"If you are ever in the area again, you are more than welcome to stop in if we're here. It's easy to put on the kettle and I'm sure I'll have chocolate chip cookies."
Robert chuckled. "That's kind of you." Robert paused looking at the ground. He seemed to be considering something. Finally, he looked up.
"Mary, 3 weeks ago I was diagnosed with cancer and I was given six months to live. This week I start both chemo-therapy and radiation treatments but even then I was told this will not stop the disease only slow it down giving me seven or eight months instead of six. Any way you slice it, I now know how long I have got. Life is precious. I came here today as part of a car trip I gave myself to revisit some of the more important places I have known in my life. I can visit those important places of my life but I will not be able to visit all the important people of my life. It's unfortunate but like cancer, sometimes life happens. We don't know why, but there it is."
"I enjoyed the tea and cookies. Unfortunately I will not be back. I wish you all the best, Mary. Good luck in life. Enjoy your family; enjoy your time. It is over all too soon. "
Robert opened the door and climbed into his car. He started it then backed up and turned the car around. As he headed out on the gravel road, he looked at Mary through the window and waved. Then, he was gone. Mary could hear the car tires on the gravel as the car went up the grade in amongst the trees and disappeared over a small hill.
Mary stood there not knowing what to think or say. What would she do if she was diagnosed with cancer? What would she do if she got a divorce? What would she do if her children no longer saw her? She had plans but what if life happened?
END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
William Quincy Belle is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope, accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over-evaluating his contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is some sort of (psychotic) urge to put it down on paper and likes to recite the following which so far he hasn't been able to attribute to anyone: "A writer is an egomaniac with low self-esteem." You will find Mr. Belle's unbridled stream of consciousness here (http://wqebelle.blogspot.ca) or @here (https://twitter.com/wqbelle).