Three Word Wednesday-The Christmas Card -Part 4
If you missed part one http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html
If you missed part one http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html
If you missed part two http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2012/12/three-wednesday-word-christmas-card.html
If you missed part three http://sheilaghlee.blogspot.ca/2013/01/three-word-wednesday-christmas-card.html
Prompts:
Focused; adjective: Directing a great deal of attention, interest, or activity towards a particular aim.
Pair; noun: A set of two things used together or regarded as a unit; an article or object consisting of two joined or corresponding parts not used separately; verb: Join or connect to form a pair.
Vacant; adjective: (Of premises) having no fixtures, furniture, or inhabitants; empty; (of a position or office) not filled; (of a person or their expression) having or showing no intelligence or interest.
The Christmas Card
Grace arrived at the assistant living place focused on trying to find Roberto. She walked up to the desk to ask...“Do you have a Roberto Fusili living here?”
“Roberto?” the woman answered then suspicion entered
her mind, “Do you know him?”
“He is an old family friend,” embellished Grace.
“Oh, well then, I guess I can tell you. Roberto is a
very popular resident here,”
“The ladies all like him?” Grace asked.
“They do but Roberto’s heart is with some woman he
loved in the nineteen forties. I think she must have died or something.”
“I’d like to visit with him.”
“I guess that would be possible, but you must be
gentle with him. Roberto has been sick the past year. He had a heart attack but
he is much better Now your name is?”
“Grace Philips.”
“Grace, like his sweetheart? Sign in here, please.”
she demanded.
Grace dutifully signed in.
“He’s in suite four oh three.Take the first elevator
to the fourth floor and turn left.”
“Thank you.”
Grace smiled as she went up in the elevator but she
was still worried. What if the news that Grace didn’t get his letter triggered
a heart attack? Maybe she should just go back down and leave? No she just have
to do it gently. Roberto should know.
Grace got off the elevator and started down the
hall. An older gentleman, possibly close to ninety, walked towards her. His
hair white and wavy, unusually thick for an older man and mid-length, hanging
just to his chin, a curl hung in the middle of his forehead. His head was down
as if making sure of his steps so he wouldn’t fall down. When Grace got closer
he heard her footsteps and he looked up. His eyes grew rounder and tears
escaped from his eyes. He straightened up like a soldier, standing proud and
tall, while still leaning on a cane. He whispered in wonderment, “Grace? Is it
really you?”
Grace felt bad. Now she’d done it, for some reason
this old man thought she was his Grace. She slowly shook her head.
“No, the mind plays tricks. You’re too young to be
my Grace. You must think me a dotty old man.”
Grace watched as the man visibly shrunk and she
thought he would topple over. She grabbed a nearby wheelchair and he sat down
in it. he took a wallet slowly out of his pocket. Then as Grace watched he
pulled out an old black and white photo creased many times and handed it to
her. It had worn spots on it where loving hands had held it over the years
“My Grace and I. Isn’t she beautiful? You are quite the pair. You could be
her twin if you were closer to my age. See.”
“Yes, she is lovely,” Grace answered handing the
picture back to him
Roberto stared at it for a few minutes kissed it and
then put it back in his wallet bending it carefully along the folds.
“I fear that
I will only see here again in the next world,” Roberto admitted.
Grace wondered again whether she should tell him. she didn't want to put a vacant look in those eyes.After all she didn’t know where his Grace was at least not yet. She must make a
decision quickly.
She smiled at him and then began, “Grace never got your
Christmas card with the proposal and engagement ring in it...”
©Sheilagh Lee January 9, 2013
To be continued
Love lingers even when memory fades...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.kimnelsonwrites.com/2013/01/09/youth-on-their-own/
The tension is really building--great work here as always!
ReplyDeleteThe truth..gently delivered..is always the best policy..an act of grace..and maybe they both have gained from the loss..this series really flows quite effortlessly..Jae (and thank you for your kind comment)
ReplyDeleteCuriously the other week I walked into a Pharmacy and there was a girl there that seemed to be the spitting image of a girl I fancied 60+ years ago in the UK. I never went out with her then and dared not talk to her double now but such events do happen! Let's hope Grace doesn't trigger a heart attack for him!
ReplyDeleteyes that is true Kim
ReplyDeleteThank you Nico
Thank you Jae that is what Grace decided.
Thank you oldegg, no Grace doesn;t want to trigger a heart attack
I really hope this has a happy ending. I am too invested in it now to see his heart broken.
ReplyDeleteI hope Roberto takes the news well...
ReplyDeletewriterdaybook I like happy endings too but we will see where the story takes us.
ReplyDeleteReshma thank you for reading I'm sure he will.
this builds nicely. I can feel her hesitation, but understand her need to still tell him.
ReplyDeleteReally, there's no reason to hesitate. How else could she explain why she's there? I mean beside the connection with the great uncle.
ReplyDeleteThank you RMP.
ReplyDeleteI think she's worried Alice Audrey that she'll hurt him or maybe cause a heart attack
So sorry...I cannot come in and make an intelligent comment on a long piece when I share only a very short poem. My best to you in your writing.
ReplyDeleteI love your poetry Mary not to worry not everyones cup of tea is a serial story.
ReplyDelete