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.