"Oh, it's you. Come in and shut that door will you, that draught's near cutting me in 'alf."

"And a happy birthday to you, Mum. You're grumpy today."

"Sorry, luv, ignore me, you know I hate birthdays." With a pained wince Rose wiggled herself more upright in her armchair.

"I know you do, Mum, but this is a special birthday. Here, let's hope this will cheer you up," said Sandy, handing her mum a birthday card and neatly wrapped pink parcel.
"The kids will be round with their presents a bit later."

"Did you see the postman on your way up the street? Mind you, I doubt if there'll be many cards, not at at my age."

"Oh dear, you are feeling sorry for yourself, Mum."

"Oh, I just hate getting old. I've got nothing left to enjoy. Nobody needs an old fogey like me around anymore - life is for you youngsters."

Leaving the boiling kettle to rattle away in the small kitchen, Sandy put her arms lovingly around her mum's shoulders. "Dave and I are hardly youngsters, Mum," she laughed. "We're both nearer fifty than forty, you know."

"You're still youngsters to me."

"Open your present while I make the tea, I've brought some of your favourite biscuits and maybe we'll have cakes later."
Rose opened her parcel very slowly, almost as if she didn't want to see what was inside.

"Oh, that's lovely," she said quietly, holding aloft a fluffy pink dressing gown. "It's almost too pretty to wear."

"We bought it for you to wear, not to hide away in the wardrobe," chided her daughter with a smile. "We thought it would keep you warm on cold winter days. Dave found it on one of his business trips to the city. I hope you like it."

"Aye, he's a good lad, but he works too hard. Tell him I love it, will you."

"He does it because he loves you," said Sandy placing her mother's cup and saucer on the table beside her chair. "You haven't opened your card either.
Davey wants to deliver his himself when he gets in from work. He said, if it's alright he'll bring his new girlfriend, Janine round to meet you. She seems like a nice girl, he's been going out with her for quite a while now."

"What about the other two, Janey and what's-his-name?"

"What's-his-name is called Richard, Mum and they are getting along fine. They've just put in an offer on a flat in Water's Edge, you know, those Victorian houses down by the harbour that they've turned into flats."

"It's about time she made you a grandmother. It's a couple of years now since the wedding." Rose subsided into silence the wrapping paper faintly rustling as she stroked it neatly into strips.
"If she doesn't hurry up it'll be too late for me to meet my first great grandchild."

Spoons and teacups rattled as Sandy angrily banged her cup into the saucer, "Mum, you are being unfair to the kids, it's not their fault you are feeling unhappy today, although I can't see why. You have a lovely home, a family that loves you and lots of good friends. Now this isn't like you."

Turning away for a moment, Rose clamped her lips together before releasing a long hissing sigh. "I hate getting old. I hate being old. Every birthday reminds me I'm getting old," tears came to the old lady's eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
"I see you and the kids enjoying life. Doing all the things that me and your dad used to do, and it's gone, it's all gone. All I get out of life nowadays is sitting here waiting for someone to visit. I just wish your dad was here."

"I'm sorry that Dad's not with us, Mum, and I know that we can never make up for your losing him, but we really are all doing our best to make things nice for you - we all love you so much".

Rat-ta-tat - a sharp knocking on the front door cut through the fraught atmosphere making both ladies jump.

"That'll be Janey and Richard," said Sandy hopefully as she went to answer the door.

"Hi, Nan. Happy birthday, have you had a nice day?" asked Janey dragging Richard and a large unusual shaped parcel behind her.

"Not too bad, thanks, luv. Yer mum's been here most of the day keeping me company. Hello Richard."

"Hello, Nan. Happy birthday," said Richard shyly planting a kiss on Rose's cheek. He had admitted to Janey a long time ago that her nan scared him.

"That's good, well done, Mum," said Janey grinning at her mother. "Here you are, Nan, we thought that this would look nice on your bed."
Once again the rustle of paper filled the room as they watched the old lady carefully unwrap her present.

"It's all squishy," said Rose tearing faster at the paper. "Well blow me, it's a teddy bear! If I put that on my bed there won't be much room for me," she exclaimed as she cuddled the massive pink bear tightly.

"Well, Nan, it's nice and soft and we thought that maybe the baby could play with it when we come to visit." Janey and Sandy smiled at each other.

"What baby? Whose baby?"

"Our baby, Nan. It's just been confirmed. And you're going to be a great-nan?"

"They only told me the news last night, Mum," said Sandy, proudly smiling at her daughter. "And we thought it would be a lovely birthday present for you today. I've been keeping the news in all morning. Are you pleased?"

"Oh, that's so lovely," said Rose, beaming up at the parents-to-be. "Come and give us a cuddle, luv, and you, Richy. Congratulations, I'm so proud of you both. Tell me all about it then while yer mum puts the kettle on."

"Well, there's not much to tell you yet, Nan. The baby is due some time in June next year. I've got to have a scan in a few weeks' time but we've both decided that we don't want to know what it is."

"What do yer mean, what it is?" queried Rose. "It's a baby ain't it."

"No Nan. We don't want to know its sex."

"Oh, that's good, we never knew things like that in our day."

They're going to call it Claire, Rosemary, Mum," said Sandy as she rattled her way in with a tray full of tea and cups. "I think we can do a bit better than biscuits now. Let's have some cake."

"What if it's a boy then? It could be a boy."

If it's a boy, Nan," said Janey laughingly. "We'd like to call it Peter, Roy. Do you think Grandad would've liked that?"

"I'm sure he would, luv. I'm sure he would."

The door rattled again and Sandy went to answer it

"Hi Granny, happy birthday. The postman's left a pile of cards out here," echoed in from the hallway as Sandy's son, Davey, heralded by a blast of cold air, bounced into the room.
"So, how's my favourite granny today?" he teased. "I suppose that these three have told you all about my new nephew."

I thought you said you didn't know what it was?" Said Rose, turning to Janey.

"He's teasing you, Nan."

"Bound to be a boy," declared Davey. "Our family always churns out boys; for the football you see."

"Hey, what about me?" said Janey in mock indignation.

"I rest my case," said Davey, bending to his grandmother. "Come here, Gran, and give your favourite grandson a kiss. Oh, this is Janine, Nan," said Davey as an afterthought. Janine, meet the real love of my life, my Granny."

"Hello, Mrs Watkins. Happy birthday," said Janine, emerging from behind Davey and passing the old lady another pink parcel and a card. "Davey never stops talking about you. He reckons that he can't do anything outrageous to shock you because you've always done it before him."

"You can call me Nan, if you want luv, only the tally-man calls me Mrs Watkins and it don't do 'im any good," she smiled.

"I bought the card, Nan, but Janine sorted the present," announced Davey, grinning lovingly at his grandmother.

"And a very nice present it is too. Thank you, luv, Davey must have told you about the flippin' draughts from that door." Rose smiled, as she displayed a large fluffy pair of slippers.
"Can someone put these cards up? I'm certainly a lucky girl today."

Once again a draught whistled into the room as her son-in-law, Sandy's husband Dave, bustled in from the hallway. "Hi, Mum. Happy birthday. Hey, what're those birthday cards doing on the floor?"

"I see what you mean about the draught, Nan," squeaked Janine as she bent down to help Sandy retrieve the wind-blown cards.

"So, Mum, how's your day been? Not too hectic, I hope." Like Sandy, Dave was well aware of his mother-in-law's feelings about birthdays.

"No, Son." Rose replied with a smile on her face. "It's been a lovely day. Days like this just remind me 'ow lucky I am, wiv me 'ole family about me. Look at us all, three generations and another generation on the way - what more could I want? Mind you," she added with a grin, "maybe somebody could do something about that damn draught."

[THE END]

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