A TRUE STORY - LOST IN TIME 

By Tessa Harvey


    Moira was sat on her doorstep, smoking. She looked tired, her wrap-around apron wrinkled and smudged. 
    "Ow do, Mr. D?" she greeted him cheerily, grinding out her home-rolled cigarette and pocketing half for later. "Got trouble?" For it was obvious the man was distressed. He explained. 
    "You can't go round. You have bairns of your own, Mrs. Keefe, but if you hear crying or anything, tell them I'm coming back. Call out only, mind."
    He turned hastily, but not before the street light betrayed his tears. Her two little girls poked their heads out around her. "Is the wee lad badly, then?" whispered the elder child.
    Their mother hustled them inside, her heart aching. She could't help, though she wanted to. Mr. D had thought of that. Most diseases were contagious. They only have the one, she thought. Please God, don't let him die.
    The doctor was annoyed by the importunate knocking on his door, but his dinner guests were influential. It wouldn't do to let them think he neglected his duty.
    He wiped his lips hastily with his napkin, stood and excused himself. His wife was being complimented on the excellent meal and he dutifully lightly kissed her on the preferred cheek.
    The distance to the patient was not far on foot, but socially was almost on another planet. The terraced houses were neat enough. The pocket-sized front gardens often contained a few shrubs. He had been before to the same house, neat and well-kept. The wife had had a difficult birth. But the silent man beside him, trying to hurry him on, had paid the fee.
    When the doctor saw the child, his heart sank and he knew an unexpected measure of compassion. "Rheumatic fever," he pronounced. "He needs the hospital at once."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
A TRUE STORY - LOST IN TIME   By Tessa Harvey     The years passed and the boy grew. At first he played only with Maureen and Mary, the little girls from next door. Mrs. Keefe always welcomed him warmly and he was sometimes allowed to stay over after school until nearly bedtime.      Gradually Jim made friends with other boys and they would kick balls around the long street. If there was trouble, Jim looked so young he was never thought to be a willing participant. Years later, he would laugh about that with his own daughter.     As a teen, he would go out with his mates. Now he towered over his small mother, but he always respected his parents. His mum would call after him as he went to the pictures or to dances: "Be good! Have a nice time!" Naughtily, he would yell back "Make up your mind," and laugh as the lace curtains twitched up and down the street, their owners watching, listening, smiling or frowning. And away he would whistle.   ...
Read more
Image
A TRUE STORY - LOST IN TIME  By Tessa Harvey     Moira next door smelt the smoke first. She hobbled outside, grabbing her stick. Martha, across the way had a phone now and she hurried to alert her.     But before she could, Jim's car drove up and he banged open the door and raced straight inside. The smoke was thick and disgusting, cloying and terrible.     Sensibly, he pulled back, calling his wife Amy to get help. Moira, shakily, pointed her in the right direction. People were gathering. Lucy ran up with an old baby blanket. "Dad," she yelled, though he was standing right there, "tie it round your face. They showed us at school. Keep low," she added and began to cry. But Jim was gone, crawling. Dimly, he heard sirens, but was focusing all his strength on  locating his father. His mum had just died. Now this.     Swiftly, he reached his dad's chair. Flames were flickering, but it was smoke that had overcome his dad. He lolled, unrespons...
Read more
Image
A TRUE STORY - LOST IN TIME  By Tessa Harvey     Alice Thornton saw the small family leaving across the street. She had prayed for them for years. Her two sons, Philip and Stephen had been killed in the war. Somehow she had held on to her faith in God.     Alf, her husband had become quiet and withdrawn. He had owned the grocery store, where Will had worked. Slowly he had slipped away from her and from life. Alice had borne his death with fortitude and courage. But the pain never lessened. Reading the Psalms of God in the Bible had helped.     Others had suffered before her, especially Jesus who had died on a cruel Cross. Jesus had died for her. She knew and believed that He, Jesus, would still have gone to the Cross even if there had been only her in the world. Unlike other faiths, Jesus had RISEN from the dead!     Some hours later, Peggy knocked on the door. Sighing, she let herself straight into the front room. All the houses here were bu...
Read more