It's 6.30pm Sunday evening. I am sitting at my computer. ' Nothing unusual there', I hear my family saying... The TV is on in the other room. No one bothered to turn it off but we will be back in there soon. A nice film is planned, another relaxed evening. My body is tired and wants nothing more. A waft of curry cooking drifts along the hall. B is cooking in the kitchen, using left over turkey. I hope he has added sultanas. The thought crosses my mind to call him and ask, but I don't. Instead I gaze at the clutter on my desktop. A Christmas globe, it's glitter shining in the halogen light. There is a slot in the centre where you slide a double sided photo. The acetate cover is lopsided on top, removed a couple of weeks ago to see where the photos fitted. Other globes sit in a bag on the floor. I planned to put photos in each of these as Christmas presents for family. Sadly these and other presents went unfinished. I wonder whether to finish them and give as presents for next Christmas, or to wait and use more up to date photos...
My thoughts are interrupted by B coming in. 'Do I want chips or rice with my curry'? He rubs my back as he talks, it's relaxing and I don't want him to stop. My head feels tight, not achy but tense. I am looking forward to doing nothing... B walks away and comes back with my glass of wine. I'd left it in the kitchen. It's a deep dark red, I lift the glass and let the wine linger in my mouth to feel the richness of flavour, then take another sip before putting the glass on my mouse mat. The mat is aged now, but a gift from a special friend. She had photos of us printed on it, taken on holidays together. One of her peering through a tiny entrance in a wall. Another of a cake stand, and memories of a tea room in Southport come flooding back..... of elegance I had not experienced before or since. I smile as I look at the photos, notice the grubby corner. I have a new mouse-mat on my desk, bought in the sale. I look at the kittens face on the packaging. 'Your photo here' it boldly invites. I look again at my old familiar mat and think that a wipe over will refresh and give it a new lease of life. My mind flitters, I take another sip of wine. It warms and comforts me. The tension loosens in my head. I swallow slowly, enjoying the rich body of flavour, the smell of curry, noises from the kitchen telling me it will soon be served.
