Awake

He awoke with a start. He did what he always did when he woke suddenly.

He leaned over and felt the cold bare space where she should be sleeping.

He grabbed her pillow and held it to his face. He swore it still held faint

traces of her scent. His wife had died four months and three weeks ago.

He was starting to get through his days now, but the mornings still held

terror to him. For a few fleeting seconds, he believed that she was still

there, about to turn and smile a lazy good morning to him.

He signed and heaved himself out of bed. His counsellor said he must

carry on as normal. People were still dying, including his lovely Judith. He

was an undertaker and had to organise funerals. Judith always said that

she wanted to be buried by her beloved, but that was one wish of hers he

couldn't fulfil.

He dressed in the standard uniform of a black three-piece suit with a

starched white shirt, tails and a top hat. There was a burial today at 11am

and he was to walk the streets of Penrith town centre as the mayor had

died.

Later¦

'The funeral was a success wasn't it Terry?'

'Aye, your right, it was.'

Terry was distant minded as his assistant talked of the day they both

had. Considering where he worked, Liam was young and optimistic. He

loved the formalities of funerals and being able to talk to the loved ones

before and after the event, making sure that the dead had a send off fit

for a king or queen. He generally did make the client feel better and not

so choked with grief.

'Have you thought any more about my offer Terry?' Liam tentatively

whispered.

Terry looked up and wondered what Terry was talking about. His face

must have said that.

'The piano Terry? You said you wanted help moving it?'

'Did I? Sorry Liam, I like it where it is.'

'Ok Terry, you said the other day so I thought I'd remind you, sorry.'

At that moment, a tall lady walked into the front of the shop bustling

with urgency. Liam and Terry both looked up, then at each other, they

weren't expecting anyone. Generally when people died, the family called

before they came in to talk about the funeral arrangements.

'Can I help you?' enquired Liam.

'Yes, if you can. I want to speak to Terry Latchford, is he here?' She

spoke with a soft voice. Terry looked at her and wondered who she was

and why she came here.

Terry stepped forward and said

'Of course, I'm Terry Latchford. How can I help you?' She studied him

for a moment and wondered the best way to say what she wanted to say.

'I'm so sorry to hear about Judy. She was a dear friend of mine for many

years and I couldn't be at the funeral for medical reasons. Is there

anywhere private for us to speak?'

'Yes. There's a coffee shop next door, we can go there.'

Liam moved out of Terry's way and went to the back office to complete

paperwork. Terry grabbed his black overcoat and led the way to the

coffee shop. After sitting down and ordering two teas, the lady began to

speak.

'I'm Cynthia. I've known Judy since college days, she also taught me the

piano.'

Terry couldn't understand where her story was going. He did want to

know who she was and why she felt it was important to speak to him after

all his time.

'Aye, she loved that piano. It's still at the house, where she taught all her

students, is that were you were taught?'

'No, Judy taught the piano to me before she married you Terry.'

Terry was puzzled as to why this slightly annoyed him.

'Sorry to be rude, but what do you want? You turn up after her death and

announce you were close friends. What do you want?' Terry was tired and

weary. Thinking of Judith and how she wasn't here anymore frazzled him

more.

'I'm sorry to do this to you Terry. I just wanted you to hear that Judy

was a good, kind and caring person. But you know this. Judy taught me

more things than just the piano, she taught me to be myself.'

Terry nodded through half shut eyes. He knew all this about Judith, she

loved to get involved with people and try to help them.

'You must have been close friends to Judith, only girlfriends called her

Judy. I always preferred Judith to be honest, it suited her more.'

'Yes, she insisted I call her Judy, that was her choice not mine. Do you

know, I'm a bunny girl or a hostess with the mostest as I like to say! And

that's because of Judy. She said every dream was within our reach.'

'A bunny girl?' Terry exclaimed. 'It's hardly the stuff of dreams, is it?

It's not a hard act at all!'

'So you could don a dress, entertain men and women to an extremely high

standard, walk in high heels?'

Terry squirmed in his seat. He knew that he could not do all the things

Cynthia described.

'I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Judith would have thought that beneath

me. But, I don't understand, why did I never meet you? Or why did Judith

never mention you, if Judith made all your dreams come true?'

'She probably did Terry. I'm sure she did. But you didn't listen. She told

you about her first husband Colin right?'

Terry was confused and he nodded.

'What's Colin got to do with you?'

Cynthia smiled. After a pregnant pause, she said

'I am Colin and Judy was nice enough to let me go, be free and be the

bunny girl I always wanted to be. That is the essence of Judy and I'm glad

she married you and you gave her the best years of her life.'