Suzy by Gary L Beer (easy books to read in english txt) 📕

really narrow and wound up and down the valleys and I really had to concentrate on my driving. But from the moment we drove away Holly started moaning and having a go at me for making her suffer such humiliation at the hands of those six awful people.”

“For over an hour she moaned and cried and I could see the hatred she now felt towards me growing and growing. She became particularly abusive and I nearly smashed the car, I saw a sign pointing the way to some waterfalls and thought it would be a good idea to stop and rest for a few minutes.”
“We had only walked along this path for about a hundred metres with Holly crying and moaning all the way when she decided she wanted to pee. The path we were on was quite open and there were no real trees or bushes about.
The place was deserted when we got there so Holly made me walk back to the car while she pee'd on the path. No sooner had she started when this man and woman came walking along the path. Pulling her knickers up quickly she wet herself and when we got back to the car all hell broke loose.”
“You sure you do not want more coffee?” persists Suzy.
“I have nearly finished, that is unless I am boring you?”
“Far from it and I can tell you are not lying to Me.” assures Suzy.
Lewis gives Suzy an odd look as he continues; “Oh yes,” he says as he remembers where he had stopped talking; “When we got in the car Holly went totally mad, screaming at me that it was my fault she had got wet knickers and what an awful place to bring her! I could take no more so started the car and drove as fast as was safely possible to get her home; and away from me!
Trouble was she did not shut up, when she started having a go at me for upsetting my Mum when I became a motorcycle hooligan at the age of sixteen I started to retaliate a bit. Shouting at her to shut up just made her worse and she turned really nasty. I needed petrol so pulled into this garage. Holly had made no contribution towards the petrol costs but had agreed to help pay before we had left home the day before.
When I asked her for petrol money she went berserk as if I was demanding money with menaces, a tenner would have made me happy. No way was she going to give me any money so I pushed her out. She demanded her clothes, which I threw out the window and drove off. It took me over an hour to calm down and by then I was on the motorway and couldn't remember where I had left her so I went home.”
“That was not the way that I heard it.” says Suzy staring Lewis in the eyes. Lewis stares back and Suzy can see he has told her the truth, as he sees it.
“Sorry to have to ask and really it is none of my business, but if I am going to have you coming around and we go out somewhere; I would hate it if you dumped me in the middle of nowhere.” smiles Suzy.
“Holly had a horrible way with words; it used to really annoy me when she would have a go at me for something I had done wrong years before I met her. Yes that was me then, not me now; and she wouldn't accept that I could learn and change. Well not when she was in one of her hateful moods.”
“I hear she upset your sister?” asks Suzy innocently.
“You must have heard that from Holly,” replies Lewis angrily; “Yes, I heard that to, about six weeks after it happened Holly decided to tell me. She did not tell me too much, but by what I understand she had a right go at my sister; as if I had said the words. I did not think too much about it at first as I didn't think my sister would have believed her. But believe her lies she did; and I have not spoken to her since.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Ten years, maybe more.” answers Lewis the sadness in his voice very obvious.
At the time I was so filled with grief for my Mum, who you know died of Alzheimer's disease? And what a horrible way to go that is.”
“Yes I know, I remember you visiting her at the home.” answers Suzy
“But Holly used to get on well with your Mum?”
“Yes she did and they used to sit for hours and talk, Mum being Mum would tell her all the family secrets about me. I was a bit of a ruffian when I was growing up, had a motorbike and dirty Levis, until my Mum would sneak in my room when I was at work and wash them!” smiles Lewis; “a dirty greaser with newly washed cut-down and creases in his Levis did not fit the image. Holly tried to make me feel guilty for that; the amount of stress I caused my Mum.”
“You probably did, I would not want my son to be a dirty biker.” agrees Suzy.
“I was a punk kid who was not aware of such thoughts, how was I to know?” asks Lewis defensively.
“Well I expect your Mum and Dad told you.” states Suzy in a deadpan voice.
“They probably did, but I never heard them and I thought my sister knew me better than that.” shrugs Lewis with a sad smile.
“It is better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all.” quotes Suzy hoping to lighten the mood.
“Yes, and it was because I loved her that we had to split up.” smiles Lewis.
“That makes a lot of sense Lewis.”
“It does when you think to another ten or twenty years ahead, even to now. As our physical differences would be enormous and as you've noticed I go a lot slower now.”
“I hadn't noticed.” lies Suzy; “I always wondered if that was the reason, as you were devoted to each other.”
“Yes it would have been most unfair to her; she would have ended up being the carer to an old man husband.”
Suzy regrets bringing up sad memories and quickly changes the subject; “You still living in that little flat by the old gas works?” she asks.
“Yes still there, it's a bit noisy at times but I can shut the door and lock the world out and I usually find something to do; either watching telly or playing about on the computer.”
“You still write those books, how many have you done now?”
“Only five but I have got a couple of others on the go which helps stop the madness, or is maybe the cause of it, good way to try and stop smoking.” laughs Lewis.
Suzy is glad to hear him laugh and see his smiling face and is glad of his company. They talk for an hour or more until Lewis needs to answer the call of nature. As he stands up from the table and starts to walk out of the kitchen Suzy realises that she has not removed Doug's toiletries.
Anxiously she stands and walks over to the kitchen window and looks out at her back garden. The new runner bean patch looks neat and tidy as does the rest of the garden and she returns to the table and sits down.
Lewis comes back into the kitchen a few minutes later and as he sits down he looks Suzy in the eyes; “Doug left in a bit of a hurry; what happened you have a fight?”
Suzy stares back into Lewis's eyes her mind racing as to what to say as she realises all of Doug's possessions are still here, but is saved from answering as Lewis's face colours slightly; “Sorry Suzy that is none of my business, please ignore the question and I will ask you another.” he smiles reassuringly.
“What is that?” asks a nervous Suzy.
“When you have drunk your coffee would you like to get out of here and come for a drive down to the beach?”
Suzy smiles in relief; “Yes thank you, I would like that it's a nice sunny day.” she answers as she looks out of the window at the blue sky above.

Lewis pulls into the deserted car park and switches the engine off; “Looks like we got the place to ourselves, let's hope it is the same when we get down onto the beach.
Suzy nods in agreement appearing lost in her thoughts as she opens the car door and gets out, shutting it firmly she walks towards the sea and looks along the seafront. A lonely dog walker maybe a kilometre away is the only sign of human life and she looks out to sea. The tide is out showing the vast mudflats and may explain why the beach is empty of people. Lewis walks up to Suzy and stands beside her saying nothing as he takes in the awesome view.
Far out on the tide line he can see a line of white gulls paddling in the water searching for food. On the mud oyster catchers and curlews search for worms and shellfish with their long beaks; the eerie call of a curlew breaks the silence seeming to add depth and a vivid atmosphere to the scene.
“Come on then.” says Lewis excitedly caught up in the joy of the smell of the sea and the freedom it offers and he hurries along the little path towards the beach.
Suzy follows quickly behind caught up in the same excitement, this is the first time she has been to the sea this year and she hadn't realised how much she has missed it. Walking down onto the beach Suzy hurries towards the mud and stops on the border with the pebbles of the beach and the mudflats. Lewis noisily joins her, his size ten trainers crunching on the loose stones until he stands beside her.
“What a fantastic place this is, it feels like my soul is floating on the breeze.” says Lewis as he smiles broadly.
“Yes, I know what you mean and it's been ages since I have been here.” agrees Suzy.
“Shall we go for a walk?” asks Lewis.

“Good idea, can we walk that way, away from the town?” she asks looking towards the beach that stretches away until it meets the horizon.
“Whatever, I am just happy to be here, lead on.” smiles Lewis.
Suzy, keeping close to the mud walks slowly along looking into the little rock pools and occasionally bending down for a closer look. Tiny little fish scatter at her approach and hide themselves in amongst the rocks and seaweed in