd never considered myself particularly a nipple man up to that point in my life. Eda must have been aware of what part of her anatomy my eyes were glued on.

"Is your memory getting any better now, Harry?" She asked as she closed the gap between us and very sharply pulled the covers from the bed, exposing my nakedness to herself. "Oh, I see it has!" She grinned, then climbed onto the bed with me and thrust one of her nipples into my gaping mouth.

I immediately remembered that I'd been there, or rather Eda's nipples had been in my mouth at least once before. I also had a vague recollection of seeing those remarkably firm breasts bouncing up and down above me, as Eda played cowgirl. But nothing much else ever did come to mind. One has to wonder just how compos mentis I was that night and whether Eda had taken advantage of me, rather that the opposite being the case; not that I was ever going to complain of course.

"Please be a little more... patient this time, husband, I was sore for a week after the last time. You have exclusive rights to... nurse on them for the rest of our lives now you know. Well, when they aren't required by any possible additions to our family that is!"

"You would like to have more children Eda?" I asked coming up for air.

"Of course I want more children with my new husband." She replied.

For a long time Eda referred to me as her "husband – or "new husband", even to my face. Alana who had become Eda's best friend in the UK, told me once that she often enlarged the term, variously adding the prefixes, handsome, loving, wonderful and... well, Alana suddenly stopped listing them at that point, and blushed profusely. No amount of questioning on my part would make her enlarge further.

Whatever, Eda was very obviously pregnant that day that Miranda finally decided to pay a long overdue call on our children.

Leaving the house by the French doors in the lounge, I lead the girls around to what had one time been the house's kitchen garden. It had struck me that it was the ideal place to have a swimming pool. Protected from the wind by its high walls that also created a slightly warmer microclimate. Eda and I could also lock the doors when necessary. Not that we feared any of our four children would venture in there unless one of us – or another adult - was present; but we did have the first of what we planned on being two more little ones on the way.

Miranda entered the walled garden first followed by Karen and myself. Eda was sitting on the patio area between the pool and the big wooden summerhouse we used as a changing come utility kitchen area. Somewhere to keep a fridge for cold drinks, and tea and coffee making necessities etcetera; there was not much point in keep hiking back to the house every time we wanted refreshments.

All the children were in the pool and it was from there that Denise was the first to spot Miranda's approach.

"Oh god, that doesn't bode well." Karen said when she noticed as I had that Denise's shoulders had physically slumped when she'd seen her and then she'd literally turned her back to her. That was made even more obvious because all the other children and up to a point Eda, were between Denise and her mother.

"What does she expect Karen, Miranda hasn't even bothered to call and talk to the children since god knows how long. You know as well as I do that Eda had to put Miranda's name on some of the children's Christmas presents. Denise is old enough to take an interest in who's written the labels."

"Oh god, you think she noticed?"

"I know Denise did. Sometimes I think my daughter is too clever for her own boots."

"Or Miranda's boots you mean. Although that doesn't call for very much in the way of intelligence, just a healthy portion of arrogance and selfishness."

I got Eda's attention by calling out Moeder and she promptly attracted both Denise and her brother's attention, telling them to get out of the pool and greet their mother. There then followed a short exchange between Denise and Eda in Dutch that I won't repeat here. Suffice to say that Eda won the argument, then two rather reluctant children got out of the water and began to dry themselves as they slowly walked towards the newly arrived stranger.

Miranda put on a display worthy of an Oscar. Very loudly the children – and everyone else within a half-mile radius.Yeah well that may be a bit of an exaggeration but you know what I mean - were informed that it was my fault that she hadn't been able to get down to see the children before that day. Miranda studiously explained that because I had thrown her out, discarded her and no longer supported her financially she had to work to support herself.

At this point Karen let a loud and very artificial sounding cough. Both Eda and I smiled when she did so.

Miranda also informed the children that the journey from where she now lived to our new house was an extremely long and arduous one for her.

"Jesus Christ, Miranda, give over will you. I drove all the way down, all you did was moan and sleep." Karen's interruption of Miranda's diatribe, had unexpected consequences; both my children suddenly screamed "Aunty Karen!" in unison and raced across the lawn to throw their arms around her. A somewhat different, and far more enthusiastic greeting, than they had given their mother.