Clouds

I walked the twisty path that led to the tiny cottage, the smell of roses around the door. I opened the door ,which creaked slightly, the smell of the coal fire greeted me. A call from the kitchen, “Is that you love?" Nan, hair pulled back in a bun with a small net over it and an apron covering her long dress, was busying about and came and gave me a hug. I sometimes wondered whether she had legs, because I had never seen them, just slippers poking out from under her dress.

“Nice day at school? get changed and go in by the fire I will bring your tea in a minute."

I ran upstairs, each one seemed to creak. It was cold in the bedroom so I got changed quickly and went downstairs.

The crackling fire greeted me, I sat on the settee it seemed to snuggle around me. In came Nan plate of freshly buttered bread in one hand, and a pot of strawberry jam in the other. She went to the kitchen and brought a glass of milk and a knife. We sat down together “How has your day been?” she asked.

We chatted until all the buttered bread had gone. I helped her take the things into the kitchen and she washed and I dried.

We went back to the sitting room, she prodded the fire and it hissed and sparked and little flames appeared.
She reached for a brush, took my long hair out of it’s pony tail and proceeded to brush it gently.

She told me a story, not from a book, but out of her head still running the brush through my hair, I loved this time.

She was big and cuddly, and always very gentle, and although her clothes seemed dark she was always bright and cheerful and I felt happy when I was with her.

I watched the flames rise and fall as she continued with her story, then I fell asleep on her lap “Off to bed” she said softly “Be up shortly to kiss you goodnight.”

I made my way to the bedroom. I put on my pyjamas and got into bed, the stone hot water bottle was already in there and gave the bed a nice warm feel.

A little while later, Nan came through the door, I never heard the creaking of the stairs she was just there by the bed. I sometimes wondered if she flew up here, and imagined her flying back down or even sliding down the bannisters. She kissed me, tucked me in then left the door ajar so that I could see the light outside.

It was now the weekend and I could see my friends and play with our dolls. Instead, Nan said we must go and see mum and dad, I felt a shiver. She told me to get my best coat on and gloves as it was cold and we had to get the bus. She paid the fair and it wasn’t long before we were there.

We walked for a while till we reached a gate, that led us along a path, across some grass. Two large stones were in front of me, one read In Loving Memory of Leonard Matthews Beloved Son of Alice, aged 42. I remember now, Nan collecting me from school early that day, all the family in my house crying and Nan putting her arm around me as she said, “Brenda comes with me.”

Then having taken me back to the cottage, she sat me down and told me mum and dad had gone to heaven, and were watching over me.
“Where is heaven?” I asked.

“Just above the sky” she said.

From then on I always imagined they were floating on clouds, dad would be on a bigger cloud and mum on a small one.

I looked down and noticed Nan was kneeling putting flowers into a vase, tears running down her cheeks. I went over and put my arm around her and we knelt together. I looked up to the sky and there they were two big fluffy clouds side by side, one big and one smaller and I knew we were not alone, they were still with us.