The park was full of children running around and tossing leaves, many dressed in Halloween costumes. Mavis had forgotten it was half term and the happy sounds of their chatter was at odds with her gloomy mood. Life had become just too lonely, too difficult, too fraught with problems since her husband Les had died just as they had both retired from their teaching jobs.
A little girl rushed past, her witches cape flying and the sparkly hat catching the sun.
Mavis walked towards the big horse chestnut trees in the centre of the park and the carpet of leaves crackled and rustled as she scuffed them up with her boots. The sun caught the yellow and gold leaves as she spied a shiny brown conker nestling beneath them. She picked it up and caressed it in the palm of her hand. Its smooth round solidness comforted her. In a moment, she was ten years old again, running through the park, delighting in the piles of autumn leaves as she kicked them up in the air and watched them twirl and dance around her. How she had loved the Autumn, conker time, bonfire night and the smell of woodsmoke. Her mother, with her Celtic roots, way before the commercialism of Halloween, had always insisted on putting a carved pumpkin in the porch to ward off the evil spirits.
Why, she wondered,were childhood memories so much more focused, limpid, clear and sharp? She had loved this park in every season, thrilled by each change throughout the year, but it was Autumn that awoke her senses making her feel fully alive.
It was something she hadn't felt for a long time. She had hoped that by coming here she would find again a feeling of hope, of life being good and of being whole.
There was always something so magical about the golden glow of autumnal light and for a moment she was transfixed by the beauty of the park. Her sister Edna, long gone to live in Canada, had loved the park too. On a whim, Mavis took out her phone to call her on Facetime. Her sister's lovely face framed by her curly grey hair soon smiled back at her.
'Hi there sis, I was just making coffee,' Edna grinned as she lifted up a cup which read "World's best granny".
As always, Mavis felt a lump in her throat and fought back tears, she had never stopped missing her sister who had been swept off her feet by her handsome Canadian husband when she was a teenager and now had six children and a huge amount of grandchildren all living near her in Ottawa.
Mavis turned the camera round, 'Look where I am! Do you recognize the trees? Do you remember the conker fights and building the bonfire?'
Edna sighed, 'Oh gosh yes, what fun we had, Fall is our season Mave, oh whoops, sorry, gotta go, little Amelia wants her potty.' And just like that, she was gone. Mavis sighed, a deep feeling of loneliness sweeping over her.
The park seemed very quiet once her sister had gone and Mavis started to walk to the entrance. There was a figure standing by the gate and she became aware of being alone.
She shivered as the wind turned cold and swept through her thin cardigan, she realized there was no-one left in the park and the dusk was settling with an eerie mist. She took out her phone again and called her daughter Jessica who lived in Australia. It went straight to voice mail as it usually did.
She hurried towards the car park and the figure moved too, a fear gripped her, she'd always been afraid of the dark. She picked up her pace and was alarmed to hear steps close behind her, but then a booming voice called out, 'Hey is it you Mavis?' she turned to see a man about her age and stopped, recognition dawning, it was her neighbour. She felt relief wash over her.
He carried on, apologetic now, 'I didn't mean to frighten you. It's me David. It's just that I saw you leave the house before and you looked upset and weren't wearing a coat and it's very chilly and now it's getting dark so early and I just wondered if you would like to have a cup of tea.' His words came out in a rush and he looked so worried that she laid her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. It seemed so long since anyone had noticed her.
'Oh, thank you David. How silly of me, I hadn't realised. I suppose it has got colder in the last few days.'
'Don't worry, Mavis.' his tone was warm and kind as he offered her his coat.
Mavis realise she was still holding the conker in her left hand. She popped it in the pocket of David's coat.
'My mother used to say conkers bring good luck and she'd always put one in our coat pocket to protect me and my sister during the Winter months. Would you like to keep it?'
'Fancy that, my mother did exactly the same thing. I would love to keep it, thank you.' replied David turning towards the gate of the park. 'Look, that café over the road is still open. How about you tell me more about your childhood traditions over a cup of tea. My treat'.
***
Sitting in the coffee bar with her kind neighbour, Mavis felt a warmth spread around her heart. Finally, as she held her hot cup of tea, she could feel the magic of Autumn she loved so much returning.
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