At last ‘A life’
By Julie D Cole
Chapter 25 Special Short Chapter

Mum left the door ajar and I could see them through the crack. I stood still and looked in the hall mirror. I looked OK but not perfect. We should have come on a better day when the weather was warmer. My legs were cold and my tights felt damp. My nose was red with the cold wind outside. No wonder girls are always turning up the heating in the office and wearing cardigans.

Gran was sitting in her chair and mum pulled a dining chair to the side of her. Gran looked at her over the brim of her glasses and said ‘ Jennifer please tell me what’s going on. Why the mystery?’

Mum held her hand and said ‘I brought someone to see you since she hasn’t been for a while.’

Then I popped my head around the door and Gran looked across and then looked at mum and then across but I stepped back too frightened to step forward since Gran was not easy to get along with and I feared her reaction. Mum stood up and came over to the doorway and beckoned me to step forward. ‘Please darling come in to see your Gran. She won’t bite you’.
I looked around the door once again and Gran said ‘Who is it Jennifer? Please pass my other glasses and tell me who it is’.

I stepped inside the room and stood there as Gran put her glasses on. Mum held her arm as Gran stood up and looked at me. She just stared then turned to mum then stared again. She had a puzzled look as I stepped towards her. She dropped her walking stick and pushed mums arm away and slowly moved forward. She reaced to my face and touched my lips and then my hair. Then she took hold of my hand and with a dazed look on her face said ‘Judith where have you been? I’ve been worried about you’.

I turned to mum who just burst into tears. I stood still as Gran said ‘Jennifer what trick is this? How can this be true?’ She lurched forward and held me tightly around the waist and sunk to her knees and I followed her holding her head to my shoulder.

'Oh Judith my love I missed yo so much Oh no Oh no it can’t be true. Judith oh Judith I’m so sorry so very very sorry so sorry please forgive me’

Mum came over to us and dropped to her knees hugging us and smiling at Gran. Then she smiled at me and said ‘I knew it, I knew it’.
‘Mum what do you mean?’.

‘Never mind my love, I’ll tell you later, for now let’s all just have joy since these should be our special moments.’

After a few minutes Gran looked up and the glazed expression had gone. She looked to mum and then to me. Mum smiled and turned to her and said ‘Mum it’s not Judith it’s Chris’.

To be continued…………