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‘Oh!’ I say.
Dominic slips his arm around my shoulder. ‘Tell me that is not beautiful, Just Janie.’
‘It’s beautiful.’ And it has taken this wonderful man from another continent to show me just how spectacular my own country can be.
Chapter Seventy-Two
Even as you approach the entrance to the Sno!Zone, the temperature starts to drop. As a local and a regular visitor, this space looks amazing, but to Dominic who has never seen snow before, it’s like a miracle. His eyes are out on stalks.
The Sno!Zone houses one of the biggest indoor ski slopes in Europe and we can see it in all its glory from the wall of windows that flanks one side of it. There are two drag lifts that go to the top of the steep man-made slope and both are already busy with skiers and snowboarders in colourful clothing being carried to the top.
‘This is snow?’ Dominic says, pressing his hands against the window.
‘Yes.’ Since Christmas it’s just been raining and cold. No late snow this year, thank goodness.
‘You have it inside?’
‘You can practise for skiing holidays and stuff. Or people like us just come along because it’s fun.’
Dominic looks as if he can’t quite grasp this concept.
‘We need to get kitted out,’ I tell him and tug him away from the mesmerising sight to join the rest of the group.
‘HELLO. DOMINIC,’ Nina shouts at him.
‘Hello,’ he replies politely. ‘How are you?’
‘FAB. LOOKING. FORWARD. TO. SNOWBOARDING?’
‘Yes. Very much so.’
I’m disappointed to see that my friend has brought Gerry along after all. I thought he was supposed to be on some ‘business conference’. Perhaps his married lover couldn’t get away from her partner and had to cancel at the last minute. Grrr. As we queue up to pay and get our salopettes and snowboards, I nod a curt ‘hello’ at him and he gives me one of his smug smiles in return. It’s going to be difficult giving him a wide berth for the whole evening, but I’m damn well going to give it a go. Why did Nina have to bring him? I think. Why couldn’t she have left him at home for once?
While I’m muttering away to myself in my head, we shuffle forward to the desk and the equipment is doled out to us all. Dominic looks bemused by the whole process, but accepts whatever the girl behind the desk gives him.
This man learns quickly. Tonight he abandoned his shuka and came out in the clothes I bought for him without me even having to mention it. He’s already sussed that although the villagers have readily accepted him in his traditional clothes, the great unwashed public of Milton Keynes may not be quite ready for him. I only hope that the salopettes they’ve given him fit, otherwise they’ll be flapping around his ankles.
‘No feathery headdress tonight, mate?’ Gerry says and then adds a guffaw.
‘That is only for very special occasions.’ Again, Dominic’s response is immaculately polite.
I’d like to beat Gerry to a pulp on Dominic’s behalf. I’m anxious that we have to split off into separate changing rooms, as that will leave Dominic at the mercy of Gerry, and that’s something I’m not keen on at all. I don’t want him out of my sight for a second. It’s just a shame that Mike wasn’t able to come along, but he’s going to be late home from work tonight after taking a client out to dinner. I could really do with him here now.
Instead, pulling Tyrone close to me, I whisper, ‘Look after Dominic for me. Make sure he knows how to get dressed properly.’
‘Sure,’ he says. ‘No worries.’
‘Hakuna matata.’
‘What?’
‘Swahili. It means no worries.’
‘Cool,’ Tyrone says.
I’m thinking now – somewhat too late – that I should have booked Dominic into some group lessons before I brought him along to the Sno!Zone with everyone else. That’s what we all had to do to get our certificate of competence or whatever they call it. Perhaps Dominic can just fiddle about at the bottom of the slope and I can help him with some tips. Ty and Clinton have both picked this up well and scoot down the slopes like pros, so they can maybe show him what to do too.
It takes for ever for us all to be kitted out and then we make our separate ways to the changing rooms.
‘Will you be OK?’ I ask Dominic anxiously.
‘Yes, Just Janie,’ he replies with a smile. ‘Do not worry.’
But I watch nervously as he disappears out of my sight.
Gerry comes alongside me. ‘Bit different for him than wrestling lions, eh?’ He laughs and moves on, following Dominic into the changing rooms.
