Memory Boxes - That Makes Me Happy short story by Mongolita

Although dusting around the house was something Alice would put off for as long as she could, there was something telling her to do  it that morning. She preferred to do exciting things   that were entertaining like reading, writing, exercising and walking. Mind you, she liked her house clean but  to hire a house-cleaner  was not an option. The only option leflt was to do it herself, as her other half wasn't keen in doing it  either  or any household chores for that matter. 

“No more procrastinating, I have to dust  this morning, besides, it won't take me long if I put my mind to it.” Alice told herself. 

Without further ado she proceeded with the task in hand. The bedrooms were easy to dust, and didn't take too long to get round. 

The room she called ‘the Office’  was the most tedious room to do. There was a bookshelf against one wall  with hundreds of books.  On top of the book-shelf were these three  horrible looking figurines made out of paper maché which she found most sinister. There were two desks opposite each other, and each one had a computer with keyboards on them and there were papers everywhere. In one corner of the room was the music centre with two large speakers, one on each side of it. In the other corner was the feel-secure cage for their beloved and furry friend Duke, where he would seek refuge when feeling unsafe. 

“Let's start  from the bookshelf, the part I detest most,” Alice told herself. 

As she was dusting the bottom shelf, she came across with her three memory-boxes which she hadn’t seen for years.  She dusted  the top of the lid boxes and noticed one of the them was open and overflowing with stuff  which made her curious what they were. She opened it and  began  to look through her forgotten treasures. There were special birthday cards, drawings from her children before they were teenagers.

Alice continued looking through when she came across this handmade clothes and wardrobe freshener. It had a coloured ribbon which was pleated with three different colours: dark pink, light pink and grey. From it hung two small round blue flowered  bags which were supposed to be  scented.  It would hang in the wardrobe to give a special aroma to her clothes. Sadly,  with time the scent had evaporated, but the memories stayed well stamped on this beautiful present. 

The coloured ribbon hung from a brown curtain-pole ring, stapled to it  was a rectangle cut-up yellow label. The label had  the most touching, handwritten and  beautiful dedication to her with the loving words: 

“Dear mum, you're the best mum in the world. I love you mum. 

Happy Mother's Day. 

From Pablo!! xxxxxx,”  and in one corner of the label his sister had signed it too. 

“Now, that makes me happy!, despite having to dust,” smiled Alice.

Alice looked at this beautiful and priceless keepsake but couldn't remember exactly the date of when her children had given it to her. She looked behind the label for a date but there weren’t any. She wondered,  could her children remember the date?