Stargirl of the Edge

Ch 57 - Watching the Olympics

Olivia's dad has been in captivity since the fifth of July, for two months now, and there is still no news. The previous day, Sunday the fifth of August, Olivia and her mum took the train to London and had a marvellous day at the Olympic Village. In the evening they went with wealthy media heiress Marianne to a fashionable restaurant on the Kings Rd. Olivia preferred to return to the house and watch the Olympics on TV. She is completely taken up with them. They provide her with an easy escape from the stressful situation.

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The next day they would continue to watch the Olympics on the big screen in Hyde Park.  Liz told Marianne they would take a taxi there, but they decided to go on foot instead.  Carrying the picnic in a basket, they walked to Hyde Park, passing the Victoria and Albert and Science Museums on the way.
At the entrance to Hyde Park near the Albert Memorial, they went through the security check and joined thousands of others for a gigantic picnic on the green, watching the Games on big screens.
There was a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere, and they felt Dad was with them in spirit. They didn’t allow themselves to feel stressed or anxious. Liz soon made friends with people on the grass near them.  They were intrigued by the story and had recognised them after seeing them on television. It was a great afternoon, the weather was cloudy but there was no rain.
Later they returned to the house. At about 7.30pm a Bentley sports car stopped outside and Marianne got out. She said she needed to discuss where the campaign was going, and invited Liz and Olivia to dine at one of Chelsea’s most exclusive restaurants, run by a famous TV chef.
As usual, Olivia just wanted to stay in the house and watch the Olympics but Liz insisted that she should come, so as not to appear rude.
When the food was served, Olivia wasn’t keen on it. She ate only few mouthfuls, saying she didn’t feel hungry.
Liz and Marianne discussed the state of the campaign and where they were up to. Olivia didn’t want to hear any more of that again. She tried to cover her ears and hum a tune to herself. Unlike previous times, the conversation now seemed to be going in a different direction.
Now Marianne was talking about finances. She kept using the word ‘arrangements’. She said she could give Liz access to the chief accountant at her company if she needed it. Liz nodded.
“Oh and Liz,” she continued, “I just want you to know, if you need any help, you know, with finances, you don’t need to worry. This situation wasn’t caused by you and I don’t see why you should have to pick up the bill.”
Liz looked down and then back at her with open eyes, smiling. Marianne continued.
“So if you like, I can transfer a bit of money to you, just a couple of grand to tide you over for a few days. No need to pay me back, we’ve sold a few companies recently, so there’s plenty of money in the kitty, and if you need any more just let me know. I can transfer some now if you want, using my phone, and it’ll be in your account instantly.”
Liz smiled and shook her head.
“Oh, Marianne,” she said, squeezing her arm, “that’s very kind of you, but, as far as money’s concerned, honestly, we’re fine.”
As Marianne raised her eyebrow for a moment, but then she seemed to accept Liz’s response and the subject wasn’t mentioned again. And then Marianne started to talk to Liz about corporation tax, life assurance, wills, probate, death duties. Olivia pressed one hand on the ear closest to them and hummed even louder.
Something seemed to have changed in Marianne’s attitude.
Olivia wanted to say out loud: ‘Hey, hold on a minute here. I thought we were expecting Dad to be released soon? I thought we weren’t going to believe what that woman said: ‘They don’t come back, you know.’”
But Marianne kept saying over and over again “Well you do have to think about these things don’t you, darling?”
Marianna was a widow. That explained it. She was only trying to give good advice.
But Olivia was in no mood to hear it. And she wanted to get away before they started to get too lovey dovey, they’d both had a few glasses of white wine.
“Mum,” she said, getting up. “I need to go back to the house, I really don’t want to miss the men’s 400 metre sprint. ”
“Goodness me Livvy, I never thought I’d hear you saying those words. Well in that case, you’d better get back then,” said Liz, handing her the front door keys.
Marianne looked up at her, sipped another glass of white wine and smiled.  Olivia leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek, then her mum. Then she grabbed her coat and walked a short distance up the Kings Road, before turning left, past the expensive cars to the end of the street, and entering the house.
She flung herself on the couch and put on the TV and was comforted by the sound of cheering. Then she rushed to the kitchen, heated up the rest of the Chinese takeaway, poured some still mineral water and returned to the couch and started eating.
It was the perfect food for how she felt, comforting and delicious, and soon she was in a better mood.
Marianne and Liz walked back from the restaurant, Liz rang the bell, Olivia let her in and she went to bed for the night. Olivia watched the Games until the very end of the very last programme.
The next day it was the same. Sightseeing or museums could wait for another time. There was only one thing to do. Watch the Games. That evening they took the train back to Wilmslow. Thanks to the Wi-Fi connection in the carriage, Olivia was able to follow the Games on her iPhone.
Hippy Dave had been taking care of Jessie and the house. He had tried to fix the starter motor on the jeep but he said it needed a new part. He drove back home to his trailer in the tiny three-wheeled truck.  Jessie was overjoyed to have Olivia back and stayed with her all the time.
On the Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday it was the same story. Olivia watched the Games continuously. Liz busied herself with her round of daily activities, glancing at the television from time to time whenever she could.
And so it came to Sunday, the final day. She was amazed and inspired by the story of a girl who had achieved a silver medal in the pentathlon event. She was from a place not too far from Alderley Edge, though she trained in the south of England. No one had expected her to gain any medal at all. And yet she had managed, on the very final day, win silver in the modern pentathlon event.
She stood with the silver and gold winners, proudly displaying her British, flag, a true heroine for Team GB.
They played an interview recorded just after she had won the medal. Still breathless and sweating after her achievement, she said she was just a normal girl, and that anybody could do anything they wanted to do. They were some of the most inspiring and encouraging words Olivia had heard for a long time. She deeply admired the girl and wished she could meet her and congratulate her personally.
Now Olivia wished she had taken a greater interest in sport, but at age 18, it was probably too late to achieve stardom. She would never be an Olympic medallist. But then she heard Esther telling  her: ‘I can see you are going to be a star student!’ - ‘Me, a star student?’ she replied to herself. From her present perspective, that appeared most unlikely.
Her exams seemed more like a dream, like something from a different place and a different time.
She felt as if she had been fooling herself, that she had convinced herself her answers were good and that she would score high grades, but that in reality, she was not in the top three, not even in the top ten, and probably near the bottom.
Yes, it was better to expect the worst, and then there was less chance of being disappointed. If only she could find out. There were only four days until her exam results. It had been such a long wait.
At the Olympic Games you knew your score straight away. But with A level exams, you had to wait two months. Two months of uncertainty, anxiety and hoping.
Would she score gold, silver or bronze? Or would she be at the bottom of the score sheet. She would soon find out.
Liz joined her later in front of the TV, and for the rest of the evening, they watched the Closing Ceremony. Just like the Opening Ceremony it was one of the few times when Liz actually sat down for a few hours and did nothing apart from watch the television.
There was a sense of pride at what Britain had achieved. The Games had been an overwhelming success. The naysayers and the doubters, the people who said it was going to be a disaster or that something terrible was going to happen, they had all been proven wrong.
A psychologist interviewed on one of the programmes had said that the Games had had a positive effect on the nation’s psyche. They were telling the UK that it really wasn’t as bad as it thought it was, and that it could achieve the very best.
And finally, late in the evening, the ceremony drew to a close, the Olympic flames were slowly extinguished, apart from one flame to be carried forward to the next games in Rio.
The television coverage finished with a collage of highlights, an emotional rerun of all the triumphs and disappointments from Ussain Bolt to Mo Farah and all the other stars of the Games.
It had been an incredible journey, and it was about to end.
The final credits appeared on screen, followed by the late weather forecast, predicting cloudy skies for the week. Olivia switched to another channel to try and continue the experience. She just didn’t want it to finish. Liz went to her room and left Olivia there. Finally, she said goodnight to Jessie and made her way up the spiral staircase to the bathroom and finally to bed.

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The whole nation was captivated by the Olympic Games, including myself. I'll never forget watching the closing ceremony. Like most people, I just didn't want it to end. The athlete who won silver is Samantha Murray, She is quoted at the beginning of the book.