Walking disaster

A simple hike with friends was about to put Holly' s life into perspective¼

That' s just great!' said Debra, staring down the vertical hillside. We' ll have to go back to rescue it.'

G-go back?' Bel gasped, shaking her head. But the w-weather... the time... my blisters... And do you have to stand so close to the edge?'

Debra put her hands on her hips, still staring down the slope, not budging an inch from her precarious position on the path.

I' m not leaving without my phone, no way.'

Lined up with her two friends, Holly stood beneath the dark menacing clouds that had been gathering over the last 15 minutes.

A chill wind was blowing away the earlier warmth, and they' d been hurrying back to the safety of the car park before the rain they could see approaching in the distance inevitably arrived.

But now, Debra had lost her phone.

She had been pulling it out from her jacket pocket again, just about to answer a call

another call when suddenly Bel had sneezed.

For such a small, bird-like woman, the sneeze had been tremendous arriving with such explosive force that Holly was sure she' d felt the ground shake.

And when Bel had sneezed, the phone had flown from Debra' s shocked hands in surprise.

If only she hadn' t been standing so near the precipice, then it might have simply fallen to the ground near her feet.

But that was Debra all over always pushing herself right to the edge in whatever she did.

C-Crikey,' Bel said, was that my fault?'

Holly tentatively stepped slightly nearer the edge and peered at the undergrowth far below at the base of the steep craggy hillside.

At least it probably had a soft landing,' she said.

There was another path down there somewhere

but that meant retracing their steps back to that other fork amidst the trees.

There was no direct route down without climbing gear, which none of them would know how to use anyway.

Her two friends, it seemed, were barely capable of walking in a straight line these days, let alone abseiling.

If it' s damaged...' Debra growled. Where the hell did you learn to sneeze like that?' S-Sorry.'

My whole life is on that phone, and I need it urgently.'

And I urgently need a wee,' said Bel.

The three friends were on a walking trip over Darwin' s Peak, the first they' d been on for years. Both Bel and Debra had become highly successful in the meantime. Debra owned a chain of stationery-slashgadget shops and was on her way to becoming a self-made millionaire, while Bel was an author.

Her first book had sold well, with good reviews in all the posh magazines, and it had even won an award for best debut novel. It was currently being filmed for TV.

But two books later TV options sold too, and with sales still good her latest first draft was apparently stalled mid-chapter, despite several deadlines passing by.

Come on, we' ve got no time to waste.'

Debra could summon a very commanding voice when she wanted to.

That call was extremely important, and if we don' t find my phone soon, that rain is going to arrive properly. And then where will we be?'

She strode off, heading back the way they' d come, constantly looking down the slope as it became less vertical, as though looking

Her two friends, it seemed, were barely capable of walking in a straight line these days

for a quick way through. Bel sighed, and sidled up to Holly, lowering her voice to a whisper.

Do we have to?' My f-feet hurt. Couldn' t we just g-go back to the cars instead?'

Debra stopped and turned to glare at them. No, we couldn' t! I need my phone back. I can' t function without it.'

Clearly not, Holly felt like saying, but she didn' t.

Debra continued striding. Holly made a sympathetic face at Bel.

It' ll be, what, 15 minutes extra?' she said, trying to sound upbeat. We find Deb' s phone, then head back. We should beat the rain.'

You th-think so?'

Glancing at the heavy, grey, turbulent sky, Holly didn' t think so at all. But she wasn' t going to say that to Bel. Of course we will.' Forecasters said the r-rain wouldn' t come until around 10 tonight,' Bel said, walking with Holly after Debra. They n-never get it right any more.'

Holly was a seasoned walker. She and her husband Dave regularly went hiking across hills and along paths. They always checked the weather first and the forecasters were right more often than they were wrong.

Trust today, though, to be one of the wrong days.

So the book' s not going well then?' Holly said, as they trailed after Debra on the stony path through some dense bushes.

My doctor says it' s n-nervous exhaustion,' Bel said. It' s the d-deadlines, too much p-pressure.'

I love pressure,' Debra said with a laugh, waiting for them at the fork on the path. It gets the blood pumping.'

Then she set off again, on the downward path.

The upward path, which they had just come back on, eventually led back to the car park. The downward path meandered towards the river.

Mind you, probably too much pressure lately,' she went on. Gloomy economic situation and all that. Which is why I need my phone back.'

She strode on, arms swinging vigorously.

And I need one of my p-pills,' Bel said.

Pills?' Holly said.

For my n-nerves.'

How success had changed Debra and

Bel. One had become brash and authoritative, the other weak and nervous.

The three friends had kept loosely in touch over the years, occasionally meeting in person to swap news.

In the old days they' d all been enthusiastic walkers. At college they' d hiked along Hadrian' s Wall and done the

Pennine Way too.

It had been Holly' s suggestion they have another walking trip to meet and catch up after what, five or six years apart?

Now, she was beginning to think it wasn' t one of her best ideas.

Ten minutes later, they reached the spot where Debra thought her phone ought to be.

She looked up the steep slope and pointed.

We were up there somewhere, so it must be round here. Spread out and start searching,' she ordered, kicking at the undergrowth.

And hurry, we don' t have much time.'

That was because the rain was beginning to fall. Little more than drizzle, really, but hoods went up anyway.

Bel whimpered, and Holly gave her shoulder a little rub.

If only one of you actually had a phone,' Debra said as she searched. We could call mine to make it ring.'

But we don' t,' Holly replied. So...'

S-Sorry,' Bel said.

I can' t believe you don' t even own one at all, Holly,' Debra remarked.

Debra had been on hers every 10 minutes or so, conducting business as they walked business which sounded to be in some sort of trouble.

Never needed one, never wanted one,' Holly said, prodding a clump of thick grass. I' m perfectly happy without.'

She had never wanted to be one of those people permanently clutching their device, tied to it, dependent. How do you manage?' Just fine, thanks.'

suppress Although a smile Holly had because to she was actually planning to get a phone the following week, forced to succumb to the inevitable by a change in circumstances.

Not that she had told Debra or Bel about her circumstances yet.

Anyway, Dave has one, and that' s been working for us. And people used to manage just fine in the old days.'

People didn' t have electricity in the old days either,' Debra said. Or gas central heating.' Well, no...'

Bel did have a phone, but had forgotten to charge it a common occurrence, she said and it was now in her car, the battery dead.

From their occasional emails and calls, Holly had imagined her old friends had wonderful lives.

Both were, on the surface, successful. Both lived in big houses. Both had money.

Meanwhile, Holly lived in a poky flat she and Dave could barely afford. Their car was ancient, and her job at the tourist office was hardly a high-flying career.

And yet both her friends were stressed, unhappy, and barely able to cope with a simple walking trip.

Holly was mostly content. She absent-mindedly patted her belly and smiled.

No, make that very content.

A week before, she' d broken the news to Dave.

Yes, she' d need a phone now, for all the emergencies, both large and small, that a pregnancy and a baby can bring along.

She had been all set to tell Debra and Bel her wonderful news, but with Debra' s constant phone calls and

Bel' s constant muttering about her health, she hadn' t yet got round to it.

Plus, she' d felt slightly intimidated.

Having a baby hardly compared with publishing and business success.

Not that they seemed that successful any more. Debra

ÔIt ll be, what, 15 minutes extra? WeÕ ll find DebÕ s phone, then head back. We should beat the rainÕ

was, after all, divorced for the second time. And Bel had never married.

The rain was starting to get heavier now. Hoods were pulled tighter.

Then Holly trod on something hard beneath a layer of soggy leaves.

Here it is!'

Debra hurried over and

snatched the phone from her, immediately checking the display.

Seems OK. Oh heck, that was Arthur calling. I' d better ring him back.'

She immediately put the phone to her ear.

Yeah, Arthur... What? I can' t hear you. You' ll have to speak up. Arthur? Are you there? Arthur?'

I want to g-go home,' Bel said. My kn-knees hurt now.'

Oh dear,' Holly said, putting her arm around Bel. This walk wasn' t a very good idea, was it?'

It was only meant to be a slow two-hour stroll through a country park, just a gentle reminder of past adventures.

I didn' t realise you wouldn' t be up to it,' Holly continued. You should have said something.'

S-Sorry.'

Never mind that,' Debra said. What about my phone! It sounds like Arthur' s talking from inside a bucket. Three miles away. With a head cold. Wearing a gag.'

Perhaps the f-fall did damage it,' Bel said.

Or the signal' s bad down here,' Holly said.

You think?' Debra said rolling her eyes. `Arthur' s messed up some orders, again! In this economic climate, we can' t afford to lose any, or it' s curtains for my company. We' re on the limit debt-wise as it is.'

Surely it' s not that bad?' Holly said.

It' s worse, actually.'

Sounds as much f-fun as a publisher' s deadline,' Bel said.

If only penning a few lines was all I had to worry about,'

Debra replied.

It' s more d-difficult than it sounds.'

I have dozens of staff depending on me.' I have a c-cat.' Hardly the same!' Holly clapped her hands. Right, stop moaning! Let' s get back. We don' t want to get caught down here when the rain arrives properly.'

Traipsing back along the path, which was already growing muddy because of the rain, they reached the fork and started upward once again.

So you can' t finish your book, eh?' Debra said.

My characters,' Bel said, are st-stuck.'

Have a man walk in carrying a gun.'

Wasn' t that Raymond Chandler' s advice for writers?' Holly said.

Raymond who?'

I' m n-not writing a crime novel, I' m writing about l-loss and l-loneliness in today' s b-bleak world.'

Sounds like a barrel of laughs,' Debra said. No wonder you feel so ill. Maybe you should lighten up and write comedy instead.'

Maybe you should st-stick to s-selling pencils.'

Ladies, please!' Holly pleaded. I thought we were supposed to be friends.'

They were almost back to the spot where Debra had lost her phone over the edge.

I w-wish I h-hadn' t come.' Bel started to cry.

And me,' Debra sighed.

I' m losing money because of this walking disaster.'

And I could be at home with my husband,' Holly said, planning for the arrival of our first child.'

Oh crumbs, thought Holly, because it really hit her then just what was happening.

What on earth was she doing out here, without a phone, when she had a tiny new life growing inside her?

Debra stopped walking and goggled at her.

You' re preggers? No way!' Just found out,' Holly grinned. I was going to...'

Debra' s phone rang again, and she held up a finger.

Hold on,' she interrupted. I just have to...'

Oh no you d-don' t!' Bel snapped, snatching the phone from Debra' s hand before she could answer it. I' m f-fed up of that thing. Holly was speaking. You' ve b-become so rude.'

Hey! Give me that back!' Debra made a grab for her phone. But Bel was too quick, dodging out of reach.

The two women grappled, like toddlers fighting over a teddy bear.

Holly simply stood there watching them, wondering how they' d come to this.

Then, suddenly, the ringing phone was flying through the air, disappearing down the slope for a second time. What the... No!'

Holly put her hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh that wanted to erupt.

The three of them moved closer and peered down Debra right on the edge, Holly not quite so close, and Bel some way behind.

Great!' Debra huffed.

I' m s-sorry,' said Bel, her voice barely above a squeak. Again.'

And this time, Holly really did start laughing.

She threw back her hood to simply relish the rain and the moment and the sheer joy of life.

Dave would enjoy the story of her walking disaster when she got back. He' d find it hilarious, in fact.

And that was all that mattered really sharing a life with someone you love and being happy in it.

Success, she reckoned, obviously wasn' t all it was cracked up to be.

Sounds like a barrel of laughs. No wonder you feel so ill. Maybe you should lighten upÕ