Copyright© 2026 by BarBar

Kitchen Meetings

by BarBar

Description: Set in the early parts of the twentieth century, a widow and her young daughter return home one afternoon and discover an elderly man sitting in their kitchen and drinking tea. What is happening? They talk and slowly discover that there is more going on than meets the eye.

Tags: No Sex, Historical, Paranormal, Halloween, Illustrated

Published: 2026-02-07

Status: Complete

Size: 16,754 Words

Josephine stood impassively on the pavement outside the gates of St Meredith’s School for Girls as the emerging students swirled around her. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she was dressed conservatively in a long skirt, full blouse and jacket. Her clothes were not new, but they were well cared for. Josephine herself looked thin, almost gaunt, and her skin was pale.

The oncoming crowd of young girls, in their identical skirts, blazers, and boater hats, parted and walked around her without paying her any particular attention. Eventually, one of the students stepped out of the crowd and stopped in front of her.

“Hello Mama,” said the girl, with a happy smile.

Charlotte appeared to be an average ten-year-old, though a little thinner than most. Despite a long day of school, Charlotte still looked neat and tidy in her school uniform with her long blonde hair tied neatly into a careful braid that hung down her back.

“Let’s go then,” said Josephine. She turned and began walking away from the school with Charlotte walking quietly beside her. Josephine herself was only a young woman. Some might have thought she was too young to have a ten-year-old daughter. She was certainly too young to be a widow, but those were the cards which fate had dealt her.

They followed the beaten dirt track beside the road. Josephine walked in silence, deep in her own thoughts, while Charlotte paced beside her with her braid bouncing along behind her. As they walked, Charlotte began to hum the tune of a song they had sung in class that day.

It wasn’t until they turned off the main road and started walking down an unmade side street that Josephine glanced sideways at her daughter.

“How did your classes go, Lotte? Are you working hard?”

Charlotte grinned up at her. “Yes, Mama, I’m working hard. And my classes were good. I know that I need to do well because of the scholarship, so I always try as hard as I can.”

“That’s good. Without that scholarship, you wouldn’t be going to that school. We simply don’t have the money.”

“I know,” said Charlotte with a shrug.

Josephine stopped at the letterbox and checked for letters while Charlotte continued up the path to the front door of their rented cottage. It was an older, single-storied house, but appeared well maintained.

The mail consisted of a single envelope. It contained a bill for overdue rent. Josephine stared at the amount and swayed in shock as she realised that she had no way of paying it. The money from her last pension check was already gone, and there was no food in the house.

Charlotte had opened the door and gone inside, oblivious of her mother’s concerns. A moment later she stepped back out through the front door with a puzzled expression on her face.

“Mama?”

“What is it?” said Josephine.

“There’s an old man in our kitchen,” said Charlotte.

“What? What’s he doing in the kitchen?”

“Sitting at the table and drinking tea, as far as I could tell,” said Charlotte. “I didn’t stop to ask him.”

Josephine scowled. “Wait out here. I’ll get him to leave.”

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I said he was an old man. He doesn’t look scary at all. We should go in and talk to him.”

Slightly mollified by her daughter’s assurances, Josephine walked up the steps and joined her daughter. They both walked back into the house together.

The door opened straight into a large room that doubled as a dining room and kitchen. The elderly man sitting at the table looked up as they entered. The tea cup in his hand paused on its way to his mouth and he looked at them with confusion on his face.

He was about to speak, but Josephine got in first.

“Who are you?” said Josephine, in a firm voice. “And what are you doing in my kitchen?”

The man blinked twice and then said, “I was about to ask you exactly the same question. Who are you? And what are you doing in my kitchen?”

The two adults seemed frozen in this strange tableau while Charlotte looked back and forth between the two of them, surprised and confused by this turn of events.

Then the old man’s eyes widened. He put the tea cup down as he scrambled to his feet.

“Of course, Jacob told me he intended to rent out the front rooms before I left. It had completely slipped my mind. You must be the new tenants. I live in the back room, but I’ve been travelling for the last few months.”

Josephine stood and looked at him in confusion.

“Back room? Do you mean the verandah? The door was locked, and we don’t have the key.”

The old man nodded. “Yes, the verandah. Jacob and I walled it in and set it up as a bedroom for me when he first purchased the house. He’s my brother-in-law, you see. He was intending to live in the front rooms, but his circumstances changed and now he lives closer to the centre of town. I moved in earlier this year, and then immediately went travelling.”

“Oh, my,” said Josephine. “I do apologise for the confusion. I don’t recall the landlord saying anything about another tenant. He may have said something, but I don’t recall it.”

“We should introduce ourselves,” said the old man. “My name is Henry Further, Petty Officer, Retired. But most people call me Bendy.”

Josephine nodded her understanding. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Josephine DeStello, a widow. And this is my daughter, Charlotte.”

The old man politely bowed to her. “Madam, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Then he turned to Charlotte and bowed to her. “Miss Charlotte.”

Charlotte giggled at being addressed so formerly. Then she clutched the sides of her skirt and did a little curtsy in return, trying to hold in another giggle as she did so.

Charlotte tipped her head on one side and looked at the old man. “That’s a strange name. Bendy?”

“Yes, Miss Charlotte. It’s a name I acquired in the navy. And now that I think about it, that’s probably all I should say about the matter. Please, Mrs DeStello, Miss Charlotte, take a seat.”

He gestured to the vacant chairs at the table where he was sitting. When he saw them moving to comply, he continued.

“May I offer you some tea, Mrs DeStello? I picked up some tea and milk on the way through town. That’s all I bought because I’m to dine with my daughter and her family this evening. I’ll need to visit the stores for more groceries. For now, I think tea is called for. There may be some coffee if you would rather have a cup of coffee.”

“Thank you, sir, tea would be delightful,” said Josephine as she sat herself down at the table. “And if we are to be sharing a house, perhaps we needn’t be so formal. You may call me Josephine.”

Charlotte quietly slipped into the chair next to her and continued to listen to the conversation with rapt attention.

The old man had turned to fill the kettle at the sink. He looked at her over his shoulder and smiled. “Very well, Josephine. And please call me Bendy. Do you take your tea with milk and sugar?”

“Please,” said Josephine.

He placed the kettle on the stove. He opened several cupboards before he found some cups and then placed two on the counter next to the stove. Then he turned back to Charlotte.

“My granddaughter, Tildy, is probably not much younger than you. She enjoys a concoction consisting of two thirds tea and one third milk. Or I can offer you a cup of straight milk. Which would you prefer?”

Charlotte glanced at her mother for approval, and then said, “Thank you, sir, May I try the tea drink that your granddaughter likes?”

The old man bowed his head to Charlotte. “Your wish is my demand. But, I beg you, please do not call me sir.”

Charlotte giggled and then composed her face and sat up straight in her chair. “Thank you, Mr Bendy. That would be delightful.” Then her face slowly crinkled up into a grin.

Once everything was prepared, he carried the cups to the table and set them in front of Josephine and Charlotte before resuming his own seat.

He sipped from his own cup and put it down again with a sigh. “So, ladies. It seems we are to share a house. I shall do my best to respect your privacy, of course. I have my own bathroom, but we’ll need to share the kitchen.”

While he was saying that, both Josephine and Charlotte had sipped at their tea and put their cups back down. “I believe we can make that work,” said Josephine.

“Excellent,” said Bendy. “So, tell me about yourselves. You said that you were a widow. You have my condolences for your loss. Do you have employment?”

Josephine grimaced. “I was working three mornings a week as a receptionist for Doctor Michaels, but he recently closed his practice and moved east to live near his grandchildren. I’m currently searching for a new position. And yes, I’m a widow. My husband was in the army. I believe there was a training accident. I don’t know all the details. But it was very sudden, and his passing left us in difficult circumstances. I do receive a small pension from the army, but...” She trailed off. “Well, I am not one to complain.”

Bendy shook his head and tut-tutted. “Such a shame.”

The two adults continued their conversation for some fifteen minutes while they sipped their tea. Charlotte sat quietly and listened.

Eventually, Bendy stood up and explained that he needed to get ready for the evening, as he was going to dine with his daughter and her family. He moved to pick up the empty cups, but Josephine stopped him and promised to wash them for him.

Bendy then moved into the back of the house and closed the door behind him. Once he was gone, the mother and daughter stayed sitting at the table. They were silent for a moment, and then Josephine turned to her daughter.

“Lotte, did you eat at school?”

“Yes, Mama. We had sausages and mash.”

Charlotte reached into the pocket of her school blazer and pulled out something wrapped in a white handkerchief.

“I saved you some,” said Charlotte.

She unwrapped the handkerchief to reveal a cold sausage, a few smudges of mashed potato still adhering to one side.

She reached into the other pocket and pulled out a bread roll. She brushed some pocket-fluff off the roll and set it down on the handkerchief next to the sausage.

Josephine reached out and broke the sausage in half. She pushed half back to Charlotte and took a small bite from the half left in her hand.

Charlotte scowled at her mother. “I ate at school. I’m quite certain that you haven’t eaten all day. You must eat, Mama, or you’ll get sick. Again!”

She pushed the other half of the sausage back to her mother and glared.

Josephine dipped her eyes and then nibbled at the sausage, until it was all gone. The food, little though it was, eased the worst of the pangs of hunger that Josephine was feeling, though she said nothing of that to her daughter.

Charlotte picked up the bread roll and tore off a small corner for herself before passing the rest of the roll to her mother.

“I have two more days of school until the end of term,” said Charlotte, her voice sombre. “What will we do then? I won’t be able to eat at school or bring food home for you? The landlord already gave us a discount on the rent. What will become of us?”

Josephine didn’t answer. A tear made its slow track down her cheek. She ducked her head and stared down at the table in dismay.

There was the sound of a throat clearing and they turned to see Bendy standing at the doorway from the back of the house. He was holding a hat and coat and had changed his shirt. The mother and daughter exchanged glances and wondered how long he’d been there.

“I expect I’ll be back very late,” said Bendy. “Well after most decent people have retired for the evening. I’ll try not to disturb you when I enter the house. I shall see you both in the morning. Have a good evening.” With that, he walked across the kitchen and out through the front door, closing it behind him.

---

The following morning, Charlotte and Josephine were dressing in their room when they heard a knocking on the door that closed their hallway off from the kitchen.

“Breakfast will be served in ten minutes,” Bendy called through the closed door.

Charlotte finished adjusting her school uniform and turned to her mother.

“Breakfast?” asked Charlotte. “We don’t eat breakfast.”

“I’m as mystified as you are, Lotte dear,” said Josephine.

When they opened the door and entered the kitchen, their senses were assailed with the sights, sounds, and smells of bacon and eggs sizzling in the pan. There were slices of freshly cooked toast stacked on a plate in the centre of the table, and the table was set out with plates and cutlery, ready for a meal.

“Good morning, ladies,” said Bendy with a smile. “I managed to get to the stores before they closed last night, so I thought I would treat us all to a nice breakfast. Please take a seat.”

Bendy hummed softly to himself as he served the bacon and eggs onto plates and carried the plates to the table. Josephine and Charlotte took their places at the table. Their eyes wide at the amount of food on their plates.

“Will you have tea? I made some fresh.” On receiving nods, he poured tea into cups and added milk before bringing the cups to the table. Finally, he took his own seat and looked around.

“There’s salt and pepper if you desire it. Please, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

He picked up his knife and fork and sliced a piece of his bacon. Josephine and Charlotte did the same.

When Charlotte put the first mouthful of bacon in her mouth, her eyes rolled up in delight. She chewed and swallowed the bacon, then said, “Oh, Mr Bendy. This is delicious.”

Josephine patted the side of her mouth with a napkin.

“Mr Bendy,” said Josephine, “there was no need for you to go to this trouble. Sharing a kitchen does not mean you’re obligated to cook for us.”

Bendy swallowed his current mouthful before speaking.

“Nonsense, it was no trouble at all. I was cooking for myself and it’s no effort to throw in some extra bacon and crack another couple of eggs. As a matter of fact, I’m rather pleased to do it. For quite some time, I’ve been living by myself. My daughter married and moved out, and then my dear wife passed on. It’s quite a pleasure to have some company for breakfast.”

“Well, thank you again,” said Josephine. “As Lotte remarked, it is delicious.”

There was no further discussion while they finished their food. While they were sipping their tea, Bendy looked at Josephine with a raised eyebrow.

Bendy cleared his throat. “I recall that you were looking for some means of employment. Last night, my daughter mentioned that there was a sign in Mr Robertson’s window, saying that he was looking for a new receptionist. Mr Robertson is a lawyer who has his office in the main street, next to the Post Office. My daughter said she’d considered applying for the post herself, but then decided that she was content staying at home.”

Bendy reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out an envelope. “I hope you do not consider me presumptuous for doing this. I’ve written you a letter of recommendation to Mr Robertson. I went to school with his father, so perhaps it will carry some weight.”

Josephine took the envelope with a trembling hand.

“Oh, thank you, Mr Bendy. You have no idea what a godsend you are.”

Bendy waved her comment away and took another sip of his tea.

“Hey, Mr Bendy,” said Charlotte. “How do you know the ocean is friendly?”

Bendy’s mouth perked up into a little smile as he looked over at Charlotte.

“I don’t know, Miss Charlotte. How do you know the ocean is friendly?”

“Because it always waves,” said Charlotte with a grin.

Bendy’s eyebrows both shot straight up and he stared at Charlotte for a moment. Then he chuckled.

“Very good. Very good indeed,” said Bendy. “I must remember that one, and tell it to my grand-daughter.

Charlotte finished her milky tea with a gulp and leapt to her feet. “I must be off. I would hate to be late for school. Thank you ever so much for the breakfast, Mr Bendy.”

“Yes indeed,” said Josephine. She stood up herself, and this caused Bendy to stand. Then she looked at the used plates in dismay. “Oh dear! I should...”

“Nonsense,” said Bendy. “I’m perfectly capable of washing dishes. You go off and take Charlotte to school. And then go down into town and make an appointment to see Mr Robertson. I shall tidy up here and then read a book. I usually go walking in the afternoon, so I may not be here when you bring Charlotte home from school. I intend to cook us all dinner this evening, so make sure you bring a hearty appetite home with you.”

Impulsively, Charlotte ran around the table and flung her arms around him in an energetic hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Mr Bendy,” said Charlotte, her voice muffled because her face was buried in his jacket.

He patted her back and then he and Charlotte separated. Bendy bowed his head to her and said, “The pleasure is all mine, Miss Charlotte.”

Charlotte clutched the sides of her skirt and did a little curtsy in reply. Then she giggled in delight.

With that, he ushered the other two out of the house and then set about cleaning up in the kitchen, humming happily to himself.

---

At the end of the school day, Josephine met Charlotte outside the gate of the school as usual, but this time she was bursting with news.

“Mr Robertson has agreed to take me on as his receptionist. I’m to work five and a half days a week. He agreed to allow me to finish a little early each afternoon so that I can meet you after school. Each week, I’m going to be bringing home nearly twice the amount I was receiving from Dr Michael. I’ll be able to pay for rent, and food, and even have a little left over. Lotte, we’re going to be okay.”

Charlotte squealed in excitement, and they hugged each other in their excitement. They turned to begin the walk home as Charlotte quizzed her mother on the details of her new position.

When they returned home, the house was still and quiet. Charlotte tipped her head sideways and then went back outside. A few minutes later she came back into the kitchen with a puzzled expression on her face.