Wednesday 16 February 2011

Maisie's Dream



As Maisie pulled the covers over her small wiry body she listened hard to see if Paul was moving about in his room. All was quiet, so she plumped up her pillow and settled down for the night. She had lived in this house all her married life. She still considered herself as married even though she had lost Don her husband many years ago. She always thought of him when she went to bed. If anyone would have asked why, she would have said it was because he was a kind and gentle man that thought the world of her. But nobody ever asked. He had been killed in a freak road accident so many years ago. He was a delivery man for a store in town and another vehicle had clipped the rear door of the van he was opening, knocked him to the ground and hit his head on the road. He died of a brain haemorrhage.
That was the second occasion of great sadness for Maisie. The first was when they lost their baby James a few weeks after his first birthday. Maisie was so upset that she didn’t know even now exactly what illness he had or why they couldn’t save him. The word meningitis was used but she didn’t understand it or why they couldn’t save him. She had gone into a state of shock and depression. Don had been very kind and supportive and later they made plans to have another child but one never came. Then Don died and Maisie was by herself. In but a blink of the eyes her married life and that of a mother were ended.
Maisie was by this time fast asleep. In her dreams she relived her life and reshaped it to how she wanted her life to have been. Her Don would touch and kiss and make love to her and trace his fingers over her body and she would fall asleep safe in his arms. James her baby would steadily grow up and play with toy cars and Lego and might even have a train set. He would go to school and come back home with his school books and his words would have some of the letters written the wrong way round. She could see him kicking a football and swimming at the pool. She even wondered what sort of girl he would pick out to be his bride.
Maisie was woken early the next morning by the dog scratching at the door. She wearily got up and let him out to wander round the garden. And then she looked in on Paul whose door was now open. As he lay there still fast asleep she wondered whether she could catch up on some of the life she had missed out on.

12 comments:

  1. Written with great feeling Rob, I'm
    really enjoying this series. You do
    write well.

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  2. I do hope so ... beautifully written as always.

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  3. Yes, I hope she can too..you described brilliantly how she re-writes her life in her dreams..she truly is a much treasured character..I hope both she and Paul 'catch up' on some of their broken lives..Jae

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  4. I went back and read the whole series. It is beautiful yet heartbreaking at the same time.
    Wonderful.

    Thank you, sir, for the visit.

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  5. It sounds like Maisie and Paul have a lot to offer each other. I hope they both learn to heal.

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  6. Ah...I'm so glad we got a bit of Maisie's backstory. Bit by bit, you are filling in the gaps and fleshing out a terrific story arc and heartwarming, real characters. I hope that Paul and Maisie can be the something special each one needs in their respective lives.

    Brilliant - and I can't wait to read the next installment!

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  7. Robb, I love your stories about Maisie. Feel like she might have been an auntie. The mood and tone are perfect. Keep it coming.

    Peace, Amy
    Here's mine for 3WW:
    http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/the-ecstasy-of-agony-3ww-abc/

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  8. I think that line "but nobody ever asked" is a particularly poignant one. The story progresses well.

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  9. I love Maisie's stories. She has had such a tragic life. I agree with Lilibeth, the line 'but nobody ever asked' is such a powerful one. It too bad that more people don't care to ask.
    What a fascinating character you have created.

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  10. there's sadness in this, but you have created such a character.

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  11. I have read this all backwards but it didn't hurt the story at all - I think that means something, don't you?
    Wonderful story and I have such hope for Maisie and Paul :)

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