Morpethroad

Marjorie didn’t come around yesterday which is not unusual as she doesn’t get out every day.

But this morning she came in limping a little. When I asked her what the trouble was she said: “It’s my Plantar Fasciitis, left heel, its giving me the gyp well and truly. Sucks getting old but I’m onto a new treatment so I’m hoping I won’t have to have another one of those cortisone treatments, wouldn’t wish them on my worst enemy.”

With that she planted herself down on her seat in front of the window and looked out over the view as I made her cup of coffee. She sipped the first few mouthfuls before saying: “What have you done to this?”

“Well,” I said, “I read where the trendy thing to put in coffee nowadays is a creamer so I found some in the supermarket and thought I’d give it a try on you. After all, Marj we can still be trendy at our age.”

“I like it,” she said sipping more and settling in. “And that’s enough about age. I know I’m older than you. You need to respect your elders.” I could see the wry smile on her lips as she said this as age difference even a few months in my favour was always a point to be made.

“Gonna be a hot day,” I said, “I’ll turn the air con on before it gets too oppressive.”

“Miserable days aren’t they,” she said, “too hot to be doing anything outside and so it’s a good thing there’s the cricket on to take our minds away from the heat.”

Marjorie was a fan of the Cricket in particular the captain Steve Smith as she used to say she had a good friend called Smith years before, but he wasn’t apparently much of a cricketer.

“So, what’s the go with the elf this year?” she asked in reference to the little elf on a shelf I had making the rounds of the grandkids.

“He had a great time at 2’s house,” I said. Marj and I had a way of referring to my kids by their respective numbers in order of ranking. 2 being my eldest son. “This week he is with the little boys who are amazed he found their house and that he’s in a different spot each day.”

“It’s a wonderful tradition you’ve got going,” she said, “they must get such a buzz out of it all.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” I replied. “Nothing like that when I was a kid I know that.”

“No, me neither but we live in a new age don’t we.” Marj had a way of being reflective and often I could tell she went off into a world of her own. “You keep me up to date with that elf,” she said, “I love hearing about what he’s up to. Did you see that photo on FB today where an elf was sitting on a donkey’s back, little rascals that they are?”

“We have to watch ours I know that.”

Marj sat and sipped on her coffee, or cup of joe as she affectionately referred to it until I announced I was going to have to make a move as I needed to get to the shops. This time of year, if you went too late in the morning you spent far too much time finding a parking spot so I liked to go early, get what I needed and get home.

Today I needed to buy a few novels for No2’s Christmas gift. “What do you buy the boy who seems to have everything?” I asked her.

“No idea,” she replied, “What might I get you this year??

“Me? Don’t you waste any of your money on me. Get yourself something you’d like we old pensioners aren’t made of money are we.”

“Got a point there. Might get a bit of ham and some of those extra special hot jalapenos. Each one makes you take in a big breath, gives me a bit of a buzz and heaven knows they are on short supply these days.”

“Well if it makes your hair curl Marj, go for it I say.”

“Oh, they do that, and a bit more,” she said with that wry smile on her lips. “Anyway, I’ll be off catch you later alligator.”

And with that Marj was off and back to whatever she did at her place.