Out and about

Are Debbie's concerns over her divorced mum Helen's escape to the country justified?

- A short story by S Bee

Are you sure about this, mum?" Debbie, Helen's daughter had asked, when Helen was considering moving to the tiny Yorkshire village of Ryecroft.

She'd smiled. “I'm sure.”

“Well, I'm not. I think you should mull it over. It's a big decision, moving there. Ryecroft is in the middle of nowhere and it's miles from a supermarket,” Debbie had added.

Helen smiled. She'd always been close to her 35-year-old, estate agent daughter.

Debbie was her only child and with her dad recently moving abroad after Helen's divorce, they'd been drawn together more.

“Don't worry, love. I won't starve. There’s a grocery store that sells fresh produce and dairy from the local farm. The owners even bake their own bread.”

Helen had wisely carried out research beforehand.

“That sounds lovely - but I will worry about you,” Debbie fretted.

“How will you cope with bad weather in winter? What if you get snowed in?”

“When I hear that bad weather is on the way, I'll stock up the freezer beforehand. If it snows, I'll get myself a spade and dig a path out.”

“Hmm. Look, why don't you look at those swish apartments near me? They have all the mod cons.”

Helen didn't say anything to Debbie, but actually, she'd already looked at them, all grey paint and thick carpet.

She'd been showed around by an enthusiastic young sales woman, who'd outlined all the benefits there, such as an in-built washing machine, tumble dryer, a secure alarm system and a fast broadband connection.

It was ideal really, for a lone woman of her age - but the city apartment wasn’t for her.