Stormy Thoughts

                                       Stormy Thoughts

   Mother sat watching the rain on the window pane, has it come down in torrents. The sky cast a grey shadow.  The British weather could be so unpredictable? All the finery of the May Day parade had been ruined, all those eager young faces in dressed in bright costumes all the colours of the rainbow. Each child and adult hoping to swing on a May pole decorated with bright ribbons as the ropes swung, around in a circle. Still the legend of the May Queen opening the door to let in the warmer months would live on. People enjoyed folklore.

 Over the years Ashtead a small village had grown bigger with a development of housing estates, housing many families. There was still a friendly in the village and everyone spoke to you.  Mother bit into the Bramley apple she was holding in her hand. The fruit had a fresh taste. Mr Mack still displayed fruit outside his shop for the picking. In Summer the butcher had a grill outside his shop to grill fresh burgers you never got that in town? Yesterday she had seen to Magpies with their white and blue plumage sitting on the fence. Remembering the saying one for sorrow two for joy, well the birds still had to work their magic if today was anything to go by.

    The country lane to the library would be flooded again. A smile came to her lips would it put people off venturing out for holy communion at the church, if this storm kept up. Her sons Sam and Peter would be soaked to the skin. Both grown up, she looked forward to their visits. Nice lads always putting her first. Their wife’s Pam and Sue understood, how much she looked forward to her sons visiting. At least at Granville Lodge she had her own room and on suite bathroom. Friends when she needed them. No knitting circle she did not fancy sitting around. At eighty she still had her faculties and enjoyed a brisk walk around Ashtead always one to mix well with others.

  Enjoying a visit to the hairdressers and the expensive dress shop on the High Street where everything looked so nice, displayed properly.  Everything matched dresses and accessories. She gave a sigh; her boys always called her mother. They were mature men now in their forties and fifties with families of their own.  They saw that her needs were met. She only had to ask to be taken out to the visit friends and it would be arranged.  Mother had money from the sale of her house. A smile came to her lips, money to treat the grandchildren, the odd gift of money towards college tuition.  Mother’s investments were doing well and she believed in spreading good fortune, making others happy.

   Mother Would not have moved to Granville Lodge if her dear Percy had not died suddenly in his sleep, after that the house and its upkeep had been too much for her. The phone rang “Hello mother, The storm is picking up, there is a tree across the road, the traffic is tailing back as far as Epsom.” “Okay love Look forward to your visit take care love, my love to Sue and the girls.” What else could she say? There would be tomorrow to make plans, just a shame that it was such a rainy Saturday. Her boys would visit tomorrow. They always came to visit weekends; it was nice to have their company. To be able to hear their news. They had not put pressure on her to sell her house and move to Granville Lodge it had been her decision.

  As a young girl she had always enjoyed weekends. Once the rain and wind ceased there would be many sunny days spent together with her sons. Chatting and watching nature in the garden outside her window. Thinking of grey squirrels and blue belles growing by the lake in the village, she closed the blind in her room switching on the light to read her book. A tear came to her eye how Percy would have enjoyed the views of the garden. Still, it was not to be, he had died peacefully in his sleep bless him no pain no illness. They had shared so much together so many sunny days they had found happiness and understanding over the years.

   She could not have lived in the house without the company of her dear Percy to tend to the garden. They had done so much together as a couple over the years, traveling to London for the Queens coronation and the death of poor Diana mingling with crowds. She had died so young poor Princess Diana. Once the rain ceased there would be a rainbow of colours in the garden. She was so lucky to have a nice view of the garden. To be able to still go out to the village and chat with others. Having the shops and library close by was an asset. You could say she was in tune with life, accepting each day as it come and any changes along the way.

   Her eyes felt weary she would read her book tomorrow once the sun come out and the dark skies would go away and life would be fine. Her book dropped to the floor as the lighting flashed against the window pane. Mother felt comfortable asleep in her arm chair. Away from harm and the shadows of the dark night.

The trees had become dark shadows against the sky. While firemen worked to remove the fallen tree from across the road to the village. With flashing lights, the traffic slowly moved on along the road. As the church steeple stood grey against the sky line no one ventured up the hill to visit the church for evening mass. The maypole stood with its ribbons in the field behind the church as the church bells rang people made their way home, to warmth and comfort. All would be fine once the rain ceased.