Things

“ It’s strange how much rubbish accumulates from just the two of us” muttered Jack “ I think we should clear out the house, not just here but the loft as well.”
“ The loft?” asked Dan
“ I’ve not been up there since your mother disappeared, I bet there’s all sorts of things there that we can get rid of.”
“ I’m not going up there”
“You baby. I’ll go but you’ll have to help me."
“ Dad you know I don’t like spiders” his son said, indignant at being called a baby
“ Your mother didn’t like them either but she didn’t let it dominate her life.”
“ I don’t either but I’d prefer to avoid them.”
“Ok I promise you I’ll make sure that I get rid of the spiders before I pass anything to you.”
“Ok, so when are we going to do this?”
“Saturday”
“I was going to go out. Ceri wants to go shopping for things for our house.”
“Hey, far be it for me to come between a man and his shopping.”
“Dad, look I know you think I’m too young to be setting up home”
“Too right” Jack interrupted.
“But I want to live with Ceri. I know it will be tough with me going to university but we’ll manage.”
“I’ve told you, come and move in here, both of you. Ask Ceri; think of how much money you’ll be able to save for later. I’d like you to live here rather than just see you occasionally like now. And there’s so many rooms I don’t use any more.”
“Ok dad. I’ll ask Ceri. And don’t go up into the loft unless I’m here. I don’t want to come home and find you lying at the bottom of the steps.”
“ Oh go and see Ceri”

After Dan left Jack wondered about his only son, he was so scared of spiders. Jack had hoped that he’d grow out of it but like his mother he was still scared now that he was grown up. Not that Jack admitted to Dan that he thought he was grown up. He hoped that Ceri would move in, she’d be company while Dan was away at university. Meanwhile he would start cleaning up the place, stating with one of the spare bedrooms.
Jack set to work with a bin bag, duster and polish. He had soon cleared and cleaned everything except for one chest of drawers. Most of the drawers were empty but when he pulled out the bottom drawer a piece of paper fell down. It must have lodged at he back of one of the other drawers and then gradually fallen down as he removed each one. Reaching into the void he found the paper and pulled it out. He opened it up; it was a letter from his wife.

“Dearest Jack
If you’re reading this then it means that I’m not there. You’d only find it if you were cleaning out the drawers, perhaps for a new wife. As I write this letter to you I know I don’t have long to live. I’ve done my best to prevent you from knowing that I’m going to die. I couldn’t stand the look on your face when you find out. So I’m not telling you. I’m writing this letter to tell you that I love you. I love you more now than I did when I married you and I was bursting with love for you then. I love you so much that I can’t hurt you by telling you that I’m dying. I know when I’m gone that you will hurt but I’m hoping to shorten the time of hurt for you.
I believe that love lasts beyond death and if I’m right then this house will always be filled with my love for you.
I love everything about you. I’ve always counted myself as being the most fortunate of women for falling in love with you. You said that no one is perfect but for me you were and still are the perfect partner.
And to complete my happiness you’ve given me two wonderful children who are growing up so fast that it pains me to know that I won’t be with them for longer.
Give my love to Danny and Lizzie and never forget that
I love you
Alice.


“Oh Alice” Jack sat on the spare bed and cried. He’d never really cried about her before. He’d been mad at first when she had simply disappeared. He’d always been strong for the children but now he cried for the loss of his wife. Alice was dead, and Jack cried not only for her but also for himself. He wished that she had told him/ he could have made her last few months better. And then he realised why Alice had wanted to go abroad that time, why her last few months had been packed with family outings and family events. She had been leaving memories for them all. It made her disappearance even more puzzling. As he sat there crying Dan came in.

“What’s wrong dad?” Jack handed him the letter. He read it and hugged his father.
“Ceri says that she’d love to move in here. She’s coming around later to talk to you”
“Good I’m glad”
Ceri moved into Jack’s house that night and when Saturday came she was only too happy to help with clearing out the loft.

The loft was very dusty and poorly lit. Jack took up a storm lantern to try to penetrate the gloom. He handed down boxes to Ceri and Dan to put into one of the spare rooms. He’d examine the contents later. Just as he was moving one of the boxes he heard a noise, rather like a scurrying of mice.
“ I’ll have to get the pest man in. I think we’ve got vermin up here.” He called down.
“Shall I ring them now?” asked Dan
No, I’ll do it when we’ve finished up here.”
The noise continued and rather than getting further away from him Jack thought it sounded nearer.
“ Cheeky things, whatever they are” he thought.
He reached down to life another box and his hand felt something long and smooth. Lifting it into the light he saw that it was a bone. Moving his lantern closer he found a skeleton of what looked like a large child or a small adult. Jack realised that it might have been about the same size as Alice. Jumping up with horror he banged his head on a rafter and tripped over a box, lying on the floor, semi-conscious his body was swiftly covered by small creatures eagerly stripping the flesh away. Jack cried out in pain.

“What’s wrong dad?” shouted Dan
“Help me, please help me” Jack’s voice came weakly.
Overcoming his fears of spiders Dan went into the loft.
“Where are you dad?”
There was no answer. Dan walked over to the storm lantern and shouted, almost screamed,
“Ceri”
Her head popped up into the loft and saw him standing there with a look of horror on his face.
“Dan come back down. I’ll get rid of the spiders for you. Where’s Jack?”
Dan stood there and couldn’t speak; he just pointed to the bloodied skeleton lying beside the older picked clean one.
©2001 Chris Winfield