Copyright Oggbashan October 2003 The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
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Hannah is dead. She was a real danger to me, even dead. You can read that story as "Hannah". This is the sequel. Hannah is my friend and Kay's. I thought I was safe from Hannah and happily married to Kay. But with two women loving me, even if one is dead, life can get complicated...
On a Friday evening about six months after our marriage Kay asked me to bring tea through to the living room of our house that used to be Hannah's. Kay wanted to talk to me.
This was different and oddly formal. We talked often. We talked to our dead friend Hannah who answered. Kay didn't make a production of talking to me. Who am I to argue? I made the tea and took it to the living room.
Kay patted the settee beside her. I put the tea tray down and joined her.
"Simon. Today I went to the chemists."
"Yes?"
I can be slow on the uptake sometimes.
"I'm pregnant."
A short silence. In a small voice I asked:
"Are you pleased?"
"Are you?"
I couldn't hold myself back. This formal Kay might be odd but I loved her. A baby for us!
"Yes! It's wonderful news, I'm delighted!"
"Good."
That was a flat response.
"What's wrong? Don't you want a baby?"
"Of course I do. I just..."
"Just what?"
"I wanted more time with you. Just you and us. Now we will be three and soon. Our lives will change. We won't be Simon and Kay. We will be Simon and Kay and a baby. I'm not ready to do all the 'mumsy' things."
What could I say? What she said was true. We had had a year as an engaged couple and six months of marriage. We had wanted to do so much together.
I hugged Kay. She cried on my shoulder. Eventually we poured lukewarm tea.
"We still have some time before you get too large. We can do a lot in that time. We could go anywhere."
That was true. Hannah had left me so much money that neither of us had to work. We still did but we could live on Hannah's money for the rest of our lives and still leave a massive amount to any children.
"I feel so rough. This morning I was sick. That is why I went to the chemists. If I feel like this I am not going to enjoy being pregnant. I won't want to travel."
"Have you told Hannah?"
"No. Hannah may be our friend, but my husband comes first."
"I know now. I think we should tell Hannah and ask her advice."
"Are you sure, Simon? What advice can a ghost give us? She was never pregnant when she was alive."
"I don't know what Hannah knows and what she doesn't know. I do know that she loves us. We ought to tell her."
"All right. We have to tell her sometime. I might as well get it over with."
This isn't the way Kay usually thinks of Hannah. Even though Hannah died because she couldn't have me, sometimes I think Kay and Hannah are closer to each other than I am to either. They have all-girl sessions for hours.
Kay and I put our heads side by side and sent a thought to Hannah. Instantly she was there with us. Kay told her baldly.
"Hannah. I'm pregnant."
"And you don't like being pregnant."
Hannah as a ghost was far more perceptive than Kay's poor boob of a husband. Kay blurted it all out in a rush.
"No, Hannah, I don't. I started today with morning sickness. I feel terrible and I feel deprived of the life Simon and I could have had. I'm not ready to be a mother, not yet."
"That, Kay, is the morning sickness talking and the normal reaction to any major change that affects your life. If you didn't feel like death warmed up," Hannah laughed. She knew all about death. "then you would react differently to your pregnancy. Lie back and let me get to work."
Reluctantly Kay slumped back on the settee. I could see Kay's hair being ruffled by Hannah's invisible hand as she gently massaged Kay's tension away.
"Now how do you feel?"
"Much better. The headache and nausea has gone but I'm still frightened."
"Of course you are. Having a baby is important. Men don't understand just how much it can affect a woman."
I wanted to protest but a warm ghostly hand pressed over my lips. Hannah's voice hissed in my head.
"Shut up, Simon. Let me deal with this. She needs a female now."
Hannah could "talk" to both of us at once or just to one. That remark was for me alone.
"I think Simon ought to leave us. He could go and cook the evening meal."
"I don't feel like eating."
"You didn't. That was before I worked on you. Think again."
"I do feel better. Perhaps I could manage a little."
"Hold on to that thought. I'll tell Simon what he has to do."
"Right, Simon. Kiss her and then start cooking a normal sized meal. Tell me when you are ready and I'll bring her. OK?"
"Hannah. You are a ghost. What do you know about pregnancy and babies?"