Getting old is no joke but the curious fact remains that although the body may be worn out and past its ‘sell by date’ the mind usually remains young and memories linger; the odour of none too fresh fish. I view this as one of the more cruel aspects of nature but accept it we must, though suicide at 60 is an attractive proposition for some.

Ada Hartridge, now 89 had lived in the small hamlet of Upper Eddington for most of her life. She had married young, having no less than eight wonderful children but she had spent the last fifteen years without her beloved partner, Percy. When her husband died, Ada thought that she could not go on and cried eternally to ‘her Maker’ willing him to take her also to be reunited with Percy. But her Maker had other plans that would ultimately lead to a rather different type of human existence entirely.

Percy Hartridge had been the groom to Lord Asquith, the Fifth Earl of Eddington, for over fifty years and Percy’s family eventually ended up living in the gatehouse to Eddington Priory. Although grand and gothic from the exterior, the interior was plain and basic, consisting of just two bedrooms, a living room, a modest bathroom, kitchen and scullery. The only source of heating was the coal-fired aga, which was pleasant in winter but rather hot in summer, as it was used for cooking also. Percy worked hard for his master and Ada worked as a kitchen maid in the grand Priory kitchen until she retired aged seventy.

When Percy died Ada was left destitute, surviving only on her small widow’s pension. As her children had long since grown up and fled the maternal nest Ada was too proud to tell them of her plight. Through the benevolence of Lord Asquith, Ada was allowed to remain in the gatehouse paying only a nominal rent. Even with this kindness Ada was close to starvation and she supplemented her diet by harvesting the fruits of the local woods and any other source of seasonal protein available.

It was the winter of 1963 and snow lay as a heavy mantle across the parkland. Bare branches of trees were bending with the weight of pure, white snow and heavy snowdrifts blocked the lane nearly 12 feet deep in places. Ada was trapped alone within her mini gothic mansion and she paced the room, covered with blankets and several layers of clothing to keep warm. She had run out of coal, her primary source of heating and a small fire smouldered in the grate soon to be extinguished as the stock of logs was also exhausted. Ada walked over to the window, which was heavily covered with frost. She scraped a small hole into the cold layer of ice and peered through to watch the third fall of snow that day join the second being compressed to ice. With her food supplies exhausted and the pipes frozen Ada realised that death would come soon. She sat in her only armchair next to the fire to wait her fate.

As it was beginning to get dark Ada lit her last candle and decided to look at her family photo album for the last time. As she studied each picture carefully she realised that she had been a good mother and had lived a fulfilled life. ‘Death, where is thy sting?’ she muttered half laughing.

There was a loud, single knock on the door. Ada picked up the candle and walked to the door. She opened it and saw a tall, young man standing before her. He had eyes that sparkled life and the smile of Valentino.

"Mrs Ada Hartridge?"

"Yes and who might you be?" she shouted through the small crack in the door trying to keep the surging snow out of her cold home.

"I’ve got some coal for you. Where would you like it?"

"I didn’t order any coal. You must be mistaken," she answered. The man smiled again.

"Look, you are my last delivery and I need to get home before I’m snowed in. Shall I put it inside the door?"

Ada knew the coal wasn’t hers but she was not going to refuse a lifeline at this stage.

"Yes please, that would be fine." Ada opened the door and the man quickly deposited three bags of premium anthracite by her coat stand. Without a word he left into the snow blinded darkness. Ada quickly removed a handful of coal and placed it carefully onto the fire trying not to put the embers out. As the coal was dry it soon started to offer a fine glow into the freezing room. Ada then dragged a bag into the kitchen and lit the aga for the first time in two months, as she had spent her coal allowance money.

Within the short space of one hour the chill began to lift within her home as the first rays of sunlight at dawn. Ada went to the last bag of coal and was surprised to see that it contained a loaf of fresh bread, candles, potatoes, butter, a joint of beef, milk, eggs, cheese, carrots, swede, tea, sugar and flour. Her heart lifted as she could now eat for the first time in three days. Ada carefully removed the produce and placed them on the kitchen table. She would start off with two slices of toast and then cook the beef long and slow in the aga. Imagine her joy when she removed a small bottle of sherry from the bag.

"It must be bloomin’ Christmas!" she remarked to the warm kitchen. Of course, he did not reply.

The following morning Ada looked out the window and wondered how the man had got through the deep snowdrift. It was true that more snow had fallen over night but Ada remembered that the lane was impassable even during the previous morning. Coal lorries were heavy and Ada could not see the tell tale tracks in the snow. She checked the fires and made sure that they were fully charged before removing the joint of beef from the aga.

There was another knock on the door.

"Mrs Ada Hartridge?"

It was the same man.

"Yes, young man."

"I’ve got a delivery for you."

"You had better bring it in. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please, milk and two."

The tall man carried in three boxes into the living room and shut the front door carefully behind him. He started to unpack the boxes as Ada went into the kitchen to make his tea.

When she returned with two steaming mugs of tea she saw three metal cylinders, about two feet tall with a diameter of one foot standing on her rug.

"What are they?" she asked innocently.

"These will keep you nice and warm."

"I don’t have electricity or gas, young man."

"Don’t worry, these don’t run off that. They have their own energy source that lasts for ten years."

"Oh, that’s clever. How do I turn them on? They don’t seem to have any switches!"

"These heating cylinders will come on automatically when the temperature falls below 10 degrees centigrade. The colder it gets the more heat they give out. When they get too warm they cut out."

"Where do I put the coal?"

"You don’t. They run off their own fuel."

Ada studied them carefully and felt the smooth metal noticing that her reflection looked like the hall of mirrors! Her face fell when she remembered her financial situation.

"It is very kind of you but you’ll have to take them back as I have no money. As it is I can’t even pay you for the food."

"What food?" he replied offering a curious smile. "Look you can borrow them. One day I will ask for a favour and you can pay me back. OK?"

Ada thought about it for a while and accepted his offer. They sat by the fire and drank their tea.

For the rest of the winter Ada lived in warm comfort and bags of food were left outside her kitchen door every two or three days. Life was easy and Ada was the happiest of all the souls in Upper Eddington.

One spring evening just after dark there was a knock at the door. Ada opened it and saw her tall, young man accompanied by another tall, blonde youth.

"Hello Greg, do come in. Would you like some tea?"

"Hello Mrs Hartridge. Tea would be lovely. This is Max."

"Good evening Max, do sit by the fire and warm yourself."

"Ada I need to call in that favour now."

"OK,"

"Could you put Max up for two weeks? I will provide you with extra food. All I ask is that he isn’t seen by anyone. Can you do that?"

"Of course. I have much to thank you for and this is the least I can do," replied Ada passing them two mugs of tea. At least she would have company now and someone to look after.

Ada housed no less than twenty mysterious lodgers over the next two years. Each were young men, slim and very tall. They were well mannered, polite and courteous and all had the same sparkling eyes as if a whole host of stars were distilled into two, perfect blue eyes. Ada cared for them, as her own and ensured that no one saw them. When it was time for her lodger to depart Greg would come after dark and take them away on foot into the night. Ada asked no questions presuming that she was providing a service in return for food and shelter. She liked her job and her new found comfort and she was not going to jeopardise this mutual arrangement by asking clumsy questions.

Late, one summer’s evening, Greg arrived to collect James. Ada decided to follow them, as she could not contain her natural curiosity. Keeping a safe distance she followed them past the lake, across the weir and into Pen Woods towards the old folly. They appeared to stop in front of the crumbling tower and Ada hid behind a large rock that offered her a good view of the scene. Above her a bright star started to glow getting ever larger until it filled the space in her personal firmament. Greg and James appeared to glow and ascend towards the ball of light. In seconds they were gone and Ada remained frozen to the spot.

After a few minutes she regained her former composure and returned to her cool home, the product of the air conditioning unit provided by Greg.

The following week Greg arrived on his own and they sat in the garden. Ada tried to be her normal self but the memory of his last departure had etched itself into her conscious memory.

"Ada, you know, don’t you."

"I didn’t mean to look. I just wanted to know," she replied trying to stop her hand shaking.

"It’s alright. I was going to tell you any way." Ada put down her cup as Greg explained all.

Greg was responsible for transporting diplomats from the planet Z5 to the Justine Constellation. From time to time is was essential that the diplomats have a period of rest to break their journey. As the planet Earth was a natural mid point for their journey it was essential that they rest up for a few weeks in a safe house before going on their way. Ada had been chosen because of her age and solitary existence. Furthermore by using an older person if they were to spill the beans no one would believe them anyway.

Ada laughed openly, "What a jolly old wheeze! Me looking after alien diplomats! Who would have thought it!"

"Can I have another piece of cake please?"

"Of course you can." Ada cut Greg a generous slice and sat back in her chair to admire his beautiful countenance.

Right up to her death in 1973, aged 99, Ada was host to no less than fifty-five diplomats. She died a fulfilled and generous woman eager to tell Percy about her rather unusual adventure.

22^nd October 2003.