A winter story, part ten

by: Olivia Dale

"Boiled hemlock. For throat problems and coughs. Here, Alec, try this." 

Janet came trudging down the kitchen staircase with a coughing Alec trailing behind her. He sat himself down into a nearby chair and Janet filled the tea kettle and put it on the stove top.

Pretending to be asleep, Eliza stiffened on the cot as she overheard
Janet and Alec talking.

She reached for the small brown papered package on the table and read aloud what it said. "Boiled hemlock. For throat problems and coughs. Here, Alec, try this. It should bring your fever down as well. I only hope you don't have the influenza Aunt Eliza is making me worried about all the time with her old, worn out stories."
She sat down in the chair by her husband and handed him the cup with the strong smelling tea. He took one sip and placed the cup down with a hard thud.
"Oh, I can't drink that stuff, it makes me gag."
he told her."Alec, dear, just drink it." Janet sighed.
Alec looked at her with a concerned look. "Are you feeling all right? You look kind of tired." he said, patting her hand.
Janet rubbed her eyes and yawned. "With Great Aunt Eliza here I haven't had a moments rest. Her nocturnal wanderings makes it hard for anyone to sleep, let alone poor Felix who she bothers every hour of the night to do her bidding." she sighed and looked at the sleeping figure on the cot, whom she assumed to be Felix.
Pretending to be asleep, Eliza stiffened on the cot as she overheard Janet and Alec talking.
Janet continued, unbeknownst that Eliza was listening to her shallow complaints.
"Nothing is good enough for her." she continued, "At least, I am not good enough for her." she said, her voice trembling.
Alec held her close, knowing what his wife was going to say.
Janet brushed away a tear. "She never liked me as a child. Abigail was her favorite then, why can't she just have gone over to her place instead of here? She doesn't approve of anything that I do for her. Why did she come here?" Janet choked out, trying hard not to wake "Felix" with her sobbing.
Alec sighed. "I don't know why she came here when she did. She is getting on in age and with her mind not being what it used to be, well maybe....maybe she didn't want to be left alone when she........" he trailed off, not wanting to say the rest.
He let out a long breath.
"Maybe," he spoke softly, "we can send her off to some place where people can give her constant care, you know, somewhere where she can't bother us. Janet you can't tire yourself out like this and your Great Aunt Eliza is so hard to please."
Janet fidgeted with the napkin she was holding and frowned.
"Oh, Alec. You know I can't just send her away. I couldn't do that to her. But, oh!" she spilled into fresh tears and flung the napkin down. "I just can't take it anymore!" she got up from her chair and quickly dashed up the stairs.
Alec sighed and took the oil lamp from the table. The sip of boiled hemlock tea seemed to help his cold, but he felt badly for his wife. Aunt Eliza was becoming almost unbearable for her, he thought sadly.
Once Alec had made his way up the stairs, Eliza pushed the covers from over her head and reached for her suitcase. Sadly she placed in her belongings and put on her coat, shawl and hat and lugged the suitcase towards the door. But wait! She forgot her little case with her most precious belongings- a photograph of her fiance from her youth, whom she never married, and her medicinal teas and herbs. She hastily retreated back to the kitchen and grabbed the little black case.
Then she carefully closed the door behind her and sullenly walked away from the King Farmhouse, in the cold, and in the dark, alone, and hurt.