Monologue with a friend
A short story
An aged woman is hurrying down the alley. She seems to be late for an appointment or a meet up with a friend of hers. She turns right close to a coffee shop. Shortly after she is seen talking to somebody.
-‘Good afternoon my dear friend. Excuse my late arrival. It is quite freezing out here which left me moving slowly on my old feet.
I have to apologize further. I forgot my phone at home, otherwise I could have described the pictures from our last journey in Paris to you. My daughter was so kind to teach me how to open the application in order to get them in a larger scale.
Well, that seemed unnecessary due to the fact that I need to ask her anew until we meet again. You surely recall how oblivious I grew since we last spoke. I nearly forgot our gathering today. I was having a friendly exchange with Mrs. Thompson when I suddenly recalled which time it already was. Afterwards I hastily returned to my apartment to fetch warmer clothes. Unfortunately I was in such a hast that I forgot my phone which I think I already mentioned. However, it took me longer than expected to get over here due to the slippery path.
Certainly you remember Mrs. Thompson, the bachelor girl from the floor above my own apartment. She is not a bachelor girl anymore, she is married to an advocate now and she even snatched an employment. And guess where? At my daughter’s company. I have to give some credits to myself. I saw a potential in her she did not know she possessed herself. So I recommended her to my daughter. She climbed the hierarchical ladder quickly and has now a position as my daughter’s first assistant and secretary. You can imagine, I am not the old dragon of old neighbour to her anymore. No, I am her personal hero. That is why I was involved in a friendly conversation with her before.
Yes, now you are astonished. You did not believe I could still do some good to fellow man.
Well, well. I do have another surprise. Your daughter wanted me to greet you on her part. She says she is more than glad that you both made up before you left. The children are well if that would have been your next question. They are all doing great in school, except little Charlie who stays home with his mama until his first day at school next autumn.
Certainly you are asking yourself if anyone remained abroad. No, all of our children returned home and everyone is getting along well with each other, especially the little ones. They are like best friends or siblings to one another. We have family reunions on a regular basis. Yes you understood correctly, your children are meeting up with my children in company of the little ones. They extended the group to a group of nine little ones by now. At the family reunion we are in total five grown-ups, including me, and well nine little ones. You could have stayed at least for the first reunion. They miss you. Little Charlie does not even know you. Don’t you find that a shame? You are their grandmama too. It was you who said we were going to handle the group together and see them grow. Now you are far away and sometimes even out of reach. Don’t you dare contradict me. You and I both know well enough that I am right by what I said.
If you will excuse me but I will return home now. You can probably see the dark clouds coming up our way and besides my phone, I also forgot my umbrella at home. I owe you apologies for this short visit. When the winter is over I will stay longer in your company if you still wish me to do so.
I will go before I forget which direction leads me home. Until sometime.’
The woman turned her back on the grey and ivy overgrown gravestone which made it practically impossible to read the engraved script: Eloise Gerhard, born 1927, died 1998.
She then left the cemetery. She passed a coffee shop and turned left.