Mrs. Dunkin #15

This is an ongoing story I've decided to write and put on my blog every Monday.   Please excuse the errors, I'm only doing limited editing.  Constructive criticism welcome.  I wish I had a cute button on the side where the story could go but I don't know how to make a button.  Even if I did I wouldn't know how to link up the story LOL.   So if you miss a chapter, you'll have to look at my sidebar for it.  The first chapter was written on October 23, 2011 so that should at least be some help, ha.

15

Waking up again I was a little hungry.  I saw the tray was gone, so I grabbed the chocolate cake and ate it.  It was yummy.

I went into the chest and pulled out my knitting.  Why yes, I knit.  I was never a very good knitter and I haven’t done it for years but I have knitted a few Afghans in my time.  I still had some yarn left and thought I could use it here.  I remember doing a whole lot of thinking once I would get it started and didn’t have to concentrate on it too much. 

As I got a few rows done, Clara started wheeling herself in my room. 

“Hi there”, she said. 

“Hi Clara.” 

“I hope I’m not bothering you but I thought we could chat some more.” 

“That would be lovely. I could use some company. Can I ask you a question?  Do you ever feel that you’re trapped in this place because of the locked doors?”

“I did at first but I got used to it.  I’ve never tried to get out that’s why they’ve never put an alarm on me.” 

“That will be me too Clara. I am not much of a rule breaker.  When I was in school and the other girls would smoke in the washroom, I wouldn’t.  If there wasn’t a crosswalk, I would walk further until I found one.  The speed limit, let’s just say I was that woman you were cursing at that was in front of you.  I could go on and on but I’m sure you get the picture.  Why did I do that?  I think it’s because I had it drummed in my head.  You see my parents were very strict.  Not to speak ill of the dead, but my mother was very domineering and a force to be reckoned with.  I was always told to be a good girl and follow the rules.  All she had to do was give me “the look” and I bent to her will.”

“A lot of us were raised that way, Annie.  That’s just the way it was back then.  Can I tell you a secret?”

“Sure, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I’ve watched when they’ve done the code for the door.  They don’t seem to change it because it’s been the same one since I first came.  I always have visions of busting out of here.  I wouldn’t go out of the building but sometimes I’d like to go out into the courtyard without having a shadow with me” and she laughed. 

“Clara, now that I’m here we might just do that sometime. If there’s ever a time to break the rules now would be it.   Do you have any other family besides your children?”   

“You mean child.”

“Yeah, right.” 

“I have a sister but she lives out of town.  I talk to her about once a week.  She’s a few years older than me.  And you?”

“No not really.  I was an only child as was my husband.”

“Did you work outside the home” Clara asked.

“Yes, I was a high school English teacher.  I worked before I had my kids and then I went back when my kids went to school full time.  I retired when my father came to live with us.  When he died, Hank and I were going to start traveling and then he died.  We thought we had more time to do things but it wasn’t to be.”

“You were one lucky woman, Annie.  I was a stay at home mom my whole life.  My husband never wanted me to work.  I was dumb enough to listen to him.”

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