Helen was worried about her little brother. The family hadn’t heard from him in months. He stopped coming to holiday gatherings and never answered his phone. Enough was enough! Being 10 years his senior, she knew Henry’s brooding tendencies quite well. Even as a baby he barely smiled. It wasn’t until he met Alice that his countenance changed.

Helen booked a ticket on the next train ensuring that she would arrive on a Saturday when Henry was home.

As the taxi hugged the curb, she was startled to see that the house had fallen into minor disrepair. The average person wouldn’t notice of course, but Helen knew how meticulous Henry was about his boxwood hedges and lawn edging. She rang the bell three times before hearing movement behind the door.

As Henry opened the door, squinting from the sunlight, he stepped back a stride when he realized who had come to call. “Helen! You’re here!”

“Yes little brother, I am. You look like crap!” She pushed past Henry sending a cloud of dust into the stale air; more dust as she pulled the drapes open. “Get me some tea Henry, will you? I’m parched!”

kat ~ 22 July 2016
(194 Words)

A third installment in the series for Jane Dougherty’s Microfiction Challenge based on the painting above by Else Berg. Read the first two installments of this story by clicking HERE and scrolling to the story called Seasoning.