The Empty Bench George Edmonds placed his battered flask on his lap and fiddled with the lidtesting for
My father-in-law thought we would always look after him. My husband grew up in a warm, loving family.
Monday, 12th February Ever since our son got married, he barely pays us a visit. Its as if we hardly
At sixty-two, I never imagined I could fall in love again as deeply as I did in my youth. My friends
Our mum ended up homeless with three kids! Our dad took all the money from selling our flat and just
After Speaking with the Adopted Girl, I Realised Not Everything Was as It Seemed
Beside me on a park bench sat a five-year-old girl, swinging her legs as she told me about her life:
“I’ve never seen my dad because he left me and Mum when I was very little. Mum died a year ago. The grown-ups told me she’d passed away.
The girl looked at me and continued her story:
“After the funeral, Auntie Liz—Mum’s sister—came to live with us. They said she was doing the right thing not sending me to a children’s home. They explained that now Auntie Liz was my guardian and I’d live with her.
The girl fell silent, stared under the bench, then continued:
“After I moved in, Auntie Liz started tidying the house: she put all my mum’s belongings in a corner and wanted to throw them away. I started crying and begged her not to, so she let me keep them. Now I sleep in that corner. At night I lie on top of Mum’s things and feel warm there—it’s like she’s with me.
Every morning, Auntie gives me something to eat. She’s not the best cook—Mum was better—but she always asks me to finish everything on my plate. I don’t want to upset her, so I eat it all. I know she’s made an effort to cook. It’s not her fault if she can’t cook like Mum. Then she sends me out to play, and I’m not allowed back until it starts to get dark. Auntie Liz is very, very nice!
She loves to boast about me to her friends. I don’t know these friends but they visit our house often. Auntie sits with them over tea, tells funny stories, says nice things about me, and treats us both to sweets.
After these words, the girl sighed and went on:
“I can’t just eat sweets all the time. Auntie’s never scolded me for anything. She’s always kind. Once she even gave me a doll—of course, the doll is a bit poorly, her leg is bad and one of her eyes squints a lot. My mum never gave me a poorly doll.
The little girl jumped off the bench and started hopping on one foot:
“I have to go because Auntie told me her friends are coming today, and I have to dress nicely before they arrive. She promised me a delicious cake afterwards. Goodbye!
The girl hopped off the bench and hurried away to do her errands. I sat for a long time thinking, my thoughts circling around “kind” Auntie Liz. I wondered: what was really going on with this well-meaning aunt? Why did she want everyone to believe she was so noble? How could anyone turn a blind eye to a child sleeping on the floor, wrapped in her late mother’s clothes… After speaking with the adopted girl, I realise not everything is as clear as it seemed. Next to me on
Our relatives drifted into our flat on a peculiar Sunday, their arms a jumble of boxes and baskets, as
Last year, my mum did something I never expectedshe decided she would sell us vegetables from her own garden.
Married at fiftyI thought I’d finally found happiness, but I never imagined what was in store for
Injustice Mum, Sarah asked, sounding almost baffled, why did I only get three hundred and thirty thousand?
