Chapter (3) A LIFE LIVED

DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER.

A LIFE LIVED. (Dedicated to my dear mother.)

 

A LIFE LIVED

A knock on the door alerted the attendant that his next client had arrived.

Rising from his seat the attendant crossed the room. Opening the door he said.

“Please come in.” An elderly woman, in a white flowing gown, entered the room.

“Hello Norma. Please come in and sit down.” “How is your leg? Any pain now?” The woman was a little confused as she looked down at her leg.

“No, no pain...but how......?” The man held out his open hand directing the woman towards a chair. The woman sat down.

“I suspect you are still a little confused, there is nothing to be afraid of, I assure you.” The woman looked around the bare white room. On one wall was a large TV screen.

The man lifted a black object from the small table and pointed it towards the large screen on the wall. The man pressed a small button on the object in his hand and a film started to play on the screen.

“Please watch the screen Norma.” The aged woman was still confused but did as she was asked. A film started to play on the TV. 

  “Do you recognise that young woman, standing by the sink.” Asked the attendant. The elderly lady squinted a little to get a better view. She remained this way for some seconds before answering.

“It looks like me, when I was younger.” The woman dropped her eyebrows with a puzzled frown, turned her head to look at the man. “It’s me from years ago.” The man smiled.

“Yes Norma, you are correct. And do you remember the precise occasion?” The woman looked back at the screen. The attractive younger woman was drying a plate with brightly coloured teatowel, a souvenir from Skegness. She wore a flowing flowered dress; her dark brown hair was neat with tight curls. The kitchen table was covered in plates of cakes and sandwiches. A pink blancmange in the shape of a rabbit sat in the middle of the table next to a large colourful trifle covered in cream and decorated with hundreds and thousands.

“It looks like a birthday party.” The woman said. The man smiled.

“You are correct Norma. This was your son’s fifth birthday party. Do you remember why it was so special?” The womans old, tired, face looked puzzled for a moment, then she shook her head.

“Well let me remind you.” Said the man. “It was the day you showed true kindness to one who needed it.” The woman looked perplexed as she stared at the man.

“Do you remember a small boy called Victor?” The woman recognised the name and nodded.

“Do you remember what you did on that day that was so special?” The woman looked at the man and back at the screen.

“I.....I’m not sure..” The man smiled again.

“Let me remind you. The boy Victor was a friend of your son.” The woman nodded. “Your son wanted him to come to his birthday party, but the boy came from a terrible home. His parents didn’t look after him. He was dirty, and he was always hungry and wore old torn clothes, no more than rags.” The womans eyes remembered and filled with water.

“On that day he turned up to the party still in his rags and barefoot.”

“Poor little bugger. They didn’t care about him at all.” The woman had remembered and she still had some anger in her voice.

“But YOU did care about him. Didn’t you Norma?” The film was still playing on the big screen and they could see the boy Victor playing and laughing. The woman watched the screen intently. As she watched the party unfold the attendant continued with his story.

“You took the boy upstairs and you bathed him and washed his hair. Then you found him some clothes from your own children and gave him a pair of boots.” The woman smiled as she recalled it all. The man continued. “You did all this while your own child was downstairs having a birthday party with more of his friends. You probably didn’t realise how much difference it made in Victor’s life.” The woman was enjoying watching the film and looked again at the man as she replied.

“It was nothing much. The poor little sod ‘ad nowt,” Now it was the turn of the man to smile.

“It was so much more than you could imagine Norma. You gave that child a day of happiness and pride.”

“Any parent would have done the same. You can’t leave a poor kid to live like that.”

“But you did more than just give him something tasty to eat. You continued to feed him and care for him long after the day of the party. You made a huge difference to his life. He never forgot that day.” The woman looked surprised.

The film changed on the screen and a young woman was pushing a pram along a green lane. Three small children followed her. The woman stopped and the children gathered around her. Skylarks sang relentlessly in a clear blue sky. The young woman laid a colourful blanket on the grass and took a basket from the pram. The she adjusted the baby so that he was sitting up, able to see all that was going on around him. From the basket the woman produced a picnic of sandwiches and fairy cakes. The latter soon attracting the attention of a couple of wasps. Three plastic beakers were soon filled with fizzy pop which the children eagerly consumed. Before eating the picnic the children chased butterflies, each other, and laughed. The young woman lifted the baby out of the pram and walked along the green verge showing him all the wonders of nature.

“Do you remember this picnic, Norma?” the woman shook her head.

“Not really, I often used to take the kids on picnics when the weather was fit.” The man again smiled.

“Yes, yes you did, didn’t you. Why did you do that?” The woman was taken aback by the question.

“The kids used to enjoy going out. We didn’t have much to keep kids amused and you can’t keep them inside all the time.”

The film changed again and the woman was now much older. Walking along a beach on a cold windy day. A man in a blue Anorak walked beside her and a small boy walked between them hold hands with both of them. The little boy was laughing.

“How about this Norma? Can you recall this event.”

“Looks like Hemsby. We took our grandson on holiday and it rained a lot.”

“You often took your grandchildren away for holidays. Didn’t you?”

“Yes they enjoyed it.” The man stopped the film and the woman looked disappointed. The man pulled his chair over to face the woman. He reached out and took her old, wrinkled, fragile hands in his.

“You see Norma, all of your life you have done whatever you could to help others. You gave your own, and other children, wonderful memories. You spent your whole life working so hard to provide for them. These things you have seen today are just a small fraction of the good things you have done in your life. Your legacy is being carried on by your children and grandchildren, and we are very pleased.” The woman was confused but pleased by the things the man had said.

The man stood up and the woman followed suit.

“It is time Norma. You have more than earned your place here.” The room vanished and the pair found they were standing on a stone causeway leading to a pair of huge golden gates surrounded by clouds.

“Am I...”

“Yes Norma. Don’t be sad, you can now watch over your family and continue to care for them forever.” Linking his arm through hers the man said.

“My I have the pleasure of accompanying you into heaven?”

 

Reviews

[MomzillaNC]

A touching homage :D

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

So pleased you liked it. My mum was very special.

[MomzillaNC]

You’re so lucky to have such treasured memories. It makes me happy to see someone’s joys in their parents and childhoods.

[alanwgraham]

This is a very touching story and i like how you have used this way of highlighting the good that this woman has done in her life. Personally I might have just suggested her entry to heaven without being so specific - perhaps just stop at 'am I?' but this is just another option.
I did enjoy this and your descriptions of the incidents are great.
Cheers,
Alan

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

Thank you so much for a great comment. this form of short story writing is new for me so I'm still learning.