The Wish List by Ruby Hummingbird

Author:Ruby Hummingbird [Hummingbird, Ruby]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9781838880910
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2019-11-11T22:00:00+00:00

Nineteen

The church was half-empty and the vicar raised two neatly pencilled eyebrows as she greeted Maria in the doorway. ‘Great to see you, great,’ she said in a voice that implied every member of her dwindling flock was precious.

It was a hot day: people lounging in parks, playing Frisbee, eating ice lollies, jogging, juggling, carrying windbreakers, deckchairs, towels as they headed to the beach. Very few had chosen to spend it in the cool, dark building, dust dancing in the air as the sun filtered gently through the stained-glass windows.

Keith had joined her for the service. She had kept her promise and had been dropping coffee and sandwiches to him every day for weeks now. She always looked forward to their chats and sometimes they would go for a walk or head to the café. He had offered to accompany her to church, perhaps realising that she had been avoiding it, that she might need someone to give her the strength to face it. She thought briefly of another church, less than two miles away, which she hadn’t visited in thirty-six years, of the yew tree in the corner, what rested below its branches, and then she pushed those thoughts back down deep inside her.

The service began, the pews sparse, self-conscious voices wobbling over the hymns. Keith had a surprisingly good singing voice, she thought, as he stood next to her, holding a hymn book open for them to share, bellowing out the words to ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’. His words bounced around the walls, breathed life into the space. She couldn’t help smiling.

‘What?’ he whispered, nudging her, ‘I always liked that one.’

She felt the warmth of him at her side, grateful that he was there with her. Staring around at the familiar scenes on the stained-glass windows, the shiny plaques set into the walls, the embroidered cushions hanging from the back of the pews, her body relaxed. She let out a deep, contented breath.

The sermon was short and energetic, the vicar walking up and down the aisle as she addressed them, connected with them, making eye contact. She felt Keith straighten in the pew as at one point, the vicar appeared to talk directly to the pair of them, and for a second, she felt close to giggles before she swallowed the silliness. It had been years since she had done anything with a friend. She thought then of all the times Albie had asked her to join him in activities and she had refused, not wanting to get in the way, be a bore. Why had she always assumed he was just being kind?

Soon they were drifting outside, surprised by the sudden warmth compared to the church’s cool interior, one hand shielding her eyes as they struggled to adjust to the brightness. They sat down on a stone bench in the shadow of the church and watched the slow procession of the remaining congregation, Maria resting her head back against the cool stone, feeling glad she had gone.

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