Meeting Mrs Calder

Life takes unexpected turns in this powerful short story by Jessma Carter.

Emily loved their new home. She just hoped their neighbour wouldn’t become a problem . . .

It was the school holidays and Ian, a teacher at the local high school, had developed a lot of handy skills when the children were small.

Most of his time was spent putting on new door handles, fixing loose cupboard doors, painting the sitting-room and installing a new fireplace, as well as heaving stones around the garden and laying paving.

When the holidays were over, and after their respective families had called to give their approval to the new home, Ian left for school every day around eight o’clock and returned around five.

This left weekends free for golf or friends or cinema-going in the next town with Emily.

She, meanwhile, spent mornings at her business, went to the post office at lunchtime, shopped, cooked or did a bit of gardening.

They saw little of Mrs Calder apart from the odd nod if they spotted one another in the garden.

Otherwise there was an occasional request to post a letter or fetch some small item from town if Mrs Calder spotted Emily getting ready to leave in her car.

“It’s good to be just us sometimes,” Ian said contentedly as the pair snuggled into the sofa and turned on the news.

****

A couple of months later, when Ian came back from school and they sat down for their meal, Emily seemed annoyed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing much,” she said, but she sounded irritated.

“Come on, Em. Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

Emily was reluctant to reply.

“It’s just Mrs Calder.” “What about her? She seems harmless enough. Don’t tell me she has dark secrets!”

Ian folded his paper and poured himself another cup of tea.

Emily shook her head.

“No, it’s me. I get annoyed when I shouldn’t. I should have more compassion.” Ian laughed. “Can I help?” “Well, I went out in the lovely sunshine, pegged out the washing and was looking forward to an afternoon out.

“I was going as usual to the post office and then I planned to go to the library, have a bit of a browse, then stop for a cup of tea at Maisie’s Tea Shop. That sort of thing. You know?”

“And?”

“And then Mrs Calder next door does her usual,

‘If you happen to be going down town, maybe you’ll get me a pint of milk’.”

“But that’s no problem,” Ian said. “You were going to town anyway.”

“That’s the point, Ian.

She knows I go to the post office every weekday lunchtime.

“Why does she not just ask straight out?

“I know that the buses aren’t frequent. I know she’s not keen on driving. I know that she’s a bit unsteady on her feet.

“Why doesn’t she just ask? I’m beginning to dread the words, ‘If you happen to be going down town’!”

Ian frowned.

“Are you glad we came here?”

Emily looked astonished. “Of course. What makes you say that?”

“You seem uneasy these days, that’s all.”

****

During the next month, Ian became increasingly concerned about Emily.

She seemed to talk less to him.

She said she had started to call on Mrs Calder before going out, before Mrs Calder had a chance to ask if she was going.

“Maybe that was what I should have done before. I just didn’t like the roundabout way she had of asking for things.”

Then, unusually for her, she started to cry.

Ian held her close until the sobbing stopped.

“What is it? Something’s been troubling you for a while.”

He led her into the sitting-room and sat her down on the couch.

“I’m just letting stupid things annoy me. It’s got nothing to do with Mrs Calder.

“I’m frightened, Ian.” He lifted up her chin to look at her.

“What do you mean, frightened?”

It took some time for her to reply.

“Last time I was in town I went to the doctor. I have to have a scan.”

“A scan?”

“Don’t sound so angry, Ian. I mean a breast scan.”

“I’m not angry, I’m concerned. Why did you not tell me?”

“Because I was frightened. That’s why.”

“But I want us to share it, Emily. I want to share everything with you.”

“I get angry with everything these days,” she confessed. “It’s so unfair. We’ve just moved into a place we really want to be – and this happens.

“Most of all, I’m frightened.

“And I get angry with people who are old and needy. They don’t know how lucky they are to be old.”

“I’ll be with you. I’ll be there when you get your scan.” Ian hugged her tight.

“Hold on, Ian. Let me at least live until we know more.” She managed a smile.

****

Everything seemed to happen very quickly. Ian insisted on going with her to the hospital for her treatment.

“Don’t, Ian. What about school? I’ll be fine. I’ll get the bus there and back.” He was firm.

“I’ve never asked for time off. I’m coming with you and that’s that.

“I love you. How can I let you go alone?

“You don’t know how fit you’ll feel afterwards. We can decide what we do when you get the next treatment.”

Emily said nothing, for she was finding that control of her life was slipping away from her.

She cried often, for stupid reasons.

****

Ian had placed a basket chair on the front step before he left for school and Emily was dozing when she heard Mrs Calder’s

She was finding that control of her life was slipping away

voice from over the wall.

“Havenae seen you for a bit. I’ve been in Glasgow seeing my daughter and giving her a hand. Are you OK?” A head appeared.

Emily managed to reply loudly enough for Mrs Calder to hear.

“I’ve been a bit unwell. Why don’t you come round and sit in the sun?

“You’ll find a chair just inside the door there,” she said when Mrs Calder arrived.

The woman gave Emily a long look.

“It’s the big bad rascal, is it?”

Emily managed a smile. “Yes, it’s that.”

“Well, you’ll just need to let me do your messages for you. That’s life.”

Emily had discovered recently that truthful talk was often the best way of solving problems.

“I’d like that. But what’s happened? Have you a new car? When we first came here you wanted me go down town for you.”

Mrs Calder was unfazed. “That’s true enough. You were going anyway – you had your parcels and such like.

“I thought I’d leave it all to you. Save the planet.”

“How did that save the planet?” Emily was unimpressed.

“Well, I’d have got my car out and it would have wheezed first time round and then its exhaust would have bellowed

a lot of smoke. That’s how.”

Emily laughed for the first time in days.

“Now, tell me the real reason. You just didn’t feel like it, did you?”

Mrs Calder looked sideways at Emily.

“You’ve got me there.” She clapped her hands on her knees.

“Aye, you’ve got me there!” she said and laughed loudly.

****

Mrs Calder didn’t come every day, as Emily thought she might.

Sometimes she would hear the car cough its way into life and she’d sleep, wake, half listen for the rumble of the car coming back.

“I didnae like to pester you for I knew you were napping yesterday morning when I came back, but here’s some news for you. Just look at that.”

She handed the local paper to Emily, then grabbed it back.

“I’ll read it out to you, for your glasses are nowhere to be seen, as usual.

“There will be an embroiderers’ show at the town hall on September the thirtieth,” she read. “That’s just four months away. I’m thinkin’ you should get ready for that.

“You’ve shown me all the clever things you can make and there are some folks around here that do a lot of knitting and sewing and the like.”

She laid the paper in front of Emily.

“September is too soon.” Emily raised herself from the couch, patting the cushion that had lain beneath her head, and made an effort to show that she wasn’t being dismissive.

“I’ve been meaning to ask your Christian name. What do I call you? I can’t keep calling you Mrs Calder.”

“What way no’? I’ve been Mrs Calder to everybody since ever I remember.

“You’re younger than me, so you’re Emily. That’s the way things go.”

Emily smiled to herself.

The two sat for a while.

The silence was fine, the way it is with people who are totally at ease with one another.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Mrs Calder said. “Just you get on your feet an’ we’ll be ready by September.”

Emily looked doubtful. “Trust me, I know,” Mrs Calder insisted. “I’ve met the big, bad rascal an’ all. And look at me now.”

She patted her chest.

“As good as thon Marilyn wha used to be in the films, and who’s to know it’s padded?”

“You never said.” Emily was surprised.

“That’s the way o’ things. I don’t brood on the past. It never does ony good.

“Just get on wi’ life.

That’s what I say.

“I wis lucky enough to have bairns that I never thought I would, although I would never have chosen for them to go so far away.

“I’d like fine to have them here near me.”

Neither spoke for a while until Mrs Calder went back to her reason for calling.

“This embroidery thing. You pay for your stall but the money goes to help the bairns.”

Emily picked up the paper and read it carefully.

“September,” she mused. “Maybe I could manage that, if you gave me a hand.”

“There’s no such word as maybe. Maybe’s for folks wha hae no guts.

“You’ve got thread enough there and fabric and colours enough to sew a full-sized rainbow.”

****

Ian smiled when he came in and saw Emily.

“You’re up! And busy, I see.”

He gave her a hug.

“Don’t overdo it,” he warned, seeing the pile of threads and fabrics Emily had laid out on the table.

“I won’t overdo it,” Emily promised, then she turned to him and grinned.

“But, as Mrs Calder says, ‘You’ll no’ win a prize if you dinnae run the race’!”

The End.