An elderly lady moves slowly along the pavement dressed in a heavy wool coat and hat even though the weather is warm and sunny. She sits on a bench close to a large bed of flowers now in full bloom with bees and birds flying in and out. A man comes along and sits next to her, again heavily dressed, they both look down, separately, and gaze at the flower bed.

As I sit in my air-conditioned office looking out from across the road I think of all the negative aspects of life that they have to bear. They must be tired, and, judging from their posture in pain as well.

I know from the media that the pension is not good and the chances of benefits for them to apply and receive are minimal. I wonder if they are eating properly and if they have companionship, is their living accommodation in good order, on and on I think of these things. These worries constantly nag at me, it takes over my mind, the rest of a day is just a blur as I think of those two sat there.

I walk home feeling saddened that I too have no-one to keep me company, I think of something to eat but being on my own I can’t be bothered, passing a delicatessen I choose some luncheon meat to make a sandwich.

I again think of the two people on the bench and what has happened to them? Are they eating? Have they got company?

Arriving home, circulars are piled up behind my door, no letters, occasionally bills, but no letters. Down the hall they are discarded into the paper recycling bin, opening the living room door everything is as I left it, except it is colder and darker, again I think of the two on the bench.

Sandwich made, cup of tea made, washing up done, and I sit down to - -

I write letters to my sons and daughter, they are living away so they can’t just ‘pop in’, I know they could telephone me, but when I call them they are always busy ready to go out somewhere and I don’t I don’t like to bother them.

Still too early to go to bed, it is getting a little chilly, as turn the gas fire on, I recall that the gas bill is due. It won’t be like last time though, as the central heating isn’t working – they said I needed a new boiler and it would cost £1000 – well I don’t really need it, I never had central heating when I was younger.

The evening slips ever so slowly by as I do little jobs around the house, it really seems empty since my wife died, I can’t seem to get the hang of getting it to ‘look’ clean and tidy as she could.

Time for bed, at least it stops me thinking about whatever, something and nothing, no that’s not true I think about her, my wife, I wonder how she would have coped if it had been the other way around?

That’s something I’ll never know.

A new morning and the sun is rising fast, the morning ablutions done, and down stairs for breakfast. Right on the bottom step I wince, not with pain, but anger as I go back upstairs for the washing pile I have to load, how did she do it, remember all these little things.

So I am back here, again, looking out of my air-conditioned office and the two elderly people come back and sit on the bench. Something came over me and I went down to speak to them, offer them a cup of tea or coffee in the café, maybe even something to eat.

As I walk across I see they are talking so I sit at the opposite end of the bench, I listen, and am shocked.

They talk about a ‘do’ they went to last night, they talk about the O.A.P. lunches that some of the café’s are putting on and give them a rating. They talk about their offspring and how they are doing. And then they talk about the events still to come.

I sat and thought about my own life and was saddened, here I was thinking that they would have problems in living and comparing it to mine. I was thinking about the physical problems they have and was comparing them to mine.

The lady looked across at me and asked if I was all right? I looked down, "would I like a cup of tea or coffee?" I sat there with what felt like my jaw on my lap, "I said, I watched them from my office across the road and was concerned over them". Laughing they both looked at me, and said "eh lad theirs now’t wrong with us" "but there is something wrong with you isn’t their"

Again I sat there stunned, and thoughts came rushing through of the past year since my wife ‘passed away’ a tear came into my eye. The lady said, "I know you" "you’re the husband of Mrs - - - ", I said yes, "it was a sad day when she passed away", here we go I thought, time to move on, let them rest in piece! But no, she said "you never really get over loosing them", "you either wallow in your own self pity or, let the pain and anguish come out and have a re-think". "It took me 18 months to realise that" "by then it was almost too late!" She told me that she had a chat with her doctor and started on some things he gave me, the hardest part was getting out of the house, started by just saying ‘good morning’ and things grew from that, it’s now been 8 years! It made it harder by not doing it, the more I looked out of the window the harder it got, he was next to her just nodding and looking at the garden. I’ve met loads of people on this bench and the café, you want to try it. I look on and sigh, looking at me he says "you’re not too young you know!" "It’s just talking, and we all have a laugh". I smile and said I would think about it and rise to go back to the office.

So as I sit, alone, here in my air-conditioned office I see them get up and look up at me, wave and go into the café, so I went and joined them!