Sandra: Character Profile

May Beatrice Pearson was born on 28th August 1930.  The second daughter to William and Alice Pearson who went on to have six more children. May's father was a methodist preacher who although strict was a fair and good man.  Mother.Alice ran the household with a rod of iron but always made sure the house was spotless and there was a hot meal on the table at the end of the day.
The children were given daily chores and none of them would have dreamed of complaining.  Least of all May who was a very biddable child.
When May was six years old her mother gave birth to Jack.  Jack was born severely disabled and it fell to May to undertake most of his care.  So began a lifetime of caring, of putting others needs before her own.
Much like her father in looks and disposition she simply believed it to be her god given duty and would not
have had her life any other way.
At age 57years her face belied the hard path she had chosen.  Not a wrinkle or line showed on her face.
Her cornflower blue eyes still as bright and alert as when she was 16yrs old. May's hair gave her age away once a lustrous brown it was peppered with grey and the last remains of a home perm gave her a tousled, windswept look.  Her figure once slim was now well rounded, no doubt the result of eating too many of her home made sponge cakes.  May was a very good cook and loved nothing better than setting out a 'good spread' for family, friends and neighbours too enjoy.
May also liked to look smart and though most of her clothes were hand me downs or jumble sale buys, she always looked clean and tidy. She never believed that a lack of money was an excuse for looking scruffy.
Apart from cooking her greatest luxury was too spend time in her cottage garden where hollyhocks fought for space amongst the roses and nasturtiums. In her garden May found the peace she craved and respite from the demands of the mentally ill men she was now caring for.
It was also in the garden that she did her praying and her thinking.  First in her prayers was George.
Dear George who died so young.  Just five years after they married he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and died weeks later, leaving her a young widow with a small daughter to care for and not a penny to their names. Poor George went to his grave never knowing May's guilty secret.  Doreen the daughter he adored was not his child and now fate had played a cruel trick and Doreens real father was once again back in May's life in a very different role.  May sighed and with trembling hands, cut the dead rose from the stem silently asking God for his forgiveness and praying for his guidance as to the way forward.