Table manners

When a delivery is delayed, Helen's new neighbours come to the rescue!

- A short story by S Bee

My neighbour Mrs Hopkins poked her head over the garden fence to catch me as I brought the laundry in from the washing line.

"Has it been delivered yet?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. The furniture company say it's currently out of stock, but they're doing all they can. Our order will still be honoured. It'll be with us as soon as possible."

"Oh right. How long have you been waiting now?"

"Three weeks. I know it's not long but - well, we're not used to balancing our plates on our knees!" I chuckled. "I guess we'll just have to be patient."

My hubby Tom and I had recently ordered a dining table.

We'd moved into the area and we'd found a new home on Lilac Close, a cosy two-bed terrace with a neat garden.

There was space in our kitchen for a medium-sized table, a four-seater which would mean we could invite family and friends round for a meal.

We browsed online, until we found exactly what we were looking for.

Then we confidently placed an order.

However, so far, the space in the kitchen remained empty.

"Tell you what, Helenwhy don't you and Tom come over to mine for an evening meal tomorrow?"

"Er -" It was kind of Mrs Hopkins but as a widowed senior citizen, I didn't want to cause her any inconvenience.

"Do you and Tom like shepherd's pie?" she went on.

Yum! That sounded gorgeous. "We do."

"I'll be making it myself from scratch. I can't be doing with these silly microwave ready-meals. They're small portions and expensive to boot. Now, there'll be sparkling water to drink. Is that alright?" she asked cautiously.