See them now, on the rainbow slicked pavement, next to the main road, playing hopscotch with their cousins, then on the hill, ghost door-tapping. In the distance, yellow birch leaves and acrid swirls from a concertina of chimneys graze the sky. You can hear the man call, “rag-bone.”
And here they are again, satchels swinging, back from school. He standing by the coal fire, duffle coat over hand-knitted jumper, long socks, and short grey trousers, she a head taller, angular, navy winter coat unbuttoned to reveal a blue cardigan, and pink gingham dress. In the scullery, the pot bubbles on the Stove; scallions, coconut and thyme scent the damp air, “Come. Dinner soon ready” Mum says. And what of tomorrow, Saturday? Beano for him, Dandy for her, they’ll read, swap, and walk to the Cavendish matinee. Halcyon days, while the future lurks.
And where are Rose and Lawrence now? He’s an IT consultant with a wife and baby. Their detached home in the Shires is perched on a pristine development. You can see them in their garden this balmy summer evening. He mowing the grass. And what of Rose? A London artist, painter of urban landscapes. They come together often to muse on the past, imagine future selves.
But summer comes to an end, the long drag, until winter finally retreats. All is in bloom. So, how can this be? All future versions of him gone, and she, unmoored, walks among the stones.
Sophia is a second generation Jamaica, and lives in London. She was the Top Tier Globe Soup Finalist in their 2023 Short Story Competition, and has published flash fiction in a 2023 publication by Vanessa Gebbie. Sophia's first fictional piece was published as a debut writer in the 2023 FlashFlood competition. Sophia has a PhD from the London School of Economics, and has published non-fiction articles, and peer-reviewed articles on various aspects of inequality, health, place and communities.
Beautiful
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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