By Valerie Muriel Mckinley
Published: August 11, 2008
Updated: August 14, 2008 PrintEmail
Charlie awoke an amnesiac as always these days, slowly his foggy brain adjusted, realigned and memory returned to realise that this day was a special one.
He rose from his bed, old limbs protesting painfully, he washed, and carefully shaved, with hands shaking so much he was scared of nicking himself. He dressed impatiently cursing softly under his breath at the awkwardness of his arthritic fingers and went along to the kitchen to make a pot of tea and a slice of toast. He poured his tea and took it and the toast into the front room and sat by the window to watch for the postman. It wasn’t long before he came whistling down the road, Charlie watched him approach and was about to go to the door to retrieve whatever came through his letterbox when he realised that the postman had passed his house without a glance.
Charlie was dazed with disappointment he felt tears prick behind his eyes, he glanced up at the framed photograph of his late wife, “He forgot me Bessie love, he forgot…” Charlie hung his head and shuffled to the kitchen carrying his unfinished breakfast in his gnarled hands, putting the remains on the kitchen table he went to sit in his comfy chair by the Aga.
Charlie began to doze, dreams of happier days flitting through his mind. Sometimes a smile would light his wrinkled face, then a frown would darken his features, a single tear tracked down his cheek.
A loud knocking brought Charlie sharply awake, someone was at the front door, he hauled his body wearily out of his chair and went slowly to answer it.
Two officers , a PC and a pretty WPC stood sombre faced in the porch. The PC gently informed Charlie of the facts and handed him an envelope, it had been found in the wreckage, Charlie opened it, there in gold lettering, the legend “Happy Father’s Day” inside was Benny’s scrawled Surprise! Surprise! Only Charlie heard the faint snap and felt his heart break in two as he slipped silently away.
