If I were a carpenter....

I wrote this for Two Shoes Tuesday where my chosen prompt word was Furniture.

Like his father before him, Gerald was a master carpenter. And his dear and devoted wife Maisy was blessed with a talent for producing the most intricate and delicate embroidery. For over sixty years they worked together in a little workshop at the bottom of their cottage garden producing pieces of furniture to order; Gerald would craft the timber, Maisey, fashion the upholstery.

There was probably not a house in the village that did not have one of their bespoke creations gracing a dining room, a lounge or conservatory, yet strangely they had never produced anything for their own cottage.

It was early last year that Gerald and Maisy admitted to themselves that their once nimble fingers and strong hands were weakening. It was time to end a lifetime of planing and stitching, but not until they had made something special for themselves.

Gerald worked all his waking hours fashioning two of his most elaborate pieces ever. The finest mahogany and palest oak adorned with satin wood inlays. Maisy sat by the wood burning stove, forming beautiful patterns with needle and thread on yards of exquisite ruby satin.

When their work was complete they stood hand in hand and admired their creations. They knew that when their work was complete life would hold nothing for them, and so it was they passed away peacefully within a few days of each other.

*

Two magnificent coffins, their final creations, stood side by side in the chapel. The entire village  turned out to bid them a fond farewell. Their only daughter Millicent stood between them and lifted a violin to her shoulder.  As she softly played, the choir sang Gerald and Mildred’s favourite song....

If I were a carpenter

And you were a lady

Would you marry me anyway?

Would you have my baby?