BREAKING POINT

Aunt Ann had called Penny at lunch time, her voice trembling a little with anxiety in spite of her courageous attempt to withhold her fear from Penny.

“I thought you would want to be with your uncle at such a time. Will you be able to come?”

“Of course, aunt Ann. I’m terribly sorry. You mustn’t worry too much. Uncle had one of these seizures before, didn’t he? And he has been perfectly all right since” Penny said.

Yes I know dear, but your uncle is quite a few years older now.

Aunt Ann’s voice trailed away into silence before she rallied with one of her clichés.

“All good has an end but the goodness of God. We must trust in him, dear”

“Is it as bad as that?” Penny asked, her heart sinking.

“I’m afraid it’s pretty serious” her aunt replied. I need to hang up now, and see you soon ”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Yes, I will come right away” Penny said, hanging up you.

She packed quickly, not knowing how long she would be away. She called Jeremy.

“I’m terribly sorry darling” he said with sympathy, “I hate to lose you so soon after you have come back, but of course I understand”

“Thanks darling. I suppose you will stay at the club till I come back?”

“Yes. I will call you tonight to know how things are”

Dear Jeremy. He was being understanding and kind and she guessed from his voice that he was disappointed.

“If my Uncle is better, perhaps you could come over for the weekend” Penny said.

“Good idea” Jeremy replied.

“Okay. I will call you when I get there”

“Okay sweet. You do that. Look after yourself, darling, and remember I love you.”

“I love you too” Penny echoed and believed that it was true. Then she heard the horn of the taxi and she hurriedly said goodbye, hung up and ran downstairs.

The drive seemed endless. Penny was terrified that she might be sick, but as usual when she expected it, she felt well. She would have to be careful at her aunt’s, take care not to let aunt Ann know that she was sick in the morning. Old fashioned though she was, bless her, aunt Ann might know what that meant.

Aunt Ann met her on the doorstep and for the first time, Penny noticed how old she has grown in these last few years. The grey hair had turned white, the small hands were more wrinkled like the delicate cheeks. Worry had robbed her of her usual smile, her rosy colour giving a false impression of ever lasting youth. Today aunt Ann looked her age, Penny thought sadly, a good Seventy.

“How is he?” Penny asked.

“Very bad” aunt Ann told her without preamble. “I’m just glad that doctor John is here.”

Uncle Charles did not die. But he was paralyzed and would be bed ridden for the rest of his life. In those ensuring weeks of anxiety, Penny realized that it was really her duty to come home and care for these two old people who had once cared for her so selflessly. As a young, strong woman she could help lift her uncle into the wheel chair Aunt Ann had ordered for him, take him for walks around his beloved garden, run errands for him. But with the knowledge of the child growing now and becoming apparent as she lost her slender waist line, she realized that she would not be able to repay her gratitude to them after all. But she managed to make arrangements for a young man to take daily charge of him.

“I would like to have looked after uncle Charles myself” Penny told her Aunt, wishing that there were no necessity to make an explanation which would entail a lie. “But my plans are very vague. Jeremy and I might be married in the near future and then I would be torn between my duty to him and my duty to you and uncle Charles”

“Of course dear, I understand. Do the duty that lies nearest to you. It is right that Jeremy should come first. Nor should a young and beautiful girl like you waste your life caring for a sick old man”

“Oh, I’d like to” Penny cried, biting her lip. “it’s just that it isn’t possible at the moment…” her voice trailed away miserably.

“Don’t think any more about it, dear” said aunt Ann comfortingly. “That nice young man helping us pleased your uncle a great deal today. I always know when he likes someone. It is really far more suitable for a male nurse to take care of your uncle in his present state that for a girl like you”

But she could have done it, Penny thought wretchedly… Instead of which she would have to go away in a few months, when she really grew big, go before they found out. She would have to be away until after the child was born.

Once the immediate danger to uncle Charles life was past, Penny had time to remember Jeremy and her own predicament. He had not been able to come down that first weekend, and the following weekend he had been too busy too.

When Penny called him, he told her he was going to be gone for yet another week.

Another week before she could tell him. Another week before there was any hope of him arranging a wedding. She considered texting him, but after sleepless nights during with she composed the text in her head, she put the idea from hurt. It was too difficult a thing to say in a text. How could she explain why she had not told him before? And the wait… How long would he take to reply if he got such a text from her. Would he be horrified and decided never to talk to her again. She knew for a fact that she had to have more faith in Jeremy, but the risk of putting that faith to a test was too great. She decided to tell him when he got back.

Two days later, Penny got a text from Jeremy saying, “Gonna call you in the evening. Got something urgent to tell you”

Immediately after reading the text, Penny had a premonition of disaster. Something had happened…. Something was wrong to transpire that would have a dreadful effect on her life. She was so certain about it that when aunt Ann asked her if anything was wrong she replied:

“I’m afraid it is bad news, aunt Ann. Jeremy says he’s gonna call me to tell this evening”