Retirement

Magda was sitting on the edge of the single bed in Room 32 at the Ocean View Motel. Her breath was shallow; palms clammy. She was pale and feeling pretty sick. It was so hot out and the air conditioning was out of order.

Magda wanted to get up and fetch the ice from Reception — but she couldn’t move yet. She glanced down at her slippered feet — shuffling them forward and back. She began to bite her nails but when she found nothing much left there to chew she resorted to inspecting her palms and began tracing the life line slowly from the crease of her thumb round to her wrist. She had a long life line. She’d already got well over half way along it. Not true for her brother Rupert.

Magda turned now to look behind her at the other single bed on which Rupert was lying. Dead.

She humphed and furrowed her brow. This was such an inconvenience for Magda right now. But at least the deed was done. She was finally sole heir to the Ocean View and her brother whom she had truly detested all of her long life — was finally out of the way. She could enjoy her retirement alone.

Her breath grew deeper and slower as her body started to calm and she bent down to pick up the pillow she’d used to end Rupert’s life. She plumped it between her hands and placed it back neatly onto her bed. With renewed vigour Magda stood up with intention. She drew in another breath, patted down her hair, wiped the moisture from her forehead with the back of her hand and went out into the afternoon heat holding her glass of gin and tonic in front purposefully — in search of the ice and lemon.