Friendship And Futures by Katie Ashmore

Katie Ashmore’s uplifting short story set in Bulgaria welcomes you to our brand-new Special.

This holiday was to celebrate their retirement – but was that what Martha wanted?

ISN’T this wonderful, Martha? God is great! How lucky we are.” Martha looked at her friend’s beaming face and smiled. Abike was always positive and her enthusiasm was infectious.

Still, she was right. There was a lot to be excited about this week.

Martha gazed around the restaurant of the Hotel

Tkali and decided she was going to like it in Bulgaria.

The room was spacious, with light flooding through windows on two sides.

There were pale wooden tables and the décor was clean and modern.

The sun was still shining outside, although the day had cooled as evening set in, and Martha was glad of her cardigan.

“Where shall we go first? There are so many things to see!

“We could look round the town and the shops, if you prefer.”

Abike looked at her expectantly, but Martha didn’t really mind. There would be time to see everything in due course.

“How about the fortress?” she suggested. “I believe it’s impressive.”

“A good idea, my friend.” Abike grinned.

“It sounds very interesting and the exercise will do us good after all our travelling.”

Martha nodded. It would be great to be out in the fresh air, to admire the views and soak up some of the country’s history.

The waitress came and cleared their plates. The shopska salad had been delicious with its fresh tomatoes, vegetables and white cheese.

Now to sample the banitsa. A golden dough dish arrived, filled with white cheese and eggs. It smelled delicious.

“This looks good!” Abike beamed, inhaling deeply. She savoured a bite. “Tastes delicious, too.”

She raised her glass of white wine.

“To a wonderful holiday, a wonderful friend, and to retirement!” She clinked her glass against Martha’s.

“Retirement,” Martha muttered obediently.

She was happy to drink to the holiday and to her friend, but retirement? She wasn’t so sure.

She hid a sigh and hoped that this time away would help her sort out her mixed emotions.

Next day dawned bright and sunny. Martha was looking forward to visiting the Belogradchik fortress.

It seemed spectacular and she couldn’t wait to see it in the flesh.

She felt a twinge of guilt, however, as she climbed into the taxi and sat down next to Abike, clutching her rucksack and hat.

She was thinking of

Geoff, her husband, working at home while she was living it up.

Of course, he’d encouraged her to come.

He’d told her she needed a holiday, that Abike would be glad of her company, and that he’d be working whether she went or not.

Still, she knew how much he would have enjoyed this.

They drove through the pretty town with its white and cream houses, their red-tiled roofs climbing the hillside and nestling amongst the trees.

As they approached the fortress, it rose magnificently in the sunshine, towering above them.

There was a wonderful panorama, too, across the surrounding valleys and hills, covered with lush greenery and trees.

They clambered out of the taxi and made their way up to the entrance gate, stopping to take deep

breaths of clear air and to admire the view.

“Look at that!” Abike exclaimed. “Isn’t God’s creation amazing?”

“It is.” Martha gazed about, trying to drink it all in. She would take plenty of photographs to show Geoff when she got home.

“I wonder what my Oba would have made of this?” Abike smiled as they strolled through the stone gateway and into the first outer city.

“He would’ve been proud of two such adventurous ladies.” She laughed.

Oba, Abike’s husband, had passed away 10 years earlier, but she often referred to him with affection and told stories that had Martha clutching her sides with laughter.

Abike had a large family – five children and multiple grandchildren – and she was excited to be retiring.

She couldn’t wait to help out with all the little ones.

She’d spent many years in the nursing profession but was ready for a change, and had suggested this holiday in celebration of their new phase of life.

Martha, on the other hand, was more reluctant to finish work than she had admitted to anyone.

She loved her job in IT and wasn’t sure she was ready to leave.

The satisfaction of seeing a project through to completion, the problemsolving and use of her grey cells, the feeling of purpose and usefulness – would she still have all that when she stopped?

She shook her head and tried to focus on the moment and the wonderful experiences she was having now.

“This fortress dates back to Roman times,” she said.

“What amazing architectural skills they had.”

Abike nodded, her hands on her hips, as she looked about at the structure.

Its walls were over two metres thick and as much as 12 metres high.

“Yes, and these rocks are amazing, aren’t they? You can see what a good natural defence they were.”

They took their time exploring and climbing up towards the second outer city, which they entered through another gateway.

The fortress had been extended in the 14th century, and again as recently as the 19th.

It was an impressive place and Martha was looking forward to the views from the inner city at the top.

Abike, however, was gazing through the next gateway at the long flight of steps climbing the hill, a frown on her face.

“It’s too hot and too many steps for me,” she said, turning towards her friend. “I will wait for you here in the shade.”

“Are you sure? It looks amazing up there.”

Abike nodded firmly. “Quite sure,” she said. “You take your time. I will read more of the history, while you’re gone.”

With that, she made her way towards a patch of grass, cast into shade by the wall, and sat down.

As Martha finally reached the top, panting and exhausted, she was glad she’d made the effort.

The 360-degree view over the surrounding valleys and hills was spectacular and she could even see the town of Vidin on the Danube. Beautiful!

When she’d finally drunk her fill of the scenery, she made her way back down, ready to join Abike for lunch in the shade.

She expected to find her friend relaxed and smiling, full of interesting titbits about the fortress’s past.

However, Abike wore an unaccustomed frown and was staring at her phone, deep in thought.

“Are you all right?” Martha was alarmed.

“Oh, yes.” Abike looked up, her face clearing. “Shall we have some of that wonderful Bulgarian bread and honey?”

Martha nodded, but her concern lingered. Something was troubling her friend.

Following their trip to the fortress, they had spent a quiet day in the town, merely venturing out for lunch and a wander around the shops.

Today they had travelled to the Magura Cave, close to the village of Ribisha, to see the prehistoric wall paintings, and Martha was very excited.

“I can’t wait to see these paintings,” she told her friend, her enthusiasm making Abike laugh. “They’re from ten thousand years ago!”

“We will need to take it steady,” Abike warned.

“The caves are very humid and the ground is slippery.”

Martha nodded.

Although it would be much colder inside, the humidity was high and they’d come prepared with sensible footwear and extra layers.

As they entered the caves, her excitement mounted higher still.

Inside were lighted walkways and the 15-million-year-old walls glittered and sparkled in the electric light.

“How beautiful!”

They followed the guide to the area with the paintings, and Martha was fascinated to see people, animals and symbols sketched across the walls.

There were hunting scenes and dances, and all kinds of incomprehensible shapes and symbols.

“To think people lived here so long ago and already had these skills to record their lives.” “Incredible.”

Fascinated, they followed the guide as he told them more about the limestone cave, its artwork and the prehistoric animal bones discovered there.

Martha found herself wondering what it might be like to work as a guide.

Maybe it was something she could do in retirement.

She dismissed the idea. Geoff would love it. He was a sociable person, but it wasn’t for her.

She was about to be a granny again. Her son and his family lived too far away for her to be much help, but her daughter was local and she could be involved in her granddaughter’s upbringing.

She was excited about it, but how much involvement did she want?

She noticed Abike studying her face carefully

She’d already brought up her own family and, although Suzie would be grateful for help, she wouldn’t want her mother to interfere.

She sighed, then noticed Abike studying her face carefully in the half-light.

She shook off her gloom and focused again on the amazing place she was in.

They spent a long time wandering along the pathways, up and down stairs, admiring the stalactites and stalagmites and the amazing rock formations.

It was an incredible place. Eventually, however, they climbed slowly to the surface.

At the top, they peeled off their layers and headed for the café.

They sat down on the wooden benches opposite one another and Martha rested her arms on the striped tablecloth.

“I need a drink of water now.” Abike grinned. “What an experience.”

“It was great,” Martha agreed, looking through the menu. “I’m going to have the cucumber soup.” “A good idea.”

The two settled down, enjoying the shade and sipping iced water as they waited for their meal.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking,” Abike began cautiously, “but is something on your mind?

“I know you’re enjoying the holiday, but sometimes you seem a little . . . I don’t know, distracted. Gloomy.”

Martha decided to make a clean breast of it.

“Yes, there is something. To be honest, I’m not really looking forward to retirement.”

Abike raised an eyebrow and waited. Martha rushed on.

“I know you’re excited, and I should be, too, able to do my own things and with the baby coming, but I’m not sure I know how I’ll fill my time.”

Abike was quiet for a moment, then she took Martha’s hand and looked at her with her wise eyes.

“Why do you think you should be excited?” she asked.

“We are all different, my friend. Perhaps you are not ready to retire? Or maybe you need to think about it differently.”

“In what way?”

She shrugged.

“If you don’t like the plans you’ve made so far, think of other ones. What about travelling more?”

Martha nodded. It was something to consider.

“What about you?” she asked a moment later. “Whose phone messages are making you frown?”

Abike looked up, startled, then laughed her deep, rich laugh.

“Oh, it’s just that silly man, Nosa.”

“Silly?” Martha had thought Nosa was a good friend of Abike’s.

“He’s got this daft idea in his head that I should go on a date with him.”

It was Martha’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

A few days later, on a glorious summer morning, Martha and Abike arrived in the city of Vidin to visit the Baba Vida fortress on the banks of the Danube.

The sun blazed down on the red-tiled roofs of the city from a deep blue sky, flecked with white.

Their holiday was nearing an end and Martha would be sad to leave Bulgaria.

They had visited many beautiful and fascinating places, and she had enjoyed Abike’s company.

She missed Geoff, though, and was looking forward to seeing him.

They decided to have an early lunch before looking round the mediaeval castle, and found a quiet café, where they sat at an outside table in the shade of a parasol.

They ordered coffee and salad, then sat and watched the world go by.

There was a bleep from Abike’s phone.

Her hand hovered over it for a moment before she turned it off.

Her mouth was set in a straight line, but she hesitated, and Martha thought that she would change her mind and pick it up.

Instead, she mopped her forehead and took a sip of coffee.

“Abike,” Martha began, regarding her friend steadily. “Why is it such a daft idea to go on a date with Nosa?”

Abike reddened and puffed out her cheeks.

“The man is just lonely. He cannot mean it.”

“Why ever not? Any man would be lucky to have you.”

At that, Abike’s everready laugh boomed out.

“Now it’s you who’s turned silly. An old woman like me?”

“We’re not so old,” Martha protested. “Certainly not too old for love, and you’re an attractive lady.”

Abike shook her head. “I’m not so young nor so slim as I was.”

“Do you think Nosa is a good-looking man?”

Martha asked, changing tack.

Abike considered this.

“He is a fine man. And he has an attractive smile.”

“There you are then.” Martha hid her own smile. “He is no younger than you are.”

“That is true, but . . .”

“If he was just lonely, he would have found someone before.

“He has been on his own for some time, hasn’t he? It’s you he likes.”

Abike grinned and shook her head.

“You are just biased, my friend.” But she looked thoughtful and Martha hoped she would ponder what she’d said.

Soon, the waitress came and cleared their plates and brought them tulumba: deep-fried pastries covered in sweet syrup.

As Martha ate hers, savouring every bite, she thought again about her own situation.

She would enjoy helping with the baby and she did like travelling, but she couldn’t do either of those things all the time.

The latter was expensive and Geoff had a limited number of weeks off each year.

Other things that she’d considered, like voluntary work or helping in schools, were much more likely to enthuse her husband than herself.

She sighed. Perhaps it was time to visit Baba Vida.

“It’s a strange name, ‘Granny Vida’. Why is it called that?” Abike asked as they stood outside, looking up at the imposing edifice of the fortress. Martha laughed.

“Vida is supposed to have been the eldest of three daughters, whose father divided his lands between them.

“Seeing her sisters’ disastrous marriages, she decided to stay single. She rejected all proposals, built a castle and spent her life there.”

“That was a bit extreme!” “Perhaps we should build you a castle to protect you from Nosa.” Martha chuckled.

Abike grinned.

“Perhaps,” she said. “I wonder if Vida was happy in her castle? I would not have been without my Oba and my large family for anything.”

“Yes, it sounds lonely,” Martha agreed.

The two entered the mediaeval building arm in arm and began to explore.

It had first been built in the 10th century and was largely intact.

From the top of one of the towers, there was a glorious view of the Danube.

“What a wonderful holiday!” Abike exclaimed as she gazed out across the water.

Martha nodded. It had been wonderful and, as she roamed the castle and thought about Vida, about husbands and loneliness, she finally felt the future becoming clearer.

Martha and Abike sat in the airport lounge, discussing their trip.

Sofia Airport was quiet compared with Heathrow, but there were still plenty of passengers bustling around Terminal 2.

The women had checked in earlier and spent some time wandering about the duty-free shop.

Martha had also gone into the shop selling Bulgarian wine and other drinks and bought a couple of bottles for Geoff.

Now they sat enjoying a gentle reminisce about the fabulous places they had visited over the last week.

“We must plan our next trip before too long,” Martha told her friend. Abike raised an eyebrow. “There will be more travel in your future after all?” she asked with a smile.

“I hope so.” Martha laughed. “In fact, I think

I’ve come up with a plan.” “Oh, yes?”

“I’ve decided to semiretire, if I can persuade Geoff to do the same. It shouldn’t be too difficult; he’s never liked his job as much as I do.

“I’m planning to work part-time. That means I can still do the job I love, but have lots of time with my granddaughter and my husband.

“I shall travel more, too, and maybe join a historical society or learn a language.”

“That sounds wonderful. Good for you.”

“And you, Abike? What about you? Any change of heart?”

Her friend’s laughter boomed out.

“I think I will give Nosa a chance. After all, he is an attractive man, and I will need a lot of help with all those grandchildren!”

Martha chuckled. It was sad to be leaving Bulgaria, but who knew what other exciting holidays and activities the future held?

She, for one, couldn’t wait to find out.

The End.

Tanya Anderson

Located on the Isle of Man, Tanya Anderson is both a gardening and beauty enthusiast. In this new book, she shares inspiring uses of plants for home and health. Discover how to make soap, skincare, cleaning products and meals from the greenery in your garden. Tanya also introduces us to female gardeners from around the globe doing innovative things with their plants.

Cool Springs Press, RRP £18.99