After the meal, we headed back to the car and then made our way out of Rabat, down the hill to the Ta Qati Craft Village, walking around, Anna was very impressed with some of the stuff being made. She bought herself some beautiful filigree earring in the shape of the Maltese Cross, and a couple of bracelets, one being a bangle type, and the other a sort of charm bracelet in silver, on it, were eight charms, a silver map of Malta, a dghajsa, a spitfire a luzzu, a Maltese lady in black, the Maltese cross a Maltese flag and a bus. It looked really elegant and as I helped put it on Anna's wrist, she said looking at it. "This will always remind me of my time spent out here, and the fact I am with you". As I looked at some of the other charms in a glass case, I saw one that did take my fancy, it was a sailor, dressed in naval uniform, on the cap were the words H.M.S.ROSE, I asked the man behind the counter if I might have a closer look and he took the charm out of the case and handed it to me, the sailor was made of silver, but the uniform was blue, the cap was white, and even the shoes were black. I took some money from my wallet and asked the man behind the counter if he would add the charm to the ladies bracelet, pointing to Anna. Asking Anna for the new bracelet the man went to the back of the shop, to his workbench. Within a few minutes, he was back with the extra charm on the bracelet. Anna looked at the new charm. "Michael love, I know you were in the Royal Navy, but why the sailor charm". "Because my sweet, my happiest days were my navy days, I loved being a sailor in the clothes you see on that charm, you say you will wear that bracelet to remember Malta by, and the fact that you and I had such a good time out here, then please also remember, when you look at that little sailor, you will know you have a happy Michael on your wrist".
As we walked from shed to shed, we soon found ourselves in a shed where gold was being fashioned into gold necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. As I looked in all the glass cases with rings in, I saw one that really took my breath away, a solid gold band, with a black stone that was cut to look like an oblong brick, and down each side were three diamonds. As I looked at it, the shop keeper came up to me, I asked if I could take a closer look, the man opened the case and with the ring in my hand, I took a good look. I was liking what I saw and called Anna over, when she was alongside me I said. "Try this ring on for size". and taking her left hand, I placed the ring on her wedding finger. Her face said it all, she had a huge smile on her face and was looking at me but didn't know what to say, then it all came out at once." Michael sweetheart, is this what I think it is, because if you are asking me to be your life long partner, the answer is yes". she then kissed me. "Is it a good fit". I asked. "Does it feel comfortable"? "It feels fantastic, and fits like a glove, in fact". she whispered in my ear. "There's only one thing that fits better than this, and that's you and I". then in her normal voice she said. "I love it, just love it, I just wish I could get this bloody wedding ring off". It was a wide band, and every time Anna tried to get it over her knuckle, it just wouldn't go, it seemed to catch on the top of her finger, she twisted it and pulled, but it wouldn't budge. The shop keeper had seen the problem and spoke to Anna. "If you come with me, I can have that ring off in a few minutes". then leading her to the back of the shop, he did just that, with the help of a slither of very thin metal and a small electric saw, the ring was soon off. Anna was rubbing her finger to get the blood back into it, as she did so she was saying to the shop keeper and myself. "When my ex put that ring on my finger he made sure, that it would stay there forever, he planned to keep me as his slave and never find true happiness, I hate that man, hate him". Anna looked at me. "Michael love lets try that ring again". I took her hand and placed the ring on her wedding finger, and as it slid along her finger again I saw that smile. "It feels beautiful, Michael, you have good taste, I will wear this ring until you replace it with a wedding ring, and as Mrs Palmer, I will wear both rings with pride"."Madam". the shop keeper said. "What would you have me do with this wedding ring". Anna looked at him and the ring. "Put it in the trash, I never want to see that thing again". then holding my hand she said." I have got all I need". As we made to leave, the shop keeper put the wedding ring onto a set of very small scales, then going to one of the glass cases he produced a pair of stud earrings in the shape of a cross. "There you are madam, fair exchange, is no robbery". we said thank you and left the shop. We were heading towards the Maltese Aviation Museum, I was very keen to look at an old D.C.3 that was being restored. I was explaining to Anna, that in the 50s we flew out to Malta in one of these aircraft and the flight took some 7 hours with a fuel stop at Nice, I told her our flying height was 10,000 feet, we didn't fly over the Alps, we flew through them. As I was talking and we were looking at some of the exhibits, one of the curators came and spoke to us." I heard what you were saying to your wife sir". he said, I was about to correct him but Anna said. "Yes, my husband came out here as a schoolboy, his father was in the Royal Navy during the late 50s". then looking at me with a smile on her face. "Manoel Island wasn't it sweetheart". I squeezed her hand. "Good girl". I said. "You remembered". The curator asked us if we would like to look inside the aircraft saying. "The inside is almost complete". then taking a pair of steps, he put them against the lower edge of the door. with Anna going up first and me following, we walked into the aircraft, she was fantastic, the seating, the decore, everything as I remembered, even sitting in the aircraft on the ground, with no nose wheel, only a jocky wheel under the tail, you realised that although antiquated, these aircraft were the workhorses of there day, and did thousands of miles a year taking passengers to places like Malta etc without mishap. The curator was nodding in agreement to my words, and Anna had this twinkle in her eye. On leaving the Museum, I gave the curator two £20 notes to put in the box towards the aircraft, he in exchange gave me a small envelope thanking us for our generosity.
Back in the car with Anna sat beside me I opened the envelope, to be confronted with a coloured picture of the aircraft, in all her glory. it showed her in the air with Gozo below her, and looking at it I would say it was taken in the late 50s, early 60s, but it looked very good. I replaced it into the envelope and handed it to Anna who placed it into her handbag for safekeeping.
As we drove back to Peita, I asked Anna why she had pretended to be my wife, looking down at the beautiful ring that I had placed on her finger, she looked at me. "Michael, when you placed this ring on my finger, what did it mean to you. what does it mean to you". "Anna". I said. "I love you very much, you have bought so much happiness back into my life, I never want it to end, so I felt that I should take the next step, engagement. Let's face it, if we were courting, we would now be two years down the line, I would have dated you, the first kiss, then with your permission made love to you, taking full precautions, I would then have asked you to marry me, gone to your father, and finally that walk down the aisle as man and wife. Two years, we have done a full two years in just five days, do you regret it". Don't be silly my love, I enjoy being you pretend wife, let's be honest, we are still married, me to my ex and you to yours, but I am very much in love with this new man in my life, you. You tell me constantly that you love me, so let's enjoy this make believe marriage for the holiday, once we get back to England, we can get back to reality and see what the future holds for us. Until then, I want to be Mrs Michael Palmer, if you will have me". I was driving towards the hotel, the road was straight with little traffic so taking Anna's left hand in my own I kissed each of her fingers pausing longer on the ring finger, then as we pulled into the hotel car park, I said. "Anna, welcome to the Palmer household, I know you will be very happy". As I switched off the engine and made sure the handbrake was on, Anna leaned over towards me and kissed me. "I do love you, Mr Palmer". Walking towards the hotel lobby, I gave Anna a tap on her bottom, she looked at me and smiled, and I could see in her eyes, she fully understood my feelings towards her.
It was late, so grabbing our keys from the reception desk we headed for the dining room, we were both dressed respectably so felt that we would fit in quite comfortably. Sat at our usual table we had a lovely dinner, I did notice, that Anna was turning the ring around on her finger. "Is everything alright". I asked, she looked at me and her face beamed. "I feel fantastic". she said looking again at the ring on her finger. "It feels a little unnatural at the moment, with the wedding ring gone, my finger is having to get used to a newer more beautiful ring". As we sat at the table drinking our coffee, my left hand on Anna's knee I said almost in a whisper. "I bet your glad you wore trousers when we climbed up into that aircraft today". Anna looked at me a cheeky twinkle in her eyes."You can bet I was, when that man put the ladder up for me to climb up, I was thinking to myself, if I had worn a skirt, he would have been able to see far too much". "Yes, but I was behind you, not the man, he did the right thing, he stood back and was looking at the wall, it was me that was climbing up the ladder after you". "I see". Anna said. "Well, in that case, I wish I had worn a skirt, I don't mind you looking at my clean underwear". she giggled. Let's face it, my love, you have seen just about everything I have to show anyway, but I must admit I am glad I wore trousers, what with all the walking and climbing we did".
We made our way to the bar for our usual nightcap, and as with every night we had been in the bar, once the other guests had left, the barman would close up leaving us on the sofa with our drinks looking out of the huge picture window. Anna lay her head in my lap placing her shoeless feet on the sofa, as she made herself more comfortable, she said. "Michael, will we be able to do this sort of thing in your flat at Taunton". Of coarse love". I replied. "And if you want to, you can draw the curtains and lay like you are now, with or without clothes, the choice is yours". Anna gave a contented sigh and placed her own hand over mine. I finished my drink and together we headed for our room, I left our empty glasses on the bar.
Layed in bed Anna said. "Michael, I am very tired, its been a long day, would you mind if we just went to sleep". I didn't mind at all, I was also feeling tired, it had been a long day, but a good day. As I cuddled into Anna my eyes were already closing, I gave Anna a gentle tap on her bottom over her nightdress, and as I fell asleep I heard Anna say. "Love you too.
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