Aunt Judith's Closet

The following is a piece of flash fiction I wrote years ago. I thought I'd share it with you tonight.

Judith's Closet (488 wc)

Darcy Kensley hung the blue brocade jacket with the Mandarin collar in her Aunt Judith’s closet, stood with one manicured hand on the hanger as she looked over the clothes hanging there.  Most of the clothes were in blues, muted greens, and earth colors, of the same general style, and shape.

Darcy sighed, then turned to look at Aunt Judith, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her jewelry box on the bedside table and sorting through the contents.  Pieces of jewelry, mostly fine jewels, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, with a few opals and onyx.  Brooches, rings, necklaces with heavy pendants, and earrings that matched were spread out on the cream-colored bedspread in piles of separate colors.

Aunt Judith was dressed in an old-fashioned dress reminiscent of the 1940s, with a mid-calf length skirt and shaped bodice, with wide lapels and buttons down the front.  It was avocado green with forest green accents and buttons.  Her shoes were Mary Jane pumps with stacked heels.  She wore a pair of glasses with thick coke bottle lenses, and wire rims.  Her hair was shoulder length and put up in a French braid.  Hair that once had been a dark brunette but now was silver-gray.

Darcy, dressed in a Mickey Mouse tee and faded blue jeans with holes in the knees and thighs, as was the current fashion for teens, was visiting her aunt for the summer between her junior and senior year of high school.  After living with Aunt Judith for a couple of weeks, she decided to help her aunt “remake” herself.

“Aunt Judith, we really need to get you out of this rut you’re in,” Darcy said.  “You need some new fashionable clothes, a new haircut, and some new shoes, something more in line with today’s trends.”

“Oh rubbish,” Aunt Judith exclaimed. “These clothes have stood me quite well for the past few years, and they are good quality.  They will last another twenty years or so, I’m sure.  And my shoes are getting a little worn, but I like this style, I’ll just find another pair just like them.  My hair is styled the way I like it.  Your Uncle Vernon said I look like the cat’s meow.”

Darcy suppressed a laugh, and replied, “and that was how many years ago?”

“Oh around 1938 or so.  My memories are getting a little vague these days, but I can remember him saying that to me, and in those days, that was the ultimate compliment.  What does your boyfriend call you?”

Darcy giggled.  “He calls me the Bomb.  That’s today’s slang for the cat’s meow.”

The two women laughed, and Darcy gave her aunt a big hug and kissed her on the forehead.

“I think we should go shopping and get our hair done tomorrow.  Wouldn’t that be fun?” Darcy squeezed Judith’s shoulder.

“Why, I think that would be the Bomb.  It’s a date!” Judith answered.