The Birthday Party

Early friday morning an envelope
Dropped onto Edith's welcome mat
Inside was a Birthday Party Invite
Adorned by a picture of a siamese cat

The party was to celebrate the birthday
Of Edith's old nemesis, Mary
They'd never really got on
So the invite made her quite wary

Edith recognised the hand-writing
Of Mary's daughter Jill
Who had often taken time off work
To look after her mother when she was ill

The party was on monday night
At the local social club
Edith couldn't understand why that was the venue
When Mary's son ran his own pub

Then she suddenly remembered
Rumours of a family feud
Something about money loaned but never paid back
Had prompted Mary's Will to be renewed

Edith knew that Mary's other daughter Kim
Wouldn't be invited to the party
Because Mary was ashamed of her
For dressing cheap and tarty

Suddenly the phone rang
It was Mary's daughter Jill
She said "Are you coming to Mum's party?
She really hopes you will"

Edith was lost for words
Then mumbled "We've never seen eye to eye"
Jill shocked Edith to the core
Saying "Mum wants to say her last goodbye.

She's terminally ill
and hasn't got long left.
If you don't go to her party
she will be bereft"

Edith said that she would go
If it meant so much to her mother
She didn't dare to ask about
Jill's sister and her brother

On the morning of the party
Edith didn't know what to wear
But as long as she turned up
Mary wouldn't really care

When Edith arrived at Mary's party
Jill took her to one side
She said "I need to speak to you about mum,
Before we go inside.

Mum was shocked when i said you were coming
After all the bad blood in the past
She wants to call a truce
Now she's on her last"

Edith gave Jill a hug and said
"I'm glad we can make amends,
But it shouldn't take something like this
To make us realise our true friends"

Edith and Jill went into the party
And Mary was the centre of attention
There were so many guests
They'd filtered out into the extension

Mary was seated at the head table
Downing a glass of brown ale
The first thing Edith noticed
Was that she suddenly looked so frail

Mary placed her present on the table
Then read the nice verse in Edith's card
She said "I know we haven't got on in the past
Coming here must have been very hard"

Edith said she'd wanted to come
There was nothing she'd rather do
Mary could tell from Edith's expression
Of her illness she already knew

The icing on the cake had begun to melt
It had been on the table for hours
It was a handbag made of fondant
Filled with edible flowers

Someone suggested Mary should blow out the candles
But that was a huge mistake
She pursed her lips, blew and her dentures flew out
Then landed upon the cake

Everyone burst out laughing
And Mary was wearing a big grin
She calmly picked up her dentures
And put them straight back in

Reverend Smith ate peanuts from Mary's plate
And said they were simply the best
Mary told him that once she'd sucked off the chocolate
She had to leave the rest

The party was a great success
And when Mary had said her goodbyes
She looked at Edith who'd stayed behind
With a wistful look in her eyes

"I'm so glad that you came
And that we've made amends
If i hadn't been so judgemental
We could have been really good friends"

Mary took a sip of whiskey
From a small monogrammed flask
And Edith told her if she needed anything
She only had to ask

Jill told Edith her car was outside
And if she needed a lift home she would take her
Mary said "Goodbye, dear friend
Soon i'll be off to meet my maker"

Edith was lost for words
And felt a tear run down her cheek
Then said that they should meet for coffee
Maybe sometime next week

Jill drove Edith home
And thanked her for being so nice
Edith thought she'd repay her
By giving her some good advice

"Try not to bear grudges
If you can make amends, don't wait
Because one day you'll discover
You've left it far too late"