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The Junk Transfer

February 10, 2023 14 Comments

By Laurie Swinarton

For a year, Grandma gave me knick-knacks: a macramé owl; a crokinole board (half the pieces missing); a soup tureen shaped like a chicken.

“It’s a gift.” She laughed while her cancer quivered between us like a persistent moth.

Now, a nurse lifts her into a wheelchair, my cue to leave. I touch Grandma’s hands—once strong, now aching with hollow bones.

The nurse’s impatient shoes squeak as she pushes the wheelchair. The sound swallows the silence. I want to tell her to try talcum powder.

Outside, I wait. Time gets soft. The light of the exhausted sun fades into nothingness.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura Besley says

    February 10, 2023 at 7:07 am

    A very touching story and that last line is beautiful.

    Reply
  2. Derek says

    February 10, 2023 at 8:44 am

    This is a touching story.

    Reply
  3. Patricia Stott-Prince says

    February 10, 2023 at 9:05 am

    thank you.

    Reply
  4. Michael Talledes says

    February 10, 2023 at 9:27 am

    Wow a very touching piece I loved this.

    Reply
  5. Valli says

    February 10, 2023 at 11:27 am

    Beautifully written… well done …

    Reply
  6. AB says

    February 10, 2023 at 2:13 pm

    Beautiful and sad. This resonates with me quite personally. Well done.

    Reply
  7. Anne Elizabeth Swinarton says

    February 10, 2023 at 4:56 pm

    Some memories are never easy but good to have. Well done

    Reply
  8. Robert Burns says

    February 13, 2023 at 2:29 pm

    This is a beautiful piece, Laurie. Well done.

    Reply
  9. Laurie says

    February 13, 2023 at 6:56 pm

    Thank you everyone for taking a moment to read my story and post a comment. Much appreciated!

    Reply
  10. Katie Tyler says

    February 15, 2023 at 11:13 am

    Just lovely!

    Reply
  11. Yvonne Eliot says

    February 15, 2023 at 11:18 am

    <3

    Reply
  12. Jennifer J. says

    February 18, 2023 at 2:54 pm

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  13. Terra W says

    February 21, 2023 at 3:24 pm

    Awwwww, so touching.

    Reply
  14. Sandra says

    March 12, 2023 at 7:43 pm

    Life, death, we wait.

    Reply

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