Chapter twenty-five: Kathleen tells Aster about what happened to Kenneth James or tries to--Aster refuses to listen. What will become of her? Does this story have a happy ending?
Chapter twenty-six
The clicking of needles matched the rocking of her chair. Knit. Purl. Knit. P—. The needles fell out of her hands to the floor. Her body was thrown against the chair; her eyes rolled into her skull. As if pulled by a string, she rose to her feet. Her body moved like she was made of wood like she was a marionette. The knitting basket stood in her way. Her right leg kicked out toppling it. Needles and yarn showered the floor.
Thud! Blind, she crashed into the wall. She stumbled back and moved over two inches. Second attempt successful, she left the living room and entered the kitchen. She passed fridge, sink, stove. Turning left into the utility room, she descended the creaking wooden stairs to the basement. Knitted slippers on cold concrete, she faced a grey wall. Her right foot swung back, then forward, and into the wall. She didn’t flinch. The wall crumbled to dust, revealing a tunnel four feet wide by six feet high. Unaided by light or sight, she found a grooved path and, with arms outstretched, she entered the tunnel. Where others would have faltered, the blind elderly woman wove past dangling roots and over rocks. Further down the path, she plowed into the edge of her life. Sliding her outstretched hands up and down, and to the left and right, she searched for a gap, but the darkness was unyielding. Spread eagle, she squeezed her fingertips and the toes of her slippers into the void. A piercing white light poured out of the dark, wrapped around her, and melted her body. Flesh and bone dissolved into a single water droplet. Transformed she travelled in the winds of time—a silent witness, observing but not observed.
One sky-blue, sun-filled day, a little girl ran outside to play. That single water droplet fell from the sky, onto her hand and was immediately absorbed. Enwrapped by unexplained happiness, the child smiled.
Thank you for reading Mrs. Kenneth James Stevens Wants A Baby
I enjoyed sharing this story with you.
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Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
All We Left Behind by D. K. Graham
While writing and re-writing Mrs. Kenneth James Stevens Wants A Baby, I gained inspiration from these books.
July on this blog...
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Sunday, July 9
Japanese Neighbours Remembered by Leanne Dyck
Sunday, July 16
Expresso (short story) by Leanne Dyck
In this short story, one of my favourite characters makes a special, surprising appearance
Sunday, July 23
Book Review: The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr
2022 Scotiabank Giller winner
Sunday, July 30
Dog or Wolf (short story) by Leanne Dyck
a fable
