Authors: Duncan Whitehead
A Few Years Earlier
“What time is it dear?”
“Nearly noon.”
“Are they out there?”
“Yes, yes they are.”
Elliott Miller turned to face his dying wife from the window that looked out onto the park. He smiled at Thelma and let the curtain drop, dimming the sunlight that had temporarily flooded the room. Elliott walked over to his wife’s bedside and placed a loving hand on her forehead, before he began gently stroking the side of her cheek.
“You know it is only a matter of time now, don’t you dear?”
Elliott nodded.
“I mean, this maybe
it
, my last hours,” Thelma coughed and Elliott quickly grabbed the glass of water from his wife’s bedside table and raised it to her lips. Thelma took a sip before indicating that she had drank enough.
“I will miss them, the ladies, the walks, and the gossip. All harmless mind you, but still, it was so much fun. And of course Biscuit and Grits, they loved it too.” Thelma stared at her husband and smiled. “I have had a good life and it was all thanks to you.” Elliott began to speak but his wife hushed him before he could utter a word. “You came into our lives, mine and the boys when we needed you the most. You treated Spencer and Gordon as if they were your own blood. You gave us a beautiful home, and you worked so hard. I am so proud of you.”
Elliott smiled back at his wife, “It was a team effort.”
Thelma waved his comment away. “You gave up that job for us. You published those books for us. Even though you didn’t want to, even though you thought it wrong and immoral. Your words, not mine.” Thelma was staring off into the distance.
“Hush dear, it is all in the past,”
“I hope so. I pushed you into writing them, I pushed you into finding a publisher, and I knew you didn’t want to. I made you. For the boys. For their college…for me…oh Elliott, I am sorry for that. For making you do something that you told me was wrong to do. “
“It was my choice, no one forced me.”
Thelma was sobbing, tears flowing down her cheeks. “It isn’t true, you know it. I know it. You are the most honorable man I have ever known. Oh Lord, I love you Elliott Miller.” She wiped the tears from her face with a hand before Elliott had chance to hand her a tissue. “One day, one day soon, you will be mayor. On that day, I want you to remember how proud I am of you.”
Elliott smiled and held his wife’s hand tightly. He looked around their room and sighed. He knew it was time just as much as Thelma did. Maybe a few more hours, who knew? He had even heard that Betty Jenkins was telling people that Thelma’s ‘light was shining.’ Oh, the things people said, their turn of phrase, their colloquialisms and the way they expressed themselves. How he loved Savannah and its people.
“You know they all fancy you?”
Elliott turned to face his wife, “Who does?”
“Cindy does, at least. I can tell. She keeps telling me how she will look after you when I ‘pass on,’” Thelma managed a smile, “You be careful when I’m gone. They will all be after you.”
“Carla and Heidi too?” asked Elliot with a smile.
“No. You are too old for Carla…and too young for Heidi…”
Elliott laughed, “I guess I am. Carla is a, what is it they call them?”
“Cougar” said Thelma now smiling.
“Yes. Cougar. I am sure she likes them young.”
Thelma was now smiling broadly “You should see the way she acts whenever she sees Tom Hudd. It’s enough to make you cringe. Fluffing her hair, grabbing her lipstick… oh, I will miss those ladies. “
Elliott and Thelma were both now laughing together alone in their bedroom, she on the bed, and he beside her, holding her hand. “Seriously though, I want you to be happy. When I go. I want you to marry again. I want you to find the woman of your dreams. You deserve it.”
Thelma turned to face her husband. “I mean it. I want you to be happy, to find love, and I don’t mean with Cindy. Good lord, no. She would drive you mad, talking about her nephew, insisting on baking you pies every day. No, I mean someone who would be good for you. Not good for others, not someone who people think you should marry. But please, promise me, be happy? Be in love? For me.”
“Oh hush now,” said Elliott as he stroked his wife’s hand again. “Who would really want an old fool like me?”
“You are nobody’s fool Elliott Miller. No one’s. Tell me, out of everyone we know, who would you chose? If you could? If you could start again, when I’m gone, who would you want to be lying here, in this bed, with you?”
“Anyone?”
“Yes, anyone…tell me.”
“Kelly Hudd,” shouted Elliott with a laugh.
Thelma laughed. “Well, I kind of asked for that, didn’t I? What man wouldn’t want a girl like her? Okay, dear husband, you have my blessing. In the remote, and I mean remote chance, that you and Kelly Hudd become acquainted, you have my permission to marry her.”
Both Elliott and Thelma laughed and their laughter caused both Biscuits and Grits to raise their heads from their spot at the foot of Thelma’s bed. “I guess you had better take these two out. I bet they are itching for a walk or a run outside,” said Thelma, indicating towards the two poodles that now stood, tails wagging by the door.
“Okay, I will take them out. Don’t go anywhere,” joked Elliott
His wife smiled as he opened the bedroom door, letting the dogs bound down the stairs. “I won’t,” she replied.
Elliott exited the door to the big white house that sat opposite Gordonston Park, and led Biscuits and Grits over the road and through the gate into the park. Sitting, as they always were at the picnic table, their red plastic cups containing their favorite beverages in front of them were Heidi, Carla and Cindy. They waved at him and he waved back. He didn’t have time to talk and if he did, he didn’t want to. His time was precious now, and her time was even more precious. He stood at the gate and watched as Biscuits and Grits did their business and then entered the park, headed towards the ‘poopa scoopa.’
“Don’t worry, we will take care of it,” shouted Cindy.
“Yes, you get back to Thelma Go now, shoo, shoo,” yelled Carla.
“Tell her we send her our best wishes,” added Heidi.
“Thank you,” shouted Elliott, and on hearing his voice, both Biscuits and Grits ran towards their master. Elliott smiled as he turned his back on the park and headed back to his home. What would this place be, he thought, without The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club?
The End