“What do you mean it won't fit?”
“What I said, I've repacked everything three times and it just won't go.”
“Well how come I can manage it with my stuff?”
“I bet your bag's bigger.”
“You know its not and anyway we've still got the same crappy weight allowance Mr ‘I'm not paying for an extra bag'.” Sarah was getting well cheesed with Paul's whining.
They'd been planning the trip since Christmas but as usual it was going to be on a shoestring. Two weeks walking in the German Alps and Austrian Tirol, a real getaway break. Paul of course took charge of organising things and given their budget had booked them on a no frills flight to Munich, the flights only came to ninety pounds but you pay for anything more than hand luggage – an extra bag each would double the round trip price and as Paul had been at pains to point out, that was several nights accommodation. So now he was moaning because he couldn't get everything for a fortnight in a 25-litre daypack.
“Lets have a look then.” She sighed.
“Thanks Saz.”
In truth he had been quite frugal – his planning had extended to their kit but only in a ‘one pair boots, 2 t shirts' sort of way. Sarah did a bit of artful packing and got pretty much everything in his bag.
“Well if you wear your boots and carry your camera separate that would do it, except,” she hauled the bag off the floor, “it might be over the weight allowance.”
“Lets see,” Paul took the bag off her, “it does feel a bit weighty.”
Five minutes later they sat surveying their kit.
“I don't get it, we've got the same kit but your bag weighs half of mine.”
“Which is the limit.” She pointed out before he got any ideas. In fact she'd actually managed to get a bit extra in!
“Its gonna cost like fifty quid excess.”
Sara had an inkling what the problem was but was loath to point it out.
“Lets weigh your stuff Saz and mine, I must be missing something.”
‘Like a few brain cells!'
*************
“I can't see how to cut the weight though, I mean a t shirt is a t shirt, you can't make it lighter, I'm already at the bare minimum of kit.”
Paul was trying to rationalise the results of the latest weigh in.
“So it looks like you'll have to pay the excess then.”
“Its looking that way, bugger its gonna muck up the budget big time.”
“Well there is a way round it you know.”
“Now she tells me! Come on, spit it.”
“Well you could take the same stuff as me.”
“In case you hadn't noticed I am.” He was getting peeved now.
“No I don't mean the kit list, I mean the ‘actual' kit.”
“Huh? I don't get the difference.”
“I'll show you, give me ten minutes.”
“Whatever.”
*************
“So everything's in there?”
“Yup.” She grinned.
“Well how the heck?”
“Did I do it? I did what I said, changed the stuff for the same as what's in my bag.”
“I still don't get it.”
He could be really dense sometimes.
***********
“You have got to be kidding!”
“Well its either that or pay the swingeing excess charges – both directions.”
“I'll look stupid. And your stuff won't fit.”
“You won't, we can get you some more neutral colours if you like. And you got in my LBD okay for the Tarts and Vicars last month.”
The fact was that Paul was a bit touchy over his size, Sarah was slightly shorter at five five to his five six but they wore the same size in everything including shoes.
“I thought that was the issue, spending money we don't have.”
“Girl stuff is cheap, we can kit you out for thirty quid tops.”
You could almost see the cogs working.
“Okay, it'll be cheaper than the excess I guess – but don't think for one minute I'm doing this for any other reason.”
“Of course not.” She smirked. No with Paul it was always the money that mattered.
To Be Continued ?
Maddy Bell 04.06.08 © 2008
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