by A V Awenna
***
It wasn’t easy for Heledd to break the news to Tom. ‘Next month’ had seemed far in the future; now she had to tell him he’d be leaving the world in a few days’ time. It was hard to keep her voice from breaking as she told him. It was hard for him too, but he was determined.
‘If I don’t go now, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering, “What if”, and I promised myself I’d never be one of those people,’ he said. ‘At least I don’t have to pack. I’ve made a will, but I’d like to give you these now, so there’s no argument.’ He handed her a bag full of books.
‘Look after them, my dear. I’m afraid you’ll have to get someone else to translate the Mandarin for you.’
They sat quietly for a while, pretending to look at the books.