Chapter 11
it was Friday lunchtime and Stuart received a phone call from the docks. "Mr Stuart". the voice said. "Your ship is due in on Monday, I have arranged for transport to bring out the cargo to you, this will be delivered sometime on Monday, is that alright". "Great". Stuart said. I will be on site all day Monday, so I will await the delivery". Stuart put the phone down and told Hannah the news. "That's wonderful news love". she said. "Looks like we can get this site finished within the next couple of months". Stuart went to find Michael and tell him the good news, walking around the site Stuart was very impressed, the site looked fantastic, both pools were now finished, and although still empty looked very smart, Stuart then made his way to the pitches, and again felt happy that everything looked the way he had designed it all.
They were now in the third year, and Stuart and Michael had said that they would like the site to be open by May, all that was needed was the clubhouse, and things would be ready to go. Stuart had watched the way the men had worked, and he had kept an eye on ten of them, he planned to ask those ten to stay on once the work was completed as staff and maintenance men, he was also hoping that Michael would stay on as his right hand man, over the two and a half years he had been working with Stuart, his English had improved to such an extent when they communicated with each other, they did not need Hannah to translate now, and Hannah tended to either stay in the hut keeping her home clean and tidy, or in the portacabin cooking the most fantastic dishes Stuart had ever tasted, and when they were together in the evenings, they would snuggle up on the sofa and listen to music on the radio.
On the Saturday morning, Hannah asked Stuart if he would take her into Sliema, she wanted to top up the food cupboard and nip into a couple of the clothes shops. They drove along the coast road stopping at around 10 for coffee on Tower Road, sat in the cafe they talked about the near completion of the campsite. "Stuart". Hannah said. You say you would like to open in May, right". Yes, love, I would, like I say the clubhouse arrives on Monday, and with most of the men working on it, it should only take a week to 10 days to get that up, then we have to put in the tables and chairs, and sort out the kitchen and dining areas, so I think we should be ready by the end of this month, plus the first week of April, then we will fill both pools, and get all the equipment ready, sunbeds, deckchairs and sunshades. I have told the boss and Brenda that I plan to open on May bank holiday weekend, and they are planning to fly out to be apart of the opening ceremony.
In Sliema Hannah did the shopping she needed to do, in fact by the time Stuart had filled the boot of the Range Rover there was very little room for anything else, Hannah told Stuart that the next lot of shopping she needed to do on her own, so Stuart found a bar called Tonys and sat outside at one of the tables and had a coffee, as he sat watching the water lapping against the rocks of this very large island on the other side of the harbour, he suddenly noticed a man and woman walking along the road, he watched them for a short time, then as he watched he saw Hannah coming out of Marks and Spencers, heading straight to them, Stuart left his coffee and headed towards Hannah, as he got to her, she was talking to her mother in Maltese, she was showing her the ring on her finger, then seeing Stuart coming up she pointed to him, as Stuart got to the three of them he said. "What's going on". Hannah's father stepped back, he put his hands in the air and in broken English said"We no want trouble, but mother had other ideas, she was letting go in Maltese to Hannah, and as she did so her hand came back to slap Hannahs's face, but Stuart was a little too quick for his new mother in law, and grabbed her hand before it had time to strike. She then turned to look at Stuart and gave him a real tongue lashing with Hannah translating everything said into English. When mother had said her piece, Hannah explained to her husband, that both her mother and father had been banned from there local church because of the beating they had given Hannah, the priest who had advised the punishment had been sent to Rome for as she said re-schooling, but Stuart understood, he was going to be brainwashed again and sent back to Malta but to a new church. Stuart told both the mother and father that Hannah was his responsibility now, and they had to back away from there daughter, they both nodded and walked up the road, father did look back, but when he did all he saw was his daughter holding the hand of the man she loved and had married.
The weekend went very well, the sky was blue, and Hannah on the Sunday took Stuart into there bedroom and from a carrier produced a bathing costume that left very little to the imagination, as she put it on Stuart sat on the bed watching. "Don't even think about it". she said, "We have been together for too long, I can read your mind, I want to lay out in the sun and have a nice quiet lazy Sunday, and she did.
At midday on Monday, two very large lorries turned up with the clubhouse, this was followed by a low loader on which was a caravan painted pale blue and cream, Stuart Hannah and Michael watched as it was unloaded, then Stuart was handed an envelope and a piece of paper to sign, once done, the low loader went to the end of the road and turned round, as it headed past, the driver waved saying in Maltese, good luck. Stuart opened the envelope and inside was a set of keys and a single page of notepaper. Stuart read it out lowed for Hannah benefit. "Congrats on your marriage, a belated wedding present, see you both in May". it was signed the boss and Brenda. "Stuart love, what is the bosses real name". Hannah asked. "I don't know". Stuart replied. "When I first got the job on his campsite he told me he was the boss and never forget it, I called him boss from that moment on, Brenda became my sort of foster mother, she looked after me, and I sort of fell in love with her, but only as a son, once I had the job, I never heard from my real mother, it was as if she had decided to abandon me, but that's her loss". Stuart went to the new caravan and opened the door, he stepped into what looked like a very nice lounge, then through two sliding doors was a kitchen and a passageway leading to a small shower room, a small bedroom, and a large bedroom, on the bed was six sheets, pillowcases pillows and blankets, as Hannah looked at everything she found a second note addressed to herself, she read it and it said, lovemaking is an art, it takes lots and lots of practice, on this bed you will be able to practice all night long. Hannah giggled and Stuart wanted to know what was going on, Hannah handed him the note, he read it and said. If its from the boss, its an order, if its from Brenda, then its a sort of request".
It was agreed that the new caravan would be sited on the slabs where the portacabin was now situated, and the hut be removed altogether, Michael arranged for a gang of men do that in the morning, so that by the end of the day, the new caravan would be in place and both Stuart and Hannah could move in. He also said, that if they wanted, some of the wood from the hut could be used to build them a very nice veranda next to the front door with a nice set of steps going down, a place to eat in summer and sit on summer evenings. Both Hannah and Stuart agreed and were delighted with the idea.
The floor of the clubhouse was now laid, and the walls were going up, as Michael said. "It's like a big jigsaw puzzle, but it fits together very well, and will last a long long time. The new caravan was now ready for occupation, one of the carpenters had made a set of steps to get in and out, but as he told Hannah. "Just for now, when we make the veranda for you, we will make you a nice set of steps, with a sliding gate. When Hannah and Stuart walked into there new home that night, they were very happy, Stuart turned on some music and sat in one of the easy chairs, Hannah was singing to herself in the kitchen, she was making them some dinner, not a big meal, she was still a little wary of the cooker, but after half an hour, she called Stuart into the small dining area of the kitchen and put a plate of double eggs, beans and chips on the table for him. "My first attempt on our new cooker, hope you like it, as soon as I get the hang of the oven, we will be having all the things you like, I promise". Stuart kissed Hannah, "I can wait, I have plenty of patience". the meal was very good, yes, very basic, but with fresh bread and butter very substantial.
At around 10 Stuart said he was going to hit the hay, but Hannah said. "Wait a minute, you're not planning to just fall asleep on our new bed, remember what the note said". The bed was very comfortable, as Stuart lay down, he was looking at Hannah who was getting undressed, she then went to the wardrobe and took out a nighty she had bought when they were in Sliema, It was made of lace, and from the wide shoulder went to a deep V at the bust, the rest of the nightdress was open from the bust to the knees where it stopped, as Hannah walked towards the bed and her husband she was, well giving him a landscape view of everything he desired, Stuart could not stop himself, as Hannah climbed into there new bed he picked her up and lay her on top of his own body. When Hannah had come back to earth, she whispered to Stuart. "The note was right love, practice makes perfect, I want us to practise as much as possible on this fantastic bed". she kissed him and rolled over, as Stuart snuggled into his wife he whispered into her ear. "Hannah love, now that we have a proper home of sorts, and the campsite will be opening very soon, I would love us to start a family". Hannah moaned. "Anything you want love, anything you want". then she fell into a beautiful full nights sleep.
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