25
This was something that Mary treasured and still used the best china cup and saucer that she owned. This was the last remaining one from a set bought their ruby wedding anniversary. The rest had got broken or damaged over the years. She placed the kettle on its stand and whilst it boiled she put a tea bag into the decorated cup. She got the sugar bowl and scooped up two teaspoons of sugar and deposited them into the cup as well. She wasn’t supposed to have sugar in tea but at her age she thought that it wouldn’t do any real damage to her health. She gazed through the kitchen window at the now overgrown garden that she and her husband had tended, nurtured and grown their own vegetables in. She could see various generations of children running in and out of the flower beds, kicking balls against the house, getting dirty hands from gardening and chasing each other with worms and other small creatures found in gardens. Mary always did this when she had a busy household, looking on from afar to make sure that her family was having a good time and staying out of trouble but close enough to be there if needed i.e. knocking on the window for dinner or to tell the children it was time for bed. The tell tale click of the kettle awoke her from her daydream and back to the here and now. She missed those days and would drift into the past at a moments notice.
She poured the boiling water into the cup and stirred it to dissolve the sugar. She left the tea to brew for a couple of minutes and looked in the cupboard above the sink for the biscuits. Her favourites were ginger nuts and had been most of her life. They were a good choice because even though they were too tough for her to bite through anymore the biscuit held up remarkably well with to being dunked in her tea. She took two out of the packet and returned the rest to the cupboard for another day. She added some milk to her tea and carried the tray with her cup, saucer and plate of biscuits back into the front room to sit and watch the world happening in front of her, or at least the goings on in her street.
The junior school at the bottom of the road was about to finish for the day, so Mary saw parents walking down the road or driving their empty cars towards the school and about ten minutes or so later watched them going the opposite way with children in tow. The children filled the road with laughter and sounds of delight as they chased each other, their mothers having stopped for a chat about the local supermarket or scandal in the newspaper. On this particular day everyone seemed to be going passed with a balloon. Mary tried to imagine what had happened but she couldn’t come up with any reason other than it was one of the kid’s birthdays. Whilst a group of mothers were gossiping, one of their offspring glanced directly into Mary’s house and straight into Mary’s eyes. Mary was staring straight back at her. The girl stopped what she was doing and they both held there focus for a few seconds. The little girl then started a slow wave as if to say hello. Mary did exactly the same back to the girl. The little girls mum suddenly grew aware of her daughter doing something different and pulled her away from the house with a look of disdain that Mary found unnerving. She was only being friendly towards the girl. It was seldom that Mary got any recognition out of her house let alone whilst she was at home.
The last of the school run left to go home and start preparing dinner and Mary grew aware of that drowsy feeling coming over her again. She wanted to fight it but knew it was inevitable that she would succumb. She closed her eyes and felt the pains and aches within her body starting to disappear. She had done very little that day but this snooze seemed to be needed even more than ususal. Mary could feel herself falling deeper and deeper into a dreamlike state. Unable or unwilling to resist she let herself be carried to the place where she was young and fit. Mary liked these dreams. She relived her youth as if she were young today instead of eighty plus years ago. She imagined what it would be like to have the choice that young women have now rather than marriage, children and housewife that had been her calling. ‘Oh to be young with all this knowledge’ she found herself calling out. Suddenly in her dream she saw a face. The face was familiar to her but unrecognisable at first.
The cup was still in Mary’s hand. With this vision she let the cup slip out of her hand and it landed and broke into numerous pieces. It was beyond repair. The last remaining piece of china was the saucer, looking lonely and unpaired on the table next to Mary.
She was aware of a sound but couldn’t wake to find out what it was. The face seemed to be calling to her, beckoning her towards them. An arm appeared followed by hand with one finger which was outstretched and curled, moving in a calling motion. Hesistantly Mary moved forward. A feeling of bliss washed over her and soon a comforting smile came across her face.
Outside the house a car pulled up. A middle aged woman got out and approached up the path. She rang the bell. Mary didn’t hear it, the bell didn’t even register with her. The woman tried again. There was still no response so the woman looked through the window. She could see Mary in her chair with her arm slumped by her side. She immediately reached inside her bag for her phone and called the emergency services. Inside her bag were her set of keys for the house. She unlocked the door.
The vision in Mary’s dream finally came fully into view. It was Trevor, Mary’s husband. He grabbed Mary, hugged, kissed and held her. The response from Mary was the same. Trevor leant into Mary and whispered ‘Everthing will be alright now.’
Mary didn’t hear the sirens, nor feel the paramedics efforts. The sounds of her daughter sobbing beside her were just audible in her world but not enough to bring her round. She would stay here with Trevor forever. Her first, last and only love.
Her heart stopped.