A Sweet Adventure
An Alfie Browne-Sykes & Gilliebean Story
By Suzy Jacobson Cherry
for Gillie Rollo
Alfie struggled a little as he placed Jessica into her pram and tucked her in. The baby was sound asleep, unaware of the excitement ahead. With Jessica safe and sound, Alfie turned to his wife. Gilliebean was next to the bed folding the last items for the suitcases. Her face reflected the joy she felt as she prepared for the holiday ahead. This was the first time she and Alfie were traveling with Jessica and Gilliebean hoped the little one would have some memory of this trip as she grew older. Gilliebean’s head was already filled with images of all the photos they would take of this first family trip.
Gilliebean and Alfie had been dating for a couple of years before they knew they wanted to start a family. Two years ago, they had made the decision to marry so they could start their family as soon as possible. It had not taken as long as they thought. In fact, when the couple first told their families that they were expecting, Gilliebean could almost see the gears in their brains going over the dates, wondering if they had been married because of the pregnancy rather than before it. Of course, both Gilliebean and Alfie were careful to plan wisely, and they had a good chuckle over their parents’ concerns. Gilliebean recalled the day they told Alfie’s parents. They had asked so many questions that Gilliebean and Alfie thought they were never going to be able to get out and go home. Once they had escaped to their car, Alfie had burst out laughing.
“What do they think this is, the 1950’s? Who cares how long we’ve been married!”
Gilliebean had smiled a Mona Lisa smile and laughed, “Well, at least they seemed happy.”
Alfie had patted her hand and smiled back as the two of them had driven in happy silence back to their own little home, where Gilliebean called her mother on the phone to give her the news.
Now, as Gilliebean folded the last baby dress and placed it in the suitcase, she fondly remembered how thrilled her mother had been. When Jessica was born, her mother had driven all the way down to Liverpool Women’s Hospital to be there for Gilliebean.
“What are you thinking, Sweets?” Alfie bent over to tuck a stray hair behind Gillibean’s ear. She smiled up at him.
“Nothing. The suitcase is ready for you to close it up. Ready to go!”
Alfie loaded the suitcases into the boot, then rolled the pram closer to the car so he could put Jessica into the child seat in back. Folding the pram, setting it on top of the suitcases in back, the slammed the boot shut and turned now to his wife. She had rolled her chair in place where the pram had been just moments before. Alfie lifted his petite wife from her wheelchair and helped her into the passenger seat. Once Gilliebean was buckled in, Alfie secured the chair to the frame on the back of the car. Hopping into the driver’s seat, he turned the key and started driving. He had gotten to the end of the driveway when he stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Gilliebean asked.
“I forgot to check the door.”
His wife laughed, the bubbly happy sound that had first attracted him to her. “No worries. I’ve done it.” Breathing a sigh of relief, he took off.
The little family was driving from their home in Liverpool to Disney Paris. Gilliebean loved Disney. She and Alfie had not been able to have a honeymoon when they first married. He had been knee deep in a part for a weekly show, and leaving for even a short time would have disrupted his work. There had never been a chance until now, what with Gilliebean’s pregnancy and Jessica’s birth. Now that there was a break in shooting Alfie’s series and Jessica was almost a year old, the couple thought they would take the opportunity to take that long awaited trip.
There were a number of ways they could get to Paris. Certainly, it would have been faster to fly. Instead they had chosen to drive so they could bring along everything they needed for an infant, as well as the convenience of having Gilliebean’s chair on the car. Rather than take the highway, which would have taken a little over eight hours, Alfie and Gilliebean decided to drive through countryside and village at a somewhat leisurely pace. Not only would they be able to see some of the small towns of England, but this would also allow for stops to rest for Alfie. The plan was to drive all day and stopping over near Folkestone for the night. Gilliebean had booked their trip on Le Shuttle through the Eurotunnel weeks ago. When they wake up tomorrow, they drive onto the Shuttle and take the 35 minute trip through the tunnel under the water.
By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, they were in France. It was a lovely day and Gilliebean felt the excitement of being in another country with nothing more to worry about than making sure her baby was dry and fed and her husband was happy. There was no doubt Alife was happy. He had a huge smile on his face as he drove along what seemed to Gilliebean to be the wrong side of the road. Reaching out, Gilliebean placed her hand over his, and softly rubbed her thumb under his palm.
The trip across England had been pleasant. They had stopped in a few picturesque villages for diaper changes and the like. Now, the drive through France was just as beautiful. As they drove, the couple chatted about everything from little Jessica’s favorite foods to politics. Alfie and Gillie didn’t agree on everything, but they felt the same about many things. Both were excited about this trip, and looked forward to their stay at the Disneyland Hotel Santa Fe. Neither had been to America and they had heard that the hotel featured a taste of the American Southwest.
Jessica didn’t fuss too much along the road. She was a good baby. Apart from a short bout with colic when she was newborn, Alfie and Gilliebean had not had a spot of trouble with the child. She had been crawling for a time now, and was pulling herself up to a standing position as if she was ready to climb trees. She was already saying a few words, like “mama” and “dada.” Gilliebean was proud to think that maybe reading to the child since before her birth might have given her an advantage. Surely, their daughter was a genius!
Gilliebean loved the hotel. The colors were bright and airy. The silhouettes of saguaro cacti made her hope for a day when she could visit the place where they grew for real. Alfie and Gilliebean took Jessica to the pool for a family swim before dinner. They enjoyed a buffet meal in “La Cantina,” cleverly set along the back of an old American pickup truck. Alfie talked Gilliebean into taking lots of photos around the place, asking strangers to snap pictures of the family together. By the time they went to bed for the night, they were exhausted.
Morning came early. Gilliebean was awakened gently by the cooing of her daughter in the little crib provided by the hotel. She gave Alfie a little shake.
“Honey, it’s Disneyland day!” she whispered as she pulled her covers off.
After a delicious breakfast, the little family went to Disneyland. They spent the day meeting Gilliebean’s favorite Disney characters, eating, listening to music, and shopping. Gilliebean couldn’t help herself when it came to buying gifts for Jessica. Little Minnie Mouse dresses and bows, a Jasmine outfit, and a stuffed Dalmatian were only a few. Alfie teased Gilliebean that she was really buying the toys for herself. Gilliebean laughed at him then, because he had picked out as many toys for Jessica as she had!
By the end of the day, they had purchased souvenirs for everyone in their families and more than a few friends. They had ridden on a horse drawn street car, wandered through Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, and visited It’s a Small World. As night fell, they ended their day with The spectacularly sparkly Disney Illuminations show. Jessica was amazingly good for such a small child on such a busy day. Throughout the day, she had giggled and clapped her hands at the sights and sounds of the park. She had been obviously thrilled with Elsa from the movie Frozen bent down to tell her what a pretty girl she was. She was wide eyed at the fireworks, kicking her feet excitedly and reaching out her hands at every sparkly starfall.
When it was all over and they had returned to their room at the Hotel Santa Fe, Alfie and Gilliebean were so tired, they barely had time to tuck Jessica in before falling into bed themselves. They slept like rocks, and only woke up when the sunshine flowed through the windows, kissing Gilliebean’s cheeks with warmth. As she opened her eyes, she felt her beloved stirring next to her, and little Jessica’s tiny voice calling, “coo coo coo” like the song of a beautiful mourning dove.
The drive home was a new adventure. Back home, a few days later, after putting Jessica down for a nap, Alfie and Gilliebean sat at the table with a pot of tea. Alfie was to go back to work tomorrow. As they sat there together sipping their tea, they reminisced about their favorite parts of the trip. Alfie suddenly pulled a little notebook and pen out of his pocket. Gillibean looked at him curiously.
“Well,” he said, “Let’s start planning our next holiday!”
THE END
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