“You should come in”, she quickly replied.
I stepped into the old musty house, the house stunk of mould. And there was flowery wallpaper drooping from the walls, it was an ugly brown colour, it looked like it had been there 5 years. I followed her into the living room we sat down. I was distracted for several moments, because I was admiring the brown table that was erected in front of me. It had wonderful bronze feet which had been moulded into the shape of bear feet and had a glass top which looked totally amazing. One would think that this did not belong in a house of these standards.
I indulged in an opening question;
“Have you been well since your husband’s death?” I asked
She hastily, maybe even angrily replied, “Look at me I am a wreck I have no money or clothes, he left me with nothing!”
I was silent for a few moments, when I first met the women she can across as a quiet woman that kept herself to herself, but now after that I didn’t know what to think!
I thought if I waved a fifty in front of her she would bite my arm off. Therefore I opened my wallet took out a fifty and showed it to her, she threw it back at me. Then I opened my wallet and took out another fifty making one hundred pounds. I handed over the money back at me and yelled “NO!”
After that I stood up about to leave and I noticed above the mantel, mounted and framed and gleaming in the sunlight a gold medal. It gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, shone like the sun.
“Where was it won?” I said while picking up the medal
“When did he get it? And what had he done?”
“Oh, that”, she replied “They pinned that on him the other time he killed a man.”
“Ah, he was a war veteran?” I replied
“Yes, he was a war veteran; he was a sergeant in World War 2.” She said, unbelievably starting to answer my questions after throwing the money in my face!
“Have you been able to get a job?” I asked
“No jobs are scarce nowadays and with these horrid smelly clothes, they immediately say no!” She sadly replied.
“Was your husband loyal to you?” I said
“Yes, he never hit me and from what I know never slept with other women, but he did drink heavily since he got shell shock from the war.”, she said
“I noticed you haven’t got any pictures of your husband around the house, have you got one we could put in the paper preferably one with you both in the photo?” I asked
“No I’m sorry I burnt all the photos of him after he died, because they reminded me of his death!” she said.
I could see a tear forming in her eye so I hastily finished the conversation, shook her hand and left. As I got to the front door I left a 50 for her to find, for her help.
