FAIRY TALES DON'T COME TRUE 

As she stepped onto the porch and opened the glass doors she stood still. Paralysed as the blinding shock hit her like a physical blow.  Her home had been emptied!

Immediately she thought they had been the victims of a burglary, and she looked around frightened in case there maybe someone still in the unit, and she was in danger.

Scares items of furniture remained.  Then she realised.  The remaining pieces were ones he had always called 'Hers.'

Touching each abandoned item gently she wandered through the house, her face registering shock.  Opening door after door she entered each room as if she really expected to find each room just as she left it.

Not a sound escaped her lips and she felt wrapped in an invisible blanket of deep sadness.

They had been together for over two years.  Life had been wonderful at the beginning but lately she had detected a definite change in his attitude towards her.  Was there another woman involved? 

Eventually she suggested that she needed time to herself, so when he encouraged her to go away for the weekend she had readily agreed.

In the space of those two days he had cleaned the place out.  WHY?  Where was he?  She searched the place for a note of explanation.  There was nothing.  Totally spent she collapsed down on the old mattress he had left on the lounge room floor.

Jess found her friend there early next morning.  Susan and Jess had been close friends for many years and had shared countless ups and downs.  They were each other's rock in hard times.

Now after the initial outburst and tirade at the missing Jason, Jess gathered her friend in her arms and silently let her cry.  Susan heard the words of comfort.  She heard too as Jess now bullied her out of self-pity and the shock, back to reality.

Gradually Susan regained control of her life again.  She returned to work, but the spark was gone. Finally confiding to Jess she admitted "I have to be honest, I really felt from the start things weren't as they should be. I allowed myself to be swept into a relationship. Now I realise I am not really heart broken, I didn't love him as I should have.  I feel let down, betrayed, and such a fool to be in this situation".

Her voice hardened "True Love is just a myth. Fairy Tales, Happy Ever Afters. Couples don't meet and sparks fly. Love doesn't last forever. Who's kidding who with all the love songs and cards and flowers?."

                                                ****************

Jess had a secret, but believed now was not the appropriate time to tell her friend.  She knew that real life Fairy Tale romances were possible - her secret was part of one. Susan was the heroine, though more time was needed to recover from the blow she had been dealt from the "Black Knight".  As fitting any decent Fairy Tale, this was the label she had given Jason. Yes, a little more time to recover and then she would tell her that "Prince Peter Charming" knew of her plight and was coming for her. A regular Knight in Shining Armour.

Time passed. Life moved along as time and life tends to do. Susan returned to the girl of the past and Jess knew the time had come to finalise the last part of her secret.

On Friday when Jess arrived for their planned outing she found her friend in deep despair once again. Her face a mess and her eyes full of tears Susan silently handed Jess a letter.  Jess read the words aloud.

My Dear Susan, it began,

We have never met. I am Peters' mother. Still I definitely feel that I know you for my son has not stopped talking of your virtues and beauty since he arrived home to California last year.

I know he told you that he loved you, but there was no way he would come between you and Jason.  So he regretfully left you to return to America.

He never stopped loving you and was totally convinced that your relationship with Jason would be short lived.  For that reason he kept in touch with your friend Jessica.

His plan was to return to you whenever you needed him.  Please forgive Jessica as she was sworn to secrecy.  She made a solemn promise to send for him-which she did a fortnight ago.

I have never seen him so happy, not for you and your troubles of course.  He was happy to know that you had told your friend that you had recently realised that you loved him too, and had been a fool to let him go.

He decided to fly to Australia today to claim you as his, determined to be with you forever.

Susan, my dear, Peter was killed last night en route to LAX Airport.  He was to take the early morning flight to Sydney.  I am so very, very sorry.  My heart is breaking for you, and for myself of course.

Jess' voice broke, and with tears coursing down the face, she looked up from the letter.  Her secret was out now, but Susans' Knight would not be galloping into her life on his trusty steed after all!

Susan met her eyes and said in a flat voice "I always said Fairy Tales never come true!"

TODAYS MAIL.

She stood at the gate holding the letter with the foreign postmark.  The handwriting was unfamiliar.  Freds'name was clear enough and it had been re-addressed from the old property out west.

She could hardly make out the postmark but saw it had been posted some weeks earlier, from somewhere in France.

Holding the envelope up to the sun proved fruitless, as the rays shone all around but not through the heavy paper.  Her fingers traced the outline of an object lying secure in the left hand corner.

Tucking the buff toned envelope into the pocket of her apron she walked slowly to the garden and settled in a large cane chair.

Anna had met Fred when he returned from the war. Allowing the memories to control her thoughts, she relaxed amid the fragrance of the garden. She had been the envy of her friends. 

"You are soooo lucky to be able to celebrate your twenty first birthday the day the world celebrates the end of the war in Europe." They had said, "God knows there has been little to celebrate the last few years."

Smiling to herself she relived the joy of her brothers' arrival in time for her party. He had walked in, unannounced, after years of service in England and Europe. He was home again!  What excitement there was that night!

Tommy took her hand and literally dragged her towards a stranger standing quietly in the doorway.  "This is my mate Anna, we've been to hell and back together.  Fred meet my kid sister Anna." 

She offered her hand to welcome her brothers' friend, and lost her heart there and then.  For fifty years she jokingly referred to him as 'my birthday present.'

They married and reared their family.  The post war years weren't easy as Fred adjusted to peace time again. He never spoke of his war time experiences, as they worked side by side on their land.

Life was hard but they had a great love which kept them going. Many a time her legs turned to jelly as her love overwhelmed her, still she doubted if he was ever affected that way.  He was a quiet, strong man.  He was a wonderful husband and father and she never doubted his love for her, as she lay in his arms and he thanked God for her and his family.

Once they left the farm to retire to town, life was vastly different for them. Both were surprised that they had settled in so well.  Her new home was an absolute delight to her and Frank astounded everyone by settling into 'Town Life' with ease. In a remarkably short span of time he had cultivated the most productive garden.

After years on the land where lack of water governed their life, he delighted in the abundance running water. "A tap and a hose and you can almost hear the plants growing." He would say.

Anna sat in his garden now holding the letter once more. She remembered the hours of pleasure he gained from working here. He moved from farm to town and transferred his energy without any of the problems many country retires faced.  He swapped his tractor and plough, for shovel and rake.  Fertiliser came in small bags from the nursery, lattice replaced iron posts and wire.

They were so blessed to be able to slow down, instead of stopping completely as many were forced to do.

Even death had been kind to him. A tiny sigh escaped her lips as her loss pained her. Her fingers moved slowly back and forth over the object in the envelope. She dropped it to the apron pocket and she thought of all that had happened over the previous months.

Of course she appreciated how luck had walked with them through their life, but oh how her heart had broken the day she agreed with the Doctor and the children' suggestion for Fred to enter a nursing home. He was childlike, dependant and confused.  Gone was the beautiful man with the broad shoulders, she was the strong one now.

He was happy there, which was a Godsend she admitted, but Anna shed many a tear as she left him to return home alone.

There was one thing which baffled everyone.  His wedding ring disappeared from his left hand.  Whenever Anna or the family enquired to its whereabouts to Fred he just stared vacantly and thrust his hands deep in his pockets.

One day as Anna was preparing to leave he spoke to her.  She was astounded to see his eyes were clear and his face for a minute or so seemed younger and fresher.  "I love you my Anna June.  I loved you from the very first moment I laid eyes on your beautiful face.  I have never stopped." Then his eyes clouded over and he was gone again.  Anna was left with the Fred of now.

As she slept that night Anna dreamt he came and lay beside her, gently holding her hand until the soft rays of sunlight crept through the curtains.

The shrilling of the telephone woke her, announcing he parting and Anna knew without a doubt that he had really been with her through the night.

Rising slowly from the chair she wandered inside the house. Taking out the envelope she opened it now, her hand closed over the contents and she knew instantly what it was. The enclosed letter was brief.

            Dear Fred,

                        As I grew up my favourite thing was to listen to my mother tell of you, and your meeting during the war. You were both so young and circumstances were against all your hopes and dreams.

After the war ended life was hard for the people of Europe. Personal lives and our countries both needed to be rebuilt.

Mother never forgot her 'Allied Soldier' and spoke often to us of you.  She told us her love story and your eventual return to your own land. She talked also of the exchange of the broken locket.  It was very dear to her.

I return it to you now as I know she would want that.  We lost mother recently after a short illness.

The letter was signed off with a neat, clear signature.

On the table beside her bed lay the velvet bag they had given her at the nursing home. Sister had told her quietly, "He kept this little bag in his pocket-no one was permitted to touch it.  When we asked about it he would answer "My two wonderful loves."

The tears spilled now as Anna tipped the contents onto her lap. She picked up the broken locket with the faded picture of a sweet faced lass.  Beside it Anna placed the contents from today's mail. It was the other half of the locket with Fred's' image tucked inside, a young "Allied Soldier".

The final item in the velvet bag was his wedding ring, and she lay it beside the locket.            ****           "My Two Wonderful Loves." She whispered to herself.

PETS

Over the last 60years I have owned numerous pets.  At no time have I been the owner of exotic type of animal or members of the dangerous species.  In stating that I have to admit in Darwin we were often visited by two very large goannas.  We called them our "Sometime Pets."  They would arrive out of the blue, play and snooze on our lawn, and after a day or two they would leave again.  Then reappear to continue their energetic wrestling and leave depart once more later.

My first pet was a Fox Terrier I named 'Tiny' (because he was).  I was 10years old and recovering from Polio.  I loved Tiny and we shared years of happy times together.  Tiny was 11years old I had a very important decision to make.  My impending marriage was soon and I had to decide whether to take him with me or leave him where was.

Tiny loved accompanying my young cousins to bring the cow in each evening.  The boys galloped home astride their horses at dusk one day to tell of Tinys' ferrous attack on a 2meter snake.  In their excitement they failed to notice Tiny had been bitten.  He died later that night.

I married and a little white Wire Head Terrier named 'Lady' came to live with us. Living amongst the pine trees in the Army Camp, Lady realised there was company in the form of other canine just a mile or so off in the main section of the depot.  She delivered us four beautiful pups.  A second litter of 'father unknown' puppies arrived during a snow fall in Lithgow on the NSW Blue Mountains.

Despite the 'Please Close the Gate' sign, I arrived home one day to find the gate open and no dog. Lady never returned.

'Corgi' became the next four footer to join us.  He was part corgi part Foxy, very well built and solid.  If Rod was not home by dark Corgi would sleep on the mat at the front door to protect me. He only left his post before day light if Rod arrived home again. Anybody walking past our house got escorted past our boundary line, amid loud ferocious barking. Once past he came and settled once more. In 1964  Corgi came to Ipswich with us only to be hit by car a few months later.

'Nippy Puppy' was rescued from the RSPCA in Brisbane when Brett was 3years old.  They were constant companions.  NP was a small dog with long black/brown hair.  He was another great little dog. Rod was home on R@R from Vietnam and NP followed him in the car one day and he never came home.  Maybe that was why he ended up in the pound in the first place.

In Wagga Wagga in NSW another Foxy moved in and was christened Tiny (2). He was the first dog allowed inside, restricted to evenings and mornings during the winter months.  Tiny went to a farm when we were posted to Singapore.  This proved fatal as he was eventually put down-he found a great game to amuse himself. It was called 'chasing to kill lambs and chickens.

If you are starting to think being a owned by my family was one quick way to 'Doggy Heaven' I am inclined to agree, but we persevered!

Singapore and we inherited a 'Singapore Mutt'.  You were advised to have a dog for security reasons so each arriving family would be the next owner for the dog left behind. The big problem here seemed to be we had no way of keeping him with us, no fences, and he kept returning to the old address.

Then arrived Puppy. Puppy was a VERY spoilt miniature Pekinese who attached herself to yours truly and drove me mad.  I could not move without her following.  The other problem was her diet-she ate nothing but chicken or steak.  Now don't get me wrong, I love dogs, BUT they are animals after all is said and done.  Now the Armah really disliked Puppy, and while we were out one day Puppy mysteriously disappeared. Of course I'm not saying……but.

While Puppy was with us we also inherited Tammy from the neighbours opposite.  Tammy was owned by the previous tenants of our house, but unlike our first Singapore mutt she never tried to cross the road and come home when we moved in.  She settled in again and was a beautiful animal. 

Gough Whitlam in his wisdom decided to bring all overseas forces home to Australia, and therefore no longer could the dogs be handed over to arriving families. Tammy had to be given to needle.

On returning to Melbourne Patch became the next one we tried to keep alive. Now I am sorry to say Patch was the typical Labrador, he chewed everything in the back yard, only at night though. Washing was quite safe during the day-but never forget an item or it would be shredded by morning.  He chewed the hose, the electric cord sticking out from the shed, everything out of the garbage bin and the blue liner for the above ground swimming pool.  Although having had the knife, he would not stay home and would be missing for days only to sulk when I tied him to his kennel.  He met his fate crossing the road when a motor car wanted the same part of the bitumen.

Are you keeping a tally?

Tom Cat came from my sister in law. I was not keen on pets of the feline brand, and so under duress I consented. He got the needle also after becoming an Attack Cat and molested me and a neighbour in Dubbo NSW.

Prior to Dubbo Sarah had a Pembroke Corgi, a beautiful little dog who succumbed to snake bite. She was replaced by another Corgi, and like Patch he kept running away at every opportunity. He lasted a few weeks only when we moved to Dubbo. We hoped he became the pet of a loving family.

Dubbo had another cat join this unlucky family she was named Cefa (C for cat). She loved to be outside and waited at bedtime to be let in. One night Cefa didn't come home.

Coco was the next cat- I was beginning to believe cats were ok. Coco lived in Dubbo, Wee Waa, and Lismore and relocated to Toowoomba in 1990. Coco also fought a car on Rowbotham St, and the car won.

Tiny (3) arrived in Lismore and travelled to Toowoomba on the back seat with Coco. Dear reader you will be happy to know that Tiny died peacefully of old age with her favourite tennis ball between her feet.

Coco was replaced with a beautiful long haired white cat called Bash. Bash died, again from an altercation with a motor car. This time because she was too old move off the driveway.

Presently I have two dogs, Lucky a Keeshond, and Tessa another Foxy. Lucky so named as he was the only pup from the litter to survive is almost 11years old.  Tessa is now four years old and I am praying they will both be with me for a long time, despite my record of years ago!