A Lesson

The baby was screaming for attention, the two year old needed her to play, the house was a veritable pig sty and her husband was due home at any moment.She had not even had time to go to the corner shop, for something for his dinner, and the freezer was empty.Ah, well, it would have to be fish and chips again, he was sick of eating them, she was sick of everything.The rushing to playgroups, baby gym, health visitors poking their noses in and telling her that her children should be doing this, that or the other.As usual, Tom would offer to go to the chip shop, but tonight, she would go herself, it wasn’t far and she would leave her mobile phone at home, accidentally on purpose.She had a plan.By the time she closed the front door behind her, the sun was setting and the frosty air was not far behind.Peace was all she wanted. A little time to gather her thoughts and be herself. She thought about going to the local park, but that would be full of teenagers laughing and shouting the odds, so as she passed the church gate, she knew just where her booted feet were going to take her.Nessie had always had an irrational fear of death and tended to stay away from anything remotely connected with it.She would not buy the local paper, as she didn’t want to see who had left this world that week.Crossing the road, to avoid passing the undertakers, was second nature to her and the sight of Lillies made he blood run cold.With trepidation, she opened the gate, the approaching darkness softened the images of sad, weeping angels and heavy crosses and her heart raced.She believed in ghosts, but was not prepared to see the small child, with curls that bounced in the icy wind, come running to sit by her side.A tiny, cold hand took hold of Nessies and stroked it as softly as thistledown.Their eyes met and in that moment Nessie, saw, as if on a wide screen television, the short life of this beautiful child.So preoccupied were her parents, with keeping a spotlessly clean house and weedless garden, that they had not noticed her listlessness, the rash, the headache, her hurting eyes when the light fell upon them.She died, quickly and painfully.Nessie, stood bolt upright, kissed the waxen cheek and ran home at the speed of light.Flying through the front door, she ran to the cupboard and took out the children’s warmest clothes.Half pushing her startled husband out of the door and into the car, they made their way to the local family pub,They ate huge burgers and gigantic knickebocker glories, Gemma bounced on the trampoline and the baby giggled so hard that they all laughed.Never again would she worry about cobwebs, cooking and dandelions, she would watch and enjoy her children’s every moment.
Cpoyright Penny Little