A Mother’s Love

A Mother’s Love  By Yvonne Eccles

Jackie glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed with relief time to shut down her computer and tidy her desk it was time to go home, muttering to herself another day another dollar, she reached for her car keys switching off the heater that she had clung to all day wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck she put her poncho over her head she was ready for her journey home she felt a twinge of sadness as she thought of home it just wasn’t the same any more still it was home and she should be grateful  looking at the amount of homeless on the streets of Dublin  was a stark reminder how lucky she was

She opened the old church door the wind almost sweeping her off her feet she made a dash for her car  the rain was pouring down it was a dreadful  out ‘A night  for the  fire’ thank god she had made a stew the night before, she always drew comfort from that it somehow lifted her out of her melancholy mood ‘today  was her mother’s anniversary ‘ she had died on Mother’s Day and she had been thinking about her all day  she had prepared and  made the stew  in her  honour , her mother’s recipe what a woman she certainly had the magical touch everything she did was perfect  it always seemed effortless but none the less perfect

Jackie put the key into the ignition of her car listened to the gentle noise purring from the engine and patted the stirring wheel, good girl she said out loud no one there to hear her or question her sanity talking to her car’ she had come quite accustomed to doing that of late reaching over to turn on her radio she was startled,  unable to believe her ears  the song that was playing  was her Mothers Song Golden Days sang by Nelson Eddie his rich baritone voice filled the car with the  beautiful melody the lyrics spilled  around in her head ‘ And how we danced with the joy that only love can bring’

Memories came flooding back family gathering house parties  after she sipped her glass of Cockburn’s special reserve she was always coaxed to sing her one and only  party pieces Golden Days,  she sang the same song at every occasion ,when it ended she would gush how wonderful Nelson Eddie was and how his singing partner Soprano Jeanette Mc Donald was quite superb adding in an almost girlish romantic voice, she was quite a  beauty you know, people often remarked how alike we were, this always drew laughter from her family

Jackie once again found herself engulfed in her thoughts, she missed her so much her wisdom and her easy way of making everything seem ok, Issues that had been overwhelming her all week suddenly felt insignificant, she could almost hear her mom saying in her matter of fact way fail to prepare, prepare to fail and that was exactly what she would do as she glanced in her mirror impatiently wiping away the tears that had started to flow she could feel her mother’s strength

She knew what she had to do, as she indicated in to her Cul-de-sac she parked outside her home she looked at the house in darkness yet she felt a flicker of light and  warmth  taking the key from her pocket she opened the front door she could smell the familiar smell of her mother’s cooking switching the cooker on  she could hear the pot  bubbling away  setting the table she lithe her candles turning on the heating she could feel engulfed wth love and her mother’s presence  lifting her voice she found herself singing ‘Darling happy anniversary’ adding in a soft but clear voice happy Mother’s Day mom !

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