The Plumber - a 100-word story

I'm back after a lovely fortnight in England visiting family. We stayed with my brother in the country - log fires and wine every evening - and helped my mother to celebrate her 90th birthday with a posh pub lunch of pheasant pie.
The OH popped down to Folkestone and saw most of his family there, while I spent time with my children and grandsons - and saw, via the modern miracle of a scan, one of my two grandchildren who are due early next year.
I also had to buy a new laptop, which my elder grandson helped me to get started on, and today my brother-in-law installed Word for me - isn't my family wonderful?
So here I am, at last, able to return to my blog with a 100 word story inspired by a photo prompt - which portrays accurately the weather we encountered in England. Thanks to Rochelle for posting the prompt on her blog -
http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/


THE PLUMBER

Sandra was checking Pauline’s shopping through the till when her hands froze in mid-swipe. “Is that Vanessa?” she hissed.

Pauline looked down the shop at the well-dressed woman. “It can’t be.” But it was.

“Hello, girls!” Vanessa chirped and emptied her basket – steak, gourmet salad, wine.
“Supper for two?” Pauline ventured. “Stephen’s back then?”

“Stephen?” Vanessa shrugged dismissively and tossed her newly-blonde hair. “He was a dried-up husk and I’m well rid of him. Being with Paul is like spring after a cold winter.”

She winked at the other women. “Paul’s a plumber – he’s unfrozen my pipes beautifully.”
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Please leave a comment so that I know I haven't lost all my readers by my month's absence! And my apologies for the gap at the top which I can't seem to get rid of :(

JUST SOME PHOTOS

SPRINGTIME IN TENERIFE

Sunday morning cyclists

bouganvilla, ficus and jacaranda - a glorious splash of colour beside the road

lime flower buds

and of course, an estreliza.

It might as well be Spring!

We've had three days of rain over the past week in Tenerife and now look at it!
Seeds that have lain dormant for eighteen months are bursting into instant life everywhere.
I don't know what they are - the millions of pepper seeds that litter the ground under these trees haven't yet joined the rush to germinate - but the air is washed and fragrant with the perfume of pepper trees, and flowers are everywhere.
These white ones are pepper flowers.

The estrelizia is looking great,
roses and hibiscus and frangipani scent the air,

 and on the pepper trees this morning I saw a huge butterfly.

As the song says - "It might as well be Spring!"