They stood by the grave without speaking until Iona broke the silence again.
“Have you heard from the hospital?”
“No, but I think Father Thomas will live.”
“You fancy him!”
Tiggy straightened. “I do not!”
“I’ve seen the way you look at him, lying all helpless there on his hospital bed.” Iona smiled. “He iscute.”
“And he did save your life,”added Tiggy, now smiling too.
* * *
They stood in silence for what seemed like hours. Until Iona startled her mother by suddenly turning and giving her an awkward hug.
They stood together and cried in each other’s arms.
* * *
Eventually they turned away from the grave and walked back towards the underground station to catch the train home.
Iona turned to Tiggy. “Mum, you know how you never liked my obsession with ghosts and horror stories?”
“Yes?”
“Well, now that I’ve had real experience of the supernatural, I think I've matured in my attitude to these things.”
“I think we have both learned a lot.”
“Well, in that case, will you let me get that skull tattoo on my ankle?”
The end.
Thanks & Acknowledgements
Huge thanks to the Esher Dissident Faction and to the Goats, and especially to Liz for starting the ball rolling.
Thanks and apologies to all those inflicted with early drafts: Sue, Robert, Jackie, Ben and Jess, with hugest gratitude to Fiona for her many, many corrections & suggestions. And finally to Juliet, my wife, for letting me write when really I should have been earning some money.
About the Author
T.A. Donnelly was born in Belfast, and moved to London via Zimbabwe (he has an appalling sense of direction). He has worked in an egg-packing factory, restored gold-work in a listed building, been a postal worker, and served as an Anglican Vicar and Chaplain in the‘secure estate.’ He currently lives in Blackheath, London, with his wife and three children.
Other books by T.A. Donnelly:
The Wild Strawberry Trilogy: (Suggested for over 18s only!)
1 Descent
2 Life in Hell
3 Ascent
The Parliament of the Dead Page 14
