Author Topic: A Day At The Show (started by Dave)  (Read 7762 times)

Hellie

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Re: A DAY OUT AT THE SHOW started by Dave
« Reply #15 on: August 20, 2009, 07:22:37 PM »
By the time the girls returned to the farm it was nearly dark.  They quickly rubbed the horses down, rugged them up for the night and gave them their feeds, then ran across the yard and into the farmhouse.

 “Slugger – have you seen Steve?” said Dora. 

“No gel – I ‘aven’t seen ‘im since ‘e and Ron came back from the show.  ‘e went over to the yard as soon ‘as ‘e came back” replied Slugger.

“That’s strange” said Dora “there was no sign of him while we were over there just now.”

“Go on Dora – get over there and and find him – you’ve got to talk to him.” said Hazel.

Without another word, Dora went out of the back door and crossed over to the white gate of the yard.  She pushed it open gently, her hands fingering the sign which said "Follyfoot Farm" and walked into the yard, hesitating slightly.  Then, she took a deep breath and made up her mind.  Closing the gate firmly, but gently behind her, she strode purposefully over to the lightening tree, leant against its knarled old trunk  and closed her eyes to make wish.  Then she walked over to the barn and went inside to stand at the bottom of the stairs leading to Steve’s loft room.

“Steve, it’s me, Dora – can I come up?”  There was no reply.

“Steve – please answer me, I need to talk to you.”  Still, there was no reply.

Dora put one foot on the bottom step and then quickly ran up the stairs to see if Steve was in his room.  As always, the room was neat and tidy, the bed was made and the old china wash bowl  and water pitcher clean and ready for use.  But there was no washing kit or towel and as Dora looked around and took in the room she felt sick to the pit of her stomach.  There was no coat on the hook, no holdall in the corner.  Steve must have come back to his room, packed some belongings and was gone.

"Oh, no."  Dora turned tail and ran blindly down the stairs, across the yard and back to the kitchen.

Breathlessly she blurted out “Slugger – it’s Steve – he’s gone” before collapsing in a heap of tears at the kitchen table.

Hellie

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Re: New fanfic A DAY OUT AT THE SHOW started by Dave
« Reply #16 on: August 21, 2009, 07:36:05 PM »
“Now then, what all this abaht young lady” said Slugger, in his usual matter –of- fact- but -caring way.  He sat in his favourite fireside chair, with a tea towel slung across his shoulder and listened intently while Dora blurted out the whole story, assisted by Hazel interjecting whenever Dora was overcome with her customary tears.

After Dora and Hazel had finished, Slugger stood up from his fireside chair.  He picked up his trusty frying pan and said “right you gels, nuffink was ever sorted on an empty stomach.  I bet you ‘avent’t eaten since breakfast.  So old Slugs is going make you both a lovely bacon sandwich.  And woe betide anyone  who don’t eat it.”

“I’m not hungry, thanks Slugs” said Dora.  “No – you might not be, but I am” said Hazel, eyeing the pan of beautiful, thick country back bacon which Slugger had already put in the pan over the embers.

Within a few minutes the bacon was cooked, the tea was made and Hazel and Dora sat at the kitchen table.  Hazel tucked into the baconfest as if she hadn’t had a meal for weeks, but Dora picked at hers, and then pushed the plate away and drank from her mug of tea instead.

“All right you two” said Slugger.  When you’ve finished you can both take yourselves up the wooden hill to bed.  Young Steve won’t have gone far and we can set about finding him in the morning.  He’s a grown lad – there’s no point in sending out a search party tonight.

“Oh Slugger” said Dora.  “How do you know he won’t have gone far?   He might have gone back to Liverpool, to his mother, or anywhere else for that matter”.

“Don’t be worried about that” said Slugger.  “Stands to reason ‘e ain’t gone far.  After all, you’re still ‘ere ain’t you?”

“What do you mean?” said Dora.

“”Don’t be daft, gel” replied Slugger.  “If you’re still ‘ere, then young Steve won’t be far away.  Think abaht it.”
And with that, he guided both girls to the foot of the stairs and watched while they both made their way up to their rooms.

A little while later, when Dora was sure that Slugger had gone to bed, she put on some warm clothes and slipped outside silently, making her way across the moonlit yard to Copper’s box.  He whickered  gently to her as she quietly opened the door and let herself in - it was only there that she found any comfort, as Copper’s warm nose nuzzled at her hands in the dark and she buried her head into his warm neck and let the tears flow.  Then, she wrapped herself in his spare blanket, settled down in a corner of his box and tried to find sleep.

Hellie

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Re: New fanfic A DAY OUT AT THE SHOW started by Dave
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2009, 06:23:18 PM »
Sleep didn’t come easily.  But eventually Dora must have dozed  off  just as dawn was beginning to stretch its arms over the countryside.

But suddenly she was awakened by the sound of a car outside the farm gate.  It wasn’t loud, but living in such a remote spot had attuned her ears to the early morning sounds of the countryside – and this wasn’t one of them.

She hastily stood up and looked over the bottom door of Copper’s box.  Standing outside the gate next to a very smart looking Range Rover was Graham Fletcher.  Looking at her watch, Dora realised that it was 7.30 am and she had slept for longer than she thought.

She hastily folded Copper’s blanket and put it in a corner of the box, tried to straighten her hair and brush the straw and hay from her clothes and then she let herself out of the box into the yard.

Trying to sound cheery, Dora shouted across the yard “Good morning, Graham – I didn’t expect to see you here today”.

“No” replied Graham.  “And I didn’t expect to be here.  But I felt so bad about yesterday that I had to try to put things straight between you and Steve.  I know that I’ve caused a lot of trouble for you.”

“It’s OK”, said Dora.  “You weren’t to know.  It’s just that Steve and I go back quite a way and sometimes it doesn’t take much to bring trouble bubbling to the surface”.

“I know” said Graham.  “Steve told me.”

“Steve told you?”  said Dora quizzically.  “What do you mean – “Steve told you?””

“I sought him out yesterday, after that stupid kiss” said Graham.  “I knew immediately that it was a mistake when I saw his face.  So after the competition I went and found him.  He was a bit hostile at first but after a while I got him to listen to my plan.”

“Is that why he’s packed his bags and left Follyfoot?” asked Dora. “Well, I’m sorry Graham, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think it’s been very helpful.  I know Steve.  I know how he thinks and feels.  I wanted to tell him, in my own way and in my own time.  But now it’s too late.”

Hellie

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A DAY OUT AT THE SHOW started by Dave
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2009, 09:49:14 PM »
A DAY OUT AT THE SHOW - finale

“Left Follyfoot?” said Graham.  “Good heavens, he hasn’t left Follyfoot.  I just asked him to pack an overnight bag so he could come back with me to see my yard and talk about my plan.  I knew jolly well that if Steve wasn’t on board that you wouldn’t even consider it”.

Dora was just about to ask Graham where Steve was, when her eye noticed some movement behind Graham’s Range Rover.  It was Steve, getting out of the car, rucksack over his shoulder.

“Oh Steve” said Dora and rushed over to the gate.

“You seem to make a habit of greeting my return covered in straw” said Steve gently,  testing to see what reaction he got from Dora.

“Oh Steve, I’m so glad you’re here” replied Dora.  “This has all been such a silly mistake.  There’s nothing between Graham and me.  I shouldn’t have gone off at you like I did.  I should have explained properly.  Please – can we talk about this?”

“There’s nothing to talk about” said Steve.

Dora looked shocked and knew that this was her last chance.  “Please don’t leave Follyfoot” she pleaded.   “This is such a great opportunity for us both”.

“Who said anything about leaving” said Steve.  “I said there’s nothing to talk about, because Graham has told me everything and I think it’s a great idea.  I’m just amazed that you think so too”.

”It’s what Uncle would do” said Dora, with conviction.

“Ah – the distant voice – still very much in evidence and speaking through the Mistress of Follyfoot,  I see” said Steve with a smile and a cheeky wink.

“Oh Steve – don’t joke” said Dora.  “It’s so important to me to carry on Follyfoot in the same way as Uncle created it. But I want you to take the lead role in this new venture and work with Graham, so that I can concentrate on our work here.  You need more than just Follyfoot – I understand that now -  and this is the ideal opportunity for you.”

“Do you really mean that, girl” said Steve looking directly into Dora’s eyes.

“You know I do” replied Dora. “There’s no one else in the world that I would trust to take this on and ensure that it was run the way it should be.”

“Is it just about Follyfoot and this new venture – is that the only reason you want me to stay?” Steve was fishing now, looking intently into Dora’s beautiful face.

A pensive smile spread across Dora’s face as she replied  “Do you really have to ask that, Steve?  Do you really not know the answer?  Don’t you remember that day by the lake?  I loved you then and I love you now.  Nothing has changed for me. “

“But it has, for me” said Steve.  “I said that we were worlds apart - and we were.  We still are.  But I also said that gaps are bridgeable.  With your help, I think I’ve finally made some headway with bridging the gap”.
 
And with that he leaned forward towards Dora, and drew her face towards him, kissing her softly on the mouth.

But the moment didn’t last – suddenly there was Slugger’s voice calling to them from the kitchen door.  “Come on you lot -  stop ‘anging about in that there yard and come and get yer  breakfast – I’ve cooked some nice bacon and eggs”.

Laughing at Slugger’s terrible timing, Steve and Dora looked at each other and replied in unison “because eggs is a proper breakfast, eggs is” only to see a very bemused Graham walking across the yard to see what all the fun was about.

“Come on Graham” said Dora “ if we’re all to be in business together, then you have to be initiated into the Slugger Special Follyfoot Breakfast – it really has to be seen to be believed ”. 

And as they all walked towards the farmhouse, Steve took Dora’s hand and they smiled into each other’s eyes, both of them knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.