By Maggie Farran
THIRD PLACE in the September 2026 Competition
They carried the ashes down to the beach in a green Waitrose bag for life. It was just before sunset, and they had planned to wait until just before the sun disappeared. Sarah was wearing her bright yellow Crocs, so that it didn’t matter if her feet got wet. Her younger brother, Clive was in his expensive green Hunter wellies. The beach was almost deserted and luckily the tide wasn’t too far out. They stood awkwardly together waiting for the sun to sink. It seemed to take forever.
‘Are you sure this is what Mum wanted? It seems very odd to me’ mumbled Clive
‘Yes, she told me precisely which beach, the sunset thing. You don’t think I made it up just to be awkward, do you? She loved this beach. She used to bring us here every summer when we were kids.’
‘I know, I was there too, if you remember. I used to hate it. All that sand in your clothes and the sea was freezing. You and mum laughing and looking so happy together. I felt so left out and odd. I just wanted to get home and play with my computer in my bedroom.’
Sarah bit her lip, ‘That was fifty years ago, get over it. Look at you now with your millions and your massive house in the country. Mum was very proud of you. She was always telling me.’
“it’s a pity she never told me.’
At last, the sun was almost set and Sarah took the casket holding the ashes out of the bag for life and placed it reverently on the sand a couple of yards from the gently lapping waves. Clive helped her unscrew the lid. They started to throw handfuls of ashes into the sea, until a sudden gust of wind blew the ashes back in their faces. They both started to laugh uncontrollably until sooty tears ran down their cheeks.
Clive gave Sarah a stiff hug.
‘Well, I guess Mum got the last laugh.’
Judge’s Comments: ‘Two siblings reminisce about the past as they spread their mother’s ashes in the sea. Nicely drawn and a very funny ending.’
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