Her last goodbye

Eighty-year-old Rose woke up with a heavy heart. Despite the bright sunny day outside, her mood was dark and somber. She had no will to get up. She dragged herself out of bed and walked slowly towards the window of her bedroom that overlooked the beautiful garden filled with flowers of all kinds. She had taken care of her beloved garden for so many years with so much love and pride. She drew aside the curtain, letting the golden rays of the sunshine filter into the room. She gazed lovingly at the blooming flowers. One flower caught her eye, a shrivelled and withered rose. "How ironical it was," she thought to herself. It was exactly how she felt right now, old, withered, and shrivelled. She signed. The impending task once again loomed in front of her, filling her with dread.

It had been a couple of years since Rose was living alone in her house. She had managed quite well. This was where she had spent forty years of her life, raising her children. Then, her loving husband Ben died. Her children were all married and settled in homes of their own. They visited her frequently and Rose knew they loved her. It was out of love and concern that both her children Margaret and Charles had decided that it was now too risky for her to stay and manage on her own. So, they booked her into an old age home, not far from where they lived. That way it would be easy for them to visit Rose more frequently. She was leaving for the old age home in two days' time. Most of her stuff had been given away, except for a few prized possessions that Rose had decided to take with her.

Rose's eyes brimmed with tears. The vibrations of her life filled every corner of this house. Memories were etched on every wall. The busy mornings, the sleepy sunny afternoons, and the twinkling star-filled nights. She could not bear the thought of being parted from it. Oh! how she wished Ben was here. She slowly turned from the window. Suddenly she had an impulse to go through every nook and corner of the house. 

She went from room to room, feeling the presence of her loved ones, smelling their familiar scents, hearing their voices from the past, so vivid, that they sounded like just yesterday, not so many years back. She wanted to capture every room and corner in her mind's eye so that whenever she closed her eyes, she could picture it clearly. The pain tore through her heart, it was like parting with a child.

Finally, the day arrived. Rose got up early, dressed, and went down. She had no desire to eat anything. All her prized possessions were packed in a suitcase, the suitcase of her life. She held back tears that threatened to engulf her. She could hear her children drive into the driveway. The time had come, to say her final goodbye, to the place she loved the most. 

Rose walked to the front door, opened it, and walked outside. She crossed the porch and stood outside. She turned around, gazing up at the house. She felt she could see Ben standing in their bedroom waving at her. He was smiling. She smiled back. Then, she walked slowly up to the waiting car, which would now take her to an unknown place. She had felt Ben's presence, reassuring her that he would be there with her always. 

As the car drove away from her home, she craned her neck to see it for as long as she could. Then she sat back, resigned to her fate. Tears fell down her cheeks and a feeling of profound loneliness and emptiness filled her heart.