Wednesday, 27 June 2018

4:30 pm

"Bugger! Bugger, bugger, bugger!" Elsie hit the End button on her mobile and threw the device at the sofa across her office. Seconds later, she was grateful to have good aim lest it have hit the wall above and broken apart. She slammed closed the ledger on her desk and sat back in her chair for a moment before she stood up and crossed the room, kicking the air a few times along the way. "Bugger!"

Unceremoniously plopping herself down on the sofa, she reached for her mobile, turning it over in her hand. The screen was dark and for a split second she thought she had broken it after all. She flicked the power button and was relieved to see the photo of her and Charles posing in their ALICE IN WONDERLAND props from months ago light up the screen. "Daft man," she said aloud to no one but herself, "If you had any idea what all lay ahead," she sighed as she leaned forward cradling her head in her hands.

Elsie Hughes prided her status as a strong, independent woman but this month was testing her. She spun on her bottom then and stretched out along the length of the sofa, elbows over her head and hands covering her face. "Bugger!"

What had Dr. Kuragin said exactly? She replayed the short conversation a few times in her mind until she was sure she had the sequence and the words right.

She texted Charles asking if he was free this evening.

When he replied a moment later that he was, she looked at the clock and asked him to arrive between 6:45 and 7:00. Again he affirmed he could and asked if he might bring anything. Ice cream was her answer.

6:45 pm

Hoisting the insulated bag in his right hand after ringing the bell, the door hadn't even opened all the way when he cheerily blurted out the line he'd proudly hatched at the market, "Chunky Monkey in hand, and in the flesh, Ms. Hughes."

Draining the last swig of whiskey in her tumbler and reaching for the bag, she stoically replied, "You're not chunky and I want it in my mouth."

"Somehow you made that sound a little risqué," he joked, following her inside.

"And if I did?" she walked straight to the kitchen, her disheveled appearance complete with plaid pyjamas trousers, dressing gown, pinned up wet hair and pale complexion grabbing his attention. She tore off the lid and shoveled a large spoonful straight from container to mouth, raising his eyebrows.

"Elsie, what's wrong?"

She swallowed before answering, "Helluva month, Charlie. Come in and I'll tell you the latest," she shuffled to the parlour, ice cream in one hand, tumbler in the other.

Sitting down with her feet on the sofa and pouring another two fingers of whiskey, Charles sat down beside her, concerned. As she stared across the room at the muted images on the telly, she began, "Dr. Kuragin phoned me this afternoon, Charlie."

"Oh?" he tensed.

"Years ago he told me that his nurses place most follow up calls to patients, but if it's important, he will call."

"Oh, Elsie –"

"It's NOT cancer…he assured me of that. Rather, it appears my left implant has begun to leak. The only course of action is to replace it - them - the other one is probably not far behind."

"Is the leak dangerous?"

"Not per see, it's just saline, like an ordinary IV."

"Then why the sorry state? Am I missing something?"

She swallowed another spoonful before licking the back of the spoon, "I'm getting on, Mr. Carson. In less than three weeks I've been diagnosed with varicose veins, crippled with the debilitating pain of a kidney stone, had a bloody procedure to blast the thing to bits, lost two weeks' salary in dealing with it all, and now been told I need to have reconstructive breast surgery for the second time in my life. That all together is the bloody reason for my so called sorry state, Charlie."

"And am I to gather that whiskey and ice cream are going to pull you through?"

"They're worth a try."

"What about your boyfriend?"

"What about him?"

"For starters, can he have a taste?"

"Of what?"

He rolled his eyes and then pointed at the ice cream container. She scooped a tiny spoonful out and held it out to him; he wrapped his lips around the bowl of the spoon, savoring the chocolate and banana flavors.

"Your boyfriend might also be of assistance to help you through. When does the surgery need to happen?"

"More like when does Dr. Kuragin have availability. In three months. By then I will surely be so lopsided, my left side will look like a smoothing iron was run over me."

"I am sure you'll still look beautiful, Elsie Hughes."

"Charlie, I don't feel beautiful even now knowing what's coming."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," he said inching closer and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "You are beautiful," and then he planted a single, lingering kiss on her lips, before adding, "And you taste good too!"