Charlotte

On the third day of our holidays, my parents and I went on an all day boat trip to the beaches and islands near Fethiye.

A bus came to pick us up, then picked up lots of other people as well. Near the end we waited for ages for a family with a small boy called Oscar and two daughters. The older one, who was about nine or ten, was called Charlotte and she struggled onto the bus carrying a bag about as big as she was.

Once on the boat, it soon transpired that Charlotte could do no right, in fact it appeared that everything was her fault, including the fact that she got sunburnt. Her parents had a go at her at every possible opportunity, whatever she did or didn't do. At one point we heard them telling her she was ruining their holiday which had cost a lot of money, and she had a week and a half to make amends for this. Throughout, Oscar grizzled.

At the end of the day they didn't get back on the bus, but instead wandered off dysfunctionally into Fethiye itself. I felt sad as I watched Charlotte tailing along at the back, and wished we could take her back with us to give her aftersun and ice cream.

A couple of nights later, my dad and I were up late having a beer (I think it was the night the internet was 'broken' after the storm). Charlotte came up in the conversation. I wish they'd got back on the bus, he said. I wanted to have a quiet word with her dad.

What?! I said.

Yeah, he said. I wanted to say, I've got two grown up daughters, one's 33 and one's 29, and they've both come on holiday with me. The way you're going pal, do you think you'll ever be able to say that?

Brought a huge lump to my throat, that did.

joella