Ridiculous

The bath tub was full; a fragrant candle by the side; a glass of wine untouched. Who knows how she slipped, but she did. She hit her head. She drowned.

My uncle and my cousin had just gone down the street. My parents were just 15 minutes away. They drove there as fast as they could. My quietly spoken uncle and her son were soaked by the bath water. Wailing. Shaking. They'd dragged her limp body to the floor. Her warm body.

Mum told me the body lay there for hours after as police arrived at the scene. An unexpected death. Mum wanted to shake her, tell her to wake up, get up, stop being silly!

The dog cowered in the corner. My uncle couldn't speak.

Her eldest son is surfing somewhere in South America. He hasn't seen his mum in months. And no one could reach him. She retired at Christmas time. Fifty years old. They were moving to Hanoi. She was in good health.

My brother rang me yesterday. I was by a busy roadside and only heard enough to put the picture together the way I'd like it. I asked him what hospital she was in, was she okay? He said no, she died and I told him that was ridiculous. It is ridiculous. And that's all there is to say.