We were very thankful for the people's kindness, and were like a swarm of bees, packing up stuff and getting ready to go to the caravan. Irma had miraculously changed from a hunched-up and scowling personality, to the most industrious of us all, loading the stuff with so much vigour that it looked as if we were all standing still. Kiana, taking after her mother much more than she would ever acknowledge, had also undergone a metamorphosis and for the first time that evening I could detect some enthusiasm in her demeanor.
The caravan was huge and luxurious, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a beautiful, if artificial fire in the sittingroom, and after the man had left we all stormed the fireplace, where we just lazed around until our blood had defrosted!
The girls had decided that the best place to sleep was on the bunks in the sitting room, as it was nice and warm, and that suited us fine. I just thanked the Lord that I wouldn't have to sleep with Liz and Benny in the same room, as another night of their snorting, and wheezing, and sawing, not forgetting Benny's breath, was just too horrible to even think about.
But after we had thawed out nicely, we decided to take stock of the premises, as according to the owner there was all kinds of things to do, like table tennis, and darts, and also a lot of board games, and all this in a beautifully heated room. We spent quite a nice evening playing all the games, and later, over a cuppa, sat laughing at Irma's horror and disgust earlier, and I realized for the hundredth time that although she is adamant that she was an outdoor girl, she was far from being that!
We woke up to a fresh and sunny day, and I wondered at the workings of the universe that gave us such a hard time the previous day, but now that we were actually going back, the sun shines down like a loving father at his kiddies!
We were taking another road back from the way we came, taking in Tarbert, a seemingly pretty waterside village where we would have a late breakfast before taking the long road home.