Woodgreen

A whirring stream of bitter wind sang through the corridors of Woodgreen care home. “Mrs Sims?”, a somewhat clinical yet almost sweet voice called out - the type of voice that established a good working relationship without truly revealing anything about oneself. “You have a visitor”. Audrey Sims began to perk up from her crocheted blanket, “who could that possibly be?” She mumbled to herself - her surprise evidencing her lack of company she has generally. She didn’t have to wait long until the kindest face peeked around the door, the kindest, features gleamed at her. She had recognised the pattern of footsteps but couldn’t quite place it. “Audrey!” He proclaimed as if it were obvious and habitual for him to be calling her name. For a moment, even if it be for only a moment, the frail, sickly looking woman’s eyes gleamed with the intensity of a hundred stars. “David!” She cried, “I -I can’t believe it, I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing your face for…” she paused; she realises that she actually doesn’t know the last time she, in her words, “had the pleasure of seeing his face”. Upon remembering that the last time they had seen each other was in what was practically another life, she felt sad. Sad for what her life would have been if he had made contact earlier. Seeing that she was at a loss for words, her old friend placed his large, age-speckled hands on hers, “I know… it’s been far too long”. For some reason or another, Audrey felt innately bitter, she couldn’t even quite pin point why this was until she thought to herself for a moment, “how’s Sylvia?”. The awkward silence that filled the room was absolutely unbearable. His big kind eyes dampened, “I didn’t come here to talk about Sylvia”, Audrey felt a wave of confusion cross her face and no matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was blatant. She desperately wanted to know what brought him here but equally didn’t want to ask for she didn’t want to offend the old friend - if she could even call him that after it having had been so long. It is strange to think that at one point in time this could have been the love story of the century. Although within that, the key phrase is “could have been”. What would have it have been like if she hadn’t ruined it all?

The sun lay on the horizon scorching the sky pink. David had been packing the house all day to move away with his wife Sylvia; they felt as if the city would be good for them. Sweat stains had glued his khaki vest top to his skin showing off his toned physique. Sylvia occasionally took a glance at her husband, rugged looking and tan, and thought about how naturally attractive their children would be. Unknowingly to David, Sylvia had taken a pregnancy test that morning and the future children were a reality, not just a fiction of their prospective future. She had planned on telling him once they reached their urban dwelling.

Sylvia, a petite woman, could absolutely accurately be described as a reincarnation of a chihuahua. To elaborate, she had an unwavering excitement about everything. She just knew that the first night she met David, along with her dear friend Audrey, that she wanted him and him only. Audrey had been such a good friend that night, they were at a big charity event for “some thing or another”, as Sylvia recounts the story. Sylvia laughed all evening, she thrived in social situations. It had been imbedded within her that she should find a handsome man with a respectable job, become a housewife, bear children and live out the rest of her days (un)happily married and this was her window. David was attracted to Sylvia, or at least he was at first glance, yet her glaringly obvious attraction to him somehow allowed another to catch his eye. Audrey hadn’t come to the event with any expectations other than to make sure her friend didn’t make a spectacle of herself. When it came to men, Sylvia could most quaintly be portrayed as extremely keen and thus far hadn’t found anyone to match her energy. After having had lived together for a prolonged period of time, David had settled into a life of monotony yet somewhat felt comforted by this. Sure, he wasn’t the happiest he’d ever been but he also wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with his life. 

David couldn’t imagine himself moving away, yes he was packing and yes it was the intention to move away but he couldn’t really imagine it happening. He had unfinished business, as ominous as that sounds. He felt himself wander away from the flat and towards his motorbike. “This is odd”, he thought to himself, “I appear to be running away? Is this what I want?”. Sylvia heard the roar of the motorbike as the ignition kicked in and immediately, as if by instinct, hopped in the car. She was certain something was wrong and whilst she didn’t know what it was, she felt her stomach drop.

“If you want me to stay I will” He desperately gasped, “Ive loved you since that first night- ” 

“I love you too” she interrupted without a moment of hesitation. She ran her hands through his deceivingly soft brown, frantically styled hair and with a thrust of passion she locked lips with the only man she ever truly loved. However, it had appeared that the pair became oblivious to their surroundings. “DAVID!” Screeched a female voice out of a rough looking red car, David panicked, he was so caught up in the moment that he had somehow, perhaps on purpose, forgotten that his wife was had followed him. He grabbed her hand and ran with purpose - the purpose obviously clear to him but not to Audrey. “Where are we going?”, she said trying to catch her breath. He didn’t answer but she trusted him for a reason that had not yet been fathomed. They had been running for some time until they reached a clearing that looked over a number of fields. In the distinct distance there was a clutter of a building site, “why have you taken me here?”, Audrey said almost disappointed as she had been expecting some kind of romantic gesture considering the nature of this entire evening’s interaction. “There”, David pointed, gesturing at the building site as he panted. Disappointment then manifested into confusion, what could a building site possibly have to do with the proclamation of love? “That is where we will live one day” he stated, “Woodgreen manor”.