This is a story I wrote recently. It was for our writing group and a little dark, which was part of the task.
Obviously it's fiction but the first event is what happened recently to one of our neighbours who sorted her out satisfactorily
Two Cans
Elsie stood by the checkout at the Turkish shop and fumbled with her purse, the nice middle aged chap who usually served her wasn't there and the young girl behind the counter was insisting that she didn't have enough money to buy bread and eggs as well as the two cans of lager which was her evening treat to herself.
'You've only got £2.00 lovey, and that's not enough, which will you choose?'
Elsie thought for a minute.
'I'll have the lager, it cheers me up'.
She stumbled out of the shop feeling even more confused. She had her drink but for the life of her she couldn't remember where she'd put her keys and she was in need of a sit down and a bit of peace. If only her Stan was still here, he'd sort it out for her, but it was no good dwelling on what might have been. Stan had been gone these five years and left her with naught but his ashes and a few photographs.
The photos were lovely though; Elsie thought of the ones she looked at every day. The wedding ones were the best. Her in her white dress with a waist so small Stan could put his hands round and him so smart in his suit and his Dad's watch and fob. What a day it had been, St Thomas' all polished and the bells ringing and the Reverend so kind and understanding. They weren't really churchgoers but it hadn't mattered, and the wedding had been the best day of her life. She and Stan had had three kiddies, all scattered now, and though they were good, it was hard for them to get to Oakley what with their busy lives and being so far away.
Elsie's feet took along the Oakley Road; it was getting chilly, but the day had been bright and clear and the memories of that December day, over fifty years ago, came flooding back. It wasn't that far to St Thomas' was it? And she would love to sit down again in that quiet space and think on that day.
She passed the Coop and the green grocers and the new gentleman's tailors on the corner and found it. Still there and just the same and it was was open too although the light was fading fast.
Elsie pushed the door open and walked unsteadily down the aisle towards a secluded corner behind a pillar. There was a little stone seat tucked away on to which she sank gratefully. And then she remembered her cans of lager which she had clutched all the way from Roker Close. She was feeling quite peckish. She wasn't sure when she had last eaten, it might have been yesterday. It was so hard to remember.
The social worker had been at her again about having someone come in every day, but she didn't want strangers in the house. Who knew what they might do, and anyway she liked to keep her business to herself. No, she could manage. It was just the money that was tricky, that and remembering how to use that damned microwave. And her keys that kept wandering around. She could have sworn she'd put them in her bag but they seemed to have disappeared. Never mind, she was safe in her corner and she had her little drink to warm her up.
She tugged at the ring pull and it tucame away with a satisfying pop. She took a long swig of the liquid and felt it warming her up nicely. Really, it was a lovely spot here, quiet and peaceful with a fragrant scent of incense and candle wax. Elsie sipped at her can and then, when that was finished, she opened the second one.
The church warden arrived at dusk to lock up. He looked around the silent church and offered a short prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty of the building and the way it had been at the heart of the community for so many centuries, and then he took the big keys, extinguished the two dim lights leaving just the sanctuary lamp burning, turned the key in the door and departed to his house in the lane.
Elsie felt her knees giving way, she slipped down beside the pew and the stone seat. She felt pleasantly woozy and really quite warm despite the fact that she was only wearing her carpet slippers and a thin cardie. The embroidered hassocks made a lovely pillow and the little soft light above the altar was oddly comforting. She closed her eyes and felt the darkness enclose her; her last waking thoughts were of her dear Dad walking her down the aisle to meet her Stan and then she fell into her deepest sleep ever.
Obviously it's fiction but the first event is what happened recently to one of our neighbours who sorted her out satisfactorily
Two Cans
Elsie stood by the checkout at the Turkish shop and fumbled with her purse, the nice middle aged chap who usually served her wasn't there and the young girl behind the counter was insisting that she didn't have enough money to buy bread and eggs as well as the two cans of lager which was her evening treat to herself.
'You've only got £2.00 lovey, and that's not enough, which will you choose?'
Elsie thought for a minute.
'I'll have the lager, it cheers me up'.
She stumbled out of the shop feeling even more confused. She had her drink but for the life of her she couldn't remember where she'd put her keys and she was in need of a sit down and a bit of peace. If only her Stan was still here, he'd sort it out for her, but it was no good dwelling on what might have been. Stan had been gone these five years and left her with naught but his ashes and a few photographs.
The photos were lovely though; Elsie thought of the ones she looked at every day. The wedding ones were the best. Her in her white dress with a waist so small Stan could put his hands round and him so smart in his suit and his Dad's watch and fob. What a day it had been, St Thomas' all polished and the bells ringing and the Reverend so kind and understanding. They weren't really churchgoers but it hadn't mattered, and the wedding had been the best day of her life. She and Stan had had three kiddies, all scattered now, and though they were good, it was hard for them to get to Oakley what with their busy lives and being so far away.
Elsie's feet took along the Oakley Road; it was getting chilly, but the day had been bright and clear and the memories of that December day, over fifty years ago, came flooding back. It wasn't that far to St Thomas' was it? And she would love to sit down again in that quiet space and think on that day.
She passed the Coop and the green grocers and the new gentleman's tailors on the corner and found it. Still there and just the same and it was was open too although the light was fading fast.
Elsie pushed the door open and walked unsteadily down the aisle towards a secluded corner behind a pillar. There was a little stone seat tucked away on to which she sank gratefully. And then she remembered her cans of lager which she had clutched all the way from Roker Close. She was feeling quite peckish. She wasn't sure when she had last eaten, it might have been yesterday. It was so hard to remember.
The social worker had been at her again about having someone come in every day, but she didn't want strangers in the house. Who knew what they might do, and anyway she liked to keep her business to herself. No, she could manage. It was just the money that was tricky, that and remembering how to use that damned microwave. And her keys that kept wandering around. She could have sworn she'd put them in her bag but they seemed to have disappeared. Never mind, she was safe in her corner and she had her little drink to warm her up.
She tugged at the ring pull and it tucame away with a satisfying pop. She took a long swig of the liquid and felt it warming her up nicely. Really, it was a lovely spot here, quiet and peaceful with a fragrant scent of incense and candle wax. Elsie sipped at her can and then, when that was finished, she opened the second one.
The church warden arrived at dusk to lock up. He looked around the silent church and offered a short prayer of thanksgiving for the beauty of the building and the way it had been at the heart of the community for so many centuries, and then he took the big keys, extinguished the two dim lights leaving just the sanctuary lamp burning, turned the key in the door and departed to his house in the lane.
Elsie felt her knees giving way, she slipped down beside the pew and the stone seat. She felt pleasantly woozy and really quite warm despite the fact that she was only wearing her carpet slippers and a thin cardie. The embroidered hassocks made a lovely pillow and the little soft light above the altar was oddly comforting. She closed her eyes and felt the darkness enclose her; her last waking thoughts were of her dear Dad walking her down the aisle to meet her Stan and then she fell into her deepest sleep ever.
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