“Where can I find her?”
“She lives in the retirement home at St. Stephen’s. All I know is, she is very old and frail.”
“Do you think she accepts visitors?”
“Couldn’t rightly say. I’d call the place and see what they say.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that,” Vicki said with a playful smile as she turned back to her work.
“My pleasure, Vicki”, the Chief said as he tipped his cap and headed out the door.
Chapter Four: Home Again
She sat nervously in her car as the light snow built up on her windshield, the defroster having little effect. The call she made the day before to St. Stephen’s was met with polite acknowledgment. The lady she had come to know as Kathleen McGuiness was now Kathleen Asner, a very old woman at the end of her life. She had outlived two husbands and one child. Something no mother and wife should have to live through. Vicki opened the door and stood, letting the soft snow fall onto her shoulders. The building before her looked austere, as drab and unfriendly as the city building she worked in. She closed the door and sighed. The short walk to the front door covered her shoes with a layer of fresh white. The door handle was about as cold as the greeting she received inside from the receptionist.
“Down the hall to the right, room 141.”
Vicki only nodded in return, pulled off her gloves and tucked them into her coat. Her hand felt the bulk of the small package against her stomach. St. Stephen’s was silent as she walked, the only sound the clicking of her heels against the wet tile floor. She could smell the age of the place, the tell-tale odor of a place where people go to... She stopped as the number before her caught her attention. 141. The heavy brown door was ajar and swung slightly as she knocked.
“Hello?” Her inquiry was returned with a feeble moan. She stepped inside, her eyes struggling to adjust to the low light. “Kathleen?”
“Yes?”
Vicki stepped forward looking around the curtain that hung from the ceiling like those in a hospital room. Not much of a retirement home, she thought. What she found nearly brought her to tears, a feeble old woman sitting in the dark in a wheelchair. Vicki stooped, lowering her eyes to Kathleen’s level.
“Kathleen?” The old woman lifted her eyes, the look a blank stare. “Are you Kathleen Asner?” The woman nodded slowly. “I mean,” Vicki cleared her throat to say the next words. “Are you Kathleen McGuiness?”
“Yes?” The sound of her name brought a spark of recognition. Her eyes lit and a faint smile caught her lips. “Who are you?” The words stumbled out of her mouth.
“My name is Vicki. I have something for you.” Vicki leaned away from Kathleen as she steadied herself on the wheelchair. She reached inside her coat and pulled the package into the dim light. “I live in your old house. I found this and I thought you might like to have it back.” Vicki brought the package up so she could better see it. “Do you remember it?”
Kathleen’s eyes lit, her mouth opening in wonder. She lifted her arms from the chair, her hands trembling beneath their own weight. Vicki moved it toward her and helped to lay it in her lap. Kathleen lifted the faded paper, turning the tag over with her wrinkled fingers. Tears immediately streamed down her cheeks. She ran her hands over the thin ribbon, placing the package back in her lap.
“Can I open it for you?” A wide-eyed nod was all the encouragement Vicki needed.
The paper tore easily leaving only the box behind. A gentle tug separated the top from the bottom, revealing white tissue paper. Kathleen placed her hands within the box and peeled back the layers. Her fingers slipped beneath the contents as the box fell away to the floor, her hands holding firm to the frame Vicki could only see from behind.
Kathleen simply stared at what the frame held before lifting it to her lips, a gentle breath, a kiss long lost as her hands fell back to her lap. Vicki reached out, stroking Kathleen’s white hair as she turned to see the photo in the golden frame, a photo of a young soldier in his dress uniform kissing his bride for the first time in a ravenous embrace.
A slight sigh escaped from Kathleen’s lips as the frame slipped from her hands and fell to the hard floor. Vicki leaned forward and holding Kathleen’s face in her hand, kissed her on the cheek as she reached up, and gently closed Kathleen’s eyes for the final time.
*
Robert currently resides in the United States’ Midwest and is an author of fantasy and epic fantasy books, including The Crystal Point Legacy trilogy, and a new series, The Last Elf Prophecy.
Visit http://robertthomasbooks.com to see all of Robert’s books.
*
Songs From the Heart
Mona Ingram
Chapter One
“Pete?”
“Yes, Miss Malone?”
“Pull over here, would you?” Mandy edged forward on her seat as the limo approached her old high school. The schoolyard was empty now, in the middle of the summer. The grass was already making its annual comeback; it would be lush and green by the time September rolled around, and the cycle would start all over again.
Her gaze drifted to the trees at the far end of the yard. Noticeably taller now, they’d spread until their branches interlocked. She and her friends had spent many an hour under those trees, discussing whatever they’d decided was the vitally important topic of the day. She smiled at the memory.
“A bit farther along, Pete.”
The limousine inched along and Mandy lowered the tinted windows.
“Now what are you doing?” Simon had been silent thus far, which was surprising. But his need for control won out. “We have to get out to the Sage Bowl and do a sound check.”
Mandy ignored him. They had plenty of time and he knew it. “I’ll get out up here, Pete.”