Open Writing

Within a short time of leaving the roadhouse debacle, the old people had returned to discussing the family and somehow the subject of a friend’s funeral came up. After a little more discussion Aunt Alice was heard to say, “I’m not going to get buried; I’ve decided I’ll get cremated.”

“Maybe they’ll let me turn the gas on.” Tony muttered.

The conversation slowed and the two old people began to doze.

Monica was still wiping away the occasional tear.

They reached the outskirts of the city and Uncle Rodger woke up enough to give directions to the retirement village. After an hour and feeling as though it had been a year since they had left in the morning they were back.

His arm was aching and his bruised chin throbbed painfully. Tony slowly unwound his legs out of the car and tried to stretch to take the kinks out of his back before he unpacked the old people’s things and took them shuffling along the path to their unit.

‘What a straggling ill-kempt little group we must look.’ Monica thought as she dragged her feet along in Rebecca’s sandals.

As soon as they entered the unit, Aunt Alice pointed at the floor. “They’re gone. Look!”

“What are?” Monica asked wearily.

“The ants they’re gone.”

“That’s good Aunt Alice. I’m glad they’ve gone. What a shame they couldn’t have gone sooner. I’ll come in tomorrow and check on how you’re feeling but I must get home. Get yourself to bed you must be very tired. I know I am.”

The old lady nodded and Monica and Tony left hurriedly.

“Goodness knows what they’ll say about us to everyone there.” Monica worried. “They might not let us take them out again if Uncle Rodger keeps stretching the truth the way he does.”

“Let’s hope that’s a definite possibility.” Tony answered.

She didn’t tell him to shut up.

**

The whole of the following week Monica thought about the dreadful day. It had been a day from hell. The only good thing to come out of it was that Aunty Alice’s ants disappeared.

She realized the Vicar had planted the right thoughts in Aunt Alice’s head and she had settled down enough for the hallucinating to stop. How she could settle after such a day Monica couldn’t understand but ‘the oldies’ didn’t seem to realize the problems she and Tony were having without the car either. They only had her small car to rely on. She supposed they were losing touch with daily life.

From the kitchen, she could hear Tony on the phone.

He was saying. “You mean I’m not covered? But it wasn’t my fault! Yes, I know I was the driver but the road wasn’t maintained and the passengers assured me it would be alright…..Well thanks for bloody nothing.” He threw his phone onto the couch.

She waited as a wild eyed Tony turned to her. “We aren’t covered by the insurance. They say it was driver error and my decision to drive into the water on a private road. So we don’t get a cent back.”

“How much will it be to fix?” she asked hardly daring to hear the answer.

“A few thousand dollars!”

“Oh. No! There goes our Christmas holiday.” she gasped.

The phone ringing interrupted them and Monica slowly turned to answer it.

“Hello?..... Yes,….. yes Aunt Alice,……. I’ll tell him but I…..don’t know.” she faltered.

Monica looked at Tony waiting for him to ask what the call was about.

“Well? What was it?” he could see it was something she needed to tell him.

“Uncle Alf died today. The funeral is next week. They want to know if we will take them.”

Tony’s eyes widened. He began to shake. His whole body shook from side to side in his denial.

“Oh NO. Definitely NOT.!. NO!.... NO.!..” Tony bellowed walking out slamming the door.

That Del, was the day I am very glad I wasn’t present, but I’m sure will go down in the family history as the high water mark of the journals which included the Life and Times of Aunt Alice and Uncle Rodger.

I hope you have enjoyed it in the way a person can when it doesn’t happen to them.

Teddy and I will take over duty from now on.

From your ‘flower child friend’ Cynthia.