Delia

They were going to take a car this time-Delia said she would drive-no train or bus tickets to buy-they would splurge on a rental car from Mackie-after all it was her 60th birthday, Delia said.

Every year, for as far back as she could remember, they went up to Clonachy on her birthday, the 4th of April...Delia said Aries was special….weeks beforehand they would plan for the day. Would it be a picnic on the downs, or a meal at a restaurant? More often it was a picnic, as they did not have the money for meals out.

When they had the money, it would be a lunch at the Old Mill-once they even had a glass of wine-that was when Delia sold a story to that magazine-they got new outfits that year as well-a blue sweater for her, and a black suit for Delia….she said it would be handy for all those interviews, that would come from other magazines…Delia was always the practical one, where as she wanted the exciting things like the pale blue sweater which wasn’t practical at all...

But there weren’t any other takers for Delia’s stories-it was a one-off that one. Well no point in going over that now-Delia got a real job at that new place in the high street-it wasn’t much, but they paid on time, and it covered the rent….she kept reminding Delia of that…sometimes they could afford little extra treats once a month, like ice cream for dessert.

Anyway this year it was all going to be different Delia had a bit of a windfall-someone left an extra large tip had to be townees- no one around here would leave more than a penny and sometimes not even that. But it mean’t that the trip to Clonachy would be a lot more exciting this year.

She was going to buy a new sweater, pale blue again-the old one was so worn out-there wasn’t enough money for something new for Delia, but she said what would she want with new clothes anyway?

Delia said they would have a special lunch at the Old Mill and maybe a glass of wine for her to celebrate her birthday, like that last time. Didn’t she always say that April was the best month, because she was born under the sign of the Ram, Aries, which mean’t luck….and wasn’t it lucky that Delia got that extra money, so they could celebrate her birthday in style with a new sweater and all? She certainly felt lucky…they never missed a trip on her birthday, no matter what…ever since the day she told Delia she would die if they didn’t go…that year she cried for two whole days, until Delia promised that they would always go no matter what. Since then they went every year-sometimes they were so broke they had to hitch hike, which wasn’t very nice and made Delia break out in hives afterwards.

But Delia promised, so they went every single year...but this year they were to go in style…Delia got her drivers license when she was 20…she said she never forgot how to drive….it was like riding a bike….you never forgot.

She never doubted that Delia was right, in any decision she made-hadn’t she taken care of everything all these years, when there was no-one else to help them?

Delia took her shopping and they bought a pale blue sweater for her to wear on the day….Delia said it matched her blue eyes.

Early on the 4th of April Mackie arrived with the rental car. Now Miss Delia, you have your license and insurance? Have a good time and watch out for them drivers on the 204, they goes a little fast sometimes….I don’t like the idea of you all on your own…he didn’t know that it was going to be two of them going to Clonachy….I guess Delia didn’t tell him…it was none of his business any way…nosey old man.....

The two nurse attendants came into the room where an elderly lady was seated in a wheelchair facing the window, staring out at the garden…in her arthritic hands was a pale blue woollen bit of cloth...

Come Miss Delia, it the 4th of April, your 60th birthday..Aries isn’t it? The woman did not turn her head or acknowledge them in any way. There’s ice cream....

The younger nurse asked is she always this way?

I’ve been here for 25 years and she’s never spoken a single word. The only time you get a reaction from her is if you try to pry that blue cloth out of her hands….she screams and cries for days when we take it to wash it...

Well since you’re going on holidays, you’d better give me the lowdown on her. I don’t want to make a mistake.

There isn’t much to know…she was brought here on her 20th birthday...apparently she had been driving a rental car, when it went out of control on the 204….not much injury to her body but her face was injured beyond recognition…she needed a lot of plastic surgery.

Was anyone with her?

She was alone in the car when she was found…her purse had her I.D. that’s how they knew who she was.

What about the man who rented the car....

She told him they were going somewhere for her birthday, but when they found her she was alone...
Well of course she was unrecognizable, but he said he rented it to a Miss Delia Barnes…asked about what she was wearing when he dropped off the car, he said he couldn’t rightly remember, but thought it might have been blue or maybe black….he was an unreliable witness….said he rented cars and was not an expert on women’s clothes….he said he did not know the person who was going with her….she did not say.

And she’s been here all this time? must be rich...

That’s the strange part…her bills are always paid, and instructions are that she is to have the best of everything. Yet she’s has never had a visitor in all these years….the law firm who pays the bills have strict instructions not to reveal the source of the money….they said it was a trust fund that when she dies will go to a charity. The people here don’t mind as long as her bills are paid.

An ex husband?

Oh no!! She was an only child with no other family and lived alone...her parents died when she was 18…she wanted to be a writer, but had to take a job as a waitress to make ends meet. No one ever saw her outside of work or saw her with anyone. ...neighbours tried to be friendly but were rebuffed….now you come to think of it I remember being told by someone who worked here when she was brought in….when the authorities went to her house they found that one room had been decorated with the best of everything…furnishings, clothing etc…they couldn’t account for it….where would she get the money? The rest of the house was shabby…in one cupboard in the kitchen there were expensive items of food, untouched....

The nurse bent over the old lady…60 today Miss Delia [60 was old in those days] she said smiling brightly...

The old lady gave no signs of hearing, and continued to stare into space with the remnants of what looked like a pale blue sweater, still clutched tightly in her hands, as they wheeled her into the dining room...”Delia”...short fiction by Janis Zroback

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Tags:

accident, age, delia, disability, family, fiction, janis, life, mystery, novel, short story, sisters and writing