Chapter 24
PHYLLIS
Joyce was on Phyllis’s mind all week. The leaves were never wrong and she knew that her beloved friend’s death was imminent.
Only last week Joyce had suddenly turned to her and squeezed her hand.
‘I’ve not got long, Phyllis. I know that,’ she’d said weakly.
‘Don’t be sad for me. I’ve lived a good life. I’m at peace.’
Phyllis had wanted to protest with: ‘Nonsense, there’s plenty of years in you yet,’ but they both knew it wasn’t true.
‘I will miss you dearly,’ she’d said instead.
‘Don’t you go wasting your life grieving for me. Time is precious at our age. You go and live for both of us,’ Joyce had told her. ‘Promise me that you will.’
So, of course, Phyllis had promised her. What else could she do? And Joyce was right, she’d had a good life, first with Cecil until he died, and then with Phyllis. They’d had some wonderful years together but Joyce’s time had come. As it does for everyone.
Phyllis went to see her every day but Joyce slept most of the time now and was hardly eating. Phyllis sat by her bedside for an hour every night after work, holding her hand and talking to her even though she wasn’t sure that Joyce knew she was there.
‘Has Howard been to see her at all?’ she asked Linda, the care home manager, when she was about to leave one evening.
‘He’s been once this week. He’s asked us to notify him when his mother passes,’ she said.
‘Would you notify me, too, please?’ Phyllis asked.
‘Of course I will, dear,’ Linda said gently.
Suddenly Phyllis had an overwhelming feeling to go back and see Joyce, one last time.
‘I’ll stay with her a little longer,’ she decided and went back to Joyce’s room. As she sat down on the chair and took her hand, Joyce’s eyes flickered open. ‘Phyllis, you’re back.’
‘I am,’ Phyllis replied softly. ‘I felt you call me.’
‘Goodbye, dear,’ Joyce murmured and closed her eyes again.
Phyllis knew that she had gone. She leaned over and kissed Joyce on the forehead. ‘Goodbye, my love.’
Nancy, Jackie and Slate were very supportive when Phyllis returned home and told them what had happened. They all gave her a hug, then Slate made her a cup of tea, Nancy got out the biscuit tin and Jackie offered to let her use some of her expensive bubble bath so that she could have a soak.
‘Thank you all for being so kind, but I’m going to my room for a while. I’ll have Cobweb with me, and will be perfectly all right, but I want to grieve a little in private.’
As if she understood, Cobweb followed Phyllis upstairs, jumped onto her lap and snuggled up to her, remaining there all evening while Phyllis sat with her thoughts and memories.
* * *
Howard phoned her the next day and informed her of the date of the funeral, just over three weeks’ time. She was surprised, and pleased, that he had invited her. ‘Mother wanted you to be there,’ he said. ‘She left instructions, also, about how she would like the funeral to be conducted.’
‘Thank you for letting me know,’ Phyllis replied. At least he had the decency to honour his mother’s wishes.
‘Don’t go alone,’ Aurora told her when she went into work. ‘I’ll close the shop on that day and come with you.’