Flora's World: Love and other stuff Read online

  'And how do you know my daughter?' asked the goat herder

  Bapou explained that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen and he promised to look after her and cherish her forever and if her father would not allow the marriage he would take her anyway. The goat herder laughed but was impressed with the young man and how far he had travelled so he called his daughter out from the house and asked her if she knew this man and would she marry him. When Flora saw the handsome halloumi seller that she had been dreaming about ever since she had seen him that day she agreed straight away to the marriage. A week later my bapou Nico returned with his donkey to take his bride, he put her on his donkey's back and walked on foot miles and miles back to his own village and nine months later Auntie Eleni was born.

  I do love that story. It’s so romantic, I wish I had met my Bapou, he sounds like he was the most adorable man, who loved his wife with all his heart until the day he died, and my yiayia has never loved another man since. Now that is what I call true love.

  Wednesday 25th February

  Katie and Danny have broken up again and she says this time it's for good, she can't deal with him wanting her to tell her dad about him, she said she is going to Uni so what is the point in rocking the boat, one more year and then she is free and away from here. She said she loves Danny but she doesn't want to marry him or anyone for that matter, she is too young. I reminded her that last time they broke up she said she couldn't be without him but she said it's different this time, he wants to get serious, like engagement serious and she isn't ready for any of that. Hmmm let's see how long she lasts this time.

  I forgot to ask her about what I heard Dad saying to mum about Nick and she didn't say anything so I guess she doesn't know. I must remember to ask her about it.

  Chapter Seven

  Birthdays

  Saturday 2nd March

  Nanny June has come to visit, her and mum are flicking through Hello Magazine looking at Royals and celebrities and planning out their outfits for the ball at the castle. They keep showing me stuff but I'm not really interested it’s not as if I'm going so why should I care about the fancy outfits they are planning on buying. Nick and Monique turn up, he doesn't look like he is having second thoughts about the wedding, it's all they are going on about, sounds like a lot of the plans are coming together and Monique is going to look for a dress next week. I keep trying to catch Nick's eye to see if he is going to give anything away but all seems fine. Perhaps he was just having a nervous moment? Maybe I won't mention anything to Katie just yet then...

  'Your hair is looking lovely' says Monique

  'Thank you, I wasn't sure at first and it did take a while to settle but I love it now' I say

  That is true, it has taken ages to settle but finally it has and I do have something that resembles Mizz girl’s hair. Bradley says he loves my hair, in fact he says I am perfect and he loves everything about me! Sometimes I just can't quite believe how lucky I am to have such a lovely boyfriend. When I ask him if he thinks my bum is too big he always says it's just right. I know he's lying though……

  Monday 4th March

  Well just who does Kim Chambers think she is I could have slapped her in the cafeteria at lunchtime she deliberately flicked her hair in Bradley's face in the dinner queue and stuck out her perky little bottom! I was fuming, but I won't lower myself to her level, she can carry on sticking those boobs out and tossing that shiny hair of hers over her shoulder, but she can go and find her own boyfriend because she certainly isn't having mine, why on earth does she insist on making a show in front Brad all the time when she knows he is with me now. Trisha says that she thinks Kim's nose has been put out of joint since this new Italian girl Gabrielle started, she has just moved here from Italy and Kim is just attention seeking and to ignore her. Gabrielle has this very thick accent, everything she says sounds really sexy, I heard my dad saying once he loves a woman with an accent, must be a man thing...

  Thursday 7th March

  Bradley and I go to his house after school to do a bit of maths revision, his dad is home, sitting at his end of the sofa, puffing away on his Super kings, I wonder if they ever empty those ash trays as they always seem so full. Pip jumps up at me and I pat him on the head and then he lays down with his belly in the air expecting me to rub it, so I give him a quick pat and then rub my hand on my jeans. Pip really stinks, I think they ought to give him a bath. As we go up the stairs I nip into the bathroom and wash my hands, I can't bear that doggy smell on my fingers.

  Bradley always smells lovely, I can't work out how he doesn't smell of dogs and fags, I never would have guessed he would have come from a house that smells like a pub/zoo. Mind you Katie does puff on the occasional Silk cut and she never smells either.....

  We do a bit of revision but then put the tele on and watch Neighbours. Bradley's mum comes home from work and invites me to stay for dinner

  'We're only having fish fingers' she says 'but you're welcome to stay'

  I think Brad's mum likes me, she gives me one fish finger more than Bradley.

  Friday 8th March

  Mum says that I've been to Bradley's twice now for dinner and it's a bit rude not to invite him back so if I like I can invite him over next week. I suppose I should get it over with and then we can hang out here too but I feel a bit awkward, my mum is so nosey, she will ask loads of questions and if yiayia gets wind of it she will turn up and poor Bradley will end up getting interrogated by my mad family! It will be so embarrassing, not sure I can face it just yet.

  Off to my shift in the Chippy.

  Saturday 9th March

  Trisha and Meena came round today, we sat in my room gossiping and flicking through magazines and then Trisha told us that her mum has been dating a guy she met on a blind date through a friend at work and they seem to be getting on really well but what is more exciting is that he has a 17 year old son who is absolutely gorgeous. His name is Aaron and she is besotted with him! I told her I thought it would be weird if she went out with her mum’s boyfriend’s son and Meena agreed! Trisha said that Aaron is very good looking and wouldn't look twice at her in that way anyway and that we should leave her to her fantasy! I'm glad Trisha's mum has found a nice man after all that with her dad and the baby.

  Tuesday 12th March

  It's my birthday on Saturday!!!! I'm so excited! Sixteen at last!! Not sure what we are doing to celebrate. I think we're going to dinner at a fancy restaurant Wooohooo!! Mum says we're going in a cab which means dads drinking, so it must be good!! I don't know if the rest of the family are coming or if we will go over to yiayias on Sunday for a birthday dinner which is what we usually do. Bradley says he is getting me something really special for my birthday, I have no idea what it is.

  Thursday 14th March

  Mum and I go shopping after school, to get a new outfit for my birthday so we go into Top Shop and I pick a velvet mini dress, it's really beautiful and mum says very sophisticated. At first I wasn't sure about it as I thought it made me look a bit fat. Mum says if I really want to lose weight then I should think about doing some exercise - urgh. She said I can go Aerobics with her and Aunty Eleni if I want, I said I'll think about it.....

  Saturday 16th March

  12pm

  I woke up this morning and came down stairs, there were pink balloons everywhere with the number sixteen printed on them and birthday cake for breakfast! Mum and dad bought me a silver necklace with 16 on it and a little heart, it's so beautiful! Mum said we need to be ready to leave the house at 6pm tonight, I still have no idea where I am going. Yiayia came round with a birthday card and the usual fifty pound note inside. Trisha and Meena called and so did Katie to wish me a happy birthday. So far I am having a lovely day, but I haven't heard from Bradley yet, he better not have forgotten my birthday is today!

  1am

  I have had the most amazing birthday ever. At 6pm a cab turned up to take me, mum, dad and yiayia somewhere, I had no idea where we were going. I wore my new dres
s and necklace from mum and dad and mums lovely red Revlon lipstick. My hair had turned out pretty ok too, mum bought me this diffuser thing to attach to my hairdryer and since I've been using it my hair has been looking really good. I actually looked quite pretty! The cab pulled up outside a restaurant I had never been to before and as we walked in the whole restaurant seemed to be shouting 'Surprise' and poppers and streamers were going off all over the place, everyone was there, Katie, Nick, Monique, all my friends, Trisha and Meena, even Uncle Costi and Auntie Eleni had closed the chip shop early to be there. Eleni said she wouldn't miss my special day for anything. Nanny June and Grandpa Jeff were there and Bradley! Bradley was there too! Mum had been plotting my party for weeks with Meena and Trisha making sure all my friends would be there and especially Bradley. We had such a brilliant time, it was a new Greek restaurant that has just recently opened called The Olive Tree, the food was amazing although yiayia wasn't impressed with their stuffed vine leaves and said they needed more lemon and salt. We did plate smashing and everything. I got so many lovely presents, but best of all was my present from Bradley, a silver charm bracelet with a heart, a letter B and a letter F. It's the most gorgeous thing I have ever owned. Meena and Trisha handed me a present and said it was an extra gift and not to open it until I got home. Mum and dad finally met Bradley and my dad said he seemed like a very nice young man, he shook dad's hand and mum said 'What a polite boy' Yiayia said she thought he was very handsome and was surprised he wasn't sickly looking as he comes from a house where the dog eats off the plates. I noticed that Monique sat with Katie all night and Nick kept disappearing, at one point I asked Monique where he was and she said he had gone to check the car, well knowing Nick and how mad he is about his car I could well believe that but he seemed to be gone for ages. Monique didn't seem too bothered though. As soon as I got in the first thing I did was go up to my room and rip open the present from Meena and Trisha. Inside was a book called 'The Joy of Sex' oh my word! The pictures in this book! I can't even look! I'm going to kill those two, they think they are so funny! I've hidden it under the bed, imagine if my mum finds it! She is going to think I am up to all sorts! Finally I am sixteen, I actually think I feel more grown up and more womanly. Yes I think I feel like a proper woman now.

  Monday 18th March

  I told Bradley after school about the book from Meena and Trisha, his face went beetroot red and he got all embarrassed, it was so funny.

  'What are you going all red for?' I asked him

  'Nothing!' he said

  'You should see the pictures in this book! Oh my god so funny' I said laughing

  Afterwards I realised that - OH MY GOD! Does Bradley think that I am hinting about having sex with him?? Oh dear, I wonder if Bradley wants to have sex? We have been going out for two months now, and everyone else seems to be at it, or saying they are anyway. I wonder if it's too soon? Everybody at school keeps going on about wanting to get rid of their virginity, I know Kim Chambers has definitely done it, apparently she did it with Duncan Rogers when she was 14! Everyone knows! And there was a rumour going round that Hayley and Sam have 'done it' I wonder if people are saying Bradley and I have done it? I haven't heard anything and if Trisha and Meena had of heard any gossip and that people were talking about me they would have told me. I need to speak to Brad about this.

  Wednesday 20th March

  Bradley and I are in his bedroom, the waft of fags is coming up the stairs but we're not allowed to shut the bedroom door. Smelly Pip is laying on my feet breathing heavily, he stinks and so does his breath. I really wish they would wash this dog and brush his teeth. Do dogs have their teeth brushed? Is there such a thing as doggy toothpaste?

  Bradley and I are laying on his bed and I just come out with it:

  'Bradley......' I say 'Do you think we should have sex?'

  'What?' he says sitting up

  'Well, I was just wondering if you thought we should you know....have sex?'

  'Do you want to?' he asked

  'Well I kind of do, I mean I'm sixteen now, so officially it's legal and we have been going out for two months..... And we do love each other but if you don't want to, that's fine, I was just thinking, you know'

  'Of course I want to Flora, I love you, but I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do' he said

  'Why wouldn't I want to?' I ask

  'I don't know.....you might not feel ready, or whatever'

  'Have you done it before?' I ask him, I'm pretty sure he hasn't but I feel like I need to ask the question.

  'No of course not, I mean I have wanted to but I haven't' he said

  Good, I wanted that to be the answer because if I am going to give myself to Bradley then I want it to be the first time for both of us.

  'Okay, well I think we should do it then' I say

  'Okay' he says

  Chapter Eight

  Sounds like a plan

  Friday 22nd March

  I'm in the Chippy with Katie doing my shift and she tells that she is back on with Danny, he's promised not to go on about telling her dad, she's told him that it's not going to happen and if he wants to be with her those are the rules. He says he loves her and if that's the way it has to be then he will accept that. I knew she wouldn't stay broken up with him for long. Like she said before she just can't give him up.

  I tell her I have gossip for her and whisper in her ear that Bradley and I are going to 'do it'

  'Whaaaat!!!!' she says 'Really?'

  'Yep' I say

  'When? Where?' she asks

  Well we haven't worked that bit out yet I tell her. But it's going to be as soon as we can. Katie says once I do it once I will want to do it all the time and she asked me if she could borrow that 'Joy of sex book' I said she can have it as it all looks a bit weird and Bradley and I just want to have 'normal' sex. She laughed and said 'What's normal?' I don't know what she means about that but when you see sex on tele or in a film they are always lying down in a bed not doing all this weird stuff that's in this book! I'll be sticking to laying down in bed thank you very much.

  Sunday 24th March

  We are at yiayia's for dinner, I just finished my twentieth roast potato when Uncle Costi asks Nick and Monique how the wedding plans are going. Monique is half English and half French but has agreed to get married in a Greek Orthodox church as it means so much to Nick and his parents and her mum and dad aren't very religious or bothered what sort of a church they get married in, plus it means that they can do the money dance - that's where all the guests pin money to the bride and groom for their wedding gift while they do a special dance.

  Monique tells us that she has seen the most beautiful dress in Berketex Brides on Oxford Street, Its really expensive, five hundred pounds she said! Wow that is so much money for a dress you are going to wear for one day and get covered in pin holes! It looks to me like Nick is squirming in his seat every time the wedding is mentioned whilst Monique sits there beaming to the moon and back. Something is going on here....I wonder if Nick has been cheating on Monique? Could that be what he told dad that night in the garage?

  Later on I end up telling Katie what I heard that night and what I noticed in the restaurant on my birthday. She said that lately at home the phone rings twice and then stops, rings again and Nick picks it up. She noticed it happen a couple of times but didn't think that much of it but now she thinks it may be a code and that somebody is ringing Nick that doesn't want anyone else to know. She said she is going to try and answer the phone when it happens next.

  This is quite fun, I feel like a detective.....me and Katie could be Cagney and Lacey!

  Tuesday 26th March

  Bradley and I have decided we are going to 'do it' on Saturday the 15th April! That is the day mum and dad will be away for the Ball in Scotland. They are leaving early in the morning and will be back on Tuesday. Mum had originally asked yiayia to come and stay the night with me or for me to go over and stay with her as they are worried about me being left home
alone, even though I did say I was 16 and legally able to get married and live on my own! But it's the same day yiayia is going on a coach trip to Margate with all the old Greek biddies from her coffee club. Once a year the old dears get on a coach and go to the seaside and stay in a B&B that is owned by someone's brother's father in law (or something like that) It's a yearly thing that yiayia never misses so Mum and Dad have agreed to let me stay home if Katie comes to stay on the Saturday night and then I am to go and stay with yiayia until Tuesday. Katie and I have agreed that she will go and spend the night with Danny which she is very excited about and Bradley will come and stay the night with me. I feel a bit scared about doing something so daring, lying to my parents! And having a boy stay over! I feel like I have a naughty secret and that my mum and dad can see right into my mind and know what I’m up to! Actually, I am not just scared about lying to my parents but I am also scared about having sex. There I said it, Katie said it doesn’t hurt at all and you get used to it and the more you do it the better it gets. It sounds all a bit complicated……..I definitely do want to do it, I love Bradley and I know he loves me, I haven’t told Brad I’m scared, it will be fine I’m sure…..

  Thursday 28th March

  Bradley and I are arguing over who is going to go and buy the condoms. I certainly don't want to and he said he is embarrassed. I said well obviously you're not going to go to Mrs Shah's and get them, we'll have to go to the Boots in town, I said I'd wait outside for him but he said no I have to go up to the counter with him and ask! I will die of embarrassment! I can't do that! He said the only alternative is he has a look in his dad's bedside drawer to see if there are any in there. I asked him if he thinks his parents still have sex as they really don't look like they do, plus they must have really bad fag breath, but he said he can hear his dad grunting at night sometimes so they must do. Eeewwwww!! I told him to check his dad's drawer then and if he has some we'll use those as neither of us want to go and buy them. And we are definitely using condoms, there is no way I am getting pregnant!