This tale has now been recorded. Let me read it to you at Madame Yum’s Insta TV @madameyum or find it below.

Thanks Sae Ra for posting this faded glory themed pic to #LuxvilleTales. Here is your story.

THE DOOR.

It was over. The practical busy making was done. Now came a long quiet.

I stood in the small front lounge. It was neat, tidy, perfect. As usual. The standard lamp in the corner was on. As usual. Cushions fluffed and in position. Not a speck of dust.

A single shamrock encased by glass sat on the bookshelf by the door. “Have you seen this?” she would say to everyone who walked past it without noticing. “We love our shamrocks back home.”

The door was closed, once always open. The pink ribboned tassle with glass beads that cackled each time she walked past, was quiet. Even the mantle clock was silent. As were the frozen smiles of her sisters and her peering from frames of the past. The one of them near the clothes line, the one of them running down the street. And the one of mum and all her daughters, so proud.

A landscape of Killarney was on the floor, leaning against the door jam. A promise to hang it could never now be fulfilled.

My brother appeared in the hallway. “Everyone is in the kitchen.” We looked at each other as we did when we first heard the news.

“She can’t survive it.” the doctor had said. His mouth kept moving but there was only silence.

“Mum would have loved this attention.” my brother said, looking like it was his fault.

“Let’s start singing or she will haunt us forever!” I pushed him into the kitchen.

Together the family sang ‘Patsy Fagan’, drank Irish Whiskey and Bailey’s, and danced. Did a ‘whoo hoo’ with thumbs up that was her trademark. We laughed, loudly, told stories. All the while we cried.

LUXVILLE TALES with TALE BY Erin McCuskey and IMAGE BY Sae Ra (follow her @ms_mary_mac)

Please Note: The #LuxvilleTales are generated from reader contributed images. Post me an image themed ‘faded glory’ and I will write you a short tale. My most fave pic taker will be gifted the ‘Luxville Dolls’ book, due February 2016. Tag it #Luxville & #LuxvilleTales and tag me too! Love Madame Yum

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