Becky: Part Thirty

~ beetleypete



This is the final part of a fiction serial, in 880 words.

Is anyone reading this, I wonder? If they are, then maybe they might remember the blog post where I wrote about Becky going crazy when I sprung a surprise holiday on her that autumn. I thought she would love it. Five days in Dubai, including a balloon ride, and a trip into the desert to ride camels. Guaranteed hot weather plus lots of shops for her to check out, and only five nights away, so easy to ask for time off. She covered other shifts at the hospital all the time, so it would be the least they could do to get hers covered. I wasn’t about to even hint, as I liked the idea of surprising her with some sun and fun, after the wet and miserable holiday in Scotland.

And I wanted to be spontaneous.

But of course, I had to tell her eventually, as she had to ask for the time off. I was so excited when I laid it all out for her, and that disappeared as soon as I saw her face. She wasn’t going to ask for time off at short notice, and didn’t want to owe a favour to one of her colleagues. I should have asked her, and now I wouldn’t get a refund, and would lose the money too. She called me ‘stupid’, ‘thoughtless’, even ‘inconsiderate’, then berated me for ‘wasting money’.

That turned into the mother of all bust-ups, as we took turns telling each other home truths, like boxers coming out for the next round. Most of what was said had never really been fully explored before. I discovered that she felt I was smothering her, and not allowing her enough time to chill out, or visit friends. Then she spitefully suggested that I had made a ‘meal’ out of my dad’s death, and had gone on and on about my mum wanting to move to Lincolnshire. It was one of those arguments when voices were not really raised, and the words that came out sounded like they had been saved up for just such an occasion.

They are the worst kind of arguments, don’t you think?

I hit back with they way she had controlled everything at the start, from buying furniture, to changing the car on a whim. Next, I released all those years of pent up annoyance about the mysterious Scottish heritage, and that really sent her over the edge into floods of tears. That was when she told me to go, and said she was finished with me. I ended up in Luke’s flat, then came home to collect some of my things the next day.

The rough night at Luke’s had taken its toll, and as I sat on the bed thinking about how Becky and me had got to this, I stretched out, feeling exhausted. The next thing I knew, the sound of the front door closing woke me up. It had to be Becky of course, home from her shift. I had slept through most of the day, and hadn’t even packed any stuff to take to my mum’s. I felt strangely awkward in my own house, and didn’t know whether to wait to see if she came up, or go downstairs to face her. She knew I was there of course, as the car was outside, and I had taken it last night. The sound of her feet running up the stairs made me uneasy, with no idea what was going to happen.

What did happen was the last thing I expected.

She ran into the bedroom and flung her arms around me, gripping tight. Before I could apologise for being there, she launched into a monologue about how bad she felt, how sorry she was for the things she had said, how much she loved me, and really wanted us to work out our marriage. She finished with something that weirdly made sense. “That was such a terrible argument, and it has made me feel ill all day. But on the way home I realised that it’s all out of the way now. We can forget all that stuff, and work together to stop all those mistakes and lack of communication happening again. We can do it, Frankie, I know we can”.

And that is what happened. I was back, after one night away, and we both acted as if the argument hadn’t happened. Mum moved to Linclonshire in late November, and I spent Christmas with her as Becky was working. On New Year’s Eve, we went to a party at Becky’s parents, as her brother and his family were over. For those few months, we had never been happier, or more together. The morning after the party we went for a walk, declaring that 2020 was going to be a great year for both of us.

So here I am, writing this in February. Valentine’s Day last week was great, as Becky was off and we went out for a really romantic meal in Soho. I don’t often get the chance to write so much on my blog now, but I am off sick from work today, as I can’t seem to shake this really annoying cough.

I hope it’s not that virus thing they have been talking about on the news.

The End.

61 thoughts on “Becky: Part Thirty”

      1. I like the open ended ending, Pete. I think they survive the virus because they’re young, and living through it makes their marriage stronger. Now, that sounds like a Jennie ending, doesn’t it? Best to you, Pete.

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  3. You had me laughing at the end, great series Pete, a real slice of real life, nicely done.
    I reckon they will both make it though, then get divorced after realising that they cant live together after spending so much time in lockdown quarantining 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Eddy. The virus/lockdown relationship was the original idea, and ending. I shortened it to leave the impression that one of them might die. Originally, Becky gave it to Frankie, he recovered, and she died of it. It was running into too many episodes, so I went with a slight ‘twist’ instead.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Thanks, Pete. I almost didn’t include that. It was my original idea at the start, and worked back as usual. Then I had decided not to put it in, changing my mind at the last moment.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  5. (1) “Five days in Dubai, including a balloon ride, and a trip into the desert to ride camels.” According to my friend Jules Verney, that’s a fool’s journey. They’ll end up spending five weeks in a balloon pulled by camels⁠—that is, until a lion eats the camels. And then the adventure will really begin…
    (2) “She called me ‘stupid’, ‘thoughtless’, even ‘inconsiderate’…” Did she forget to call Frankie ‘spontaneous’? It would seem so!
    (3) “That turned into the mother of all bust-ups.” No woman ever had perkier breasts than Becky!
    (4) Frankie was hoping that Becky would chill out in the desert. But when she caught wind of the hot air balloon ride, a heated argument ensued that caused their whole relationship to blow up!
    (5) “Then she spitefully suggested that I had made a ‘meal’ out of my dad’s death.” That led Frankie to reply,”You’re crazy! I may be a cannibal, but I’d never put Dad on a plate! That’s our neighbor, Isaac Donner!”
    (6) “The rough night at Luke’s had taken its toll,” but it was nothing compared to a rough night in Jericho.
    (7a) “The sound of her feet running up the stairs made me uneasy.” She could be running up that road. She could be running up that hill. She could be running up that building. But running up those stairs? Frankie thought, “Well, at least she’ll be bushed.”
    (7b) Frankie knew what he would say when Becky got to the top of the stairs. “Is there so much hate for the ones we love? Tell me, Becky, we both matter, don’t we?”
    (8a) In the film version of “Becky: A Love Story,” Frankie is played by Ryan O’Neal, and Becky is played by Ali MacGraw.
    (8b) Becky “launched into a monologue about how bad she felt, how sorry she was for the things she had said…” Frankie comforted her, and said, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

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  6. So did they go to Dubai? As for the Covid, it’s quite possible one or both of them would have got it if they were a happy couple. A nice, bittersweet slice of life, Pete! (More bitter than sweet, I guess–like a 90% chocolate bar.)

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  11. Pete, I can only wonder if you had the ending first, and just devised a very entertaining way to get us there…loved this story, especially the “twist” torn from today’s headlines…I think anyone who toasted to a “unique” 2020 on New Years Eve is seriously re-thinking a LOT these days! One last thing: Becky came through as a “keeper” at the end – but you never DID cleanup just “how much Scot” she was!

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    1. I left you wondering about her being a Scot. She just had the name, but that was too far back for anyone to remember. Originally, I had the ending right from the start, then decided not to use it. At the last moment, I put it back in, as I felt it left it nicely ‘open’.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. Oh no! The Covid… I’m sorry for the guy. Great story. Great ending. I’ve had a few of those arguments in my day! Now days though, my husband and I have been together long enough that we start laughing mid fight. We know that neither of us is going anywhere. lol Luke’s is entirely too uncomfortable and so is the couch for that matter.

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  16. Great story PJ. However, a choice between fresh, clean, bracing Scottish air; or humid, dusty dirty Dubai air? Knowing both a bit too well, I know which I’d always choose 😊🐾

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  18. Well, the huge argument and the making up I foresaw not poor Frankie getting Covid-19. Becky will be devastated but I’m sure she’ll get over her loss in time. I enjoyed this serial, Pete. I always like to see what makes people tick.

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