Living It Up
Abigail decides she needs a makeover . . .
RACHEL and Abigail were sitting in the garden feeling pleased with how tidy it looked.
“Do you realise it’s seven months since we first met? Does it seem longer or shorter to you, Abigail?”
“Difficult to say,” Abigail replied. “I feel I’ve known you for ever, then something happens that makes me realise there’s a lot still to find out.”
“We’re both widows. There’s a peculiar comfort in that. I mean, we haven’t been separated from our husbands for any other reason.
“Flora, on the other hand, still finds life difficult without her husband.”
“I think the fact that he’s still around is what makes it difficult for her,” Rachel said.
Abigail had her eyes closed against the sun.
“We’ll never know, will we? To tell you the truth, I enjoy how people can be surprising.”
At that point they heard Flora open the door behind them and come into the garden.
“I’ll join you,” she said. “You can tell me what you think about my new hair colour.”
The other two looked round. Her hair, instead of being a faded fawn colour, was now deep auburn.
“I’ve just had it done. What do you think? Not bad, is it?
“I thought since we had invited some people we don’t know to come to our house, I’d better do something about my appearance.
“I looked in the mirror this morning and I looked just as jaded as I feel.”
Abigail scrutinised her before making her pronouncement.
“You look good, Flora.” “Not like mutton dressed as lamb, as my mother would have said?”
“No. Not at all,” Rachel assured her. “In fact, I think we could all learn a lesson or two from you about how to look.”
“Are we going to go over the list of people that have put down their names for our book group?” Flora asked.
“I’m in the mood for surprises.” Abigail gave Flora a close look. “In fact, Flora, I think you could help me a bit with my clothes.
“I think I should be a little bit less conservative in my dress, now that I see what you do with yourself.”
“You want your hair dyed, Abigail?” Flora teased.
“No, not quite. Just a bit of brightness, perhaps. Is that possible?”
Flora laughed, “Anything’s possible. “Come on, then, Abigail. Get your handbag and your wallet.
“We can go now and leave Rachel to do what she does best. She can make us a meal.”
Flora gave Rachel a wink as she got up and pulled Abigail to her feet.
“Where do you normally get your clothes?” Flora asked as they strolled along the high street.
“A place in Edinburgh. My husband and I always shopped there.
“He would get measured for a suit and I would wander around and find a nice twinset.
“I never spent much time looking at the latest fashion,” Abigail replied.
“I’ll take you to a clothes shop that I know well. She’ll make the most of what you’ve got,” Flora promised.
“I’m not quite sure what you mean by that, but I trust you.”
Flora led Abigail into a small shop with one dress in the window. Abigail stared.
“This looks very small, and there’s not much in the window.”
“Just you wait,” Flora said as she opened the door. “I started work with this woman and she taught me almost everything I know about clothes.”
“Flora!” The woman clasped Flora tightly.
“I’ve brought you a customer,” Flora said, and introduced the woman as Gizela.
Gizela looked Abigail up and down.
“Turn around,” she said. Then there was silence until Gizela got a strong hold of Abigail, poking and prodding her in what Abigail considered to be a rather familiar manner.
“First,” she pronounced finally, “first must be the underwear. You are loose.
“You are slouching and with the slouch comes the droop. That is before we think about clothes.”
She whipped off the inch tape which Abigail hadn’t noticed hanging around her neck and pointed to a dressing room.
“I must measure.” Flora was surprised at how biddable Abigail had suddenly become.
More next week.