Lost Luggage
Clothes maketh the man – and Eric spent his holiday trying on new personalities!
“Why does this sort of thing always happen to you?” Annie said, trying not to smile.
She knew Eric well enough now to doubt that he’d have a sense of humour over this. He was a sensitive soul.
Sure enough, Eric’s was the only unhappy face in the whole of the resort bar.
Around them, the rest of the newly arrived tourists were enjoying the Portuguese sun and the deliciousness of the first drink of their holidays, and everyone was beginning to unwind.
Everyone except Eric.
“I don’t know!” he cried, his head in his hands.
“Cheer up. The airline promised your bags will be here in a day or two,” she said.
“And all you need until then is a pair of shorts.”
She almost said, “Aren’t you glad I talked you into a beach holiday rather than that walking tour of Prague you liked the look of?” but thought it might be pushing things a bit.
She and Eric had been seeing each other for nearly six months now.
While she was very fond of him, lately she’d been wondering if her feelings were strong enough to overcome the differences between them.
Eric was kind-hearted and full of integrity. From day one, when he’d got his suit all muddy while helping her fix the chain that had come off her bicycle outside the insurance office where he worked, she’d felt him to be exactly the kind of man she could consider building a life with.
He’d even found her a plaster from the office first aid kit for her skinned knee, and pampered her with hot sweet tea while she recovered from the very slight tumble she’d taken.
She’d been delighted when he accepted her invitation to come and see a pantomime at the small theatre she worked for.
After that they were together all the time. She thought the world of him.
She just wished he wasn’t so… serious all the time.
For their first holiday together they’d picked a cheap and cheerful package trip – somewhere sunny and fun where they could just relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Then this had to happen.
They were joined at the bar by a couple from their tour group whom they’d met at the airport.
Johnny and Shirley were in their fifties, and joined at the hip. Johnny’s voice was as loud as his bright Hawaiian shirt; Shirley was carrying an equally bright cocktail.
“All right, old man?” Johnny said to Eric. “Did you have any luck with the baggage handlers?”
“Apparently his bag has been sent to Dubai,” Annie said.
She could tell Eric was trying not to mind being called “old man” by someone maybe thirty years older than him. She felt the urge to smile again so bit her lip.
“I’ll have to go shopping and buy a few things,” Eric said.
“No need for that!” Shirley said. “Johnny will have a few spares to keep you going. Won’t you, love?”
Annie snorted into her drink.
She was ashamed of how much the idea delighted her.
Eric threw her a panicked look. She just knew that this would confirm every suspicion he had about the universe conspiring against him.
Johnny offered to drop something off at Eric’s room that he could wear, and since Eric seemed speechless, Annie thanked Johnny on his behalf.
“He was just being kind,” she said the next morning, when Eric stood in front of her wearing the shorts and T-shirt that Johnny had loaned him – as well as an Eyore-ish expression, all world-weary.
“I’ll just wear the same trousers as yesterday…” he said.
“Don’t do that – you’ll bake. Besides, Johnny might be offended.”
“But look at me!” Eric cried.
They were, it had to be said, the boldest flowery shorts Annie had ever seen.
“I think you look cool,” she said. “Very metrosexual… a bit David Beckham, even.”
On impulse she leaned forward and kissed him.
“What was that for?” he said, reddening slightly.
“I was trying to take your mind off your clothes and remind you that we’re here on our first holiday together. It’s very romantic, you know.”
He smiled and slipped an arm around her. When the worry lines left his forehead he looked like a completely different person – young and handsome.
She kissed him again. For a while he seemed to forget about his lost luggage.
A stranger stopped Eric at the breakfast buffet.
“Hey mate, bad luck about your luggage. I’ve a spare pair of swimming trunks you can borrow if you like?”
“Who was that?” Eric whispered to Annie after the man moved away.
“Not sure… No, wait a minute – I think I was chatting to his girlfriend yesterday… oh, and look – they’re sitting with Johnny and Shirley. Let’s go and join them.”
Eric was reluctant.
“He’s just being friendly,” Annie said. “And you do need some trunks…”
“Can you imagine if I borrowed his? He’d make two of me!”
“But don’t you want to get in the pool today?” It was scorching hot. “And,” she said cajolingly, “it’s only until your suitcase turns up. Take the kindness.”
He sighed. “Oh, all right.”
Johnny wolf-whistled as Eric and Annie approached his table.
“Blimey, Eric, where’d you get those sexy shorts? I honestly didn’t know you had it in you!”
Eric’s face reddened but everyone was so good-humoured he was soon laughing along with them.
There was only so long you could feel self-conscious, Annie supposed, as she saw him start to relax.
In fact, after a while, she looked at him sitting wearing the bright turquoise flowered shorts and Hawaiian shirt, and thought she hadn’t seen him so animated in ages.
The swimming trunks were another revelation – they were so big for Eric that he had to wear a belt with them!
He came cautiously towards the pool as if trying to make himself invisible, obviously hoping no one would notice him.
But as soon as the owner of the trunks saw him, he bellowed, “Hey, Eric!”
It felt – even to Annie, standing beside Eric – that the entire population of the hotel turned to look.
She came closer to Eric, suddenly feeling very protective.
Eric waved bashfully at their snickering audience.
Then he hoiked up his shorts with an exaggerated movement, and did a pratfall into the water!
When he came up everyone was laughing. He looked for Annie and gave her a helpless shrug, and a smile.
Everyone thought his situation was so funny that word soon spread. At first Annie was afraid the teasing might bother him, but he took it all so good-naturedly she was proud of him.
The fame even seemed to bring him out of his shell.
He didn’t have to worry about introducing himself or be the shy wallflower; everyone knew who he was.
As each day passed and his lost luggage failed again to turn up, more and more people volunteered bits of clothing. By the end of the week there was hardly anyone in their group who hadn’t loaned him something.
On one occasion, his Metallica hoodie got them a free taxi ride. On another, his Harry Potter T-shirt earned him an extra scoop of ice cream.
“This is ridiculous,” he said to Annie. “I can’t keep taking people’s charity like this. I should buy some things.”
“No, no. Can’t you see how much everyone is enjoying this?
“Shirley told me yesterday she doesn’t even let Johnny wear that shirt you wore to the Old Town.”
“So everyone’s enjoying me making an idiot out of myself?” But he added a soft smile.
“You’re not an idiot.” She came close to him and pulled his arms around her.
“You’re having fun, you’re a good sport, and you’re making a dozen new friends… and you’re impressing me more every minute.”
The holiday was bringing out the best in him.
He was the kind of person who’d be careful not to offend anyone who offered him help, and was sensitive to everyone’s feelings and always showed gratitude.
Seeing the way he responded to the silliness of the outfits he’d been stuck with and how charming and self-effacing he was, Annie was reminded of all the things she’d found attractive about him in the first place.
When one night they were having dinner at a beautiful old restaurant, and two girls from their hotel spotted them and invited themselves to join them, Annie was almost annoyed.
Eric cast her a quick glance that said, What can you do?
They spent the rest of the evening laughing and trying every kind of dessert on the menu.
It was fun, but not exactly the romantic night Annie had been hoping for.
On their last night a dinner and dance was held at the resort. Their rep felt so bad about not being able to get Eric’s luggage back that he offered to lend Eric something of his own to wear.
Annie had been looking forward to the evening. She had a new dress, it was a beautiful starry night, and she was going to do her best to make it a very memorable time with Eric.
They were set to meet in the lobby of the hotel. She was curious to see what he would be wearing this evening and hoped it was something reasonably suitable.
Their rep was a fairly smart dresser, but he was a good deal shorter than Eric.
Eric was waiting for her when she came down and she almost didn’t recognise him.
He was dressed in a sharply cut suit, a crisp grey shirt, and he even had a red flower in his lapel.
Annie paused to stare at him. He looked wonderful.
“That’s one of our rep’s suits?” she asked him.
“No, actually, this is one of my suits. My suitcase finally arrived about half an hour ago.”
“Perfect timing,” she said with a smile.
After a week of seeing a different Eric every time he changed clothes, it was something of a relief to see him back to being himself.
As much as she’d enjoyed the game of it, she realised she’d missed the original Eric too. There was so much to love in him.
“Ready to go?” he said, gallantly offering her his arm.
When they walked into dinner together a cheer rose up and Eric took a modest bow.
Annie had to do a double take.
Everyone who had loaned Eric clothes all week was there – and they were all wearing clothes variously too long, too small, too short, or just plain inappropriate.
“Eric! Are those your clothes?” she exclaimed.
Even Shirley was wearing a polo shirt and flip flops.
Eric laughed.
“We thought it was only fair that I return the favour to everyone.”
Annie giggled too. It was far from the formal evening she’d expected, but this would be much more fun – and she drew out her camera to record the event.
“I’ve had a fantastic holiday,” Eric said suddenly. “I just wanted you to know that.”
“Oh, me too,” Annie said.
She felt sorry she’d ever doubted him. She knew for certain now that she wanted a future with him – and hoped that he felt the same.
“You’ve put up with so much. I don’t know how you’ve been able to do it.”
He pulled her close for a kiss. “It’s because it would be impossible ever to feel anything but proud, standing next to you,” he said.
We’re sharing another lovely escapist holiday story from our archives, every Monday and Thursday during June. Look out for the next one!
