Another Today, Another Tomorrow - C2

2

Aunt Mary wasn’t an aunt by relation at all, but Julie had always considered her family.  In fact, she wasn’t sure how Aunt Mary was related to anyone on her or John’s side; when she started dating her future husband, she was always there at one or two of the family get-togethers, but no-one really seemed to know who she was or related too.  Not that anyone minded.  Aunt Mary was in her mid-sixties when Julie first met her, and she was a lovely lady, always up for a chat and laugh.  Christmas and birthday cards were always exchanged, by post if not in person, and when John was alive they’d even travelled to visit her a few times at her quaint country cottage.  There was always an offer to stay longer or to come back with the kids next time, but Julie didn’t want to impose two youngsters on the old lady, even for just a few hours.  The thought of broken crockery as two children ram amok was just too much to bear.
         And now she was eighty.  The invitation to come along for a quiet Sunday lunch to celebrate- Bring the children! the invite proclaimed- had come in the post a few weeks back.  At first Julie wasn’t going to go, but it was a chance to have a few hours to herself.  And of course celebrate an important milestone in a lovely lady’s life.
         The drive to Badderly took just over an hour thanks to steady traffic.  Nestled away from the busy traffic roads and city life, Julie wondered why she hadn’t come to visit this picturesque town more often.  Too caught up with work and the kids, Julie thought to herself as she exited the motorway and began to meander up and down the rolling hills.  Too caught up in excuses…
         ‘It’s so lovely to see you again, Julie,’ said Aunt Mary as they embraced outside the pub.  Julie was one of the first to arrive, and the old woman’s hug was as firm as ever.
         ‘Happy birthday, Aunt Mary.  You are looking wonderful.’  And she was.  She might have been celebrating eighty candles, but she didn’t look a day over seventy.  Her face was flushed with colour and her trademark curls, though white, were full of bounce.
         ‘Thankyou.  Didn’t you bring Michael and Kitty?’
         ‘No, I…well, they had other plans.’
         ‘Oh that is a shame, Julie.  I was looking forward to seeing them again.  You know, I don’t think I’ve seem them for at least a couple of years now.  They must have grown.’
         Julie blushed from telling a lie and embarrassed at being reminded of the children’s absence for so long.  ‘Yes, they’ve grown quite a lot.’
         Aunt Mary smiled.  ‘You look tired dear.  Is everything all right?’
         ‘Yes.  Just a little bit hungry from the drive I guess.’
         ‘Well they cook a lovely lunch here,’ she said, taking hold of Julie’s hand and patting it gently.  ‘And afterwards when you’re all full up and things have quietened down, we can have a nice little chat and tell me all about it.  About how you are really feeling, I mean.  I might be a bit of an old fuddy duddy you know, but I know when someone’s not telling me the truth.’
         Julie turned even redder.  She could feel her hands go all tingly from Aunt Mary’s touch, but at the same time there was a sense of relief at knowing there was someone around who she could talk to.  For the first time in a long time, Julie felt that she wasn’t going to be at her wits end just yet.
         The lunch was superb, and Julie relaxed as the afternoon wore on.  After desert, Aunt Mary came over from her side of the table and sat beside her.
         ‘I do hope you enjoyed your lunch,’ said Mary.
         ‘I did.  Thankyou so much again.’
         Mary took hold of Julie’s hand again and gave it a firm but gentle shake.  ‘Now then, you must tell me what’s wrong.  The children is it?’
         Julie nodded soberly.  ‘Yes.  Well no, that’s not entirely true.  It’s not their fault at all actually.  It’s just that I’m trying to be both mother and father to them, and I feel like I’m failing miserably.  I can’t seem to satisfy Kitty with anything longer than five minutes, and I can’t get through to Michael at all.  I know it sounds awful, but I can’t wait for the weekends to finish so they go back to school…’
Julie let it all out, her frustration at connecting with her own children.  Several times she apologised for what she was saying, but Mary just continued to listen intently and without interruption.
‘You must think I’m just horrible,’ said Julie.
‘Not at all, dear.  In fact I rather think you’re quite brave.  It must have taken a lot of courage to tell me all this.  And you’ve certainly gone through a lot in the last few years.  You’ve no reason to be sorry for anything.’
‘You are so very kind, Aunt Mary.’
She thought carefully for a moment.  ‘School holidays are due soon, aren’t they?’
‘End of next week, yes.’
‘Good.  Then it’s settled- bring Michael and Kitty up here next weekend. They can stop with me for a week.  It will allow you to have a break, and it’ll certainly get some good country air into those children.’
‘Oh no, Aunt Mary, I-‘
‘Yes you will,’ Aunt Mary replied firmly.  ‘I won’t hear otherwise.  Besides, I could do with the company- as you well know, all my grandchildren are grown up.  It would be nice to wake up in the morning and hear the sounds of laughing children.  Even for just one week.’
‘It’s not the laughing I’m worried about.  I’d hate them to break anything.’
Mary smiled.  ‘The cottage is full of old junk.  They would be doing me a favour if anything got smashed.  If it makes you feel any better, I promise to put anything of sentimental value away.  But I’m not going to take no for an answer.  And if you’re worried that an old girl like me won’t be able to keep up with a pair of youngsters- don’t.  Eighty I might be, but there’s plenty of life left in these legs, let me tell you.’  And if to emphasise the point, Aunt Mary gave her right leg a good whack.