BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY Read Free

Carrie Reynolds-Davies –
Office Supervisor.
    A sob began to rise in her throat.  All at once
the memories of so many good times and mementoes began to assault her numb
brain.  And finally, that silver picture frame, their last New Year.
    Fumbling through her bag she couldn’t find the car
keys, of bugger, bugger, bugger... get me out of here!  Panic started to
rise again as the bravado of the exchange of words was wearing off. 
    “Look Carrie, there’s no need to be hasty, let’s
talk about this.  I think Human Resources would like to speak to you and
we can discuss this further”
    “Fiona with the best of intentions why don’t you
just shove your job!” She took the box of paper tissues from the top of her
jumble of possessions. “Oh and Tina tell Lisa to blow her nose it’s a
disgusting habit to leave her snot on any available surface.  YUK!  I
though with your high standards YOU would have brought her up better than
that.  This should help” She flung the box of tissues in Tina’s direction.
“Oh and another thing, make sure Mr Groves gets his order out in time.  I
wouldn’t want there to be any more mistakes, not on my watch anyway.  I’m
not a tittle tattle but I think you will find that last error had nothing to do
with me.  Check the order again.  It was processed when I was on
leave.  Isn’t that right Tina?”
    With a final stomp across the carpet and a gratifying
slam of the door for good measure; she was gone.

CHAPTER TWO
     
    They had lived in a lovely cul-de-sac where
neighbours really did know each other, looked out for one and other.  They
watched out for new faces that were suspicious or otherwise.  Cut the
grass when a neighbour was poorly or took in parcels if no one was home. 
Street BBQ’s on summer days and competitions at Christmas for the best light
show was a must.  It was a desirable estate to live in but not just for
the catchment to the best schools in the area, people wanted to live
there. 
    Number six Bluebell Gardens was what would be
described by estate agents as the perfect family home.  A small estate of
around a dozen homes which had all been snapped up within days of going on the
market.  They had picked a detached four bedroom house with cream carpets
throughout it had bathrooms, cloak rooms, reception space, and utility
room.  A large open plan living room, kitchen and dining area.  It
ticked all the boxes for the modern family.  It even had a large
garden.  They had only looked at a couple of houses before Carrie had
fallen in love with their house.  It was going to be their forever
home.  They had lived together in Rob’s city centre bachelor flat for a
year or so before they got married and Carrie knew what she wanted.  But
now it was time to move on from city centre living and head for the
suburbs. 
    “What were you thinking girl by getting cream
carpets?” her Mum had bemoaned. 
    “Its’ just the two of us so it’s not like it’s going
to get that dirty” she justified the choice.
    “Why not?  Do you now hover instead of walking
like the rest of us?  Carrie for twenty four years you lived with
us.  I give those cream carpets a month before there is a disaster of some
sort”
    They had decorated the house in cool, clean, modern
tones that they liked.  A large L shaped cream leather sofa with lots of
soft cushions that Carrie contrasted with touches of red in the main living
area.  Twenty three cushions in total that she shook and smoothed back
into place every night.  She had a fluffy deep rug across the space
between the sofas and a moulded plastic effect coffee table always accompanied
with her stack of magazines.  The smooth edges of the table was even
family friendly when Harry was visiting.  The large flat screen TV took up
most of the space opposite the sofas along with all the remote controls for the
gadgets that Rob had.  The living area led off to the large dining table
that could easily seat ten or more and