Lola's Lurching Life

"Omigod," she said, deciding not to treat him like a partial mental invalid. "That's an extraordinarily jovial outburst for sad-sack you."

They sat in silence in their watercraft for a few moments, reflecting on the enormity of that impulsive comment and Cooper acknowledged it.

"Holy cow, it's true."

"And what is true?" she asked laconically, and the answer totally surprised her.

He said gravely, "You said to me earnestly earlier yesterday that you were committing to assist me in my attempts to fully return to normality, and I accepted that without question as an awesome humanitarian gesture spoken from the heart."

Lola said she was surprised that he'd remembered her saying that so accurately, but then he had strong reason to focus on anything that could assist him with his quest to throw off his shackles mentally.

"Listen carefully, Cooper. Already we have slipped into a relationship of considerable familiarity that frankly leaves me quite amazed as we both have considered ourselves recluses and perhaps that suggests that we acknowledge that we are reluctant recluses in what clearly are mental shackles. You need to regain all-round confidence and I need to lose my despair at failing hugely by marrying a guy who was completely wrong for me. I would have been over that by now had I kept myself fully occupied."

"Put bluntly, Cooper, you need to stop feeling guilty you didn't die in the vehicle accident that killed your parents and don't attempt to stop your mind from gradually easing your grief over then being deceased."

"Christ, Lola, you don't pull your punches, do you?"

"I can also be incredibly soft, if I remember correctly."

"Cooper, you would have had medical experts counselling you about dealing with your grief and making changes to your thinking to assist you on to the pathway to full recovery, if that is possible. That's why I'm telling you to get out of your family house and suggest that you sell your father's business holdings."

"That will bring two huge and fundamental changes to your life. The predictions are the next decade could see huge growth in social cycling, and probably a significant return to short distance business deliveries by cycle resulting from the development of more cost-efficient advancements in the battery-powered cycling becoming practically pedal-free for intense all-day cycling on a single over-night battery charge."

"One option could be to retain the cycle division into a stand-alone company with senior executives being required to hold a minimum number of shares in that company under terms recommended by the company you hire as consultants. That would intensify your interest in something worthwhile to you and, at the same time, leave you free to expand other interests."

Cooper said, "It's pointless for you and me to discuss what I could do with the money from the sale of other divisions because, well, I'm not into that sort of thing, possessing an arts degree in graphic design, but you at least have a master's in business administration and spent several years as CEO for a farming family owning a motor vehicle dealership prior to you leaving the Hawes Bay to come to Auckland to settle."

"Agreed and as to your future, Cooper, I read something in a women's magazine last night and ask, how would you like to live 0n Waiheke Island?"

"What farm sheep?"

"The magazine had two advertisements promoting the sale of wineries. I suspect the owners could be getting out due to age, ill-health or quite possibly, being over committed with loans in a marketplace that continues to be soft as a result of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 virus lockdown."

"Jeepers, me owning a winery or two, even as just the major shareholder, could plunge me into a dream life providing everything is set-up well including the necessary support backup."

"There you go, Cooper. That's just one possibility that awaits you. Two things to remember are to use consultants and not to rush into anything. Keep things simply by selling your divisions first or attract a major investor to buy everything on offer. But come on, our hire time is almost up. Let's return these kayaks."

As they paddled off, Cooper said, "Would you like to paddle in one of my kayaks each morning, with or without me as company?"

"Preferably every second or third morning, and usually with you. We don't need to become too fanatical about it and from time to time we may have to fit in other things."

As they drove off from the kayak and canoe training school and pleasure paddling hiring centre, Lola said, "Should we go to a café for breakfast?"

"Yeah, are you trying to normalize me?"

"Yes, as well as thinking of your health from eating baked beans from a heated can."

"I eat them from the pot I heat them in," he said, and grinned hugely when Lola said, "Omigod."

"Your choice."

"The Swiss Bakery is good and opens early."

"Well, you are the driver. Go."

When they were eating scrummy breakfast choices, Lola asked, "Are you in a cooperative mood?"

"Ah, you want sex?"

Lola cringed when two older women at a table next to them sniggered.

"Mrs Redpath invited me to a Scottish dinner evening at her retirement village on Sunday and to include you in the invitation if I could manage to get you to accept."

She saw Cooper tense and countered quickly, saying sweetly, "Cooper, I'd truly appreciate you accompanying me. Mrs Redpath may take the opportunity to boast to her cronies, "There's the laddie that I helped to raise with his lovely girlfriend."

Cooper's nostrils didn't flare, making Lola think that was a good sign.

He relaxed a little and muttered, "But you don't act like my girlfriend."

Lola paused before answering, knowing it would have to be convincing.

"Not yet your chump; but give us time. We both are beginning to shed our shells."

"I'm in with a chance then?"

"Absolutely."

"When did you last have sex?"

Omigod, Lola thought. The guy was unrelenting.

She said creatively, "What do you think Mrs Redpath would say to you if she heard what you just said to me?"

"She would say pragmatically, 'Don't ask boy, just grab her'."

Suspecting that was just a big tease, Lola chose to smile at him.

He said, once again displaying retentive memory, "I thought she invited you to call her Alana."

"She did, but I suspect she meant just when I talked to her privately."

Cooper grinned and said, "Mrs Redpath would have yelled to me, "You stupid half-wit. Go and apologise for saying such a foul thing to a lady otherwise she'll knock manners into you with a heavy kitchen skillet."

Back in her cottage resting, Lola went over the later part of her early-morning with Cooper. When seated in the 2-door coupe outside the paddling school, Cooper said he would accompany her on Sunday and she said thankfully, "Kiss?"

He leaned over and kissed her while running a hand up between her legs to reach her groin.

She pulled away and began belting in and said angrily, "Satisfied?"

"Yep, I decided you I should check that you had one."

"And?" she said flushing.

"You do and it appears meaty."

"Omigod," she said, and helplessly shrieked in laughter.

He sat upright as they entered the busier road leading to Takapuna Village, to avoid distracting the driver not familiar with his car, Traffic on the North Shore was coming alive with worker and school traffic at that time being on the move.

Having lived most of his life locally, Cooper said after studying the menu at the Swiss Café, and looking around, "Enterprising food selection and a good café atmosphere. Many in this locality are rather staid."

Lola agreed and said calmly, "Do you think you should wash your hands after touching me?"

Cooper flushed and said no.

"You know Lola, I've had many female friends in my time, a few very close friends, but never had I known any female who is so difficult to figure out. You appear to change so quickly from hot to cold and can flit from being loquacious to taciturn and return to something in between. I'm almost ready to speculate that are you the daughter of Dr Jekyll and a Miss Hyde."

"That assumption could be argued although the first bit that I can run from hot to cold rather too readily is conceded, but that's just the character type that I am. However, what interests me greatly is that you have just generated an analysis of complete originality that I suspect you were quite incapable of demonstrating you had regained prior to meeting me."

Lola had cleverly avoided using the words in her mind, 'Your bafflement from post-fatal accident trauma' when saying that, thinking only just in time that as such a stark reminder of that tragic event would surely do him no good.

Cooper froze, a forkful of a slices of hash brown, fried egg and avocado stopped midway between his plate and mouth, until sighing and the ascent of the fork continued, and he muttered that she was damn right again.

"You know, I'm still not all there yet," he said, speaking with his mouth full of food. "I hadn't recognised I'd made such an important advance. Lola thanks for being with me. I truly do need you."

"It's my pleasure, pal," she said, not wishing to have him clinging to her, um mentally.

However, her head was reeling. That was because not only through sharing the excitement of them becoming aware of his cognitive improvement; it was the first time anyone had said to her in years that they needed her. For much of her married life, for instance, she'd felt she'd been treated little better than a piece of favourite furniture.

Careful, she mused. Continue being a useful companion to him; prevent that from being turned into a crutch and remember, once it becomes known his mental capacity is returning to normal and is 'coming out' socially, some of his old girlfriends and even pending new ones, will appear because it would be widely known that he was a multi-millionaire at his young age.

Still, that was his business and perhaps soon he'd be fit enough to deal with his personal affairs competently. His business affairs were currently organized to run without his direct involvement.

As if testing Lola's concerns, although she put it down to sheer chance, a forty-something female in jogging clothing entered with a Beagle on a leash. The woman recognized him, saying "Hi Cooper, it's good seeing you back on the road to recovery."

Totalling ignoring Lola sitting opposite Cooper, the woman pulled a chair to sit beside him, kissed him and undid a couple of his shirt buttons and slide her hand on to his skin.

"Do you remember me doing this to you often, darling?"

"Yes, Charley," he said, appearing embarrassed.

Lola thought 'action' and said to Cooper, "Is this woman pestering you?"

"Yes, a little."

Lola pulled the interloper to her feet by her clothing and snarled, "Listen you, I'm his Minder. Fuck off right now or I'll push your teeth down your throat."

"Omigod," Charley said horrified, stepping clear. "I'm calling the cops; I've been threatened bodily harm."

"Go ahead darling," Lola said sarcastically. "Cooper's surrogate mother Mrs Redpath had to go by aircraft to Australia to fetch him home because Cooper was certified by medics as not being in a suitable state of mental revival to travel unless accompanied by a suitable person. Before Mrs Redpath became employed by Cooper's late mother many years ago, she'd worked as a senior nurse in hospital trauma wards."

Charley scuttled away with her dog, tucking her phone away.

Cooper said, "Mrs Redpath is the only persons who could have told you that I had been certified as unfit to travel alone in aircraft until I completed my recovery phase."

"Yes, she did mention it and I invented that last bit to strengthen my case in acting strongly in your defence."

"Wow," Cooper said. "I could never say no to that pushy bitch whenever she pushed me into going yet again."

Lola said dryly, "At least your response suggests your recall is coming back strongly but spare me the lurid details of you and Charley."

He sniggered and said he couldn't clearly remember if his recall had been faulty in any way following the tragedy.

Lola smiled warmly and said, "That was partly the body's response to get through horrific trauma and do you notice how much easily you talk about that trauma since we first met?"

"I do, but only because you mentioned it."

"Do you wish to accompany me when I set forth to purchase a modern racing kayak as I'll find it increasingly more difficult to keep you at bay as you regain your fitness and work on technique? I suggest that initially you keep using an older and heavier type of kayak that you probably have in storage and by pushing a heavier and less streamline craft through the water, will accelerate your build-up of stamina."

"Good thinking, and let's go shopping when we leave here to see if we can find exactly the type of kayak you want ready for purchase instead of having to order one and then possible facing a longish wait for delivery."

"Okay, but let's eat leisurely. I like it here."

Later that day Lola returned in her vehicle towing a trailer to pick up her new kayak as it had not been a suitable load for Cooper's sporty vehicle. It had pleased her that after Cooper had said he'd buy the kayak for her, that she'd said sweetly to back off, and he did so, saying part of the enjoyment associated with such an acquisition, was the excitement of pride of ownership.

She'd told him, "Omigod, you have displayed that you do possess a softer side" and gently stroked one of his flushing cheeks.

Lola called Mrs Redpath to deliver the news.

Alana replied, "I'm astounded that you have managed to have him agree to attend a dinner. Did you lure his consent by offering him sex?"

Although there were on the phone, rather than face-to-face, Lola squirmed in embarrassment and then countered positively, "Mrs Redpath!"

"Okay, okay. Back off young woman. I had no idea that you'd be the type to wait for the guy to make the first move. Well, moving on, can you sing?"

"A little."

"How big is a little?"

"I used to sing with my maternal grandmother from when I was a tot and later would often sing for her until she died when I was twenty-three. I had a soprano voice and she coached me well enough and at times I was asked to sing and the weddings and funerals of our relatives."

"Had your grandmother been a recognised singer in your younger days?"

"Yes, she was Flora McIntyre, a well-known singer in Devonport that I've found is a little east of here."

"Ah, Flora McIntyre, dear Flora," Alana sighed fondly.

"Lola, we have items presented during each of our dinner's seven courses and are always looking for fresh entertainers in the mix from residents and their family and I now consider you family. May I enter your name into a slot?"

"I um..."

"It could thrill Cooper to hear you sing formally and to be applauded, even if it's light applause, and that would make him forget his distaste at being dragged out to dine with a big group of old fogies and their kin."

"Um, how many people will be there?"

"Bookings have reach near capacity of 220."

"Omigod."

Alana asked what would Lola like to sing?

"Annie Laurie."

"Omigod, you are familiar with Scottish music. Unfortunately, Maggie Bruce always sings that as our closing item on our annual Scottish night. You'll have a second favourite from your grandmother's list."

"Amazing Grace."

"As entertainment director, I'll push Maura Beattie, our popular resident magician, forward a slot and place you in the second-last spot, just ahead of Maggie."

"Omigod, I'd prefer to go first before the audience warms up and tunes into the variety?"

"Sorry, we have one grandson and two granddaughters in the first three spots for the very reason that you just mentioned. Have faith, my girl. If your relatives kept calling you to sing at weddings over the years, you must have a high degree of singing ability. If only you had Scottish names; Lola Hunt sounds so English."

"My middle name is actually Annie, named after Gran Flora's mother, whom my mother loved so much when she was a girl."

Alana said excitedly, "You'll a winner darling. May I use that info when I introduce you?"

"Um yes, of course. It's not an occasion for me to be feeling I'm mostly of English stock."

An hour later, Alana phoned back, again excited.

"Everything is in place, darling. "I've located Duncan Stewart who's accepted to accompany you on my strong recommendation. In his day, he was regarded as probably the best lament soloist piper in all of Auckland and lives in Devonport these days, He says he knew Flora McIntyre who was a renowned singer in her day. And do you know what he said to me?"

"I hope your young woman doesn't fuck up on me?"

Choking in laughter, Alana said, "You know darling, you can't use that language if you wish to be considered a lady."

"I'm fine with people knowing me as I am, Alana."

"That's finely expressed as a touch of humility is necessary for everyone and I hope you can manage to inject a tough of humility after Cooper emerges fully from his present bout of sorrow."

"Omigod, you truly love him, don't you?"

"Yes, as the son I never had from my womb."

"Wow."

"Thank you dear. Duncan will be at your cottage to rehearse with you at noon on Saturday and again at noon on Sunday. He said that probably is sufficient for you being Flora McIntyre's granddaughter."

"That's rubbish, and he should know that, although that will be sufficient practice, I believe."

"Young lady, oldies like Duncan and me have the experience of a lifetime of acquiring belief to know that casual beliefs that sound like rubbish can be the heart of truth."

"Pardon?"

"There's no need to understand that immediately. It requires reflection and there's no requirement to gain understanding, anyway. But what you need to know is casual thoughts and strong beliefs can possess undeniable strength."

"As expressed in lyrics and poetry?"

"Yes, and you possess greater understanding that you are probably yet aware of, darling Lola who possesses a first name of historic significance."

That phone conversion left Lola's mind once again in a whirl, asking was Alana some kind of Scottish seer, was Lola really linked strongly to the singing of her late grandmother, and where they both somehow hereditarily linked to the ancient kingdom of Lola that existed in the 6th and 7th Centuries in what now is west Turkey and would she become the future wife of Alana's surrogate son Cooper?

"Questions, stupid confusion, more questions. Does any of it matter? Who knows?" she sighed in frustration, thinking it all appeared to be a load of rubbish and that she should sing to clear her overloaded mind

Instead she chose to recite the words of 'Amazing Grace', that she didn't mind doing, as the words calmed her. That exercise would be continued to ensure she was word-perfect on the night.

Chapter 4

Lola, dressed in jeans and a shirt with nothing on her feet, waited for the arrival of Duncan Stewart. She pictured Duncan as in a dour Scot in his eighties.

God dammit, she thought, and raced off to put on a bra and slip-ons, not wishing to offend the old guy by noticing a bit of tit wobble. Then looking at her bared feet, Lola decided they were okay like that for greeting a visitor for the first time should he drive up in a beach buggy, with a surfboard on the back.

Duncan didn't quite do that.

Lola stood at the door and watched open-mouthed as he drove up fast in an older model Jeep with the canopy half opened and a stepladder sticking from the back.

"Sorry I'm a bit late; I was replacing light bulbs for an elderly woman I know."

Wow, Lola thought. If that woman was older than him, she'd have to be into her nineties, or close to it.