Part 1:
Death is not only the mother of beauty as the poem goes but also the mother of opportunity...
So it was with the passing of a favorite Aunt who left this mortal realm one damp Autumn morning in October. The mourning days passed as my mother grieved for a beloved sister as her life became fond memories told as stories to those of us left behind. Time waits for no one. Life moves on. And with the reading of my Aunt's will, my life changed in ways I could never have imagined even in my wildest dreams.
Here is that story.
*
A few days after her funeral, I found myself standing outside my Aunt's bungalow which she had bequeathed me during the settling of her estate. Number 145 Maple Drive was situated at the far side of a square cul-de-sac made up of four similar single bedroomed homes. It was part of a larger neighborhood made up mostly of elderly retirees or widows/widowers who wanted nothing more than to enjoy the quiet life while doing a bit of gardening.
To me, it was perfect. I worked from home and the peace and quiet were exactly what I was looking for as I had already made plans to move out from my parent's place. At the age of twenty, I figured it was time to bail out of the family nest and find my own way in life.
I walked up the path with a suitcase in one hand and my laptop bag in the other as I finally moved in. The place was already furnished and mom and I had spent a few days going through my Aunt's things and sorting out what to keep and what to give to the local Charity shops on the high street.
When we were finished, we both stood looking at half a dozen black bags piled together in the middle of her kitchen floor. Mom got teary and I gave her a hug.
She blew her nose and patted me on the shoulder. "I know, I know," she sniffed, "These things need to be done. I'm just glad you got this place. I don't think your Uncle George is too happy though."
What? Screw my Uncle George! The man was a miserable and bitter old fart and would probably have sold the bungalow at the drop of a hat.
"Did you know what Aunt Barbra was going to do?" I asked as we sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
Mom tried to feign innocence but failed. The woman couldn't lie her way out a paper bag. "Well, no. Not exactly. We didn't really talk about things like that. All I know is you were her favorite and if she was going to leave it to anyone, it would be you."
And she had.
Aunt Barbra had always been a woman on the go. Always front foot forward and doing things to keep her busy. Over the years, she was always the one who came to visit us and it was a rare trip when it was the other way around. So I really didn't know much about the area where she lived and what her neighbors were like. All I knew was that her friends were all single or widowed women and they were younger than her by some years.
"There are four of us," she used to say with a laugh, "I'm the oldest and Captain of this ship." They did everything together; shopping, eating out, movies, day trips, you name it they did it as a close nit group. The best kind of friends to have.
And now my Aunt was gone.
I put the suitcase down and stood to fumble in my coat pockets looking for the keys. An Autumn breeze had sprung up and the old oaks creaked and groaned around me. Suddenly, there was a cough behind me and I turned to find myself looking at three middle-aged mature women who had appeared out of nowhere. Oh. Uh. Hello. So these were my Aunt's good friends who had come out to welcome me into their little corner of the neighborhood.
We stood for a moment awkwardly looking at each other before one of the ladies stepped forward and made introductions.
This lady looked to be in her mid-forties. About five ten in height, with gingery red shoulder length hair, wide green eyes, and with what looked like a full bosomed figure underneath a flowery white blouse tucked into a deep blue pleated skirt. She had a charm and grace about her and a friendly aura that put you immediately at ease with her. I got the impression she was the leader of the troop.
"Ben, right?" she asked, giving me a bright white smile as she reached out her hand.
I took it and shook it gently. "Hi, hello. That's right. I'm Ben. Aunt Barbra was my mother's sister. Nice to meet you."
Compassion flooded her cheeks as she gave my hand a squeeze before letting it go. "Oh, we're all so shocked and sad at your Aunt's passing. So out of the blue. Tell your mom we're asking after her and if there's anything she needs help with she can give us a call anytime."
"Thanks, I will., I replied.
She pressed a hand against her chest. "I'm Angie," She turned and indicated the two women standing beside her, "This is Ruth," she indicated her friend standing next to her, "And this is Sharon," The other woman smiled and nodded at me.
"Hi, hello," I replied, "Nice to meet the both of you. First names okay?"
They all grinned. "Sure thing. Wouldn't have it any other way," said Ruth.
Ruth looked to be slightly older than Angie and she had this awesome halo of jet black hair which she had pulled back tight from her face and twisted it into a long ponytail that curled down to her waist. She had these amazing blue eyes that were well set into a classically defined face with a pert nose and full rosy lips. She was taller than Angie with a full figure and what looked like an outstanding bosom.
Had to admit, all three ladies were seriously impressive to look at - especially to a twenty-year-old who was still dealing with the effects of delayed puberty.
Sharon was interesting. She looked the oldest of the three, early fifties I thought and was more stocky than the other two. Not stocky as in over-weight but stocky as in everything was super defined. Hour glass figure was a phrase invented for a woman like her. If you had to describe or draw a sexy mature woman you'd draw her. She was Marilyn Monroe blonde. Green eyes, a bust that defied gravity, womanly hips that could birth an army and I imagined her ass would be twice as spectacular if she turned around in those tight jeans she was wearing as well as a plain white blouse. She came across as the studious silent type. A woman that would see through any macho bullshit in a second.
Of the three, she was the one who intrigued me the most. I blushed slightly as it suddenly occurred to me that they were all kind of, uh, hot.
As that thought crossed my mind, I gave my head a shake. What the hell are you thinking? They're all more than twice your age! And you've only just met them!
The sooner that delayed puberty took a hike and I got myself a regular girlfriend the better. That was turning out to be the real problem and easier said than done. I had dipped my wick once and got burned pretty bad. All I wanted was a nice girl. Someone to love. Someone to love me back and have sex with a couple of times per week. I am really easy to please.
"We just wanted to say hello and to tell you not to be afraid to get in touch if you need anything while you're settling into your new place. Not that you need to do much. Your Aunt kept this place spick and span." said Angie as I slipped the key into the lock and pushed open the door putting my suitcase and laptop inside.
There was that awkward silence between us again as the conversation dried up. It was probably due to the age difference I guess. I felt like I was talking to my teachers back in high school where you were always unsure of what to say. But they all seemed so nice and eager to help me settle into my new place. I figured I needed to show my appreciation in some way.
"Um, if you're interested," I said, turning to the three of them watching me as I stood there rubbing my hands together nervously, "Ah, I'd like to invite you around later for a drink or two. We can get to know each other and have a house warming party at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone as it were. That is if you haven't made plans or anything. I mean, we can leave it until another time.."
All three shook their heads at once. "NO, no no. We're good to go, right girls?" said Angie quickly, glancing at her two friends, "That's really sweet of you, Ben. We'd love to come over and have a bit of a gossip."
"We'd love to, Ben. We'll come over about seven, okay?" smiled Sharon with a twinkle in her eye.
I held her gaze for a second as Angie and Ruth glanced at each other with a knowing look. A look that I missed as I blinked at the blonde woman in the tight jeans. Sharon broke the spell and slipped her arm through Ruth's.
"Come on, ladies," she winked, "We need to get cooking!"
And with that, they turned tail and walked away chatting amongst themselves as I stood there looking decidedly befuddled. What the hell had just happened?
I had this uneasy feeling that wheels had been set in motion and that something, SOMETHING, was most definitely up.
*
Seven arrived and the kitchen was filled with the smell of freshly baked cherry and apple pie. We all sat around the table, each with a glass of wine in hand just making small talk as they eased me into their own little world.
I sensed they enjoyed the thrill of getting to know someone completely outside of their usual social circle. As time passed, I got to learn more about them and they about me. Though being only twenty, I didn't have much life experience to share with them and that was something they seemed to find so refreshing. They told me how they met my Aunt and all about the fun times they had shared together doing whatever the hell they liked for they were all financially free and independent. All three of them were exceedingly happy with their lot.
One thing that I found slightly odd was that there were no men - or women, come to that - in their lives. Too much fuss and nonsense had been their answer when I had raised my eyebrows.
"Ben," said Angie, who was sat to my immediate right, "We've been there, done that, bought the ticket. Ruth has two grand kids, I've got one on the way and Sharon got all sensible and kicked her old man out."
I smiled at that. Sharon was one impressive lady. We shared a glance as we both took a sip of wine. "Sorry to hear that," I said honestly.
Sharon made a face and waved a hand at me. "Oh hush, divorce is the best thing that ever happened to me. Got me out of the rut. Took a good few years before I saw the light and realized that my life needed a kick up its ass."
She pointed her glass at her friends. "These two had good marriages. But fate can be a real bitch sometimes. They lost their men in the blink of an eye. One moment they were here, next, they were gone. Life is what you make of it and how you deal with what she throws at you. Here we all are," she smiled at Ruth and Angie who reached across and took her hands in theirs, "We've been together for nearly five years now all told. A couple of years in and your Aunt Barbra showed up and we became firm friends just like that," she glanced at the other women listening to her tell the story of how they all came to be together, "Bosom buddies. We all got through our various little adventures and mishaps together. Helping each other out. We trusted each other and always knew we'd be there for each other. It was as simple as that."
I sat listening quietly. It all sounded so wonderful. Perfect. Women were so much more emotionally in tune than men. And I envied them that. To be part of something that bound them together as friends and life companions. No wonder my Aunt had been so happy.
