Green Sleeves
It was a breezeless evening. Emily stood up from the cushion listlessly and walked towards the window. It had been half a year that Donne passed away. “Emily,
Emily...” In the still air Donne’s voice lingered in her ear. Tears flew into
her eyes again. “Donne, Donne, where are you now...”
Three years ago they came to this south west town and bought the house with their saving over the past few years. The house was lovely and trees around it carefully trimmed by its once owner. Emily fell in love with the house the first time
it was in her sight. Mignonne. She wondered why the house was auctioned at a bargain. Donne growled about it, worrying there were underlying factors that they,
as strangers to this part of country, could not make out through the auction.
I don’t care. Emily said to herself. There was nothing worse than the house they lived before. It was mice-ridden, damp, and lifeless all year round. Ever since she slipped down from the drab hard wooden stairs and lost her unborn baby, she had been dying for leaving the morose house. And the dreadful memory. Donne had promised her to leave once he found a new offer.
It happened that not long ago one of Donne’s friends, Charley, left his job and
came to ask if Donne was interested in the offer. Charley had been Donne’s friends ever since they were kids. When Donne drove for the interview Emily went around the new town where Donne’s company was located. It was relatively remote
to town and people in the shops were polite and remote. There was the feel of settlement and security about the town. Emily liked it.
So soon after Donne passed his interview Emily arranged to sell the old house and moved into the new one. At night when Donne was not home, Emily would sit at the lamplight sketching the outlook of the new garden and new room. She even thought of raising a lovely kitten in the new house. Donne was busy all the time. A
kitten will well accompany her at lonely moments. Surely she would carry the baby clothes she made too. The lovely room in the north upstairs would be perfect for her future baby, she smiled to herself.
Life had been hard for her and Donne. But things would change surely, though Emily when she arranged their meagre furniture and two clothes trunks into the grey
van. Donne went to work earlier in the morning. The construction work has been
heavy recently. It didn’t matter, she could handle things herself. Besides it was spring now. The scene of chirping birds and blooming flowers would certainly
do her good.
It was in the evening when she heard the news. During the day she went to the hospital and went to the local pet shop choosing a kitten. Donne would surely like
the snow white kitten. When she hugged the kitten into her arm, it clung to her
chest and timidly licked her fingers. She had imaged thousands of times that her baby would cling to her like this. Tears crept into her eyes. But she managed
to hold the feeling back when she paid for the kitten at the casher. Everything
would be different from the moment now.
She held the phone tight while the voice at the other end grunted on. “I am sorry, Mrs. Miller. Mr. Miller fell from the ladder and stopped breathing immediately. We will send someone to meet you tomorrow morning. I am really sorry for it.
..” She couldn’t remember when she hanged up the phone and how she walked to the chair. It was dry in her eyes this time. Hadn’t she cried enough when she lost her baby?
Looking around her, the kitten was snoring in its cradle by the chair. And the paper from the hospital was at the tea table. She thought of giving Donne a surprise when he came home. “It looked healthy and lovely. See to your diet and come
back for monthly check-up from now on.” In the hospital the doctor smiled to her. “Donne, we are having a baby again. And it will grow up and call you Papa.
Donne, can you hear me...” A voice was crying in her heart. She was torn.
How she managed to pass through the first few days alone she could not remember.
She only remembered that Donne was finally settled in peace, that the plants she grew in the garden started to bloom, and that the kitten started to grow and clung to her emotionally. And what else? Yes, the baby. It started to play naughty in her stomach gradually. Sometimes, still at night, she could feel the kick and her heart hence throbbed with happiness. “Donne, our baby kicks me again. Donne, can you hear me...”
Now half a year passed. And it was Donne’s birthday today. She went to the graveyard in the daytime and brought Donne a bunch of carnation flowers. It was a sunny summer afternoon. Along the graveyard she met a few other people, who went to mourn for their lost family. But strangely she didn’t feel sad. The piercing
pain she felt has eased away slowly with the fading spring. Come along the blooming summer was the growing baby in her stomach and the beaming sunshine weather
around her. “Donne, soon our baby will be born... I name her Emma. Donne...can
you hear me...”
Leaning against the window curtain she wept quietly. Just in the afternoon she told her mother on the phone she decided to stay in this town. So will Emma. She
attended hair dressing classes locally and just about to finish the course. Her
and Donne’s saving would be enough for her to run a hair dressing salon in the
town. And she went to the local primary school as well. Emma would be glad to attend the school she was sure. And Donne. He should be glad to see that she finally recovered and got strong enough to take care of their baby. “Donne, Emma and
I will be fine. Take care of youself... I will be fine.“ In the glimmering light she seemed to see Donne. This time he didn't seem worried, but relieved and happy.
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