Pen Beneath The Bush

Bathing (The Letter VN)

An opal sky glistened through Isabella's window. A breeze lurked in through the open window. The flickering lights meant nothing to her as she closed her eyes and rubbed the lush shower cream all over her body. The fragrance of fruit and flowers veiled over her curves. Her shoulders pressed against the base of the bathtub.

At that moment, there was no pain or sign of stress – only pure bliss as a rose orb rolled into the bath and filled the water with dashing shades of pink and violet. Her mind was in heaven and her body felt free. She was washing more than dirt from her body. She was cleansing the stress away.

She opened her eyes, the fuchsia water reminded her of her soulmate: Rebecca Gales. The bath set she was using was a gift from her dear Becca. Becca was the butter to her bread, the icing on her cake. Isabella could never have been where she was if it wasn't for Becca. Isabella didn't know much, but she knew one thing was for sure: she loved Becca Gales more than she loved cinnamon rolls – and that was saying something.

Her bright pink hair stylishly cut to the level of her chin. Her mauve eyes were a reflection of her feisty and warm heart. Becca was a spitfire with a sharp tongue. Her nagging sometimes irritated Isabella, but at the same time excited her.

Last night, Isabella wrote a poem for Becca, then realised, that she wouldn't be able to read it because it was in her native language: Filipino.

Her perfect bliss was brought to a sudden halt when a sharp pain emerged from her big toe. She tried to bring her leg towards her, but she couldn't move it. She tried twisting her foot, but the pain only grew worse. Heart racing, and cheeks glowing, she reached her phone from the bathroom sink. There was only one person she could trust in this sort of situation.

"Becca!" Isabella gasped. "You have to come next door."

"What is it, Isabella?" Becca's voice rumbled through the telephone. She yawned. "I was having such a nice dream."

"Help me please," Isabella whispered, covering her breasts with her free arm.

"Sure." Isabella could hear the sounds of rustling sheets as Becca spoke. "Whatever it is you want you can have it."

"I need you to come to the bathroom."

"Why? I've got my own bathroom."

"My toes stuck in the tap."

Becca sounded more awake. "What was it doing in the tap in the first place?"

"I don't know," Isabella muttered, boiling from the heat from her cheeks, but shivering from the dropping temperatures underwater.

"And what are you doing in the bathtub at this time of night?"

Isabella tried to sound smart. "Having a bath. What else would I be doing?"

"Why have you got your phone with you in the bath?" Becca snapped. "You'll get electrocuted you silly mare."

"So I could ring you." Isabella didn't give up trying to get her toe out of the tap, but her body was too wet and slippery to be effective. She then giggled and the pitch of her tone lowered into a more seductive and sultry tone. "By the way...I haven't got any clothes on."

Becca laughed back. "Well, I gathered that."

"I'm shivering," Isabella whimpered. The cold was overwhelming. She felt as if she had been warped into an igloo.

"Run some hot water then!"

"My toe is stuck in the hot tap."

"I'm coming!"

Becca came in quicker than Isabella could say her prayers. Becca charged into the bathroom. "Oh gosh!"

"Aren't you going to help me?" Isabella's eyes widened at the sight of Becca's frozen stance. "Do something, I'm in so much pain."

"I don't see you helping yourself," Becca responded, folding her arms.

Isabella placed her phone back on the sink as she carried on trying to twist her way out of the tap again. It was still no good. Her hands were too slippery to do anything. Flustered and in a wet corner, Isabella thought of the first excuse that came to her head. She laid back on the water said, "Well I was getting in the mood."

"The mood huh?" Becca giggled, removed her pink nightie and tossed it onto the ground with Isabella's clothes.

"What are you doing?"

"Well I don't want to get my clothes wet."

"You'll distract me."

"With where that finger's going, it's you distracting me."

Isabella sat up. "I wasn't doing what you think I was doing."

"Then what where you doing?"

Isabella was silenced by the prickles by Becca's fingers. She watched Becca reach over for some cream and apply it to her toe. "Keep moving around," Becca instructed.

She did as she was told as Becca pulled the plug. Within a few minutes, Isabella's toe was free again, but very red and swollen. The shame will last longer than any pain inflicted. Becca burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh Isabella, you're always getting yourself into mischief. Haunted mansions, bloody letters and now this. Whatever next?"

Isabella jumped out of the bath and into Becca's arms as if the bath incident never happened. "We both know what happens next."

Isabella held Becca's hand, with intentions of taking her to her bed. Then she slipped and landed back first on the floor with Becca on top of her. Their lips met.

"You're so accident-prone," Becca whined, before kissing her again.

"I can't help it."

Both of their phones went off at the same time. They looked at each other. "I bet it's Ashton," Becca said. "He's posting one of those silly memes again."

"Oh," Isabella said. "It's a video."

Becca wrinkled her nose at the screen. "Why has sent us a video of a man in a bath?"

Ashton wrote in bold capitals in the online group chat: An absolute classic from the late Eric Sykes.