you,’ she said in near-perfect English.
‘He’s early,’ said Selina, grabbing a couple of sealed packets of biscuits and stuffing them in her handbag.
Quickly they went back up to the room to pack their few things and give their teeth a quick brush. Selina returned the phone charger, Angie paid the bill on her visa – ninety euros – and Selina paid the taxi to the consulate – eight euros. If the new Selina was like the old one, Angie had no worries about getting recompensed. Selina would have given money away rather than take it. Just a pity she wasn’t the same with boyfriends.
They were about to get out of the taxi when Selina’s mobile rang. It was Manuel. Selina put it on speaker so Angie could hear what he was saying.
‘I wanted to wish you well,’ he said. ‘I have forwarded you the email address of the ship. Please liaise with them so they know what is happening. I have given the consulate my details and between us we will get you to Dubrovnik.’
‘Thank you,’ said Selina. Her voice was quiet and sounded full of gratitude.
Angie felt equally humbled by his kindness. ‘Thanks for not calling me a silly sod,’ she said. ‘Even though I am one. You’ve been very kind.’
Manuel laughed. ‘I think that if it were my wife in your position, I would like her to be treated properly.’
Angie gulped down a throatful of emotion. ‘Thank you,’ she said again. ‘We’ve just arrived at the consulate.’
‘ Feliz viaje. ’
The two women walked up the stairs and were met by a Spanish security guard.
‘ Pasaportes emergencia ?’ asked Angie.
‘ Si. ’
Well, at least they were in the right place.
They had to surrender their phones and walk through a metal detector frame then the guard directed them into a room filled with chairs. They approached the long glass-enclosed counter where a pretty young lady with dark curly hair smiled at them. There was a plaque at the window bearing her name – Luisa Diaz.
‘Do you speak Eeenglish?’ asked Selina.
‘Yeees,’ replied Luisa. ‘I’m from Rotherham.’
‘Well, that’s a matter of opinion then,’ muttered Angie under her breath.
Selina ignored her. ‘I don’t believe it. We’re from South Yorkshire too.’
It turned out that Luisa had taken a summer job five years ago, met and married a Spaniard and now worked here helping out stranded people.
Manuel had sent over copies of the passports forwarded from the ship. There were some forms to fill in and then they had to go back outside the room where the security guard took a photo of them. Then they had to hand over nearly two hundred euros.
‘Jeez,’ said Angie, taking out her visa. ‘I’ll get this. You keep hold of your cash, just in case my card stops working.’
‘Thanks,’ said Selina. ‘I’ll pay you b—’
‘It’s fine,’ Angie interrupted her. ‘I know.’
‘That is too hideous for words,’ said Selina, shaking her head in disgust at her new photo. With her blonde hair fluffed up, tired eyes, sullen unsmiling expression and too dark lipstick she looked not unlike Myra Hindley.
‘Now the thing is, we can’t issue the passports until you have a flight,’ explained Luisa.
‘I thought we needed a passport before we could book a flight,’ replied Angie.
‘Yeah, that’s sort of true,’ nodded Luisa.
Angie and Selina looked at each other in confusion.
‘Have you any idea of possible flights you could take?’ asked Luisa.
Angie pulled the faxed sheet out of her handbag. ‘There’s a nine o’clock from here to Barcelona. We could get that. Will the passports be ready?’
Luisa checked out the sheet. ‘Yes, they’ll be ready about half-past twelve. I advise you to book that flight, but we need to see the confirmation. The passport will cover you for a single journey to Korčula only. Don’t be late back if you go out to the shops. The consulate closes for the afternoon.’
They left the room to email the ship on Selina’s mobile. It took
‘He’s early,’ said Selina, grabbing a couple of sealed packets of biscuits and stuffing them in her handbag.
Quickly they went back up to the room to pack their few things and give their teeth a quick brush. Selina returned the phone charger, Angie paid the bill on her visa – ninety euros – and Selina paid the taxi to the consulate – eight euros. If the new Selina was like the old one, Angie had no worries about getting recompensed. Selina would have given money away rather than take it. Just a pity she wasn’t the same with boyfriends.
They were about to get out of the taxi when Selina’s mobile rang. It was Manuel. Selina put it on speaker so Angie could hear what he was saying.
‘I wanted to wish you well,’ he said. ‘I have forwarded you the email address of the ship. Please liaise with them so they know what is happening. I have given the consulate my details and between us we will get you to Dubrovnik.’
‘Thank you,’ said Selina. Her voice was quiet and sounded full of gratitude.
Angie felt equally humbled by his kindness. ‘Thanks for not calling me a silly sod,’ she said. ‘Even though I am one. You’ve been very kind.’
Manuel laughed. ‘I think that if it were my wife in your position, I would like her to be treated properly.’
Angie gulped down a throatful of emotion. ‘Thank you,’ she said again. ‘We’ve just arrived at the consulate.’
‘ Feliz viaje. ’
The two women walked up the stairs and were met by a Spanish security guard.
‘ Pasaportes emergencia ?’ asked Angie.
‘ Si. ’
Well, at least they were in the right place.
They had to surrender their phones and walk through a metal detector frame then the guard directed them into a room filled with chairs. They approached the long glass-enclosed counter where a pretty young lady with dark curly hair smiled at them. There was a plaque at the window bearing her name – Luisa Diaz.
‘Do you speak Eeenglish?’ asked Selina.
‘Yeees,’ replied Luisa. ‘I’m from Rotherham.’
‘Well, that’s a matter of opinion then,’ muttered Angie under her breath.
Selina ignored her. ‘I don’t believe it. We’re from South Yorkshire too.’
It turned out that Luisa had taken a summer job five years ago, met and married a Spaniard and now worked here helping out stranded people.
Manuel had sent over copies of the passports forwarded from the ship. There were some forms to fill in and then they had to go back outside the room where the security guard took a photo of them. Then they had to hand over nearly two hundred euros.
‘Jeez,’ said Angie, taking out her visa. ‘I’ll get this. You keep hold of your cash, just in case my card stops working.’
‘Thanks,’ said Selina. ‘I’ll pay you b—’
‘It’s fine,’ Angie interrupted her. ‘I know.’
‘That is too hideous for words,’ said Selina, shaking her head in disgust at her new photo. With her blonde hair fluffed up, tired eyes, sullen unsmiling expression and too dark lipstick she looked not unlike Myra Hindley.
‘Now the thing is, we can’t issue the passports until you have a flight,’ explained Luisa.
‘I thought we needed a passport before we could book a flight,’ replied Angie.
‘Yeah, that’s sort of true,’ nodded Luisa.
Angie and Selina looked at each other in confusion.
‘Have you any idea of possible flights you could take?’ asked Luisa.
Angie pulled the faxed sheet out of her handbag. ‘There’s a nine o’clock from here to Barcelona. We could get that. Will the passports be ready?’
Luisa checked out the sheet. ‘Yes, they’ll be ready about half-past twelve. I advise you to book that flight, but we need to see the confirmation. The passport will cover you for a single journey to Korčula only. Don’t be late back if you go out to the shops. The consulate closes for the afternoon.’
They left the room to email the ship on Selina’s mobile. It took
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