A Lady and Her River

A Lady and Her River.

It was towards the end of a lovely Summers day, on the east coast of Australia. Lying on a lounger next to a River side jetty was a lady, quietly preparing in her mind, her last swim of the day, across

the stretch of water to the sun drenched rocks, which beckened her, on the far side.

She checked the river down and up stream for any evening canoes. Certain that none approached, she rose and slipped off her clothes, to reveal that certain beauty and serenity of a mature woman, the likes of which come to mind, those ladies in the film 'Calender Girls'. To a lady, all independent minded, gained from a life bringing up children and some would say Husbands as well.

Our lady walked to the jetty and gently decended the steps into the water. She swam not quite without a garment or two, namely a summer hat and sun glasses. Quietly, she proceded across the river- her river- to the rocks, as the Sun was just beginning to lose its intensity.

In the glow of a setting sun she sat on a rock looking back at her jetty and the House on the river bank and pondered on life as it had been and life in the future. Where was he, the man who had shared her life over the years , the long partings when they were first married,He travelling the world for his much admired Austin Motor Company, “Austin of England”, was the motto. The coming of their two children , kindly a boy and a girl, later travelling and seeing some of the places they had shared by letter and photographs.

There was now a kind of glow on her river, as the sun,slowly dipped behind the tall trees on the hill behind the house. It was time to return to the jetty and her lounger,and so it was that our Lady and Her river, joined up again and she quietly swam the the eighty or so metres,back to the jetty. Leaving the water and walking to her lounger, now in the shadows of the trees, the cool breeze childed her a little and she dried and began to dress.

Someone was coming down the river bank and under the tees. Then the gentle voice of her grand daughter of fifteen years. “Are you there Grandma , Mother says dinner will be ready soon”. And so the young lady quietly watched her Grandmother dress to the standard well known to all, including her rings in exactly the correct order.

There now, I'm ready said Grandma and they walked together, from under trees and up the slope to the house, so lovingly buillt by the man, now absent from her life. A two storey structure built completely in timbers off their property in the State Forest where they had lived a good part of their life together. Some would say it is a heritage house, as it was designed to reprecate a Seventeenth Centry Barn All the poles were off the block both Iron Bark and Stringy Bark, with Blue gum clading and he never ceased to tell everyone, the angles were fourty five, thirty and ninety degrees. It was all done on the basis of, anything is possible.

They loved their home with their animals both domestic and wild, putting up with the pesky Wombats and Posums and the occasional Black snake.

Grandmother and grandaughter, entered the house via the steps to the verandah. Then through the lounge to the kitchen, where daughter was just completing preperation for dinner.

They were to have this meal in the breakfast room. On the Server was a small Chinese Urn with lid

they all looked kindly at it and daughter said, How was Father------ a few moments and our Lady

and Her River ----- replied, Fine, Just Fine.

Fin.

This story was written,shortly before the writer,went to Hospital for a major operation, on his 68mm diameter Aoorta, which was about to burst – Would not have had time to get to a hospital if it had.

Now published after a delay of a year , before” My Summer of Discontent “ 2016 – 2017

Malcolm E Mason.