Image of her

I have this fleeting memory of her sitting on her bed, still and silent, as dawn’s soft sun fingered its way through the sheers. She was unaware that I stood in the doorway, for she was far away, staring out of the window and—what?—remembering him? planning an escape? asking herself why?

     This image of her is all I have left of my mother: her straight back, the shiny brown bob cut to the nape of her neck, straps of an olive satin nightdress hanging from her bony shoulders.

     I quietly tiptoed downstairs, put on my shoes and headed to school. By the time I returned, the house was empty and so was her closet.

     I wonder even now, if she ever recalls that last morning in the house, if she sometimes thinks of me, if she is even still alive.

Sheila E. Tucker is editor-in-chief of an upcoming anthology for Toronto’s Heliconian Club for Women in the Arts and Letters. She’s a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada and The Ontario Poetry Society. Previously, she was an editor and graphic designer for an international company. Born in England, the backdrop of her memoir Rag Dolls and Rage, Sheila travelled the world for 12 years, working casual jobs on an Israeli kibbutz, the Spanish coast, a Belgian town and the Greek capital, among other places. She thrived on adventure. Sheila now lives in Oakville with her husband. http://www.ragdollsandrage.com   www.facebook.com/OakvilleSheilaTucker

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