February

Bitterly cold all the way from Russia. Meeting here as Pat suffered a boiler problem
Joan Read got most votes 5 out of the eight of us.

As she pushed the wheelchair which her mother was in Alice Grey let her mind wander back to her childhood. She was now 40 and had never had a lover she had been looking after her mother for twenty years. She remembered what it was like before her father left taking her brother Luke with him. She and Luke used to have great times running through the orchard at the back of the bungalow that they lived in bringing in the cows and looking after the sheep at lambing time from the farm next to them. Then one morning her father told Luke who was ten at the time to pack up his clothes as they were leaving Alice never knew why as they left her father hugged her and said he was sorry but he had to leave. Her mother just said good riddance but for weeks Alice hoped they would come back but she had never heard from them again. Life went on she went to college but before she could go to university her mother had a stroke which left her paralized so Alice became her carer. 

Many times she brought young men home but her mother was always critical vindictive and rude the doctor said it was symptoms of the stroke. But as time went by it became worse and now Alice could do nothing right everything she did her mother complained about Alice was so tired of the twenty four hour care. Social workers said that she should apply for help but her mother screamed that she did not want strangers looking after her. And so it went on day after day. All of a sudden she realised they were back home. After she had settled her mother in her chair she started the meal with her mother wanting something every two minutes her pillow had slipped she needed the paper she had lost her pen then just as Alice was about to serve the meal she decided she needed the bathroom it took a lot of patience not to scream. 

The only time Alice had to her self was when her mother was in bed and she had taken a sleeping pill then she could watch what she wanted on the TV or read her book undisturbed she looked forward to these evenings but they were few and just lately her mother refused to take a pill. After they had finished their food Alice got her mother into bed and then went into the lounge to the computer for weeks now she had been trying to find Luke but so far she had drawn a blank. The next morning she decided to ask her mother if she knew why her father had left she said “ he left to be with another woman who only wanted Luke not you and if I could have had it my way I would have gotten rid of you to” Alice was shocked she could not believe her mother had said that after she had given up her life to look after her. 

The rest of the morning passed in a daze then her mother was insisting they go out for fresh air even though it was raining hard and the wheelchair would be really hard to push. She wanted to go to Crabbs Hill over looking the lake. Alice reached the bottom of the hill and started to push half way up she had to stop her mother said “what’s up are you a weakling like your father” she pushed herself to reach the top and when they were overlooking the lake her mother started to rant about Luke and his father how they were a waste of space and went on to say it was all Alice’s fault. As she was talking Alice felt her hands on the wheelchair and before she knew it she had pushed her hard down the track and into the lake. Later sitting in the hospital being interviewed by the police she cried and said she could not have put the brake on when she went to sit on the seat and when she realised what was happening she could not catch it. There was an investigation and a inquest but everyone said Alice was a devoted daughter and it was ruled a tragic accident. Alice could not believe her luck was she sorry no because now perhaps she could find happiness and start to live.