Nadine looked at the horse. It was cross-eyed – and an odd shade of mauve.
‘Oh, Dad,’ she sighed, stepping closer to the animal’s distorted face hanging in its frame above the fireplace.
It really was dreadful.
Her father, Bill, had painted it and then proudly hung it in his tiny living room.
It had terrified and amused friends and members of the family for years. Children would cry when confronted with its toothy grin and adults sniggered when Bill boasted of his artistic talents.
‘The eyes follow you around the room,’ he’d grin.
And Nadine would think, well, one of them does!
Now Bill had passed away, and she was sorting through his things, deciding on what to throw out and what should go to the charity shop.
Tears came to her eyes as she looked at the horse again. She just couldn’t make up her mind.
Would anyone want to look at that ugly painting on their wall?
Putting on the kettle, she made herself a brew, then flopped down onto her dad’s favorite chair. All around her were boxes filled with his clothes, his books, and a few cheap ornaments.
The memories soon came flooding back…
It hadn’t been the happiest childhood for her and her brother, Mark. Their parents had rowed constantly – over money usually. There just never seemed to be enough of it, but somehow her father could always afford bits of kit for his numerous hobbies. He’d come home from his job having bought a box of assorted second-hand electrical parts and disappear off to his ‘laboratory’, as he called it, in the garden shed.
Would anyone really want to look at that ugly painting?
Denne historien er fra July 13, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra July 13, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
