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Monday, August 10, 2015

TUESDAY TALES, PICTURE PROMPT - MAGGIE'S STORY CONTINUES

MAGGIE’S STORY 


          Penn’s door opened. When he joined the others in the living room, Maggie saw that his face was streaked with tears.
          “Hello, Penn. So sorry about your parents,” Alfred said, shifting his weight.
          “Now you get dad’s business, don’t you?” Penn eased down onto the sofa.
          “Your dad left his half of the business to you, with me as your trustee until you’re twenty-one.”
          “Really?”
          “He had faith in you my boy. I have custody papers here. If you’ll just sign them.”
          Maggie held her breath.
          “We can look after him, “ John piped up.
          Alfred snorted. “You?”
          “I’m going to call a lawyer,” Penn said, pushing up from his chair. “That’s what dad would tell me to do.”
          “Don’t you want to move in with me and your Aunt Muriel?”
          “I don’t know what I want. Right now, I want to stay here.”
          “I’ll leave you here then. After you’ve consulted an attorney, have him call me.”
          Alfred handed the boy a business card and left.
          Maggie brought out a sandwich and a glass of milk from the kitchen, but Penn wouldn’t eat. The doorbell rang. John went. He returned with a large vase of pink and white roses and a fat box of chocolates that he placed on the coffee table.
          “Oh, Christ, it’s Mother’s Day,” Penn moaned, after reading the message. He tossed the card on the table, then picked up one of the beautiful flowers. . The housekeeper retrieved the card . It was from the Mister to his wife.
“She was beautiful, wasn’t she?” He asked. 
          Tears clouded Maggie’s eyes. “She was, lad. The most beautiful.”
          Penn fell into her arms, sobbing. In a few minutes, he managed to pull himself together. He handed Maggie the box of chocolates.

          “You’re my mother now.”