The Far Side Banks of Jordan

By Noni Nelson

At 90, Nerelda Davis was fiercely independent until a broken hip confined her to a nursing home. Vowing to leave this life on her own terms, she calmly makes her plans and finally it's D Day. But daydreams about her ex-lover Patti, and a chance meeting with two gay Mums and their children, throw her carefully crafted schedule into disarray. Will she ever find the peace she craves so dearly? And was Patti right about the afterlife?

In a series of flashbacks Nerelda relives the love affair that changed her life and left her broken hearted in the early years of the new millenium. But now it's 2042 and the baby boomers are routinely living on into their nineties and beyond - whether they like it or not! Follow one feisty woman's attempt to be the author of her own destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Noni Nelson
• Release date: Aug 23, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465985590

Noni Nelson

Noni Nelson lives on the sun-drenched coast of Western Australia. Besides writing poetry and stories,she enjoys travel, roller-skating, gardening and walking, especially on the beach.

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The Far Side Banks of Jordan

Published by Noni Nelson at Smashwords.com

Copyright Noni Nelson 2011

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Chapter 1

"Hey, baby girl, look over here!"

Nerelda Davis turned her head in the direction of the call, and then groaned as Patti took yet another photo of her.

"Sheesh babe, can you lay off with the picture taking for a while? she complained affectionately You must have used half a roll already just here. I think it’s time you progressed from the dark ages and bought a digital camera to save on processing costs."

She smiled at the solid, grey-haired woman standing below her at the edge of a creek which was filled and foaming from snow melt in the mountains further upstream. Even in early April there was still plenty of ground snow here in the foothills of the Californian Sierra Nevadas, and to Nerelda, who had lived her whole life on the hot, flat west coast of Australia, snow was still a thing of wonder.

"Stop prowling around down there woman, she called. Come and sit up here with me and just enjoy it for a while."

"I am enjoying it. Patti retorted. I’m enjoying watching you enjoy it."

Nevertheless, as requested, she climbed up to the broad rock shelf where Nerelda was sitting and perched beside her. They sat in companionable silence for a long time, Patti’s arm around her shoulders, Nerelda’s hand resting on her lover’s Levi- clad thigh. The sky stretching above them was the palest blue with just the occasional little fluff of a white cloud floating past and a soft breeze was sighing through the branches of the green pines surrounding them. Nerelda drew in a deep breath of the crisp mountain air and sighed contentedly.

"This is just the most beautiful, peaceful place. she said. Thank you so much for bringing me here babe."

"It’s my pleasure. Patti replied and lightly kissed the top of Nerelda’s head. We really have had a good morning so f...

Good morning Missus, time to rise and shine. It’s another beautiful day outside.

The cheerful voice of the Filipino care aide, and the rattle of a teacup being placed on her bedside table, dragged Nerelda up from the depths of a dream she had been enjoying. There was no chance of a quiet sleep-in at the Riverview Nursing Home; already the curtains of her room were being flung aside and she screwed her eyes tightly shut against the bright December sunshine that flooded in, bringing with it the promise of another hot day ahead.

"Come on then Missus, open your eyes and sit up. We don’t want our tea to get cold now do we?’ chided Florita, her brown face creased with impatience.

Well, Nerelda thought uncharitably, if it’s our tea, why don’t you help drink it and I’ll have a bit more sleep. But then, as quickly as the thought crossed her mind, she felt guilty. It wasn’t the girl’s fault. There were fifteen semi-care rooms on this floor alone and the aide was expected to deliver the hot drinks and ensure that each of the residents was awake in less than twenty minutes.

It’s all right, Florita, I am getting up now, Nerelda promised, with at attempt at a placating smile, though under the bedclothes her gnarled, bony fingers were crossed. "I’ll drink the tea in a minute when it cools down.