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(aka Bike) Part 837 by Angharad |
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After my meeting I rushed home to start drawing up lists of those I thought might help. In order for us to get the meal over and done with early, Stella went to get the girls and I cooked. Simon was away so I couldn’t inveigle him until he came home.
Tom agreed to supervise bedtime and Trish looked at me–“Where are you going, Mummy?”
“I have to go out to a meeting.”
“You don’t usually go out at night, Mummy?”
I’m sure this kid can mind read. “Well I have to, tonight. Grampa Tom will put you to bed, so you be a good girl for him.”
“Where are you going, Mummy.”
“To a meeting, I just told you.” I could feel my heart beating faster.
“Where is your meeting?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I want to know where you’re going.”
“I’m not obliged to tell you, you know this?”
“Yes, Mummy, but I’d like to know.”
“I don’t think you would.”
“Why are you going to the home I used to live in?” she asked it so casually and I nearly fell off my seat.
“Why should you suggest that?”
“You’ve gone very pale, Mummy, are you alright?”
“It felt very hot for a moment, maybe I’m having a hot flush.”
“If you’re not well, shouldn’t you stay home?”
“No, Trish, I promised I’d help.”
“Help who, Mummy?”
“That doesn’t concern you, young lady.”
“It does, Mummy.”
“How do you work that out?”
“Because you’re my mummy, and I love you and don’t want you to go out tonight.”
“What is all this about, Trish?” I wasn’t sure if I felt cross or concerned, perhaps a bit of both.
“Nothin’, you’re not gonna put me back in that home are you?”
“Hey, silly,” I lifted her onto my lap; “You’re here to stay–I told you, I want to adopt you. But yes I am going to your old home because they need to raise money to modernise it.”
“Don’t go there, it’s horrible.”
“Trish, I’m in no danger from going there–and you, young lady, are in no danger of ever having to go there again.”
“They were horrid to me, Mummy.”
“I know, but there are still children living there, so they need to have better facilities than they have.”
“Why do they? They were horrible.”
“Trish, I have made my mind up to help Mrs Cunningham, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me go and do so.”
“Take me with you.”
“What?” I nearly fell off my perch again.
“Take me with you.”
“A moment ago you were frightened I was going to send you back there, why the change of heart.”
“I want to hear what you talk about.”
“Trish, that implies you don’t believe me.”
She looked a little dismayed at my accusation. “No, Mummy, I do believe you.”
“So why do you need to come to what will probably be a very boring meeting?”
“I want to, Mummy.”
“Daddy, what do you think?” I asked Tom.
“If she says she wants tae go, I’d be inclined tae let her.”
“Trish, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I really don’t.”
“Well I do, I won’t let them bully me again.” She seemed adamant.
“Go up and change, put on your red top and skirt, your boots and better put your fleece jacket on too.” Before I could say anything else, she’d dashed off to her bedroom.
“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” I said to Tom and Stella.
“Well, she said she wants to go, it sounded pretty definite to me,” offered Stella.
“Ye’ve got tae ask yersel’ why she wants tae go–is it completion or facin’ doon some o’ her history?”
“I wonder,” I mused, before I went up to change, wearing a black needle cord skirt suit and red velvet top. I added my black boots and some black beads to complete the outfit. Trish came into my room as I was changing.
“Are you sure you really want to do this, Trish? You don’t have to prove anything–not to me.”
“Yes, Mummy, I want to come with you.”
“Okay, I suppose it’ll give me an excuse for coming back sooner.” As we came out of my room I glanced up at the stairs leading to the attic rooms, “I must ask your Gramps if I can turn one of those attic rooms into a study.”
“Can I do my homework in it, Mummy?”
“I don’t see why not, if Gramps lets me do it.”
“He will,” she chuckled.
“How do you know?” I asked her, tickling her tummy.
“Because he lets you do anything you want.”
“He doesn’t, he’s not as indulgent as your daddy.”
She laughed loudly and ran down the stairs.
We arrived at the home–a rambling Victorian pile, which would need more than a coat of paint , it looked totally ramshackle. “Is this where you lived, Trish?”
“No, I didn’t live there, Patrick did. I live with you.”
I hugged her, “And I hope always will–as long as you want to, at any rate.” She hugged me back and we got out of the car and braved the squally showers which were threatening.
Inside it was as bad as out but my attention was taken by Nora and Trish meeting for the first time in several months. “Hello, Trish.”
“Hello, Mrs Cunningham.”
“You used to call me, Auntie Nora.”
“No, Patrick did, I don’t live here.”
“Okay, Trish, I’ll go along with that.” She looked up at me, “I’m afraid no one will for much longer–it’s a fait accompli–they’ve already sold it to a developer.”
“Wait until Mr Henstridge gets here, we’ll soon stop that.”
“I called him just now and told him not to come and why, he agreed with me.”
“So what’s going to happen to the children?”
“They’ll have to go to Oxford.”
“Do they want to?”
“All but two don’t care–I’m trying to find them alternative accommodation locally; so far without luck.”
“If you get stuck, I might be able to take them pro tem. I’d need to speak to the others first.”
“That would give them a chance to decide a bit better, we’ve got to vacate this place by next weekend.”
“Strewth, that seems ungodly haste.”
“The developer wants to get going with his demolition.”
“This isn’t listed then?”
“Only as unfit for habitation.”
“That bad?” I asked.
“Yeah–‘fraid so, sorry I couldn’t get hold of you to stop your wasted journey.”
“No bats here are there?”
“As in belfry? Why?”
“If there are, they can’t disturb them without a licence from Natural England.”
“Huh–that won’t stop ‘em.”
“It could cost ‘em thousands, at least a thousand per bat.”
“I don’t know if there are or not.”
“I’ll come around in jeans tomorrow and have a look.”
“Won’t you be guilty of disturbing them?”
“Yeah, but I have a licence.”
“Oh, you are full of surprises.”
“Right, I’ll get this young woman home and speak with Tom and the others to see if we can offer you temporary accommodation for your two charges.”
“Thanks, Cathy, you seem to care more than the charity who own this place.”
“I can’t comment without knowing more about them, maybe they need to sell this to fund the other place.”
“Yeah, could be–oh, they did offer me a job in Wantage.”
“Are you going to take it?”
“Dunno yet.”
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Comments
Bats
I'm sure Cathy could find some bats somewhere, even if she had to bring them in a cage. At least your bats in England aren't rabies vectors.
'Tis a pity that bats have more rights in this instance than children. If the place is that decrepit to start with, it never should have been able to retain a license as a child-care facility of any stripe. And, as far as moving the children, no time like the present if they're in substandard, unhealthy conditions to get them out.
Of course, living standards for bats are an entirely different matter...
Not sure how child-care charities work in England, but it sounds like this one has been run quite disreputably. In most places they get some government support on a per-child basis. Could it be, someone has been skimming funds or paying themselves overly-generous salaries?
Ama\zing what impact bats can have...
Near where I live, the route of a planned bypass was redrawn because a bat colony was found close to the proposed route. The Highways Agency spin the redesign as a significant improvement - amongst other things it will allegedly cost less AND last longer than the original design...
http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/11888.aspx
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Last person to catch and die of rabies in the UK
was bitten by a bat
Angharad
Angharad
Lately?
From the latest UK Department of Health's "Memorandum on Rabies" (February 2000):
Was going to ask you when this death was, but I found the answer myself on BBC News' website. In a story dated 25 November 2002:
While bats are highly beneficial and are protected by wildlife preservation laws in the U.S., because of the rabies problem it's illegal to relocate them in some places here.
Seems I get a chance to
Seems I get a chance to first today.
As to the story they cannot evict at such short notice, that is illegal.
Cathy will sort it out though.
Keep up with the good work
Poppykin
or not
Possibly Second
Bike Resources
GREAT story.
I don't know how you do it. I can hardly put 10 words together that make sense, but you seem to be able to carry on day after day, for several years. Not only that but you have been able to put in more cliff hangers than there are cliffs in England.
I look forward to your output every day, and enjoy it thoroughly.
Thank you
Trish
It looks as if Trish is going to develop into a very strong person. I could not help but be impressed with her determination and way of looking at things in this episode. Then of course, she was also part of the blue light thing at Cathy and Simon's wedding. We also know how bright she is for one of just five years of age. It will be interesting to see how Trish develops in the future, blossoming as she has in an atmosphere of love and support.
One can contrast this with what happened when she was living at the home.
I remember too, the incident between Trish and the judge when the fostering situation was disputed. She is definitely one to watch.
Potential Strengths
Bike Resources
Why do I think
that the two she might take pro tem... are Trish's biggest tormentors?
Mad house!
No, not the condemned Home, but Tom's home. We already have four adults and four children (plus a spaniel) - that will soon rise to six children.
Now the question is, will the extra two be purely temporary, or will Cathy end up trying to adopt those as well?
I wouldn't put it past her...
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Why do I think...
that the two kids include at least one of those who most tormented Patrick...
that Cathy's going to manage ot stop the home from being demolished...
etc. :-)
I suspect it's because our authors have shown themselves to be very sneaky at pulling plot twists.
Now, do you think Mr. Brown-Cow is the one that bought the house?
Thanks,
Annette
I wouldn't do a thing like that now...
or would I?
Perhaps we have some sneaky readers too?
You know me, very predictable in an uncertain sort of way ;)
Angharad
Angharad
Trish knows
There must be balance. ;-)
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Probably not only bats but
a rare kind of bat. Maybe some dormice too if Cathy inspected the grounds.
And are you sure Trish is 5? comments like, “No, I didn’t live there, Patrick did. I live with you.†make me think she is a lot older.
Never as the saying
"An old head on young shoulders" been so true, Trish shows an awareness of people and situations that if you did not know better, You would swear were the words of a much older world wise woman. The perception she shows does make you wonder whether Cathy's daughter has passed this way before.
Once again Angharad you have not gone in the direction i expected (guess that's why your stories are so readable!)Here was me fully expecting Cathy to take on the bad guys and after a long fight win through (mind you i suppose that could still happen!!!)and then you go down the path of bringing up the possibility of two new recruits to the Cameron Clan.....Interesting development...Can't wait to see what problems our two new children could bring!!!
Kirri
Going Batty!
It does seem a little shady with the Developer sale. Doesn't the human services agencies that over see group homes inspect the building and require certain standards. I'm amazed that they would permit a home to deteriorate to this point. My guess is that some members of the governing board are going to benefit from the deterioration they allowed so the building could be sold. (Forgive me, I'm from the those rebellious up start colonies who threw a tantrum about some tax laws a few years back and decided to become emancipated. Now I know very little of the workings of the child protective services in England and the terminology used. The odd thing is after all that I still pay taxes without representation.)
I sometimes forget that Trish is only 5 years old. She acts so grown up. Part of her intelligence comes from being transgendered and some may come from the healing she experience from Cathy. I expect living in the highly stimulating environment that seems to surround Cathy is also a factor. Is Trish becoming clairvoyant? She seemed to sense what Cathy was going to do. Is this a by product of being influenced by the blue light?
Cathy is going to find out if there are bats in the belfry. It's a crazy idea that may buy time for the home. I know some one who ran a bat counting project and he could not get near the critters until he got vaccinated for rabies. Even though she is licensed, I hope Cathy is vaccinated. You don't need to be bitten to get rabies.
Hugs,
Trish-Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
PS: Any puns are intended.
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
I thought if you were post op...
you couldn't have rabies! (Maybe I misheard?).
Angharad :)
Angharad
Cathy And Trish
Will make mincemeat out of the cads. But what if the cad is known to Cathy?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
have to agree with Annette
Thinks Angaharad is setting us up with those two extra kids that least one is the atagonist for Trisha.
Hmmm
I suspect
Shady dealing are afoot. And of course, they will attack Cathy or the kids to cover it up. Cathy needs to get some red and blue bike cloths, the kind with an "S" on front.
Already sold ?
Cathy collects children like a lottery winner collects relatives.
What is up with Trish ?
Cefin