The Kitchen Widow

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Prompt number 6 from the 30 Day Writing Challenge

Start a piece with “I am standing at my kitchen window…”

I am standing at my kitchen window, staring out into the rain…waiting…he’s late. Waiting to see the car I warned him not to buy pull onto the driveway. Waiting to see him dash up the path, drenched, because he didn’t take the jacket I’d advised him to wear that morning. But all I see are two police officers. They close the gate carefully behind them. Is there really a need to be so polite?

They see me, our eyes meet, but there is no smile, no indication on their faces to their reason for being at my front door. I wait for them to ring the bell, hoping that when they see my door number they’ll realise they have the wrong house.

The bell rings, I hesitate. If I don’t answer perhaps they’ll go away. If I don’t answer then I won’t have to hear what they have come to say. But they know I’m in, I can’t hide.

I make my way down the hallway, my feet dragging across the old worn carpet. How many times now have I told him we need a new one? I have to really concentrate to persuade my legs to make it to the door. But my arm is far stubborner. It resists all attempts to reach for the latch.

They ring the bell again and my brain releases a rush of endorphins, sparking my nerves into action and forcing my hand to claw at the lock. I fling open the door.

“Mrs Thornton?”
I nod at the young policeman who looks barely old enough to drive.
“Can we come in please? I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”
He removes his helmet just as a large droplet of water falls from the porch roof and lands on his nose. Normally I’d laugh, but not today, not now. Something in my stomach twists and I know it will be a long time until I laugh again, perhaps I never will…

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Courtesy of Sira Anamwong @ freedigitalphotos

Awwwww, poor Mrs Thornton 😦 Here in the UK, if you’re a law abiding citizen with no criminal connections, you don’t have any contact with the police, so if two officers walk up your garden path, you know that it’s bad news about someone you love 😦

Unfortunately I don’t think there will be a happy ending for Mrs Thornton….perhaps there has been a mistake?

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