Coming of
Hippolyta - short story
Madge Kelly
went onto the back verandah to empty the teapot on the hydrangea growing in an
old tub by the wooden steps. In the darkness, she visualized the plant's lush
blue flowers: to her, it was an old friend.
She had
bought the plant as a cutting in a jam tin from a stall in town the year she
married Ern and had propagated it many times, but the parent plant meant more
to her than its offspring growing around her garden and in the neighbours'
gardens.
She glanced
to that part of the evening sky where the planet Venus usually appeared.
Below the
planet, another bright star suddenly materialized. Madge thought it was the
light of a jet, but it moved too fast. To Madge's startled gaze, it grew larger
and brighter while she watched and seemed to land beyond the strip of bush in
the north paddock.
Ern, her
husband, called from the kitchen, "Hurry up, Madge. We're waiting for our
tea."
Madge
backed away from Venus and tripped over the doorstep into the kitchen. "I
think I've just seen a spaceship land."
Her two
sons, Kev and Ron, looked startled, and then laughed. "You read too many
stories, Mum," said Kev, the eldest son.
Madge gazed
timidly at him, amazed she’d produced this huge young man who towered head and
shoulders over her and was already overweight at twenty-two.
Ron, the
younger son, who was nearly as large as his brother, jumped to his feet. His
chair went flying backwards. "I want to see this spaceship of yours,
Mum," he said, pushing past her on his way to the door.
Madge winced
as the door slammed after him.
"You're
a fool, Madge," Ern said good naturedly from his place at the head of the
table.
A few
minutes later, Ron stamped back into the kitchen. "There's no spaceship
out there, Mum."
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