It was my husband Pete's idea that I should go and visit Micky. Micky and Dawn were our neighbours at Canning Place. And then Dawn died. Suddenly. Just like that. Just about in the time that it takes to snap your fingers. One moment she was the neighbourhood busybody, organising us all, chairing the Neighbourhood Watch and the Garden Society, and the next moment she was gone.
Micky and Dawn were both a lot older than everyone else in our street. They were both in their seventies, so I suppose they had done their three score years and ten. But still....
'Should I take him some books or something?' I said.
'Micky already has heaps of books,' Pete pointed out. 'More than us, I'd say. No, do something nice for him. Maybe make him a cake. He could probably just do with a bit of company.'
'Perhaps I could make some muffins,' I suggested.
'Yeah. Muffins would be good. Make him some muffins. Go and have a bit of a chat. Let him know that the world hasn't forgotten about him.'
'Cheese? Or chocolate?' I said.
'Muffins? Hell, does it have to be one or the other? Why not make a few of each?'
And so that's what I did. I didn't work on Tuesdays, and so, after Pete had gone off to work, I made a batch of cheese muffins and another batch of chocolate muffins, and I arranged them in an airtight tin so that they would stay fresh for a few days. And then I tarted myself up a bit, put on a bit of lippy and a bit or perfume, and headed next door.
At first, Micky seemed a bit surprised to see me -- although far from unhappy.
'I hope that I'm not interrupting anything,' I said. 'I just thought that if you weren't too busy, we could have elevenses together.'
'Elevenses?' Micky said. 'Oh. Umm... yes. Why not? Come on in. Gosh. Yes. Why not?'
'I've made you a few muffins,' I told him. 'I hope that you haven't already done your baking for the week.'
Micky laughed. 'Me? Ha ha. Toast is about the limit of my baking. And I can't always get that right.'
'Well, today we have some cheese muffins and we have some chocolate muffins.'
'Ooh. We're spoiled,' he said. 'I'd better put the kettle on.'
'I can do that,' I told him. 'What do you normally like? Tea? Or coffee?'
'In the morning, I normally like coffee. Just instant. Nothing fancy. Dawn bought one of those fancy machines, but it just sits in the back of the cupboard.'
'Instant sounds fine to me,' I said.
I filled the kettle and switched it on. 'So... how have you been managing?' I asked.
'Well, it's certainly different,' Micky said. 'But I'm managing. Just about. The girl from the agency comes in in the morning and does a few chores. She's from The Philippines or somewhere. I'm never quite sure if she understands anything I say. But we seem to get by.'
I made the coffee and put a few muffins onto a plate. (Micky insisted that we use the best china.) And then we sat side by side on the couch with the muffins and our coffee mugs on the low table in front of us.
'Well... this is nice,' Micky said. 'I get a bit fed up having my coffee all by myself. It's just not the same, is it? You know... on your own.'
'Not when you're used to a bit of company,' I said. 'No.'
We chatted for a while and I asked Micky if there was anything that he needed. 'Any shopping or anything like that. You know you just have to ask,' I said.
'That's all more or less under control,' he said. 'I get my groceries delivered. And Meals on Wheels, of course.' And then he said: 'The only thing that I can't get delivered is a cuddle. Although I suppose that I could if I....' And he laughed a naughty laugh. 'Yes. I really miss having a bit of a cuddle. With Dawn. You know. Just having someone else.'
He had a point. And, without even really thinking about it, I reached out and put my arm around him. 'Yes. I know what you mean. People need other people,' I said. 'That's just the way we are, isn't it? Just as fish are swimming creatures and birds are flying creatures, we're cuddling creatures.'