New Story

This is my latest story. Heartwarming with a lil hint of sadness in there too. I sooo enjoyed writing it too. My mind was clear from start to finish about what I wanted out of this, and I feel I’ve captured that. There isn’t a twist at the end like my usual, but I like it all the same.

So, the usual. Piccie, story, and then feedback from y’all. Enjoy!

Memory Lane.

The old lady lay in the bed, her eyes closed, her face once youthful and carefree, now wrinkled and sunken. The machines around her whirred and beeped, all creating a cacophony of sound, and doing their job in keeping her alive.

Two of her grandchildren sat by her bedside, holding her hands and whispering to each other quietly.
“We should tell Mother, Gabrielle she’d want to know!” whispered Alex.
“No Alex! Grandmamma said no!” Gabrielle hissed back fiercely.

The frail old lady stirred fitfully in her sleep, and Gabrielle and Alex shot each other warning looks before turning their attention back to their grandmother. The old lady slowly opened her eyes, and drowsily she smiled at her two grandchildren. Gabrielle and Alex. The only good thing to come from her daughters wasted life. An alcoholic, she’d somehow managed to produce two wonderful healthy children. That they’d had to learn to look out for themselves at such a young age wasn’t right, but growing up with an alcoholic mother had taught them a lot, and they were good sensible children with a good head on their shoulders.

“How are you feeling Grandmamma?” Gabrielle asked now, looking down at her with concern written all over her face.
“I’m okay sweetie, just tired still.” she replied.
“You get some rest Grandmamma, we should go and grab something to eat and let you sleep.” said Alex, ever the practical one.
“We’ll be back soon though.” added Gabrielle.
It’s okay, there’s no rush, really” the old lady said with a smile. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

Her two grandcildren left the room and she sighed. A nurse bustled in to check the machines and cheerfully said “Hello Ada, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing okay thanks” she replied. The nurse checked the print out readings and then left.

Ada sighed and looked at the clock. 1.17pm. Time seemed to stand still for her these days. At 74 years old, she didn’t find it easy to get around any more, and so most of the time she didn’t try. Her grandchildren called round every day to see if she needed anything, though she hated to take up their time. With both of them working, she felt that she was a burden to them, something they both vehemently denied. She remembered when she was a child. Young and carefree with no worries in the world. Times had indeed changed since the days she and Jack were best friends. Ahhh Jack thought Ada, and she stared off into space as the memories came rushing back.

Jack laughed as he held the squirming puppy in his arms. Ada giggled again as the puppy squirmed to get down and finally jack let go. The puppy gambolled around them both as they sat in the garden and Ada teased Jack.
“Haha, you’re not strong enough Jack. Even a puppy can get away from you.”
“I bet I’m stronger than you Ada.” replied Jack.
“Well of course silly, I’m a girl, and girls aren’t as strong as boys” Ada said laughing. “I bet I’m braver than you though” she added.
“I bet you’re not!” Jack said quickly, taking the bait. Ada had known he would.
“Prove it” she said.
“How?” asked Jack.
Ada pointed to a wasps nest in the huge oak tree at the bottom of the garden.
“I dare you to go and knock that wasps nest down” she said with a grin.
“I don’t know Ada, Daddy told me to leave it alone or he’d beat me.” said Jack frowning slightly.
“Chicken” muttered Ada, turning away.
“Okay okay I’ll do it.” replied Jack quickly. After all, boys were braver than girls too right? An eleven year old boy should be able to handle a wasps nest with no problems. He went and grabbed a small branch from the pile that his father had piled to be burned, and Ada went and sat on the steps leading to the garden to watch. She knew better than to get too close.

Jack reached up with the branch and knocked the nest gently on it’s side. A few wasps flew out and hovered for a minute before flying off. He reached up with the branch again and hit it a little harder. The nest swung a little and more wasps flew out starting to buzz a little. That sound alone should have been enough to warn Jack, but he continued to hit the nest with the branch till finally, it fell to the ground. All at once, it seemed the entire contents of the nest flew out, filling the air around them with an angry buzzing sound. Jack was surrounded in seconds, and as his screams of pain filled the air, Ada went running for his Mother.

Ada sat by Jacks bed and tearfully apologized.
“I’m sorry Jack, I shouldn’t have made you do that.” Jack smiled weakly. His face and his arms and legs were covered in sting marks from the angry wasps. The doctor estimated over 200 stings – Jack was lucky to be alive.
“It’s okay Ada, I’m okay. And I did prove that I’m braver than you.” he said proudly. Ada laughed at him and replied “Yes you did.”

As they grew up, they stayed friends all through school. After High school though, they both went their separate ways and eventually lost touch altogether. Forty eight years had passed since Ada received a note informing her of Jacks untimely death at the age of thirty. Ada would never forget the sorrow she felt at the passing of her closest school friend.

Although many years had passed, Ada never forgot about Jack. She had sat and told Gabrielle and Alex about him many times, and showed them the photo of her and Jack at a young age, dressed up, sharing a rare treat, a milkshake at Ruby’s Diner. Gabrielle and Alex listened to her stories so often, they almost felt they knew jack as they too grew up into the young adults they now were.

As Ada settled more comfortably against the pillows, she felt a sharp pain up her left side that literally took her breath away. It was time. She settled back and waited.

Gabrielle and Alex walked slowly back to Ada’s room in the hospital corridors.
“Gabrielle, mother has a right to know that her mother isn’t well.”
“Alex, it would deeply upset Grandmamma to know that we betrayed her, and I don’t want to do that. You know how Grandmamma feels about mom, and quite frankly, the shock of seeing mom after so many years could kill her!”

Alex sighed and looked up. For a split second he froze, and then went running down the corridor. Gabrielle stared after him dumbfounded, then realized what was happening and raced after him. At the door to their Grandmothers room, they stopped and stared in, just in time to hear the Doctor say “Time of Death – 2.30pm.”

As the Doctor and Nurse left the room, the Doctor paused to say sorry. He reassured them both that it was quick and that she didn’t suffer. Gabrielle moved close to her Grandmother, and lifted her hand. It was still warm, her face looked relaxed, almost youthful again, and there was a slight smile that played around her mouth, turning the corners up slightly. Alex moved to the other side and took her other hand.

From the window, a sunbeam shone through, casting light onto the old lady’s face, now so relaxed and free from pain. The sunbeam got brighter, and brighter, and a gasp from Gabrielle made Alex look up. The light was from the sunbeam, but it was too bright. Out of the light came the shadows of two figures. A man and a woman, holding hands. As they came closer, both Gabrielle and Alex gasped.

The woman was clearly their Grandmamma Ada, looking younger than she had in years. The young man at the side of her could only be Jack. The man that Ada had teased as a boy, the one she’d picked on and bullied because she knew he’d do anything for her. The one who withstood 200 wasp stings because he wanted to prove that he was braver than her.

As they stood within the sunbeam, they smiled and waved, then turning around, they headed further into the sunbeam, till the light swallowed them up. The light faded, and the room became normal once more.

Looking down at her Grandmamma once more, Gabrielle saw that the small smile had changed. No longer was there a small smile playing about her mouth. It was a full blown mischievous grin. She was with Jack once more. She was happy.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Leave me a comment, let me know what you think.

Ciao.