I am back from my much deserved holiday. Son Junior and L&M are at the station to receive me. They have been waiting for me at the railway station from the unearthly hour of 2 a.m. The train predictably, is late and arrives at well past 3 a.m. Son Junior takes two of the bags and L&M the other two. Four in all. I walk along swinging my arms freely except for my handbag. The Queen is home folks and has to be treated as such.

“So, did the sky fall in my absence??” I ask the men. They look at me quizzically.

“I mean, the sky didn’t fall coz I had been away for a few days. Did it now??” I explain.

They agree that the sky is still in its place. I am pleased.

“I hope you have something for me in there!” says sonny boy indicating the overfull bags he is carrying. I merely smile. As it is I am dying to get home and show them all the stuff I have got before they crawl back into bed. In fact I had been wondering how long I could hold them up.

Now my mind switches to the welcome awaiting me when I reach home. Ohhh ahhhh, my doggie dear is waiting for her Momma. Poor thing hasn’t even been eating properly. She is the one I worry about the most when I go away. She may yelp and prance and fawn for L&M and give me the royal cold shoulder most times. But when I go away she pines, poor thing.

“Enough of gallivanating” jokes Son Junior. “Now you can stay put and do some cooking and running of the house!”

“HAHAHAHAHA!!” I laugh out loud.

“My dear son, it has only begun!!” I tell him.

I look at L&M for confirmation.

“Isn’t that so??” I ask him.

He nods in the affirmative. I am ecstatic.

I have never stayed in a place longer than two to three years (thirty nine months was the longest I have ever stayed in one place!) up till the time I returned to my hometown in 1999. From then on I have been stuck here and I am not liking it one bit. Oh don’t get me wrong. I love the place, it being God’s Own Country and all that jazz. The greenery pleases me no end. And yet, I miss the nomadic life of moving to new places which has been the way I have lived right from my childhood. I like travel, new places, new sights.

Now that my children are grown up, they can stay a few days on their own while I go visit my siblings or friends. Of course there is this undeniable fact that I have to work harder to get the house back to normal when I get return. That of course is acceptable to me as long as they don’t meddle and tamper with my allies the household gadgets!! This visit to my sister’s on my own has been my first in a long time. And like I said, this is only the beginning!!

The dog is happy to see me. After the mandatory barking at imaginary enemies who might attack her Momma, she comes right back inside, walks over to her place, rummages, finds a bone, walks over to the carpet and as if it has been spread out specifically for this very purpose, settles herself on it and contentedly starts chewing on the bone.

Hmm…. The house is relatively clean. All thanks to L&M, who had taken a day off and put it in order so as I don’t go about screaming blue murder at Son Junior. And yet, there is still loads to do. Having done with showing off the stuff I have got, I put on some music and set about doing just that. The Queen is back and now peace and well being shall return in good measure to the Kingdom. Enemies of the State like those ants queuing up for their turn at the untouched food left by the dog have now to run for cover.

A few hours later in walks the maid. She has a huge smile plastered on her face.

“Oh the gloom has dispelled! The house looks all bright! The light has returned to this house!” she exclaims.

Ohhhhh…… Awww…. Gee…. Wow…. I blush and grin, all at the same time, adding more to that light with the glint from my silver capped pre-molars.

Hmmm… Errr… Ummmm… And yet, will it bring down my exorbitant power bill, I wonder?? Sigh!!