Imagine...

I’ve tried to envisage what it would have been like for my parents when they emigrated to New Zealand. I wrote this some time ago trying to imagine how it would have bee.

The Last Day

This last night has been a long one, but now that the morning is finally here it seems to have come around too fast. Jim's still asleep, snoring gently beside me.

I think to myself that if I lie here quietly and pretend to still be asleep then maybe I can stop today from happening.

But today really is here, one part of me is excited, I mean really excited. The other part of me is scared witless.

What have we done?

I can hear our daughter, in the next room, she knows something is up.

She's been so clingy and difficult these last few weeks as today crept closer and closer.

The room is lighter now. I must have dozed a bit.

 Jim's just lying there.

I know he's awake, waiting for me to open my eyes.

I roll over and cuddle up to him, and he smiles down at me. He's like a coiled spring waiting to start this day.

"Morning girl," he says, " you ready for today?"

Am I ready?

I look around the room, bare of everything except the bed and the suitcases.

"This is it" I tell myself, "today we leave this old life and all that's in it."

I smile up at him

"Yes" I say, "I'm ready"

He's out of bed and down hall even before my feet touch the floor.

Diane shrieks with glee as he gets her up.

I hear Mum greet the two of them as they go into the kitchen.

I get dressed slowly and tidy up. The borrowed sheets and pillows will go back to my sister; ours are packed up along with the rest of the things. The bed, no longer ours will be collected this afternoon by the man from down the street.

By the time I get to the kitchen Dad's the only one there.  He sits hands clasped around a mug of tea, eyes not really focused. I know he's upset about us leaving.

"It's today, then" he says with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

I nod, I really want to go and put my arms around him, but if I do we'll both be crying. Instead I reach for the teapot.

Mum said it was best that we didn't tell him too soon. We've had 18 months to get used to the idea of leaving England. He's barely had a couple of weeks to come to grips with the idea of leaving his home and emigrating with us to New Zealand.