The Changing Of The Guard(Lisa McDonald) The Changing Of The Guard


On a wet and dreary morning, a tea kettle whistles accompanied by the rattling of two tea cups of the finest china, being placed on their saucers, atop an old mahogany table; by fingers that were once delicate and nimble, but now tremble unsteadily.


John & May

"Thank you my Dear May."

"You're most welcome John, Dear."

"I assume Eleanor has been dismissed?"

"Yes, first thing this morning."

"I trust, all went well?"

"It went as well as can be expected. I gave her her salary and an additional three months severance; and we said our farewells; naturally, there were tears and embraces, but in the end we found mutual peace and contentment; it was a bitter sweet parting, but I suppose that is to be expected."

"Yes, yes, I should say so. . .She has been with us a long time."

"Fifteen years...Oh goodness gracious! I almost forgot to tell you Dear.--And Eleanor made me promise.--My, I am getting so forgetful, now."

"What is it, my Dear?"

"I was to be sure and give you her deepest regards; she was very fond of you, you know? Like a father. --She said, after Fifteen years in our service, we were not her employer, but her family. I offered to wake you of course; but she kindly insisted otherwise. --She promised to keep in touch, then we embraced one last time, and she was off. --Oh John, I do hope were doing the right thing!"

"Of course we are my Dear. Lets not fret about that; Eleanor is a good worker; she'll find a new birth straight-away, especially with the letter of recommendation we gave her. You have always been so clever at piecing together just the right words to say. No, my Dear, she'll do just fine. Besides, upon our deaths, she will inherit quite a hefty sum. --Yes, she'll be quite fine indeed; 40,000 pounds is no laughing matter."

"Yes, but I'm worried about how she will deal with it all. She was awfully upset at the prospect of new employers. You should have seen her. I had a most difficult time to steady her nerves. --It was all very heart breaking."

"Now, now my Dear; Eleanor is a big girl. She knew this day would come eventually. We're at our zenith, in life. It would have happened sooner or later."

"Yes, I know. --Now, for the first time in fifteen years, we're all on our own, truly alone. --They were wonderful years, weren't they? That's how I remember them...We've been happy, haven't we John?"

"The happiest my Love, and don't you ever think otherwise." John grasps his wife's hand. "Those kind of memories don't fade, my Dear; not for us they won't. We've had quite a life together, you and I. And the time that we have left together, I want it to be spent alone with my Love by my side; just the two of us. --You're not having second thoughts are you?"

"Oh no. That is what I want too my Dear; nothing shall please me more than to spend the time we have left, alone together, here at home . . . I shall miss this place though, once we're gone; our lovely home. --It's always been such a happy home. That's what Eleanor said. --It's peculiar isn't it Dear?"

"What is, my Dear?"

"That one should feel as though they were going to miss home, once they die?"

"I don't think so my Love. I think it's part of what makes us human."

"John Dear, who do you suppose will live here when we're gone?--I mean, I don't want just anyone to take our places here; do you?"

"May Darling. Listen to me. Let's not worry about that now; we promised each other years ago, that when we grew old, we wouldn't do this; remember that my Darling? The time we have left is most prescious; I want us to be happy. We came into this house happy and I intend for us to leave it the same way. When that time comes for us, I don't want either of us to die with regrets. --So, you listen here to me, your husband, because I will be precisely that, till my dying breath. And I want my Dear sweet, beautiful May to listen to her husband as she always has. --I am ab-so-lutely certain that the people, whomever they might be, will love and cherish each other in this house, just the way you and I have all these years.--Just think May! Someday right here in this very house, behind these very walls, these very rooms will be filled with the playful chatter and gay laughter of children. Children May. Remember how much we wanted that for ourselves my Dear? Now you wouldn't want to deprive our beautiful home of the joy of children romping through it's halls, would you? --It's best if we look at it that way, don't you think?"

"Yes, of course my Love. Of course. As usual, you are right."

"Yes my Dear, it is for the best; of that I am most certain. . . ."

". . .What's on your mind my Dear?"

"Hum...A thought struck me quite suddenly and I was just trying to remember, who it was that said - "Today is a good day to die."

"I believe, that was the American Indian Crazy Horse. --Huh, what a curious thing.--That I should remember that so readily, I mean."

"Oh, yes, yes I believe you're right about that.--I'll have a good laugh at myself now, won't I? I equated the quote with one of our war hero's...How dreadfully amusing.--I was sitting here, trying to remember which General of her Majesty's Royal army it might be, and all along, it was a red Indian on the American continent. How is that for senility?"

"Well, amusing or not it was quite a courageous notion, he had. Though I hardly see how any day could be a good day to die."

"I suppose one day would be as good as any other. . .So, who was it that said "To die would be an awfully big adventure?"

"Peter Pan."

"Peter Pan?!. . .Are you sure?"

"Yes, My love."

"Oh well, at least he was from London."

"Neverland."

"Oh, right, right.--Hum, close enough, then. --Well, I suppose we had better have our tea now my Dear, before it gets cold. You know how much I despise tepid tea...Did you remember to add the perfect ratio of sugar and cyanide? We want to be sure and follow through."

"Yes my Dear. I even added cinnamon and a bit of ginger to mask the taste of the cyanide."

"Very good, very good.--It smells rather enticing, doesn't it? I must say, I wasn't expecting that."

"It's Hibiscus flower. I ordered it from China."

"Oh, my, how clever of you. It has a most pleasing aroma. Most pleasant indeed."

"Should we have biscuits with our tea, Dear?"

"Certainly. I see no reason why this day should be any different from any other."

"Very well then.--I'll fetch them."

THE END

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