Lottie's Tales

By Dean Withey

Lottie's Tales is the second book and carries on with the story from 'The Rosie Plan' and includes many of the characters from the first book, but also introduces the youngsters Asha (Lottie's granddaughter) and her best friend Freddie.
As you will soon discover adventure and daring seem to run in the family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dean Withey
• Release date: Oct 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463630846

Dean Withey

COMING SOON: 'Dave' one mans fight against the bingo women from hell! If you want to know more, and to avoid spoilers, please see the BOOKS section on my website https://dbooks61.wixsite.com/stuart-tilley Here's a bit about me I have always had a big imagination and often wrote stories at school. I realised then that I wanted to write stories, but it has taken many years to finally sit down and start writing. I have travelled to many places and was also in the Navy in my younger years, this helps me in writing stories which often have similarities to the things I have come across in life. I was a teacher for several years mainly working in Spain, but I have also taught in other areas and enjoyed this very much. I no longer teach and am now focussing on my writing. For the future, I hope to get underway soon with other more stories that I have been wanting to write for a while now. Thanks for looking at my website and I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

Book preview

Lottie's Tales

By Dean Withey

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2019 Dean Withey

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favourite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Lottie’s Tales

To Caroline Withey for all her help and patience in the production of this book.

Remembering all those who wore the Green Collar

Chapter 1

Asha comes to visit

Grandma!

Oh yes, now, where were we? Lottie said as she talked with her granddaughter Asha. Often when reading or speaking she would lose concentration.

You were talking about the Crest, said Asha as a big smile came over her face.

What are you smiling about? asked Lottie.

It’s an exciting story Grandma, she replied. Is it true?

Oh yes it is, although a long time ago now.

Oh, good, said Asha, you had just got into the taxi with the Crest.

Ah yes. Well, I never planned to look for the Crest you know. That was my sister Rosie’s idea, continued Lottie, smiling. "Rosie would have wrinkled her nose, as she often did, if she could see me finally get into the old building. So anyway, when I got back to the main gate of the base, a different taxi picked me up.

I assumed that as I spent so long in the old building my original taxi had been called away. As the driver pulled away slightly quicker than expected, I fell back into the seat, and something didn’t seem quite right. You know you sometimes get that feeling but you don’t know what it is?"

Yes Grandma, I get it when I think Mom is cooking rice for dinner. She usually isn’t though. Young Asha absolutely loved spiced rice and she would eat it all day if possible.

So, Lottie carried on, a few miles away from the base the driver seemed to be talking to himself, but then I noticed he had an earpiece. It looked like he was talking to someone quietly so I couldn’t hear the conversation. I thought he must have been talking to his taxi office, so I sat and looked at the view out of the window.

A bit further on he missed the road for the airport, from where I would fly back to base at the end of my leave. Of course, nobody knew I had the Royal Crest in my satchel.

I love your satchel Grandma, commented Asha. Since you gave it to me, I use it for all my schoolbooks, and it gets quite heavy carrying them all around.

Ah, laughed Lottie. You should see what Rosie and Gracie used to get me to carry in it for them when we were at school.

Okay, so what happened after he took the wrong road?

Well, replied Lottie I simply said to him that he had missed the turn. I realised then that something was wrong because he increased the speed of the taxi. I did consider jumping out, but I had a new pair of tights on and I didn’t want to rip them, and I would probably have got quite hurt as well. It’s not like you see in the films you know.

So, after about… At that moment the story was interrupted by an almighty crash which almost shook the walls.

What’s that noise? said Asha worriedly. As she shot upright and saw Lottie smiling, a nurse came running into the main room and through a door in the far corner. This happened a lot in the residential home for the Green Collar regiment, which old members retired to if they wished. As Lottie had always spent her life among them, she wanted to be with her friends. Fortunately, it was near her daughter’s house so she would often get visits from her granddaughter.

Asha moved slowly towards the room just as the nurse came out. From inside a voice said It’s okay young lady, I will be perfectly fine. I do know what I am doing. The nurse left, closing the door with a smile and a shake of her head. As she passed Asha, she commented Bless her she still thinks she is the Commanding Officer. Angel, now very old, hadn’t flown a helicopter for many years, well at least not a real one. She frequently played a computer game flying a helicopter, and being a bit deaf, often had the volume on full.

On this day she had crashed it into the landing area with a loud explosion which brought back some real memories for her.

As Asha sat back down, she asked Why did you laugh when I got up? Lottie smiled again and said Oh, it’s only Angel. She loves that flying game. I wish we were still up there, flying in and out of places, helping injured people and rescuing them. So, where did I get to? Oh yes, I remember. A few miles further on into the forest area, the driver pulled over and stopped on the side of the road. ‘Well’, I thought ‘this is a great opportunity’ and I quickly opened the door and jumped out straight into the path of three people who were clearly soldiers! Despite my training, and even though I put up a good fight, they managed to tie my hands behind my back, and pushed me into another, older car with big wheels. A four by two you youngsters call them.

"No Grandma that’s