morethanthis

One of the neighbours was out getting the mail. I nodded and walked over to talk to her. It was an old lady. Her midlong grey hair was braided on the side with la butterfly in plastic pinned at the bottom. She observed me from head to toe with kind brown eyes. I got a feeling those eyes didn’t miss anything. She didn’t wear glasses, but I assumed contacts. I guessed her age was around 70 or so. Her hand reached out to me and I shook it.
”Yeah, Emma Sand to be more precise. Do you know where she is?”
The lady let go of my hand and opened her mouth.
”There was an ambulance here yesterday picking the little boy and the parents up. I didn’t see her thought, but I might have missed her. Or she wasen’t there.”
”An ambulance?!” A dropped my jaw in shock. ”What happened?!”
”I don’t know...” The lady’s face turn to observe some flowers on the ground. She seemed sad.
”Is there something wrong?”
”They are so nice. I have known them since they moved here, which only was a year ago but I’ve got to know them so well. I’m very lonely you see, my husband is in a better place now.” The lady looked up the sky and made a tiny cross over her chest. Christian. She continued.
”They invited me to celebrate christmas with them when I didn’t have any relatives or friends to go to... Everyone was out of town. Oh...” She wiped tear from her eye. ”Why does bad things happen to good people?”
Kind as she was I was starting to lose patient. Emma’s family were at the hospital?! But I couldn’t just walk away from the lady without to seem incredibly rude, she was upset. I did an effort to comfort her.
”Are you okay miss... Sorry I didn’t catch your name?”
”Gerald. Lily Gerald.”
”Miss Gerald do you want me to follow you inside?” Even though I was offering I secretly hoped she’d say no.
”A cup of tea would be great.” Lily said. I smiled but inside my whole body was sighing.
”Sure.”
I walked her back to the house. Once inside I held her under the arms to help her up the stairs, since the kitchen was located on the upper floor. Maybe she should consider moving to an apartment with a lift. Well it wasn’t my matter to say. Easy I put her down on a chair at the kitchen table and went to the kitchen to make her some tea.
”Make yourself a cup as well boy!”
Two cups it is then.

Half on hour later the old lady had told me a big, big part of her life story.
”And we were almost hit by another tourist bus! Just because of the darn rain the driver couldn’t see surronding vehicles. I tell you that was a real adrenline kick! Our bus wasn’t far away from that cliff edge!”
I acted intrested but my mind was occupied by Emma and her family. I couldn’t focus on what Lily said, I just nodding along and smiled.
”Well aren’t I keeping you from your busniess!” Lily exclaimed. I came back to the reality.
”You wanted to see Emma huh? I’m sorry I’ve been keeping you here for way too long! Go!” She smiled and waved me out of the room. Relieved I said goodbye and left the house. Dear lord, that had not been part of the plan. Well I was out now and could make my way to the hospital. Although Lily had kept me from finding Emma I liked her. She was very nice and had, from what I had just heard, lived a really adventurous life. By the first sight she didn’t seem like the kind of person who in her twenties used to dive of 40 feet high cliffs on a regular basis. Conclution, she was very cool. I called a cab and after only a five minute wait the taxi arrived to pick me up. The way to the hospital was prevented by a ridiculous amount of red lights and people who had to cross the street. Out of frustration I punched my fist at the door.