Up on my list of changing things was to try out something new with Come Away With Me. On Monday I promised you this and today I start with it. Are you curious? 🙂

Well, first let’s celebrate Stream of Consciousness Writing and Linda’s brilliant weekend prompt:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “up/down.” Use one, use them both, but try to put one in your first sentence. Bonus points if you use the other in your last sentence. Have fun!

Dear Linda, we will 🙂

Up and Away ~ A Stream of Consciousness Adventure

Mallory looked worried out of the little round window when the plane started. “What was I thinking?” she wondered as her big ears popped and her slim hands grabbed the side of her seat a little tighter. “Don’t worry!” said the nice old dear beside her. She sat relaxed with her white hair neatly in a long braid and a book in her hand. Mallory’s little laugh came up in such a squeaky way that she put her hand in front of her mouth. The woman beside her put her hand on Mallory’s leg. “Is it your first flight?” she asked. Mallory just nodded. “I…” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “I am following my dream!” she answered in a small voice. “Your dream?” The lady beside her raised an eyebrow. “I hope it’s not a dream man. That never goes well! But again. Is it your first flight?” Mallory nodded. She swished one of her black curls out of her face and turned to look at the woman. She was a tiny person who seemed to have come directly out of a 60s Hippie magazine. “Did they do Hippie magazines in the 60s?” Mallory wondered shortly. The woman’s trousers were wide and in a shade of purple Mallory had never seen. The ladies top was a bright green. She had put her deep yellow cardigan with her luggage in the boxes above them. Now she sat like she never did anything else. “Did you bring a book to distract you?” The woman showed her the book. It said “Women who run with the wolves!” “It’s like my bible” the lady said laughing. “It looks nice” Mallory thought as she watched the woman’s slim face dance into a myriad of wrinkles. There were freckles in her face. “Maybe she used to be a ginger” Mallory though. “No. I do not read!” At last she had found her voice again. “Well, I do not read books”. “Ah, one of those young ones who are only on the internet”. She frowned. “Do you not like the internet” Mallory asked. The woman wrinkled her nose. “I don’t mind it. I just think people get too attached to it.” “That is probably true” answered Mallory and moved her hands into her lap. They were up in the clouds now and the plane had levelled out. “Even though I can’t imagine my life without it” she thought and looked out of the window. “What’s your dream then?” The woman asked. Mallory looked back at her and discovered deep blue eyes that watched her intently. “I wish she would concentrate on her book” Mallory thought. She then took her phone out. Mallory wasn’t sure if she was allowed to use the internet or if it worked in a plane. After fiddling around with her black Samsung for a little while she showed the woman a video

“I am sorry” the woman said “but I do not understand. It is so fast.” Mallory looked at the woman. Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to imagine that videos were too fast for her. “It’s about the island. St. Lucia!” she answered then. “Oh, what’s wrong with reading a travel book?” the woman looked down on the book in her hands. Mallory said “Nothing I guess!” but thought “How can I explain my addiction to geography and travel vloggers?” “Are you a teacher or book seller?” she then asked the woman and got a joyful laugh as an answer. “How did you guess?” asked the woman grinning. “Uhm, you talk a lot about books?” Mallory shrugged her shoulders that her ex described as “thin like a piece of chicken leg”. She still could not understand how someone could compare chicken legs with shoulders. But then again: her ex was not the brightest of them all. Maybe she should have taken more care with her education.

“So which and why are you going to St. Lucia?”. “I used to be a teacher. Geography, in fact, and I always liked to travel. Never been to St.Lucia so I thought for my 70’s birthday I’ll give myself a present.” The woman looked Mallory squarely in the face. “Wow, St. Lucia as a birthday present. And you are 70? You certainly do not look it!” The woman huffed: “That is kind of you to say but I know its not true. I see myself in the mirror every morning!” “It doesn’t seem to bother her particularly thought” thought Mallory who again looked at the woman and registered no make-up what so ever.

“Do you get all your information from videos?” “Not all, but a lot. I like to watch geography videos and vloggers!” “What is “vloggers”?” The woman’s forehead wrinkled again. “Do you know what a blog is? Asked Mallory. “Yes, that’s these online journals that my students were so fond of”. “Yea and a vlogger is someone who does the same but instead of writing they create videos and share information”. “Hmmmm. That sounds interesting. Maybe this internet thing isn’t so bad after all.” the woman mused.

Mallory registered her surroundings for the first time since they took off. She listened to the hum of people talking, film music or conversations and the air attendants asking if done wanted something to eat or drink. She could only see a sea of heads with or without hair and all shades of hair colour imaginable. Including pink. Mallory shivered. “I could dye my hair in the colour of the lady’s trousers” she thought “But pink?! Yuk!!! What is her name anyway?”.

“Uhm, my name is Mallory” she ventured as the woman hasn’t taken her book up yet. “Ah, nice to meet you Mallory. I am Bianca” “Lovely to meet you too.” They shook hands. “Now that we know each other a little more could you show me another of these “vloggers”. You’ve made me curious. And you still haven’t revealed your dream” Bianca said with a twinkle in her eyes.

Mallory pondered:” Which video could I show her? Maybe Miss Braxton’s? Should I really tell her everything?” Mallory tapped her phone and got the vloggers video up:

Bianca looked incredulous. “Why would you show yourself off like that?” she asked Mallory. “It’s a way to share your travels and many earn money with this.” “They earn money with this?” “Yes”. The woman’s questioning eyes made Mallory talk more: “They sort of advertising for the places or the clothes they wear. It makes the audience buy their stuff and the vloggers get a share of it.” “Ok….” Bianca looked again at the video. “And that is your dream?” she asked. “No” Mallory laughed and looked down at her chubby body draped in a huge formless black dress with sunflowers in all sizes. “Do I look like I can sell fashion?” Bianca did not laugh. “Child…” she said “do I look like I can sell fashion?” and then she burst into a deep laughter. Mallory giggled “Maybe we could start a fashion line for the non-fashionable” “Yes, that would do!” answered Bianca.

Just then the air hostess came along and brought a snack and something to drink. They chatted about this and that while eating. Suddenly Bianca crinkled her nose. “What is it?” Mallory asked. “Can you hear that music?” Mallory listened. From behind came the soft melody of “Father and Son”. “Yes”. “That song is the bane of my life” said Bianca. Mallory just looked at her. “Well, I keep that story to myself like you keep your dream to yourself”. Mallory smiled. “That’s a deal but maybe we have a look at some other music?” “Do you have a suggestion?” “I had a look at some musicians from St. Lucia and made a playlist while waiting for the plane. Do you want to have a listen?” Bianca nodded “Why not?”

“That was better!” said Bianca. “I know. There are some great musicians out there. But such little time to discover!” Mallory yawned and turned to the window. It got dark. “Well, you have all your life in front of you. You can still discover a lot.” “Maybe” thought Mallory while she laid her head down and fell asleep…..

Just one more thing before you go: The hospital that is treating me is fundraising for a dedicated breast cancer unit which would allow some same-day diagnosis and better premises for patients and staff.

Please, if you can spare a little money hop over to their Just Giving Page and give as little or much as you can. Or share the page on your social media. So far the campaign has raised about half the amount needed: £450,924 of £800,000 (June 2021).

Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much.

Thanks, my dears, for staying with me until the end.

I appreciate your presence.

Please stay safe, stay kind and remember that you rock!