Get What You Give

It was Julia's job to help her family out, not the other way round!

WHAT are you doing, Mum? Get down!” Julia almost fell off the chair she was standing on.

She managed to save herself just and stood with her hand against her pounding heart.

“Mum! Is it your heart?” Lillian cried in concern.

“Yes!” Julia said tetchily as she climbed down. You nearly gave me a heart attack making me jump like that.”

“I'm sorry. could have changed the lightbulb for you.”

“I know,” Julia replied, telling herself that Lillian was only acting out of daughterly concern. Fancy a cuppa?”

“Don’t change the subject. What if you’d fallen?” her daughter returned. Sit down and I'll put the kettle on while you recover.”

“Recover?”

“From your fright,” Lillian said, as if she were entirely innocent in the whole affair.

“How is everyone?” Julia asked when she returned to the sitting room with their tea.

“Fine. Samuel’s planning to call in and see you at the weekend, but you’re not to give him pocket money.”

“OK,” Julia said cheerfully, acknowledging the request with no intention of complying.

If she wanted to give her grandson money, she jolly well would.

“He'll only spend it on rubbish,” Lillian went on.

He was only sixteen. There would be plenty of time to be sensible when he was an adult.

Lillian took after her father for that attitude.

Paul had always had one eye on tomorrow and the other on the future.

Sometimes it seemed they were so busy worrying about what might happen, they forgot to enjoy the present.

For all the good it had done Paul in the end.

What happened to him could never have been planned for. His death was sudden, and all his plans died with him.