Short Story
EARLY MORNINGS Marigold Verity, Sherborne Scribblers
T
here was a time when as a busy mother, my early mornings revolved round the school run. Hurried breakfasts, gathering up schoolbooks and a rush to catch the school bus – or on late mornings, to chase the school bus! Later, the children having grown and departed, the dog became my reason for an early morning exit from the house. The unofficial rendezvous for us dog walkers became the old quarry that had been converted into a public park. The newly planted trees were maturing, forming little woodland clumps. While paths wind uphill and down dale around the grassy interior. There, punctually at 7.30 am, David would be seen, outside the entrance, sitting in his car and reading the newspaper, with his whippet looking anxiously out of the window, watching out for other doggie friends. David had a problem walking. He seemed to have developed poor circulation in his painful legs, so by walking his dog, we relieved him of his doggie duties. He continued to read the paper and give us a summary of the daily news on our return from our round. I remember that beautiful sunny morning in spring when the dawn chorus was particularly vibrant. The birds were clearly very busy claiming their territory or calling for a mate, yet looking towards the valley beyond, on the horizon were dark, forbidding clouds. That was the morning there was no David. I thought nothing of it, we all have ‘a lie-in’ some days. As the black clouds swirled, sooner than expected, it started to tip down with rain. We all scurried to the gate, to head home. As I exited the gate, I saw a couple of stationary cars, one car had its engine still running, and I watched the wipers swishing hypnotically. I wondered why the engine was running
124 | Sherborne Times | July 2021
