Prose Playroom Thread, Add to story 'The Story of Peggy '

please add onto this story,

Mother’s Day again what a waste of money, it’s barmy, she thought as she sat in her chair with the Sunday papers scattered at her feet. All those kids visiting parents with flowers that are outrageously priced. Pity they don’t visit when it isn’t a special day, but no they can’t be bothered, much too busy. Peggy turned on the radio and a voice boomed out a dedication for someone’s mother. She angrily switched it off again and went to make herself a mug of coffee and lit up a cigarette.

Just then she heard a knock and a familiar voice calling out. ‘Hi Mum, Happy Mothers day.’ Peggy gave a gasp, her face flooded with colour and she squealed her delight as her son came into the room with a big bunch of flowers and a box of her favourite chocolates.

‘Oh Peter, she cried, I knew you would come, I just love Mother’s day, my I am the lucky one. Sit down love while I make the coffee and you can tell me what you have been doing this last year.'

‘Can’t stay long Mum, don’t bother with the coffee.’

‘OK Peter, thanks for coming and the present.’

After Peter had gone Peggy sat in her chair her head in her hands and tears rolled down her tired face.
Perhaps it would have been better if he hadn't called she thought,why does it have to be like this?
She started to think back, remembering how it had been years ago.

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Be kind to one another.

Of course, years ago they had been a family. Peter had loved his father so much. He had loved her too. She had loved both Peter and her husband. It never occurred to her that they would not always be a family.

Mother's Day was always special. Harold would always take Peter in the kitchen and they'd make her a cake. There would be a skein of yarn in a gift bag for her every Mother's Day. When Peter got older, the cakes stopped, the yarn stopped, and she started getting flowers.

She loved the flowers she supposed, but they weren't as personal as the cake and the yarn. She hadn't said anything, which was just as well, because Harold had only done the flower bit for three years. Then, he'd been 'gone with the wind' with a secretary from his work that he'd started drinking with in the pub after work every day. Harold did leave eventually, just left one day and didn't come back home.

Peter always blamed her. She didn't know why, she didn't know what she'd done. Maybe he just couldn't face the fact his Dad was the one who didn't want to be a husband or a Dad anymore.

Once alone and with no money from Harold she'd begun working, gotten a decent job at the library. The only thing she hated was that she had to be away from Peter too much. And, somewhere along the way, Peter had begun going over to his Dad's, who had been laid off from his job by this time and wasn't working at all any more. Soon enough Peter had begun to like Dotty, Harold's ladyfriend. Dotty made delicious stews, Peter told his mom...Dotty made delicious chocolate cake. Peggy often thought if she heard Peter say the word 'delicious' one more time, she would scream and not quit. Now and then he began to stay a weekend 'at Dad's.'

Now Peter was living over there with Harold and Dotty and Peggy was living on her own. She felt cheated, as if they'd stolen her Peter. They had, hadn't they? But of course, he was 18 now, a young man in fact. Always on the run, was her Peter.

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"Where there's a wall, there's a will."

She looked back at all the things they had done together,even giggling when she thought of Peter wearing her pink pinny,he was a young man after all said and done,but he loved to be by her side,and so often he said 'Mom I will never leave you,even when I am married with children of my own!'..She knew he mean't it as it was often when he didn't look her in the eye she knew he was hiding something,and invariably it would be something he had bought with his paper round money,she knew really,as when his dad asked where his money was,his neck would swivvel round to see if his mom was there,and then the whispering would begin,and many times over too!.
Many times in the mornings the door of her bedroom would slowly open and a little voice would say 'Mom!..Mom! are you awake?'. Of course she would pretend she was asleep,for a little while at least,as she had heard the cupboards opening and the cups tinkling,she knew,she was not daft, and there he would be with a cup of tea,stone cold,as he knew she would have been cross had he popped the kettle on,she cared you see,as she did when she put the cup of tea he had made her to her mouth while looking down to see all the tea leaves swimming around in there,but she would rather die with this lovingly made drink,then with any other cause!..Just then the chiming clock struck,it brought her back to today,sitting on her own!

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Peggy looked at the lovely flowers all the stunning colours all wrapped in celophane prepared specially for Mums on Mothers day ,there was even a pink bow with Worlds Best Mum on it ,but this only made her feel sick and lonely as her Peter her little Man had so easily left her , had deserted her as her Husband had ,all the years she had given them both and now alone in a flat with a bunch of flowers and a few rushed minutes to show for all her time kindness and love.
Peggy got up and walked unteadilly to her small but functional kitchen and opened a cupboard and took a Vase out and filled it with water and placed the flowers in it and stood them on the counter in a week they would look like she now felt she turned and opened the fridge and took out the bottle of Merlot that had been started the evening before and poured a very large glass and wandered back to her chair and sat with a deflated sigh, she reached to the side and lifted the Vodka there was always that or Gin close to hand ,she loathed the tastes but when poured in the wine the taste was lost she topped the glass and returned the bottle to its hide and started to drink,Knowing soon she wouldnt care anymore as the warm fluid filled her mind and took all the sadness away , She was steadily hating herself she no longer took care of her health she rarely ate and when she did it was only junk food or take out the sort of rubbish she could pick up on her way from the off licence and she would often not shower for days when she was drinking heavily she would lose days with no recall at all,she had been so beautiful a fine curvy figure long wavy Brunette hair and beautiful hands she was still only in her 40s how had she got so low how could she have let all she was slip away ,what was there to be living for all she had, had left her, all she cared for now was the spiked wine she was drinking rapidly something had to change and it had to change very soon or Peggy was going to hit the bottom with a massive thump .

For a minute she just sat there thinking of what she had become,then slowly she stood up,walked to the long mirror in the corner of her room,she looked properly this time,not just a glance,but a long hard look,and what she saw shocked her,she knew that she had let herself go,she knew that under that plain Jane look was her,the respectable lady,the loyal wife and loving mum that not too long ago she was!. For a while she just stood there,then slowly she sank to her knees and cried like she had not cried since her Harold had left her!..Eventually she dried her eyes,and made a vow,and that was to show the world that no matter what had happened in her life,she was still her,so that is what instilled in her to get up,go to the bathroom and bathe!..
Later in her bedroom she opened her wardrobe,there for the world to see was all the beautiful clothes that she had forgotten she had,as all she had worn lately was a pair of dark brown trousers,off white blouse and Harolds old cardigan so that she could feel close to him,but now it would change,and change for the better!..On reaching up she chose the beautiful dress that harold had bought her 2 years ago,and on trying it on she saw that as she had neglected herself the weight had dropped off her,and it fitted her now like a dream,as he had bought her one size too small,this was a plan of his for her to lose weight,but it was what he wanted her to do,and not what she wanted to do because she was not ready to do that at that time,now she looked absolutely stunning,she smiled properly for the first time in ages,placing her hair up,and applying a gentle trace of makeup,she knew then that from this day on,she would be on the climb to 'her' future,as everyone around her had made theirs,now it was her turn!..

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There she was all dressed up, suddenly it all seem too much and she made her way to the kitchen and the Fridge which held the wine. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the hall, she smiled to her self and went to the cupboard in the kitchen instead, rifling through unopened letters and junk mail she found what she was looking for Salsa Dancing classes it was tonight in the village hall, you don't need a a partner come along give it a try it said . She found herself walking towards the village hall, her heart thumping, mouth dry, she nearly turned back, but soon she was there.

"Hello" a tall man with greying hair spoke to her " you here for the dance class, I am so nervous, can we go in together "

Peggy looked at him and smiled " Certainly" she said "it is a bit daunting going any where on your own "

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Over 50 Rocks

His name was Fred Smythe, who would become her second husband.

They fell absolutely in love on the dance floor. Each dance increased their affection for each other. Before the last dance of the night, they knew they were going to spend the night together. They went to Fred's flat.

The next dance they explored was the Tango. They went to a Tango Fest at Brighton Beach. They won a huge Tango cup there, and since they could not decide who should have it, they got married. Peggy loved making all kinds of costumes for both of them and they often danced at various festivals.

Life was good. Peggy and Fred found much happiness in life. They both read, they both loved flea markets and eating out. Fred loved to fix special foods and enjoyed the kitchen (which he literally took over. And Peggy did not mind.) They enjoyed entaining friends, which much to Peggy's surprise, they seem to make easily.

Life was good.

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"Where there's a wall, there's a will."

One day Peggy woke up and sprang out of bed. She had just had a thought and couldn't really believe what she was thinking. She ran downstairs and put the kettle on. Fred walked into the kitchen and gave her a kiss, putting his arms round her he said 'You are up early love I was going to make you a drink and bring it back to bed.'
Peggy turned round and looked into his kind eyes. How lucky I am she thought, but said briskly. 'I have a lot to do today Fred, I'm going shopping this morning. She got the cereals out of the cupboard and asked if he minded a 'quick' breakfast? He normally liked something cooked, but he laughed and said 'No love, you carry on.'
After she had cleared away and Fred had gone into the garden to mow the lawn, she got ready and with a beating heart and trembling fingers drove down to the shopping precict and made her way to the chemist. She looked round to make sure that no one she knew was near her whilst she made her purchas, and then quickly drove home again, slipped into the house and straight upstairs to the bathrooom. Locking hherself in she did what she had to and a few moments later she knew!!
Yes, she was pregnant. In her forties and pregnant, a grown up son and pregnant. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad, and what on earth was Fred going to say.
She looked out of the window and saw him sitting on the form cleaning the mower blades, how she loved him, so taking a deep breath she went downstairs.

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Be kind to one another.

On opening the door to the garden she gingerly stepped out, her heart beating like a drum, der dum!...Fred saw her and placed the blades down, beckoning her to their favourite spot under the apple tree, they loved to sit there to ponder their thoughts, hold hands and while away their days, and today was no different because as they sat there and caught each others eyes they looked and wallowed in their love!.She knew that this was the place to tell Fred of the new life that they had made within her and she felt the warmth, the love, and the growing bond, so she opened her mouth to speak, but just as she was going to utter the words that she knew would change their world she got hit, and it hurt, it was a fallen apple,rubbing her head they both laughed and then that was when it happened, she said 'Ouch!'..Fred laughed so much he fell off his chair with a bump, she knew then that for the first time ever she could not help him up as what she was carrying was much too precious to lose,so she joined him there on the damp grass both giggling she said 'Fred I love you more than the word itself, you are all man, you have proved it as you my love are going to be a dad, with this Fred looked up with his mouth wide open, finding it hard to breathe, but he managed 5 words 'I love you my darling!'...

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oooo this is getting so passionate, lovely story it is turning out to be.

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Be kind to one another.