Great Aunt Julia slumped in her seat, her ramrod-straight back sagging beneath the weight of the news she must convey.
Then, as she began forming the characters on the page before her, Julia realised her fine script shone with the gloss of unwonted tears.
“3 Deanery Square,
North Shields,
Tyne & Wear
“04 May 1978
“Dear Sylvia and Lesley,
“My letter today brings the saddest news. I am now alone. Aunt Ellen died two nights ago after several days in hospital.
“Until it was beyond me to cope she was with me here, but I realised that her many illnesses and suffering over the years had finally exhausted her.
“My love to you and the rest of the family.
“Aunt Julia”
And as she folded her note, pushed it into a matching envelope, sealing it carefully with a damp sponge, Great Aunt Julia sighed. Who, she wondered, would tell the girls when she died? Would it matter? Would anyone care?
Natalie Wood
(Copyright, Natalie Irene Wood – 05 July 2013)
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