Rocking Chair

She heard the throbbing tones of wind chimes and slowly

opened her eyes. Yellow dots floated in front of her. As she

searched for the chimes point of convergence, the whites of her

eyes flashed briefly as her eyes rolled, closed and opened, but

everything seemed fuzzy and out of focus, she was like a person in

a pitch dark cave searching for a ray of light. She blinked

several times and finally she could make out the chimes hanging

from the pole on the right of her. She looked out into the garden.

The daffodils swayed in the wind. The petunias bobbed up and down

next to the neatly placed garden tiles. The leaves on the paths

had been swept and placed in a pile in the corner of the yard. The

lawn was cut short and there was a number on the freshly painted

gate, 68. A bluestone path led from the steps at the front of the

verandah, around the yard in a perfect circle. (She had been young

once) Reaching out from it were smaller paths, which were paved,

they led through an enchanting garden.

A man was hammering away at the pine fence. The old woman tried

to stand, her mouth was caught between a grimace and a smile, a

bewildered smile. The wrinkles on her forehead were standing out.

She tried to stand but couldn't, and her wheel chair was no longer

on the verandah. A woman came out of the house, she skipped down

the front steps, across the bluestone path and over to the man.

She was carrying a glass of lemonade. She has unique features, her

hair was a deep brown and was tied behind her head. She wore no

make up, he eyes were a strange but luring grey. She wore a meuve

dress which was cut short before the knees. The man at the fence

looked up and smiled. His face was rugged but handsome, his black

hair was slicked back with bryll cream, although it was messed on

the left side.

"Ah, y' startled me, Ruth." the man said, he picked up a ail

and put it in his mouth. Ruth handed the glass of lemonade to him.

"Bewdy." he said raising the glass slightly. He looked back at

the fence. "Gonna need at least another pack of nails to finish

this bugger." he said, his brow bending in the middle.

"Just make do with what y' got, Ben