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‘Well, thank you, Jill,’ said Gina, coughing to clear a frog from her throat. ‘Sorry,’ she croaked. Suddenly she felt her stomach heave and her throat gag. She bowed her head and held on to the lectern with both hands.
‘Er, Gina? Are you feeling alright?’ whispered Jill, having wandered over to the lectern. ‘Perhaps a glass of water?’
‘Yes, thank you,’ she whispered.
Jill passed the half-full glass to Gina who took it, sipped some and then spilt the remainder down her jacket.
‘Shit,’ she cursed, softly. She straightened and tidied her prompt cards on the lectern.
Jill returned to her seat at the side of the stage and inclined her head towards the Headmistress who was trying to whisper something to her.
‘So, I’ll start again. Thank you, Jill and Headmistress, for inviting me here this evening. I am honoured to be back at this wonderful school which brings back so many happy memories.’ Gina had recovered her poise and was making an admirable effort to deliver her speech but her voice was strained and flat, there was no emotion to accompany the sentiment of the words. Her hand trembled as she found her next card, the first one slipping from her hand and fluttering to the floor.
The audience was feeling her pain, and the air seemed full of embarrassment. This was not the performance they had been expecting.
‘Er, sorry, could I have some more water?’ asked Gina.
Jill bustled over and poured her some more.
‘Thank you. I’m so sorry,’ Gina said to the audience, ‘I have a most persistent frog in my throat.’ She slurped some more water rather ungracefully and placed the glass down using both hands.
‘I was very fortunate to benefit from such marvellous teaching here and went to Cambridge to study Law. I’m sure you don’t want to hear in great detail about my career, but instead, I thought I would...’ Gina paused and gripped her stomach. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she gagged.
‘Ah, oh, no!’ she screamed. ‘I feel sick!’
The audience gasped, and Gina was transfixed by indecision, should she rush from the stage or should she try to swallow down the rising tide of bile which threatened to burst forth?
Jill rushed back on to the stage to help the distressed visitor just as Gina doubled over and vomited violently.
The audience recoiled in horror and averted their eyes. Murmurs amongst them grew to an audible volume of chatter, and a few gathered their things and walked from the hall overcome with a sympathetic feeling of nausea.
‘I’m so sorry,’ said Gina.
Jill took her arm and tried to ignore the vomit which had spattered her shoes. ‘Can someone get a bowl or something?’ she called.
A general commotion ensued as the organising committee set about deciding the best way to proceed. The second speaker, Dr Anika Khatri, assisted Jill in helping Gina off the stage and out of the hall.
Gina had never felt so humiliated. ‘I don’t know what happened,’ she said as she was led out of the hall. ‘I was fine before I arrived, it just came on so suddenly. I’ve ruined the evening.’ Her voice broke, and she began to cry. ‘Oh, God, your shoes! I’ll buy you some more.’
‘Shush, don’t worry, anyone can be ill,’ said Jill. ‘I’ll get you some more water, it must be one of those noroviruses. I caught one from my grandson a while ago. I know how horrible it is.’
Gina had her head in her hands. Her stomach was sore with the act of retching, and she felt hot and sweaty. Her hair stuck to her forehead and her blouse felt soaked under the armpits.
Back in the hall, the Headmistress was making an announcement.
‘We will take a short break whilst we sort things out. I’m very sorry about what happened, just one of those unfortunate things. In a few minutes, we will hear from our second speaker, Dr Anika Khatri, a neurosurgeon from the hospital here. In the meantime, please catch up with old acquaintances or take the opportunity to read the poster boards at the back. We should be able to restart in about fifteen minutes.’
As the Headmistress was speaking, Susan stood and excused herself past two women on her row and scurried out to the back of the hall on tiptoes. She opened the door and saw Gina sitting in a chair in the cool draft from the open main door, accepting a glass of water.
‘Hi, Gina, how are you feeling now?’
‘Well, a bit better actually after chucking up my guts all over the stage.’ She shook her head. ‘Oh, no, I think it’s happening again!’ Gina heaved but produced nothing.
‘I’ve some anti-nausea pills if you want one?’ said Susan. ‘I take them when I have my chemo.’ She foraged in her bag and produced a strip of pills.
‘Thanks, I’ll take one,’ said Gina, swallowing it down with the glass of water offered by Gill. She had shed her jacket and pulled her blouse away from her back. ‘God, I’m a sweaty mess,’ she said, ‘what a shambles.’
‘Look, I’ll take you home,’ said Susan, ‘you can’t drive.’
‘I can phone my husband and get him to collect me,’ replied Gina, searching in her bag for her phone.
‘Look, don’t bother him, I’ve got my car here, and we can go now, I bet you just want to get home and into bed?’
‘I feel awful, troubling you,’ said Gina.
‘It’s no trouble, really. We can leave anytime you are ready.’
‘OK, well, thank you, it’s very kind of you. I’ll just get some fresh air for a few minutes.’
Gina picked up her handbag and wandered outside, leaving her jacket behind and held on to the wall and door as she escaped from the confines of the lobby.
‘It’s very kind of you to offer,’ Jill said to Susan.
‘I’ll get her home,’ said Susan. She noticed that Jill had by now discarded her vomit-spattered shoes and was padding around in her tights, which unfortunately still had a few specks of regurgitated food clinging to them. Susan picked up Gina’s jacket from the back of the chair and was now ready to leave.
‘I’m so upset about this evening, it’s such a shame,’ said Jill, slumping down in the chair vacated by Gina. The adrenalin was wearing off now, and she felt exhausted and depressed.
‘Don’t beat yourself up about it, I’ll sort her out.’
‘Thank you so much. I hope she won’t be any trouble.’
Susan raised her hand to wave goodbye and went outside to collect Gina who was sitting on the bottom step, her arms hugging her body.
‘Right, here we are, my car’s this way.’
The two women wandered over towards the red Ford Focus which winked its lights welcomingly as they approached.
‘I’ve got the most disgusting taste in my mouth,’ said Gina. ‘Where’s my e-cigarette? I need a vape.’
‘Do you think that’s wise? It might make you feel sick again?’
‘I’ve got to get rid of this taste, it’s awful. I think I put it in my jacket pocket.’
Susan held out the jacket, and Gina fumbled in the pockets. ‘Shit, it’s not there, it must have fallen out, oh, never mind.’
'In your handbag perhaps?'
‘No, it’s not there, I must have mislaid it.’
‘You can have mine if you want? I have used it, but I’ve not got a cold.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, here you are.’
‘I’ll buy you another one, I’ve got some money in my bag.’
‘Don’t worry about that, let’s just get you home. Mind your head, that’s it,’ she said as she helped Gina into the passenger seat. ‘Put your belt on.’
Susan went around to the driver’s side and got in the car. Gina took a couple of deep breaths. ‘That’s better, hopefully, it will take away the taste of being sick.’
Gina cooperated and Susan climbed into the car. They were now ready to leave the school grounds. Susan started the engine, reversed out of the space and left the car park, passing by the steps to the main entrance where the group of women were gathered, waving at the departing vehicle.
Gina continued to vape. ‘I think this is helping, I’m feeling a lot better actually.’
‘It’s probably one of those twenty-four-hour bugs. You should feel fine tomorrow. Right, where do you live?’
‘It’s not far, Bridlegate Gardens. It’s up by the Chaucer Hospital.’
‘OK, I’ll head that way, and you can direct me.’
They drove along with Gina vaping away.
‘What’s that?’ shrieked Gina, pointing at the road ahead.
‘Goodness, you gave me a fright,’ said Susan, slowing the car and indicating to pull over to stop. ‘It was a fox, that’s all. My heart is racing after that outburst.’
‘Sorry,’ said Gina, then she began to laugh. ‘What a crap evening!’
‘It’s been eventful, I grant you,’ said Susan, looking in her mirror as she pulled away from the kerb.
‘I must have taken leave of my senses to come back here.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Because they are a waste of fucking space, that’s why!’
Gina had become energised, she was speaking in her familiar clear, loud voice. She giggled as if amused by her own joke.
‘Well, we all make mistakes, I guess,’ said Susan, concentrating on her driving.
‘Mistakes? What do you mean?’
‘What you said, about coming back to the school, I mean perhaps it was a mistake?’
‘It certainly was. I must be completely mad. Do you know, I think that sickness brought me to my senses. I realise now just how much I fucking hate them!’
‘Do you really? Hate them?’
‘Yes, I do! All of them!’
‘Oh, dear, that’s a bit harsh.’
‘Waste of space the lot of them. They should be put out of their misery. Spineless and hopeless.’
‘Unlike you who’s always in control, is that right?’
‘Most of the time I am. I try to be. Why, is that wrong of me?’
‘No, not wrong but sometimes we can’t always be in charge.’
‘True but I’m at my best when I’m in control.’
‘You’re lucky then, aren’t you?’
‘Lucky? How am I lucky?’
‘Lucky that you are always able to be in control.’
‘It’s not luck, it’s taking control of your own life. It’s my life, therefore, I decide what I want to do.’
‘Gina, I’ll just open the window a bit if you are going to vape so much. I’m having trouble seeing the road.’
‘Fine by me. Where are we going by the way?’
‘I’m taking you home, aren’t I? Unless you feel like going somewhere else?’
‘I don’t want to go home, not yet. I want a drink!’
‘I don’t think that’s very wise,’ said Susan. ‘A cup of tea would be better.’
‘Tea! Pfff, I don’t think so. Let’s go for a drink. No, not a drink, several drinks,’ replied Gina, laughing again.
‘OK,’ acquiesced Susan. The woman beside her needed to be placated. Susan indicated right and waited for a gap in the traffic, then joined the main road and stopped at the traffic lights which were on red.
‘Can’t you go any quicker? I need a drink!’
‘We are nearly there. I can’t do anything about the lights.’
‘You could go through on red! Why don’t you? Let’s have a bit of fun.’
‘We’ll have fun later, we don’t want to have an accident, and get stopped by the police, do we?’
‘Spoilsport,’ laughed Gina. ‘Fuck!’ she shouted at the top of her voice making Susan start.
‘Gina! I’ve told you, don’t shout like that, you made me jump. What is it?’
‘That tree is moving, did you see it? It’s coming for us!’
‘It won’t catch us, now close your eyes and relax,’ said Susan. ‘You’re quite safe with me.’
