Thursday 26th September 2019

Events in Great Yarmouth would overshadow the day, and news from the nurse in the ER and the severity of Mum's condition meant that my focus would be on anything other than work.

It didn't ruin my appetite though, and I had another small fry up before hanging around, and it was in this fallow period, I called the hospital.

Later, when the two auditors were ready to check out, I found that I had to as well, meaning that I had to quickly go and pack and then settle up the three bills.

So, when I got to the factory, the next thing was to change my ferry ticket from Friday morning to Thursday evening, which they company did with no trouble.

Which was much appreciated.

When work started, I waited int e meeting room for news. Phone calls.

Time weighed heavy, but when the call came just before lunch, it was bad news, there was no hope

I called Jools and she said she wanted to go up to be with Mum, so I called the hospital back to confirm they would keep Mum alive until Jools got there.

It was then informing my manager, ensuring my tasks would be taken on by someone else, and so the afternoon passed quickly.

The meeting ended and to finish the end of the day I took everyone to the port to catch the jet foil back to the office, then I had to drive round the river, through Newport as the chain ferry, aka the floating bridge, is broken.

Traffic would be dreadful, but I had 90 minutes.

And the drive was slow, edging through Newport in nose to tail traffic, until off the last roundabout, and things cleared up. I arrived at the terminal to find I had missed the earlier ferry by ten minutes, so 50 minutes to wait. Enough time to go to the local corner shop for a pasty and a bottle of pop.

At six the ferry arrived, and after unloading, we are allowed on. I go to the top deck to look at the rest of the loading, then to see the ferry cast off and sail up the river and into the Solent.

I checked my phone at the start of the crossing, and there was no news. But as we neared Southampton, there was a message to ring Jools. I did and she told me Mum had passed away half an hour before.

It was all over.

I was calm about it, I knew it was going to happen, and yet the issues that I had been so angry with Mum now seemed to mean so much less.

It was time to get back to our cars, then after a few minutes wait, we were allowed off, and into the Hampshire night, out along the spine road out of Southampton to the motorway. I was happy enough, I had Marc Riley to listen to as I drove. The miles passed by quickly up to London, and even the way round on the M25 was OK, though there were roadworks at the top of the M20 in Kent, just a couple of minutes delay, before I could put my foot down and powered on south to Dover.

Jubilee Way was closed, so I went up Castle Hill only to find the Deal Road closed to, so I double back to the castle and take Reach Road, along the cliffs to home. The lights of Calais could just be seen through the mist.

I arrive home to to feline welcoming committee, gosh, I love these cats.

Once inside, I feed them, though the stuff Jools put down at two war mostly uneaten.

I have a brew, then a beer

And wait for Jools to come back. She would be at least 90 minutes later than I was.

It felt odd, knowing it was all over, just my head full of things to do in the morning, and next week.

Jools gets home at half one, shattered after nine hours driving after a morning at work.

But tomorrow is Friday.