Free One Last Love by Derek Haines

longing for affection from her father, and what life had cruelly dealt one and spared the other. Thoughts of Danny entering her mind momentarily before the words of her doctor from just a few days ago that her heart wouldn’t last much longer, repeated themselves. Then, Bonnie’s rugged smile drifting into her mind just before sleep arrived.

Day Three
    The rain of the day before had disappeared and the sun rose slowly into a perfectly clear sky. Its rays finding their way from the horizon through Bonnie’s terrace window. He leaned his head to one side and watched as the colours of the sky on the horizon slowly changed from magenta to a pinkish blue. The pain of the night before had eased, and while still there, it was bearable.
    ‘Good morning Bonnie,’ Mary said as she popped herself through the door of Bonnie’s room. ‘Odele left a note saying you needed something to help you sleep last night.’
    ‘Oh yes. It helped.’
    ‘That’s good. So you slept well,’ she said as she took his pulse.
    ‘Quite well. The pain’s still there a bit, but it’s ok.’
    ‘If it gets too much, just tell me and I’ll give you something to ease it.’
    ‘What, and then fall asleep and miss a beautiful day like this.’
    ‘Yes it is a nice day,’ she said as she looked out the window towards the morning horizon. ‘So, anything you need Bonnie?’
    ‘No, I’m fine.’
    ‘Breakfast will be along shortly and I’ll pop back to help you with your shower. Alright?’
    ‘Ok. Um, by the way. How’s Danny?’
    ‘Sleeping when I walked past his room a few minutes ago. Not you like you Bonnie, up at the crack of dawn,’ she said with a smile and dancing around Bonnie’s question. ‘I’ll be back after you’ve had breakfast,’ she said as she left.
    Bonnie started thinking about Danny and Angeline and felt anger at how life had dealt them such an unfair hand. He turned his thoughts to how Danny must has suffered during his life from the bigoted attitudes of the likes of himself and of his own father and how he would’ve reacted if it had been Colin.
    Luckily, his thoughts were broken by the rattle of plates and cutlery on the breakfast trolley being wheeled along the hall outside his room. He listened as he could hear the muffled sound of Paul greeting another patient and delivering breakfast. He couldn’t make out the words, but the combination of voices, plates, cutlery and the background hum of the world waking up pleased him. He had another day at least.
    He heard the trolley making its way closer.
    ‘Good morning Bonnie. Hungry?’ Paul smiled.
    ‘Good morning Paul, perhaps just a little.’
    ‘I’ll just pop it on here,’ Paul said as he arranged the breakfast tray on the sliding bed table and positioned it for Bonnie. ‘Oh, I’ve got a present for you too.’
    ‘Oh yes? A pretty blonde? A Ferrari?’
    ‘Not quite so grand,’ Paul said as he reached into his pocket and gave his gift to Bonnie.
    ‘Oh, for bloody Pete’s sake,’ Bonnie laughed as Paul handed him a metal ashtray with a pop up lid. ‘I’ve been sprung then have I?’
    ‘The cleaners complained, so I thought I’d solve the problem.’
    ‘So, am I going to be charged with littering?’
    ‘As far as I know, they didn’t call the police Bonnie.’
    ‘Bloody puritans,’ Bonnie said with a half smile. ‘So am I the only bloody smoker in this place then?’
    ‘Well, they said they found a butt with lipstick on it, so perhaps not,’ Paul laughed.
    ‘Oh, I think I know my partner in crime. I’ll have to warn her that she’s also wanted by the cops.’
    ‘Alright Bonnie, I’ll let you get on with your breakfast.’
    ‘Thanks Paul. And thank you for being so thoughtful.’
    ‘Oh, its nothing.’
    Bonnie ate little of his breakfast but enjoyed the taste of the coffee. It reminded him of how vile the coffee was in hospital and how he’d drank tea instead even though he didn’t care for tea at all. He pushed the table away as he