Please use all
eight words in your story. No photo to write your words around.
1. present
2. sodium
3. elegant
4. am
5. level
6. size
7. shorts
8. sea
Here is my story:
THE VISIT
Standing on the banks of the *River
Am, her small thatched cottage was just the right size for
Marianne in her retirement. It comprised
two large bedrooms and she was determined not to let the spare bedroom become
the junk room as in all her previous houses.
It was to be the guest bedroom with lovely pictures of the sea,
decorated in elegant blues and teal colours. The duvet cover had matching pillow slips and
the sanded pine floorboards were enhanced with perfectly co-ordinated
rugs. A large windowsill held a vase
that she filled with fresh flowers from the small cottage garden.
A phone call from her daughter
brought good news. She wanted to come
and visit with her new husband. It was
only six months ago they had married, a small affair due to Covid restrictions
but now they were allowed to visit and stay over, Kathryn and Joe were coming
for a week’s visit in the summer. Even
if the English weather didn’t quite hold up to its promise of a ‘flaming June,’
Marianne was sure they would find enough delights to enjoy along the country
lanes and riverside pubs.
She couldn’t wait, counting down
the days on the calendar, the weeks flew by and finally the day came. Kathryn had kept her informed by text of the
progress of their journey. Marianne
couldn’t help being a worrier especially as the motorways were notorious for
delays due to road works, accidents or breakdowns and they had a couple of
hundred of miles to travel before they reached her. She’d spent all week preparing food, freezing
cakes and biscuits, knowing Kathryn and Joe were so busy with their full-time
jobs the they didn’t have much time to bake or cook anything more than an
evening meal.
Looking out of the window was a
pointless exercise as the trees were in full foliage, the hedgerows overgrown,
so Marianne opened the leaded glass window and leaned out to listen for the
sound of a car engine. There it was, the
gentle whirr and hum told her that the time fast approached. Marianne flew out of the front door, arms
outstretched as Kathryn got out of the passenger side.
They hugged as if they would
never let go – it had been so long without this level of comfort and
affection, Marianne felt the tears brimming.
‘Oh mum, don’t cry.’
‘They are my happy tears,
darling. This is the best present
ever!’
Marianne separated and clapped her
hands as she turned her attention to Joe.
‘Come here, son-in-law,’ she
ordered Joe.
A shorter hug ensued as she felt
a bit strange hugging a male person especially one who was wearing a T-shirt, shorts
and sandals.
‘I’m so looking forward to
spending time with you and getting to know you better.’ Joe winked at Marianne and smiled at
Kathryn.
Oh yes, thought Marianne, this
one is a keeper. He is so good for my
daughter. It’s about time she found a
good man. She’ll be very happy in this
marriage; Marianne could feel it in her bones.
Ushering her guests inside, she
whipped the tea towel off the plate of lemon drizzle (her daughter’s favourite
cake) and started to pour tea out.
Eating and talking, laughing and catching up the afternoon soon drifted
away. The sun started to set as they sat
outside sipping cold drinks catching the last rays of sunshine and watching the
twilight descend.
As they prepared for the night,
Joe disappeared to have a shower, Kathryn took her mum’s hand.
‘Tell me the truth, mum. What was the result of your last blood test?’
‘They’re fine, dear, absolutely
fine,’ came the reply. My sodium
was normal, so was my potassium and cholesterol. Blood pressure was also perfect. So, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all behind me now and as long as I
continue to eat healthily and stay as active as I can, I’ve got a few more
years in me yet.’ Marianne lightened the
mood with a small tinkle of laughter.
Joe re-entered the room, freshly
shaved, hair slightly damp, he looked at Kathryn with a question in his eyes.
She nodded. ‘Mum, we have news. We want to move nearer to you. Joe can work anywhere there is broadband and
I have transferrable skills. We’ve sold
our house and can start looking straight away.’
More happy tears, the joy
Marianne felt made this the best day of her life.
*The River Am is a fictional
river borrowed from a radio series broadcast in the UK called ‘The Archers.’
Word count: 795
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