Well, here I am, back in my flat in Piraeus, Greece; five days ago, I came back from London where I literally had the time of my life with my darling Ian. We toured the pubs and restaurants…
We made a trip to Wales and Chester, my best holidays ever…
We met friends and relations and had a great time with them…
And, BEST of all, we got engaged!!
But, as always, I already had my flight back planned – no way of avoiding it, not even now that we’re almost married… Off to the airport, and back to Greece.
I’m not really alone here, of course; I’ve got Jimmy, my tomcat, my daughter Marianna and my parents. But there were problems waiting for me as well: no sooner had I come back than my Mum needed an operation the next day to have her gall stones removed. I stayed with my Dad while she was in hospital, and everything went fine, so no more worries there for the time being. BUT – what’s toughest of all is being apart from the one I love.
We exchange emails and talk on the phone daily, which sometimes just doesn’t seem to be enough when you want to hug and kiss your lover; but on the other hand, in writing you can tell your beloved things that in a conversation would almost sound TOO kitschy – especially when you’re a romance writer, like I am!
Then I’ve got my souvenirs from London and Wales to keep me going:
What I’m really waiting for, though, is the 20th of September – when I’ll take the plane back to London at last! Meanwhile, I’ll sort out my papers and send them to Ian to have them translated, so that we can go to the registrar first thing and give notice of our intended marriage… Then we’ll have to wait 28 days until the wedding – just perfect for us to go on an early honeymoon to Ireland! Because, after the wedding, AGAIN we won’t have much time: my flight back will be on the 6th of November. The joys and pangs of a long-distance relationship… But there you go, there WILL be more joys soon after: Ian is going to spend the winter with me in Greece! Always look on the bright side of life…
Roberta Franklin 