Chapel of rest.

Another piece for my FutureLearn.com creative writing course. This time for peer review.

She sat on the plush red velvet cushioned chair and opened her bag with a very loud click. He would always joke ‘There goes your hip again!’ and she smiled, even though she had heard him say it a million times and would never hear the words out loud ever again. She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed gently at the corner of her eye stroking along the deep grooves of bygone years before pushing the handkerchief into the cuff of her blouse – She was bound to need it later, as the sound of her ‘hip’ was bound to echo in the chapel. She stroked out the creases in her skirt; she was at a complete loss as to what was expected of her. She was wearing a dark blue, square cut suit which her youngest grandson had called her sailor suit, on account of the large golden buttons and silver edging along the collar, cuffs and pockets. Beside her was the man she had spent the last fifty years of her life. He was also dressed in blue. He always refused to wear a grey suit as he said it made him look old. He had still a thick head of grey hair which sat upon his head like a blizzard blown left to right – he looked at rest. She let out a small sigh wondering how she would live without him. As if in response, there was a small apologetic knock at the door. ‘Are you all right, Mam’ ‘Yes, yes, love. Be out in a minute.’ Her family were collected in the room next door. She was very lucky. One daughter and two sons. They tried their best to be supportive, but they couldn’t possibly know how she felt. They were all grown up now, newly married. They loved their father dearly, and one day may suffer the same pain, but they couldn’t know until then. She stood up, ready to face the family once more. ‘Bye, my love. We’ll be together again one day – who knows I may have a new hip by then!’