477 words Story from a daydream of 9th 0ctober 2010, idea from Jenny Alexander.
Think up an image, then an action.
I closed my eyes, the image that floated into my head was, for no reason,a village papershop
action; someone was coming out of a building.
The Thursday morning rush for pensions and benefits is over. Janet cashes up and locks the Post
office cubicle. She glances out at the weather - big grey edged clouds pass quickly by - she checks
her 6 year old daughter, who has fallen asleep by the window. Beths clutching the old felt bear
first given to Janet's Dad when he was little, by Great Grandad Underwood before he
died in 1935.
Janet has time to carry on with the washing; it's a great drying day. She opens the back door and
heaves the big basket out to the line.
Beth 's eyes fly open, she's aware of movement. An old man is coming out of the cottage across
the lane, heading slowly over. As he gets nearer Beth can see him smiling under the shadow of
his brown hat. His hands are stiff, with slightly swollen knuckles, holding a little basket and a
fishing net. He waves and tilts his head towards the river Bourne across the Green.
Beth jumps up and opens the door carefully so the bell wont ring.
'We'll need a jar if it's water shrimps today' she whispers loudly. Scanning the lowest shelf, she sees
that the jar with the horrid sweets,Winter mixture, is nearly empty. Hauling it down she slips
outside.
She gets to carry the net, and he takes the jar.
'We'll tip those away,' She tells him. Then she takes his hand and skips along beside him. Big
cloud shadows race, shining watercress leaves grow thickly at the edge of the stream. She gives a
little sigh of satisfaction as she settles down and watches as he shows her how to skim the net
across the ripples. The small brown shrimps swim round the jar. Later, they'll tip them back and
walk back in a circle, through the copse where she'll pick kingcups and milkmaids for him to take
home to the cottage, as Janet wont want wild flowers in the house.
'You've had a long sleep, Beth' says Janet later.
'It's done you good too, you've got some colour in your cheeks.' She shuts the shop and lifts Beth
out of the wheelchair, carries her through to use the toilet and feed her. Beth swallows the soup
with difficulty, her breathing harsh in the quiet room. She's aware that people are sorry for her
because they think she cant do much, and also that she has an illness that makes people whisper and smile only with
their mouths..
But she feels happy, Janet has lit the fire and the room is warm and full of flickering light.
Beth is sleepy and curls up on her mum's lap.
Above the fireplace is the framed sepia photograph of Great Grandad, smiling down at them from
under his broad brimmed hat.
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