Parables of Clippety (8) - The Flying Car

 

‘Oh and how I want to get my hands on him,’ Clare said, holding her fingers out, grabbing onto thin air, ‘I’m so excited now, Marni. Does my hair look better?’

 

 

‘It’s gorgeous. More than gorgeous, it looks amazing! What did you do?’

 

‘Oh a bit of mousse and a hairdryer does wonders. I just don’t want to look old, that’s all.’ Clare suddenly spun around and looked at the bed. ‘What are all those crystals for?’

 

Marni shrugged. ‘Just my good luck ritual,’ she said, stepping into high heels.

 

‘Get rid of them, and that dream catcher thingy. I don’t want him thinking we’re dirty hippies.’

 

‘Okay,’ Marni sighed and pushed them under the pillow then checked her reflection in the mirror, turning and looking backwards at herself and at her legs and shoes.

 

‘Ah I see you’re wearing heels,’ Clare looked sad as her eyes studied Marni’s shoes. They had an outdated appearance, as if they had been gathering woodlouse husks in the bottom of a Sharps fitted wardrobe for a couple of decades. ‘It’s not just me wearing unsensible shoes then, although those do look rather old Marni.’

 

‘They are quite old. Not everyone is obsessed with shoes. These have been wasting away under my bed. Christopher never liked me wearing heels, he said they made him feel short. Anyway you make me feel short when you’ve four extra inches on the end of your legs so I had no choice really.’

 

‘Yes I got these just now, here in Liverpool. They’re higher than the ones I arrived in.’

 

‘I noticed.’

 

‘They make me look slimmer though, don’t you think?’

 

Marni nodded. ‘You look great, and it’s not as if we’ll be walking far. I can’t wait to get in that white Audi,’ she said, rubbing her hands.

 

‘Me neither, although I’m not even sure I can drive in these shoes.’ Clare held up the tickets for the match, Liverpool vs Watford. ‘Do you think there’ll be trouble?’

 

‘I don’t know. We don’t look like typical supporters, I doubt we’ll be dragged into it and if we are then we have our high heels on, they won’t mess with us.’

 

The ladies got into the hotel lift, both pulled strange, contorted vanity faces as they checked their reflections in the tinted mirror. Outside in the car park, the sun had come out and seemed impossible bright as their high heels clattered on the tarmac. ‘Operation Clippetty!’ said Clare and they both giggled their way to the car.

 

‘Oh wow, what a beautiful motor. You didn’t tell me it’s a convertible!’

 

‘I couldn’t resist. It was the same price as the hard top so I thought, why not.’

 

‘It is quite breezy Clare but it’s not raining I guess. We’ll have to put the roof up when we’ve got him inside though, we don’t want people seeing our quarry.’

 

‘I know, I’ve thought of that already.’

 

As they were about to get in, Marni stopped suddenly and gasped, her eyes widening as she gazed at the hedging in front of the car. 

 

‘What, what’s the matter Marni?’

 

Marni exhaled and then shook her head. ‘No, it’s alright, I just thought I saw something in the hedge.’

 

‘What, a cat? You and your cats!’ Clare craned her neck to peer into the thicket of dense branches covered with green leaves of privet. ‘There can’t be anything in there, it’s too thick.’

 

‘I know but it just looked kind of like a little man, that’s all. I know that sounds really silly but that’s what I saw.’

 

‘Marni, what the fuck. Come on, get in, you might need one of your tablets. Do you have them?’

 

They got into the vehicle, buzzing with excitement. Clare peeled back the roof and floored it out of the car park. The car felt different, special, like some machine from another world and her heels were so high that it was difficult to control her speed. 

 

‘Oh my god Clare, we’re flying!’

 

‘I know!’

 

‘Do you know the way to Anfield?’

 

‘Yes, I’ve driven it virtually, hundreds of times before on Google maps. It’s not far, we’ll be there in a minute at this rate.’

 

Marni felt her head being pushed back into the headrest. It didn’t feel right to be travelling at such speed but at the same time, it gave her a warm buzz all through her body which lingered around her stomach like hot butterflies. ‘Look Clare, there’s a rainbow, that’s because you got rid of all my crystals, the elements are forming their own good luck charm, all the chakras aligning just for us.’

 

‘Mmmm,’ Clare didn’t agree, she couldn’t even see the rainbow and didn’t want to take her eyes off the road.

 

 

‘You need to slow down Clare. It literally feels like the wheels have left the road. I think we’ve broken the sound barrier!’

 

Marni tried to lean over and get a glimpse at the clock on the dashboard to check out the actual speed they were travelling but somehow it looked blurry and Clare only laughed and obscured it with an elbow. 

 

‘Look, we’re here. It’s just like the photos. I’m going to park right at the far end because there’s a little lane at the bottom that leads off into the training area and that’s where Jurgen parks and all the players. I’ve Google Earthed it all Marni. You know, we could easily become sleuths, you and I, private detectives. You can get absolutely anywhere if you’re determined. Remember that man who got into Buckingham Palace and frightened the Queen?’

 

‘No. My stomach is in knots. I’ve never been to a football match. You did book seats, didn't you?’

 

‘Yes of course I booked seats, there’s no way I would go in the stands, not in these shoes.’