Cushioned – Sandra 42

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and more recent Sandra episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

The room wasn’t very big which admittedly meant it was still a decent size for her, this being Frankie’s house and Sandra being used to her own two-up two-down. The reason why it wasn’t that big according to all evidence was because it was pretty much the only room in the house to still have its original walls. Unlike everywhere else, nothing had been knocked through.

There was a bed of course. A single. Still quite large and luxuriant. Not the kind of thing you’d be able the chill out in and try and eat your toast on without fear of where the crumbs might end up. A small table, barely big enough for the laptop and definitely not big enough for a laptop and a cup of coffee. The coffee would have to stay on the coffee table, a small circular affair which featured a cafetière and a few sachets of UHP milk. This was a far far cry from the coffee pods of home, but there was nothing she could do to change that up now. She’d get back there in the end, she thought. It would take while maybe but it would be waiting for her.

Despite everything Sandra felt happy. Or at least happier. She might still be inside but she was more aware of the existence of the outside world. She’d seen it from the backseat of the car as they travelled from her home to Frankie’s. It looked the same as it ever did, a little less exciting than usual maybe, fewer people around, fewer possibilities. She had decided she was better off staying inside, but in this particular room she wasn’t so sure.

That said it was currently difficult to consider what she could do instead - or what she could do anyway. David at work had been sympathetic towards her and told her to take the rest of the month off for rest and reassessment. There wasn’t much to be said about anything at the moment anyway he said, to which she’d wanted to say “Is there ever?” but decided against this and thanked him for his kindness.

She’s been in touch with Trinny but she couldn’t really get her head around what was going on. Something about dating in person but not really being there. A virtual reality experience that was too good to be true. But exactly what was the point in that, wondered Sandra? Aside from showing off?

In a few days time she’d be able to extend her horizons. They would let her out of the room and let her loose to roam the rest of the house. She would be able to play with the kids. Eat somewhere else other than in that small bed and take her own place in the massive knocked through room downstairs. Rob was living elsewhere, Jackie had been sent packing back next door and Frankie had no clients scheduled for anything apart from the occasional zoom. She wondered if she’d be able to use the garden office? She didn’t know. And she didn’t really know where to start thinking about it.

With nothing else to think about subs decided to find something relatively mindless to watch for a while and somehow found herself navigating to The Lost Unicorns of the Sparkle Galaxy. Despite everything she realised she’d never watched many episodes - picking up her knowledge from the children of others. Maybe this would be a good time to get to grips with this cultural phenomenon. Maybe that was what this time would be about. Catching up at your own speed instead of trying to run as fast as everyone else.

She sat up on the bed but as she did sod her plate slipped and two biscuits dropped to the floor. So she sighed, took the laptop off her lap and reached down to pick them up. As she did so she found something under the bed. A storage draw which slid out and lying there on top was an old cushion. She recognised it from years ago, from her parents house and she took it out to inspect it closer.

She didn’t know how it had ended up here but for now she found it comforting. It even smelled of her childhood. With the biscuit safely stowed next to her, the cushion under her arm and the laptop primed she breathed deeply and relaxed. For now she would stay here and be safe, warm and transported to the Kingdom of Sparkledom.