In the Skies

Kat’s in trouble again. Lewis didn’t want to deal with it, but Aisha insisted on helping her. So help they shall. (Rather, Lewis quietly stood off to the side while the leader took charge.) The young woman looked at the leader old biddy with big eyes. Aisha gave her a kind smile.

“Come on,” she said. “Talk to me.” Kat broke down whimpering about the break-up of her last relationship with her boyfriend. Aisha put up her hand.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” she said. “Could you slow down, dear?” Kat still broke down whining and crying. Aisha turned to Lewis watching her from the kitchen. The farmer shrugged and shook her head. Kat dropped her head on the table and bawled more. Aisha lowered her head and sighed.

“Oh boy,” she mumbled.

--------

William sat on his front porch with an empty bottle in his hand. He hadn’t planned on doing much today. He just wanted to enjoy the do-nothing day for himself. The girls were out for the door and same with his neighbor, Muriel. Even Greg was nowhere in sight. The old man closed his eyes and let himself enjoy his perfect day.

That’s really funny.

William looked up when he heard a car pulling up towards the house. One look and his face dropped. Oh bollocks! Don’t tell me… The old man rose to his feet when an old woman in a sundress stepped out of the dark blue Volvo. William’s frown deepened.

“Martha?” he asked. The woman tilted her head before she took off her shades.

“Hello, William,” she said. He narrowed his eyes at the woman with greying hair.

“Uh… What are you doing here?”

“I came here to see my granddaughters.”

William folded his arms across his chest. “Well they aren’t here.” Martha looked up at the sky.

“I’ll just wait here for them then,” she said.

“I don’t know when they’ll get back,” he said.

“That’s fine,” the old woman said. “I’ll wait here as long as it takes.” William looked down at his empty bottle, clenching his teeth. Bollocks, he thought.

----------

Lewis narrowed her eyes at Aisha as they watched Kat wipe away her tears.

“So how are you planning to help her out?” she asked. The leader turned to her with big eyes.

“Uh… well…” she said. “We could get her back together with this young man that she was with.” Lewis, Muriel, and Clyde tried their hardest not to burst out into laughter. Aisha looked at them with a confused look on her face.

“What?” she asked. Lewis smiled and patted her on the back.

“What if they don’t want each other back?” the farmer asked. The leader thought about this for a moment before she finally shrugged.

“Well… then… We’ll just find her a new young gentleman for her to count,” Aisha said. Lewis smiled and shook her head.

“Good luck with that, my friend,” she said in a low voice.

“Well, we won’t know unless we try,” the leader said.

“Like I said, I wish you luck,” Lewis said. Muriel and Clyde got the giggles as their posh friend forced herself to smile and keep positive about this latest scheme.

---------

Tucker managed to sneak off behind the Sunny Plum during the busy lunch hour. He took a quick look around before he took out a fag and lit up. Ah, one of the very few times he could enjoy anything to himself. Annie would throw a fit if she caught smoking in the café or the house. In fact, she tried to force him to quit three years ago. He claimed that he did, but he had gotten better at hiding it from his wife. Today would be no different.

Tucker leaned against the brick wall and took in a heavy smoke. Tasted like solitude and freedom. It felt like the good old days when he wasn’t married or working in a café day-in and day-out. It was just him and his packet of fags. He had almost forgotten what complete bliss was like. The smoke and fire were his kingdom.

“Tucker!” Annie’s voice filled the air. “Get back in here right now!” Her husband gritted his teeth and cursed himself. There went that solitude.

“Coming, dear,” he mumbled to himself. Tucker snubbed out his cigarette and walked back into the café.

----------

“Aunt Lewis?” Kat asked at the kitchen table. Aisha nudged the farmer on the arm. She motioned her head to go over and take care of her niece.

“Do I have to?” Lewis mouthed.

“Yes,” Aisha mouthed back.

“Aunt Lewis?” Kat asked again. Her aunt sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Fine, coming,” the farmer grumbled. The leader began scheming as Lewis walked into the kitchen.

Old Biddy is Plotting Love