Mrs.Harriman

          Mrs. Harriman quietly sipped her tea as she glared at her butler Philip, who began to tell her all about some tragic romance novel he had just finished. She rolled her eyes at him then set her tea down as she quickly changed the subject before Philip became too exited.  She always changed the subject before Philip became too excited about anything. In fact there were very many subjects that Mrs. Harriman did not like to talk about and one of those things was her children. No one under the roof of her house was allowed to talk about the children. In her opinion, they were horrible creatures that did not deserve life.

         At first having children seemed like a splendid idea to Mrs. Harriman. She had always wanted something of flesh and blood to call her own and a smelly animal just wasn’t an option for her and her allergies. But children had no fur, and children could grow up to appreciate civilized life. Yes, at the time children had seemed like the perfect solution. So she found a willing man, and she had a child.

         She had had such wonderful plans for that child too. He was to learn how to play the violin and every afternoon he was to play for his mother, as soon as he got old enough of course. So she waited and cared for him and bought him the best toys and the cutest clothes that her money could buy. And then finally when the time had been right, she presented him with a violin. He looked at it, held it, plucked at the strings and then to her horror he discarded it on the floor and wanted nothing more to do with it. She was stunned, but she tried again and again to encourage the child to learn how to play the instrument. She even paid a tutor to teach the child. But it was all unsuccessful, the child only wanted to play and draw and run.

         So she tried again and found another willing man and had another child, only this time twins. Perfect, she thought at first. She could teach them to dance and together they could perform for her as soon as they got old enough of course. So she waited and cared for them and bought them the best toys and the cutest clothes that her money could buy. And then finally when the time had been right, she presented them with little dancing outfits and beautiful music to dance to. They tried on the outfits, listened to the music, twirled around a bit, then to her horror they discarded the uniforms and wanted nothing more to do with it.

         Again, she thought, again they defy me, again they disappoint me again they do not care what I want for them. She came to the conclusion that they were ungrateful and no longer deserved the life that she had given them. She thought of what she could do. Murder, no, she could never kill she was far too proper for that. Put them up for adoption, no, she could never submit anyone to the horror of her children. She continued to think on the subject and then it came to her the perfect solution.

         The very next day she hired a team of construction men to renovate her basement. And when they were done she hired a butler who would soon take care of things she no longer wished to deal with. Then she gathered up her children, allowed them to pack a few things then hurried them all to the basement. When they were all down there she smiled and told them how bad they had been and how happy this arrangement would make her. She then closed the door locked and locked it tight. She tucked one key away in her jewelry box, and gave the other to the butler who had strict orders to give them two meals every night so as not to disturb her and to never speak of them again.

         So now she sat in her plush floral chair and had a pleasant chat with Philip her butler. She had never been happier. She had never felt more pleased with life. There was no longer anything to disappoint her or defy her or disturb her life in any way. Except for that odd crying she heard sometimes in the early morning hours or when a storm passed through and cut off the electricity for a moment. But that was a minor disturbance and could be easily ignored and never talked of again.