The sound of the church clock struck eleven and the moonlight crept in through a chink in the bedroom curtains. Eleanor blinked back the tears that were always there waiting to fall as she watched her two children as they slept soundly in their beds, the sound of their regular breathing so comforting to her. She had been here every night since the fatal car accident that she was involved in a year ago, watching and wishing that she could reach out; touch them; kiss them; cuddle them close to her. She refused to leave her family and spent her time between her children and her husband, wanting to keep them all safe and look after them just as she would have done if she had still been alive. Eleanor wished that she could let them know that she was there, she had mastered the art of making the curtains waft as if in a cool breeze and could flicker the lights on and off but these actions had not aroused any response in her family. She couldn’t bear it when her children cried for her and her husbands’ sad expression as he comforted them. She felt so desolate, lonely and helpless.
Suddenly, Chloe, her eldest daughter stirred and opened her eyes.
”Mummy, oh Mummy’ she cried out.
The door opened almost Immediately and her husband Ray entered quickly and went to her, wrapped his arms about her and rocked her gently until she seemed more settled, speaking quietly and reassuringly to her whilst explaining that Mummy was no longer with them.
Eleanor suppressed a lump in her throat and all the emotions that were welling up inside her. Ray was so good with the children and she was thankful to know that he would always look after them. He left the bedroom after kissing Chloe gently on the cheek and tucking her in.
As soon as the door closed she sat up in her bed and whispered
”Mummy, are you still there?”
”Of course I am, I am always nearby” Eleanor replied.”
”I’ve missed you so much, are you a ghost now?” Chloe enquired but showed no fear of the situation.
”Yes, I suppose I am but I am still your Mummy and I will always look after you all, like a guardian angel.” Eleanor wanted to reassure her so that she wouldn’t be afraid.
”Can I tell Daddy and Faye that I have seen you?” Chloe asked.
”Yes, you can, but they may not understand, they may think that you were having a dream, now you must go back to sleep, night-night darling, I love you all so very much.”
The next morning whilst they had their breakfast Chloe told her little sister and her Daddy that Mummy had been to visit them last night and she was their guardian angel and was going to look after them all. Chris smiled indulgently at her, the memories of his late wife flooding back to him. Yes, he was sure that if it were possible Eleanor would do that. He didn’t want to upset his daughter so he thought very carefully before saying to her,
”I think that you may have had a dream, but it is a lovely one and I am sure that your Mummy is looking out for us all and will always continue to do so.”
He suddenly felt a warm feeling of contentment, something that he had not felt for the last year. The curtains swayed gently at the window although there was no breeze. The light
flickered on and off and just for a moment Ray believed that his wife was there in the room with them, he could smell her perfume, he smiled at his children thankful that he had them, for he knew that his wife would continue to live on through them.
Eleanor realised that for that very brief moment she had made him aware of her presence and she too felt contentment.
TOTAL WORDS: 667 – Genie
