Blue Pyjamas

Maddy and I had always slept naked, ever since that first desperately nervous night of our honeymoon, even though we had known each other all our lives.

Ha! You, Timothy, my very helpful grandson, can scoff at your Grammies' innocence. But that is how it was then, for good girls and a respectable boy who feared the wrath of God, Dad and Maddy's Dad, and not necessarily in that order.

You never saw them much, but we both had much older siblings because we were both the products of our Dads being demobbed after six years away fighting the war and our Mums eagerly awaiting their return. Maddy was the eldest of the two of us by four weeks and, the precocious force of nature she was, she always took charge. I didn't mind. She took the lead in everything and I was grateful to be along with her for the ride.

It was just about the Swinging Sixties when we pair of near neighbours and forever best friends, who had walked together to and from school for years and years until we were about 14 and decided to detour through the woods and try out kissing for the first time.

I suppose our hormones were starting to stir by then and we had started sneaking in to see what were "A" classified films at the pictures in town without our parents for the first time and we were seeing Hollywood actors and actresses kissing and acting as lovers. Only acting of course.

Technically, kids, we could see U films at any time and on Saturday morning flicks we did, mostly in black and white and flickery. We could've seen "A" films on our own from the age of 11, but well, both our parents were churchgoers, so we were too, and we were kept on a short leash. We had talked about kissing and there was no-one else either of us wanted to try it with but were too frightened to do it in public. Yes, the Swinging Sixties passed us by like we were an island an island of Maddy and me and that was fine.

Our village was smaller then, before all the townies moved in, and every curtain hid a nosy parker that knew our Grammies, our parents and every grown-up sibling, we'd never have a chance at keeping secrets. We went to village dances, we jived and waltzed to The Everley Brothers and The Temptations, we even twisted to Chubby Checker, but always under the withering eyes of "Those who knew better" and if they knew we'd touch lips and almost anywhere else on our bodies, our parents would know it all before we got home.

But Wednesday after school, both our Mums had the WI luncheon followed by Bingo at the Village Hall and we had to get us own tea, so we detoured and kissed in the woods. Soon kissing became our favourite thing. But, kids, we were terrified to do anything else. Even now, well we did up to when your Gramma ... passed, we kissed all the time, good morning, thanks for breakfast, and as I left for work or to the Allotment ... you get it, kids, we kissed a lot.

What do you mean, Jessie, "Ew!"

Didn't you like Great Gramma kissing you and squeezing your shoulder when you visited and left us or when you tearfully needed comfort after scraping your knee? I thought so, come here, I haven't kissed either of you since we left home.

Where was I? Yes, sleeping naked. Well, I was as surprised as could be when the messenger dropped off the package that she had arranged before she passed, but that is why we are here today and your Daddy has driven us down to the docks to see me off on the cruise of a lifetime.

We sacrificed so much, raising your own Grammies and they raised your Mummy and Daddy, we worked so hard that we never saw the world. Maddy scrimped and saved and arranged for that parcel to arrive on the afternoon after her service.

What was in it, Jeremy? You always were the inquisitive one of the pair of you.

Well, there was an open ticket for this cruise, no date, but her letter insisted that I do it soon and take and scatter her ashes far far away. And, she knew I'd be cold sleeping alone, so she enclosed a brand new pair of blue pyjamas.