A Taste of my novel-in-progress: The Wine Club Diaries

 

I started writing a novel from the beginning of this year, and have recently completed chapter one. Thought I’d share the beginning with you.

NB. It hasn’t been edited, so please excuse any errors  Enjoy! =)

Chapter One

The sound of rain drops falling off the tree, bouncing off the patio roof and finally the ground. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tonight, these raindrops are the only thing keeping me company. Weekend has come and gone, and what have I got to show for it? A clean house! Well... semi-clean, but it still counts. It remains a mystery as to how we have reached this point in our lives.

To regret, or not to regret? That is the question... 

“Sooo Myra...has he mentioned it again?” I had to ask, we were all thinking it, and as usual I was the only one ballsy enough to “put it out there”, as Reecy would say! Everyone was staring now, waiting to hear what had happened. Myra and Vince had been dating for a long time! And he had recently popped a certain question. Nope, disappointingly not THAT question, most often the one prior to that. Try ‘wanna meet the folks?’ They had met last night for supper, so we were dying to know what she had decided!

Myra put down her wine glass, licked her lips slowly, and finally met our eyes, “I agreed! Will be having lunch with them this weekend.” Thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe how we felt, they had been dating forever, and she seemed really happy, so we were too.

“So who’s next?’ said Myra eagerly. This was our weekly wine-meet, exactly what is says! We get together every Sunday at noon, drink wine and gossip, and catch up on the weeks’ happenings. The place varies from week to week. Last week was a place called RoseHurst, a beautiful garden-setting restaurant outside at the back of a building, the rooms filled with fairy objects and dolls, old antiques, and beads, and adorable gnomes on a stone pathway. It’s tucked away in a busy street in town and has amazing food! Today we’re chilling at my place, which as I’ve mentioned previously is clean!

Reecy moved around on the couch, trying to get more comfortable, “I don’t know about you guys. But this wine is amaaaaazing!” We try to sample different types of wine at each meet, although we do have our back-up bottles of St Anna and Four Cousins, just in case they aren’t to our likings. “Alesta, how is Boozy Suzy doing?” she asked. Suzy Bloozy is Alesta’s boss, Boozy because everytime we see her, she really looks like she’s hanging! Some people are just that talented!

 Alesta laughed, “Oh guys, she really is a nice lady! Well after a few shots of tequila, hahaha! Actually, I should be thanking her, she recommended me for a promotion!”

“What?! That’s awesome! Fantastic!” everyone said.

“I know! And Josh and I have finally found a place, a sweet little flat in Rondebosche, so it’s only twenty kilometres away from you guys.

Hana was next. “Well Will and I have decided to move in together!” Again, everyone went wild with excitement. “We want to see how it goes, being in each others’ space, before committing totally.”

“Thats great Hana, you’re going to love it” said Rika, who put down her wine, and the slice of pizza she was eating, “So I don’t how much longer I’m going to be able to drink wine for, because Sai and I have decided to try for a baby!” Sai and Rika have been happily married for two and a half years, and decided to wait and enjoy each other before making three.

 “The great news just keeps coming today!” Reecy said all excited, “and I shall not disappoint! Nedson invited me over to his family’s home in Durban, for a lunch, this weekend too Myra,” she said smiling. “I’m so nervous! Don’t want to offend them in any way”. Nedson has been playing slow for some time now. He’s Taiwanese, and Reecy is coloured, so he’s kept their relationship a little under the covers till now, no pun intended, haha.

Iris set her manual aside on the coffee table, and poured herself another glass of wine. As one of the leading veterinarians in the country, she had recently been asked to lecture some courses at University of Cape Town. “I don’t really have interesting news, she said, sounding mildly disappointed. I am thinking of adopting another dog though, she smiled. ‘Also...I have been asked to attend a conference in Italy in three months, but I don’t know if I want to go, I’ll be going alone.”

“What??? No way!” was the general reaction. “You have to go! I said.” “Iris, you’ve accomplished so much so quickly, you deserve this! Reecy exclaimed.

 “Haha you guys aren’t going to let me bunk this, are you?” Iris asked, smiling. 

I was about to tell them my news, when there was a special knock on the door, knock knock “Amelia” knock knock “Amelia”. I opened the door and smiled, “Hey Way!” Way is short for our friend Wayana, and she was wayyy late too. Her reason? First date with an old flame, a cute guy too! “OMG guys, he is such a gentleman!” she screamed with excitement as she hobbled in through the door, dropping one of the huge shopping bags onto the wooden floor, and bringing the other, containing our third bottle of red wine and some delicious snacks, to us. The afternoon may have been coming to an end, but we were just getting started...