186 Shoulda woulda coulda

Onward Journey

186 Shoulda Woulda Coulda

“Who is the man upon the stair?” The Little Red Haired Girl asked.
“It’s just a funny rhyme child” Heart answered “It’s cute.”
“And makes no sense” muttered Brain.
“How does it go again?” called Spirit.

“Yesterday upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish that man would go away” the child recited.

“Why would you wish that child? That the man would go away? Is he unfriendly?” Heart asked.
“No, he just puzzles me and looks like he wants to tell me something.”
“Really” called Spirit.
“Yes but his words don’t come out and sometimes his wife is with him too and I have to squish past them both as I go up or down the stairs.”
“How do you know its his wife?” laughed Spirit.
“She’s not often there but I just knows it.”
“Oh Ok” Spirit quietened.
“Do you know them child? Do they look familiar?” cried Heart concerned she would be frightened.
“No, I’m not sure I even see them proper, but others don’t squish past them. They go up and down the stairs without any trouble.”
“What others?” called Spirit.

“My brother and sisters. Sometimes up and down they go and pay them no mind at all. My sister used to have a ‘slinky’ she played with on the stairs;”
“What on earth is a ‘slinky’?” Brain tentatively enquired.
“It is a toy my sister had like a long string of curled wire and you could make it creep down the stairs on its own. My brother put his ‘hot wheels’ track on the stairs too to make the cars jump.”
“I’m not going to ask” Brain resolved.

“What did you play with on the stairs?” Heart cried.
“I didn’t play on the stairs. I got bitten by a sausage dog halfway down them once. Mummy said I must have stepped on it by accident, but I didn’t I promise.” The child looked concerned. “The sausage dog made my foot bleed.”
“Oh dear” cried Heart “It got better though?”

The child nodded her agreement as Body stated “We have a lot to do today after our resting days. We need to do some food shopping not to mention go and pay the bills.”

Body was busy getting things organised with a coat and shoes, bags and keys, “Right are we ready to go?” as she checked her handbag for the car key as well.
“For goodness sake Body you are dithering around again just because we are going out of the front door and going outside. Please just get a grip” Brain snapped.
“Ok Ok…calm yourself Brain….oooh just a sec I forgot to pick up the atm card” as Body rushed back, unlocked the flat and retrieved her card.
“Finally” Brain snapped and was in a very bad mood at the thought of paying the bills.
“It has to be done” Body answered Brains mood. “We used the electric, gas and water. We are used to being short of money most months but we manage.”

“Nana says money is like water. It slips through the fingers” the child chimed in.
“The rest of their family seem to cope” Body concluded. “It’s just us that never seem to have any.”
“Perhaps we could have saved harder when we were working” Brain accused “or put more money into our pension would have been good.”
“Shut up Brain please that is not helpful.”

“Perhaps we should have made sure we got our proper share each time you divorced or separated Body.”
“Shut up Brain that is even less helpful.”
“Perhaps we could have been more disciplined with the savings we had” Brain continued.
“Will you quit with this blame Brain. Whatever the reason or not we can cope Ok.” Body took a deep breath. “we have been in worse financial scenarios than this before and managed” as Body stepped out of the front door.

“We have had a very convoluted path with money” Soul sighed. “But Body is right, we have always had faith we would manage and have.”
“We have made some less inspired choices” agreed Spirit “but we always seem to make something out of nothing.”
“We are fortunate and thankful” sighed Soul.
“Like tuppence for the bus” the child agreed.
Body turned the key in the ignition.
“What do you mean child?” Heart cried.
“Grandad said we were lucky to have tuppence for the bus otherwise we would have to walk. It’s a long walk from Grandads house to mine.”
“See” sighed Soul “we have always been blessed if we think about it.”
“Leave me out of this” huffed Brain.

“Grandads father had fine horses to ride” the child stated proudly.
“I remember you saying before child” Body remarked as she turned the car into the supermarket car park.
“He said I would have a fine horse of my own one day. I like the idea of riding on a fine horse and he said it was going to happen one day when I was older. He had made sure of it.”
Body absent minded, continued moving the bags out of the car.
“How had he made sure of it?” Brain asked.
“I don’t know” the child shrugged her shoulders and asked “Can we have some cheese and pickle sandwiches for tea?”
“I don’t see why not” Body answered “If we can find some nice cheddar.”

“What’s ‘nice’ cheddar? Is it different from normal cheddar?” the child asked.

“It’s just an expression child Heart answered “It means we enjoy a certain type.”
“Does it?” questioned Brain “It usually means ‘giving pleasure or satisfaction and I agree to a certain extent like enjoying a good cheese.”
“Oh Ok” the child answered not looking altogether sure of herself. “Mummy always tells us to play nicely.”
“In that case it would mean to enjoy a good game or playtime” Brain answered.
“Then why does it sometimes end up being cross when it’s someone else’s turn, someone else’s turn to have the ball or the skipping rope? It’s only fair isn’t it?”
“It is child” called Spirit.
“Mummy says sometimes that doesn’t matter, we just need to play nicely. It’s kinder.”

“If anyone is interested, if one goes further back in time ‘nice’ was originally a negative term meaning unaware or ignorant, foolish or stupid, I think it comes from Latin and later French derivatives” Brain announced and Body rolled it’s eyes to the heavens ‘how come she couldn’t just shop in peace.’

The child stared at her feet somewhat lost at the barrage long words Brain had just come out with but understood the basic gist and mood of them. In her little head they all stood for the same thing, being ‘unseen’ just like the man on the stairs. “But you have to play ‘nicely’ and be kind” the child repeated.

“Being kind is different” Soul sighed “sometimes being kind is to be honest even if it makes others angry or upset.”
“Child being nice isn’t always being kind and that’s why arguments happen some times when you play. If it’s your turn, others may not like it. One cannot be nice all the time honey” Heart tried to explain.

“Unseen” the child blurted out “just like the man on the stairs.” and Body put her head in her hands, they had gone full circle.
“I don’t want to be ‘nice’ and unseen anymore and I shan’t be” the child announced and Heart didn’t argue. Being taught to be ‘nice’ had been a heavy burden to carry throughout this child’s life and Heart recognised it finally.