Читать книгу The Story of Rosemary Buttons - Gregory J. McKenzie - Страница 3

Eventually Mrs. Buttons recovered from her illness. Back home with her boys who would not stop hugging their Mum and her baby, she was happy. But when her husband told her how BOTH her mother AND her mother-in-law worked together to keep her family going...well she was flabbergasted. Her mum was not the easiest woman to get along with. Even though Mrs. Buttons loved her deeply, she knew this from past experiences. Like the time her mum had told off the postman for not delivering her mail on time, or that time she marched into the local butcher shop to tell off the butcher about what she called 'fake steak'.

That her mother-in-law also co-operated so peacefully totally astounded Mrs. Buttons. Not a great fan of her husband's mother, Mrs. Buttons now had to reassess that opinion. Still the important thing was that her family did not suffer from her absence in hospital. Mrs. Buttons got on with her busy life tHankful that she had that support behind her.

Unfortunately her health had been compromised by her long stay in hospital. The decline was gradual but it was constant. Mr. Buttons began to notice that his wife was often tired at the end of the day. Two boisterous boys and a baby who was becoming a toddler may have explained this if if was not for the young age of his wife. A poem came to his mind that he had learnt as a schoolboy. It began to run in his mind every time he heard his wife have a coughing fit. That poem was unsourced having been written too long ago to recall its authorship. It went like this

As the beauty of a rose

Begins to fade

The decline is slow

Until death ruins its pose.

This poem sent a chill up Mr. Buttons' spine because his wife had been named after her mother.

When Rosemary was not that much older, her mother was rushed to hospital. This time she did not return. Her sons were inconsolable. Rosemary somehow knew that her father needed her to hug him and give him a kiss as often as possible. Mr. Buttons could not feel anything but somehow his little daughter could get through to that deep pain in his heart and soothe his suffering. As time got a move along, Mr. Buttons moved out of his denial phase into his angry period. He could no longer go into any church. Neither could not he even pray in private. His only lifeline was an infant daughter that could clam his mind and gladden his heart.

Rosemary's brothers fought each other more often and sometimes violently. Rosemary would often step in between them, holding up her little arms to separate them at the worst point of their fights. Sometimes she had to suffer their blows but she would not back away. Eventally her brothers respected her courageous attempts to end these fights. From that time they rarely ever fought in front of their little sister.