Pretty Lady (1973) by Marian Babson

Author:Marian Babson [Babson, Marian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

POLLY

After she had collected the prescription, she began to walk. Up one old familiar street and down another. She was not consciously saying goodbye to the neighbourhood where she had lived out her life. She had done that long ago — when the decision had first begun to crystallize. Now she was simply trying to delay her return home. Even though delay would change nothing, make no difference. Slowly and inexorably, the moment towards which she was moving would come.

Meanwhile, she walked. And Brian walked with her, in this last bitter while before the final, eternal separation.

(New curtains at the O'Haras — they've come up in the world, Brian. And the house painted last spring. Of course, all the four children have jobs now — they can afford to splash out a bit. Do you remember when Teresa O'Hara was in the bed next to mine in the maternity ward and I shared your flowers and chocolates with her because Pat couldn't afford any frills with two more at home? Our first, that was, our Denny — and we so happy, not knowing, never guessing, what he'd turn out to be. She had a son, too — an architect, he is, and moving up in the world all the time. Oh, Brian! The old pain stabbed at her with an intensity she had thought time had dulled. But it was here again, as fresh and hurtful as on the day they'd discovered the truth. Because she was so near the end and, in the end, you go back to the beginning. Oh, Brian, why did it have to happen to us? What had we ever done? What were we being punished for?)

'Are you all right, Mrs O'Magnon?'

People had been asking her that all day. Blinking away the tears, she saw the young policeman. Out of uniform now, but she recognized him, although she didn't know his name. She was vaguely surprised that he knew hers. But in a neighbourhood like this, everyone knew more about each other than it was comfortable to acknowledge. She was Denny's mother — that was why everyone knew her.

'I'm fine, thank you,' she said briskly. 'I'm just on my way home.' They both ignored the fact that she was wandering aimlessly in the wrong direction down a street that did not head towards her home.

'It's a nice evening.' He fell into step beside her. 'I'll walk along with you for a way, if you don't mind.'

'I don't mind.' But she did. With him here, Brian had withdrawn his faint and restless spirit, unable to compete with a corporeal presence at her side. And she had so little time left with Brian.

They turned into the High Street and Polly halted. 'Thank you,' she said firmly. 'I mustn't keep you any longer. I'll be all right now. I'm nearly home.'

He looked, for a moment, as though he would like to argue the point, then he smiled and saluted her. She walked away but, after a short hesitation, she heard the footsteps begin following her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.