No Longer Alone

Jim died ten years ago, or was it fifteen? I’m not really sure, time slips away like that these days. I suppose it is part of growing old. Jim and I were never blessed with children, which was fine, it wasn’t always fine, but now it’s fine. We had a good life together, just the two of us. And when he died, well, I had a difficult time of it, but I was determined to make it on my own, and I have. All these years, I have made it on my own. Just me, and this house. Jim would have been so proud.

Alas, the time has come that I must admit I can no longer take care of the house alone. I may be proud, but I’m not too proud to know when I need help. Besides, it will be nice to have someone else in this house. Actually, two people, a young couple. Oh no, I am not charging them rent, you see, they are doing me a favor, helping me fix this old house up again. Oh, and maybe, perhaps, someday they will start a family. How lovely to have children running around, filling this house with laughter. I always thought this place was too big for just Jim and I, this place deserves children, it was meant to have children, yes, well, I suppose we already covered that.

So in preparation for their arrival I have decided to move to the attic room. It is only right, this young couple, they deserve the master bedroom. What would a little old lady need that much space for anyway? No, I am fine in the attic, best to stay out of their way. Oh look, here they come now! I will just wait in my little room, stay out of their hair and let them settle in. No need to hover over them. No, that just wouldn’t do at all.

 Oh dear, I meant to come down for dinner and welcome them, but I must have dozed off. What must they think of my manners! Well, I ventured downstairs just after breakfast, and wouldn’t you know it, they had already started to work on the place. I could hear them in the living room, banging away, and, I hope you won’t think too horribly of me, but I couldn’t help but overhear them talking, and the things they were saying… How the house looked as if it had been abandoned at least fifty years! Well, I marched into that room to give them a piece of my mind, and let me tell you, they were so embarrassed to be caught saying those horrible things that they turned sheet white. I did hear them arguing in their room later, something about ghosts, what a nasty thing to say about an old lady. They packed up and left that night, flying out of the driveway like a bat out of hell. Perhaps I am destined to be alone forever/