The Gift
“You know I don’t do birthdays!” “Ah yes but I do, with abundance. In fact I love them more than enough for the both of us, so you’ll just have to go with it!!” She Laughed her deep yet tinkly laugh that always made him smile. He drew in a deep breath. Birthday’s always made him feel uncomfortable. In fact any situation where he was due to be the centre of attention put his nerves on edge. It hadn’t always been like this. In his younger days, he was brash and confident. Some may even have said arrogant. He was brimming with self confidence, in both his physical abilities being a keen sportsman, and his opinions, enjoying being the focus of attention and having his thinking validated. Now he was older and the knocks of life had somehow ground him down. He pushed his glasses back onto his face, an unconcious gesture he often did when needing time to think or compose himself, and dragged his fingers through his greying hair. “So what did you have in mind?” he managed at last. Part of him dreading the answer, but also desperately trying to absorb some of her enthusiasm. “clubbing!!” she retorted with a big grin spreading across her face. His look of increduality actually made her burst out laughing physically holding her sides as she chortled away. ”Oh my God, your face is a picture!!” she giggled the laughter gradually subsiding enough for her to speak. “well birthdays are bad enough, but clubbing at our age, I don’t think so”. “I was only joking” she sighed, tucking her arm through his and snuggling in for warmth against the biting October wind. Come on lets get somewhere warm. They trudged up the road tracing the familiar route home and as if on autopilot headed for the Howard Arms and the weloming warmth that eminated from within.
To be continued…..
