An Old Friend: Part 2

Lisa jumped at the sound of the phone ringing. She felt as if she had almost had a heart attack. Should she answer it? Who on earth would be calling her at 7:30 in the morning? What if it was a solicitor? How she despised them. Then again, maybe it was one of her parents. Whoever it was, it would be good to have someone to talk to. She picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" she said timidly.

A voice she had not heard in a long time, yet one she immediately recognized, answered back. "Hello, Miss Lisa Dobson, please?"

She nearly fainted when she recognized that voice. It was him. Michael Palin.

"S-s-speaking," she stammered. "Who may I ask is calling?" Like she really had to ask that question. She knew perfectly well who it was, but she thought saying 'Michael, is that you?' was too forward, especially after not having spoken to him in so long.

"This is Princess Margaret, dear," he bleated in a Pepperpot voice. "Will you be busy this afternoon?"

She laughed. That was the Michael she had known and loved all those years ago. "I'm sorry Michael, you're not fooling me this time."

He laughed that wonderful laugh that she adored. "Oh dear, I still haven't been able to fool you after all these years?"

"I'm afraid not," Lisa answered, teasing. "But Michael, I believe you have some explaining to do. It's been what, five years?"

"Yes, I know, my dear, I have no excuse," he berated himself. "But so much has been going on in my life right now..." She dreaded what he was going to say next - a girlfriend or wife, perhaps?  "...After the television program took off, we started doing stage shows - even toured Canada last summer. Terry Jones and I were writing a play for television..."

Phew.

"...We've made a few records, and now we're working on a film. So much has been taking place over the last few years. I never forgot about you completely and I honestly hope you can forgive me."

"Oh, I'm just grateful that you've taken the time to phone after all this time," she answered. "We must really get together one day soon. Did you say you were working on a film?"

"Yes, that's right. We're making a film on location here in Scotland. We've been here now, oh, I suppose about a week. It's really awful, the weather is so cold and damp..."

"Oh, poor baby," she said, sympathetically. "So is that why you called me? You needed a sympathetic ear?"

Michael laughed. "Oh no, no, Lisa. Well, now that you mention it, that would be nice -- Sorry!"

She giggled. Oh how she loved his playful teasing.

The two of them laughed for several seconds, then Michael continued. "I started thinking about you the other day. When we arrived at our hotel up here in Stirling, I was going through my wallet and discovered an old photograph of you. I believe you had given it to me when I graduated from Oxford -"

"That's funny," she interrupted, "because I was just going through some old photographs before you phoned, and I found some photos -- Ooh, I apologize for interrupting you like that!"

"See, now you're starting to make me feel self-conscious," he laughed. "No, no that's quite all right. Go on."

"Well, I found some photos from my university graduation, including one with you. What a coincidence that you should ring me up while I was looking at that one, thinking of how much I missed you." Ooh, she didn't mean to say that much.

Michael laughed nervously. "Yes, coincidence I suppose. Anyway, the reason I'm phoning....how would you like to finally get together again after all these years?"

Lisa felt as if she was glowing inside. "Oh, that would be marvelous!" she exclaimed. "Oh, but aren't you working on a film?"

"We're not going to be working every day of the week. That would just be too much, although Terry and Terry don't seem to mind," he said a bit sardonically. "But we'll be taking a break from filming Friday evening into Saturday. How would you like to meet me Friday night? We could go out to dinner, perhaps a show, or whatever you'd like to do. Are you free that night?"

She checked her calendar. She had nothing important going on Friday, May 10th, 1974. "Yes, I'm not doing anything that night," she replied. "But where would you like me to meet you?"

"How does the lobby of our hotel sound?" he asked cheerfully. She didn't care. She'd meet him in a back alley and still be thrilled. 

"Sounds fine," she answered. He gave her the directions to the hotel, and before hanging up, she asked, "Oh, before you go....what time would you like to meet?"

"Oh...I completely forgot about that. How foolish of me," he remarked, a bit flustered, "how does 7:30 sound? We usually quit filming at around 6:15, 6:30, so that will give me about an hour to get ready. And I'm sure you'll need the time to make the drive up here."

"That sounds wonderful," she answered.

"Good, 7:30 it is. See you then, Lisa," he said, warmly. 

"Bye, Michael," she said as she hung up the phone. She felt a warm feeling wash over her. In two days she was going to be reunited with the wonderful man she'd met so long ago, the nicest guy she'd ever known, the one she hadn't seen in so long.

Michael sighed happily as he hung up the phone. He was glad he was finally going to see her again. It had been way too long. He was already excited, and began thinking of what they should do. Should they go to dinner and a show? Dinner and dancing? What sort of things were there to do up here, anyway? Besides the pub where he and the other Pythons went after filming each night, he wasn't too familiar with the area. 'I guess I'll just have to ask the manager at reception,' he thought to himself.

He walked over to the wardrobe, already trying to figure out what he should wear. He didn't really bring anything formal with him. Oh, what was he doing?! He wasn't going to be seeing her for two days and he was already trying to decide what to wear??

Just then, a loud knock on the door woke him up from his daydream. "Mike! Wot the bloody hell are you doin’??" Terry Jones squawked through the door. "We've got to get out there and start filming!! Come on!!"

Michael rolled his eyes and got into his costume. He'd have more time to think about everything later tonight and especially tomorrow. As he left his hotel room and started down the stairs, he was whistling happily.

The rest of the Pythons were waiting for him downstairs. "Boy, you're in a good mood this morning, Sir Galahad," Eric remarked wryly.

Michael stopped and looked at him. "Hmm? Oh...it's nothing, really. I - just had a rather good night's sleep, that's all." 

"Are you joking?" Eric looked at him in disbelief. "On those beds? I don't know about you, but my mattress has lumps in it...and they move!" 

Michael shrugged his shoulders, and they all headed outside toward their cars. He was glad he didn't have to mention this little rendezvous to his friends. They had already made plans to go out to the pub that night, and he had declined. He was getting tired of that place after about 8 days of filming. He had it all worked out in his head: they'd finish filming around 6:15, 6:30, go straight back to the hotel and change, and head straight  to the pub. By 7:30, they'd all be gone already. Michael smiled to himself as he drove out to Doune for the filming. Everything seemed perfect.