THE HOUSE STOOD ALONE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL. The closest neighbour was a 5 minutes walk way. It was a small house, made of bricks and zinc. Weeds grew wild on its sides. The place looked abandoned.
The old man laid on the right side of the bed. It was a queen size bed. Even under the thick blankets he felt cold. The clock marked 5.00 am. He had been awake for half an hour now, refusing to get out of bed. He walked beside a smaller room where two beds rested against opposite walls. The beds were covered in dust. Once in the kitchen he turned on the stove. The gas made the familiar sizzling sound before he lighted it up. His bony hand reached into a cabinet and danced around, looking for something. 'Ma, you moved the coffee can again.' Without arguing he looked around and found the coffee can resting next to the sink. Just a memory now, the aroma of ground coffee hit him as he opened the can. 'Like you say Ma, when there's no coffee you can always have some tea.' His body needed something warm. Carefully he cut 4 leaves of a peppermint plant hanging on the window on top of the sink. Those would make a nice tea, he thought. He put some water in, with the leaves, on a rusty kettle.
He watered the plant while the tea was ready. It was a beautiful plant with a sweet peppery scent and big and strong leaves. The kitchen looked lively thanks to it. There was no more food, so he had the tea with a piece of bread. Ma was the one to went to the shops, he always had hated to queue. She didn't like it when the fridge was empty, so reluctantly he dressed up to get some food.
From their house the road to bus stop was a long one. (Soon after) Not long after he left, he felt someone walking behind him. With a gentle turn of the head he saw a little girl walking a few steps behind him. She smiled at the man and sped up the pace to meet him.
"Good morning, old man,"
"Good morning, girl,"
"Can I walk with you? It will the make the journey less lonely." The girl asked.
He looked straight ahead, the sun was starting come out, oh so bright, sunshine bounced of the pavement floor. The road looked like a tunnel made of light.
"Where is you mother?" he enquired.
"Ma left..."
"And your father?"
The girl looked at him and shrugged.
"Yes, you can walk with me," he said.
"I haven't seen you in a while," the girl said.
"Yes, in almost a year," he said.
"It feels like more." The girl said. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Yes, its been a long few months." He looked at his hand. "I'm going to the shops," The old man said.
"Why are you going the to shops? Are you buying lots of food?"
"No, I don't need much anymore."
"Where's everybody?"
"I don't know. The children and I... We don't talk much, we rarely did before... And they haven't visited since."
"You look weak."
"I don't eat much anymore. I am not really hungry. "
"Why are you getting food then?"
"Because I need it, Ma doesn't like it when there's no food in the house."
"Where is Ma?"
"She's gone."
"Where?"
"To a better place, she suffered enough."
"That's why the children won't visit?
"My legs feel heavy," The old man stopped.
"You look tired, old man," she said.
"I am a little tired, my knees shake, my hands ache and my chest hurts." the old man eyes stared at the morning sun. "Don't worry about it. Let's get the food."
"Why keep going old man?"
"I told you. Ma likes to have food in the house."
"But she left." she said. "She had been gone for long now."
"It would be a year in two weeks."
"Almost a year now. That's the last time we saw."
"Yes, I think you're right."
"She's gone and the children are gone. You had been alone for a enough now."
The old man didn't say a word.
"Do you remember the last time we saw? We were on similar road, like the one we are today."
"No, I don't."
"We walked for a long time and we talked all the way. Not like at the end, like before, like we used to do when we were children. When we laugh. But then you turned back and you left. Said you needed to care of something."
"I had to."
"Why?"
"The children, they were so closed at the end. Couldn't let that go, I never had much for them, couldn't be there for them. I had to work. I wanted to be there for them at least once."
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No. I didn't had a chance, they wouldn't give me one. As soon as you were gone. They left without looking back."
She stood next to him in quiet, and he realized she had been holding his hand the whole time.
"I'm at peace with that now. I feel better now. They are good, strong children. I know we raised them well. They don't an old man to survive."
"Would you like to sit for a while?"
"No, I feel better now."
And they started walking into the tunnel of light holding hands, talking. And in their shadow they looked like two children.
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