At my husband’s funeral, I noticed ‘my girls.’ Once inseparable, at that moment we seemed like strangers in our golden years. As we reunited, regretting the lost time, one reckless idea made us question everything.
It was quiet at the funeral. Only a few people stood off to the side, whispering. I stood aside, clutching my husband’s old hat in my hands. It was all I had left of him and of us. Murmurs of condolences drifted past me, barely registering.
‘You should go inside,’ someone whispered, but I didn’t move from my seat.
My mind raced through all the plans we’d put off. Our last trip to the ocean, the dreams we’d put off for later. Later, he was gone.
‘Is that… Nora?’
My voice caught in my throat when I noticed a familiar figure on the edge of the group. She looked unsure, holding her bag tightly like a shield. Before I could gather my thoughts, another familiar face appeared.
‘Lorna?’ I whispered, almost laughing in disbelief.
She stood confidently, her brightly coloured scarf and glasses standing out against the gloomy crowd. It was as if I saw the ghost of my youth, but her eyes held the weight of years gone by.
‘My girls…’
Later, we found ourselves huddled in a small café.
‘The feeling is unreal,’ Nora admitted, stirring her tea. ‘How long has it been since we’ve all been together?’
‘Too long,’ Lorna replied. ‘And for that to be the reason… It’s not fair.’
I nodded. “I’ve spent the last few years taking care of him. Everything else just… stopped.”
‘And now what?’ asked Nora softly.
“His last wish was to see the ocean again. I didn’t do that while he was here. But I will now.”
‘I don’t even know what my wishes are anymore,’ Nora admitted. “My family… I don’t think they’ve ever seen me as more than a housekeeper. Last year I changed the Thanksgiving turkey recipe and it was a scandal. A turkey scandal.”
Lorna snorted, but her humour faded quickly. “At least you’re surrounded by people. I’ve been alone for so long, I think I’ve forgotten what joy is.”
Suddenly I muttered: “What if we go travelling together? All of us together. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Nora blinked. “A trip? Just like that?”
Lorna grinned. “I like it. Crazy, but I like it.”
We laughed, we really were at the beginning of a crazy journey.
A few days later, the airport buzzed with the sounds of rolling suitcases, distant announcements and the occasional laughter of families setting off on their own adventures. I clutched my boarding pass, feeling a growing excitement.
For once, my suitcase contained things I’d chosen not out of practicality or necessity, but simply because I liked them.
Nora stood nearby, frantically digging through her bag.
‘My passport was here a second ago!’ – she exclaimed, her voice rising with each word.
‘It’s in your hand, Nora,’ Lorna remarked, her calm tone betraying a faint smirk.
Nora blushed and held out the document as if it had appeared out of thin air. ‘Oh, well… I was just double-checking.’
Lorna adjusted her scarf with deliberate ease, but I noticed her fingers trembling.
‘Relax,’ I said, nudging her gently. ‘You’re a paragon of confidence.’
‘Fake it till you make it,’ she whispered back, and her grin grew wider.
When we landed, the real journey began. We rented a shiny convertible that Nora had insisted on.
‘If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it in style,’ she said, throwing her bags into the boot.
The open road greeted us with the salty smell of the ocean, and the horizon seemed to stretch endlessly, daring us to dream of more.
Of course, not everything went smoothly.
‘My luggage is missing,’ Lorna announced at the motel that first night.
“Gone? How can that even be?” asked Nora, raising her voice again.
“I have no idea, maybe I forgot it at baggage claim. But there’s no need to fuss about it. I’ll buy something else.”
True to her word, she returned an hour later with a lush dress that looked as if it had been made especially for her.
‘Problem solved,’ she announced, turning sharply around in the motel car park.
That evening the town was alive with music and lights. A banner fluttered over the square, ‘Annual Dance Tonight!’ All around, young couples danced.
Lorna’s eyes lit up.
‘I’m joining in.’
‘Without a partner?’ I asked sceptically.
‘Details,’ she said, waving me away.
It wasn’t long before a man with silver hair and a kind smile approached her.
‘Shall we dance?’ – He asked, holding out a single rose to her.
The music started, and although their steps weren’t perfect, Lorna radiated joy. When the announcer declared them the winners, her laughter echoed around the square. She held the small trophy as if it were an Olympic medal.
‘Roger, my dance partner, asked me out,’ she said later, her cheeks flushed.
The night seemed almost like a dream until dizziness overwhelmed me. I grabbed the edge of the table to support myself.
‘Martha, are you okay?’ Nora’s voice cut through the haze.
I woke up in a hospital room. The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked at me.
“Honey, your body has been through a lot. Sudden change, emotional stress, physical strain. It’s all combined. You need rest, and frankly, no travelling for now.”
I nodded.
‘I’ll scatter the ashes tomorrow morning,’ I turned to my girls. ‘And then I’ll head home.’
The atmosphere in the motel was tense. Lorna was pouring tea, and Nora sat motionless on the edge of her chair, tapping her fingers on her knee.
‘No need to cut the trip short, Martha,’ Lorna said, breaking the silence. “Stay a few more days. We’ll rest, relax. You deserve it.”
Nora frowned. “We’ve done enough already. Martha is fulfilling her husband’s wish, you’ve met Roger, but what about me? What have I done brave or momentous on this trip? Nothing.”
‘That’s not fair,’ Lorna snapped back. “We’ve all been through a lot. Maybe instead of blaming us, you should ask yourself why you’re holding back.”
Nora’s face flushed. “Holding back? Do you know what it’s like to always be the one people depend on? To never have a moment to yourself because your whole life is devoted to everyone else?”
‘Do you know what it’s like to be completely alone?’ replied Lorna. “No one to depend on, no one waiting for you at home. It’s easy to criticise when you’re surrounded by family, even if they’re ungrateful.”
“Ungrateful? My family takes me for granted every day!” raised Nora’s voice. She slammed her hand on the table, making the cups clink.
‘That’s enough!’ said I.
There was silence in the room. Then Lorna stood up abruptly.
‘This is pointless,’ she muttered. ‘I’m going to bed.’
Nora followed her example and slammed the door behind her.
That night, each of us secluded in our own corner, and the cracks in our friendship grew deeper. For the first time, I wondered if this trip had been a mistake.
The next morning, Lorna and I sat down to breakfast in the motel’s small dining room. The aroma of coffee mingled with the faint smell of the ocean breeze coming in through the open windows. I poured myself a cup, savouring the warmth, and glanced at the clock on the wall.
Where’s Nora?’ I asked, stirring the cream in my cup. ‘She’s usually down first.’
Lorna shrugged, buttering her toast. “Maybe she sleeps at home. Yesterday wasn’t exactly a restful day.”
We ate in friendly silence for a while, but eventually unease crept into my soul. Lorna’s eyes darted to the window.
“Oh, my God, the convertible is gone! You know, I’ll feel better if we check on her.”
I nodded, setting my coffee aside. We hurried to the front desk.
‘Excuse me,’ Lorna addressed the receptionist. “Do you know where our friend Nora went? She was staying in room 12.”
The young woman behind the counter looked up from her computer.
“Oh, yes, she checked out early this morning. She mentioned something about paragliding. There’s a pretty popular place nearby. She picked up one of our brochures.”
‘Paragliding?’ repeated I. ‘On your own?’
Lorna exchanged a look with me, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I’ll call Roger. We need a lift.”
Roger arrived twenty minutes later, his car raising a small cloud of dust as it pulled into the car park.
‘Good morning ladies,’ he greeted with a smirk, but his expression turned serious when he saw our faces. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Nora has decided to go paragliding,’ Lorna explained, shifting into the passenger seat. ‘We have to stop her before she does something reckless.’
The trip was tense. I clutched my hands together, muttering to myself. “Paragliding. What on earth is she thinking? She’s definitely not an adrenaline junkie.”
‘Maybe it’s her way of breaking free,’ Roger suggested, keeping his eyes on the road.
When we arrived, we spotted her right away. Nora stood on the edge of the launch platform, the brightly coloured straps of her harness standing out against the sky. The wind fluttered her hair and she looked out at the ocean, her expression calm but determined.
‘Nora!’ I called out, rushing towards her. ‘What are you doing?’
She turned around slowly, a smile playing on her lips. ‘Something for myself,’ she answered simply.
‘But it’s dangerous!’ protested I. ‘You’ve never done anything like this before.’
“Exactly. I’ve been playing it safe all my life. I need this.”
Lorna stepped forward. ‘If you do, so do we.’
Nora raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’
I stared at Lorna, flabbergasted. ‘You can’t be serious.’
Lorna grinned. ‘If we’re going to take risks, let’s do it together.’
Before I knew it, we were all strapped in. My heart raced as the instructors led us to the edge of the platform. The ocean stretched out before us, vast and endless.
The sensation was exhilarating. The wind whipped past my ears as we soared over the rocks and the ocean sparkled beneath us. For a few minutes, all my fears faded away, replaced by pure, unadulterated joy.
When we landed, our legs were shaking and our laughter was uncontrollable. Nora’s eyes sparkled with newfound confidence.
‘I’ve never experienced anything like this,’ she said, panting.
Later, we stood on the shore, waves splashing at our feet. I opened the urn and the ashes fluttered in the wind. That moment seemed sacred to me, a perfect goodbye.
‘Goodbye, my love,’ I whispered. “And thank you, my girls. It was unforgettable.”
The drive back was filled with reflection. We had gone on this trip looking for something, and somehow, through the chaos and adventure, we had found it.
Nora returned home with a renewed spirit. She was finally able to stand up to her family, carving out time to pursue her life’s dream – painting.
Lorna found love and laughter, and Roger became her partner both on and off the dance floor. Their improvised moves turned into countless joyful moments.
As for me, I chose to live boldly by volunteering at the library and sharing our story. Our paragliding jump became a promise to never put our dreams on hold again.
Life wasn’t over. It was just beginning.
