Sit A While

She stopped halfway up. I was a few meters ahead before I realised, she was bent in two holding her back up and catching her breath.

Running back down I shouted to her.

“You good?”

She waved her hand in front of her face, tried to speak but couldn’t. She was the colour of a freshly planted tomato.

“We can stop if you like, I saw a bench under that tree.”

Beyond the rocky steps, veering off the path, a large oak tree stood. Underneath that, a wooden bench, plenty of room for the both of us.

I strode with a brisk pace, made myself at home under the tree and plonked my rucksack on the grass.

Granny joined me a few moments after, red faced and exhausted.

She dropped herself down, let out a massive sigh.

“Water?” I asked offering the flask id pulled out my bag.

“Please.” Granny managed to say taking it from me downing a gulp.

“Aahh.” She said breathlessly. “Better.”

I zipped the flask away looking at the view beyond me. It was cloudy, looked suspiciously like they were going to turn grey at any moment.

The top of the hill was just in touching distance, I could practically sense the summit.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Granny checked in almost sounding more like herself.

I shrugged. “Look at the clouds, it’s going to rain anyway.”

Granny made a deliberate choice to lean forward and look out across the oak tree leaves.

“Definitely getting darker over here.”

We watched the clouds travel down from the beginning of the trail to the top.

The sky gave in, water fell from the heavens.

“Best we stopped here then.” I reassured her.

“Well then, looks like it’s staying here for a while, got any snacks in that big bag of yours?”

I rifled through its contents pulling out a packet of Bakewell tarts, reduced to 50p for its damaged box.

“Look what I found.” I said holding them out.

“Bargain.” Granny smiled taking the packet from me.

“Look it’s damaged down the side, there’s tape holding it together.”

I pointed at the crudely put together pieces of box that had been torn together and taped back again.

“Still tastes the same though doesn’t it.”

“Let’s try and see.”

Granny grabbed a tart for herself, held the plastic casing that contained the others. I took one of myself as we both ate at the same time.

“Definitely nothing wrong with this one!” She smiled while she crunched.

I shook my head. “Same here.”

The rain poured in buckets, never ending. The wind from behind blew a gale on our backs but we were sheltered from the wet. Even so, we sat tightly beside each other with our yellow and blue rain mack’s on which we’d luckily worn before we started walking.

“Can I have another?” Granny asked bony fingers already reaching for more.

I laughed. “You don’t need to ask my permission. We’ve been walking, you need the fuel!”

I grabbed a second and we both ate. Somehow the artificial cherry on top of the tart tasted better in the rain than it would at home.

“I didn’t mean to slow you down.” Granny muttered eating the final piece.

I brushed the crumbs that were on my coat onto the grass, reached inside my mouth with my tongue to get the reminding residue.

“Don’t be silly Gran! I don’t care about that.”

She shook her head.

“That’s fine, I just didn’t want me to be holding you back.”

“You needed a rest, it was raining.”

Granny bobbed her head. “It’s getting heavier. Thank goodness for these thick oak leaves.”

I looked above me. Like a natural green ceiling, the leaves stopped the water from jetting out like a faucet.

Out there, out in the countryside, I couldn’t see an inch in front of me the rainfall fell that heavily.

The grass underneath our boots was now sodden, muddy from the storm.

We watched birds of prey struggle to fly in the harsh winds while I shared what tea I had left over from my metal thermos.

I poured my share into the plastic lid, then tipped out the rest into a plastic mug I had been carrying.

Granny pressed it to her lips and sipped.

“Ohh, still warm.”

I didn’t like to tell her that was the purpose of a thermos flask, I preferred her thinking I’d gained magic powers, magic powers which meant I could hear things on command.

I sipped my tea. It was good after sitting in the storm, the cold wind behind me.

“Don’t mind if I do.”

Granny snatched the packet of cherry Bakewell from the middle of the bench.

We both munched, sipping warm tea while rain spilt inside our cups.

One last swig before I threw the dregs onto the grass by my feet. I stared at the liquid dissolving into the mud.

Torrential showers slowed down significantly. Rainwater dripped down from the clouds one little bit at a time.

“Ready to go?” I prosed gathering my belongings together and plonking them onto my bag.

Granny moved slowly as if she was stuck to the bench with glue.

Stuffed with pastry and tea, she stumbled to her feet. I looked at the summit less than a half a mile away. The grey clouds had lifted and the view of town revealed itself with all its factories and houses all lined up in a row.

I sighed.

“We don’t have to leave, not just yet.”

She smiled back at me. “I think that might be best, but on second thought, would you do me a favour and call the golf buggy to pick us up.”

I never did go back. I never climbed the hill again and reach the summit. I sit in a room of family and friends after saying goodbye to Gran.

Everyone is dressed in a sea of black and they say,

“So, what’s your favourite moment with her?”

I refer to that moment back then.