Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 932 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I knew that Tom would be in his element having curry for his dinner, and the rest of them seem to like it too–but alas, I don’t–even a mild one burns my mouth or makes me feel ill. However, the smell made me realise that I hadn’t eaten since the night before–I’d been too upset at breakfast.

“Och helloo, stranger,” Tom gave me a hug, “are ye havin’ a wee bitty o’curry?”

“No thanks, Daddy, I’ll make something quickly–perhaps an omelette, I’ve got some tomatoes and mushrooms and cheese.”

“Soonds guid tae me,” he said and left me to go and eat his curry.

As I was dishing up my omelette, Mima came to see what I was doing and asked, “Mmmm, that smewws nice, Mummy, can I twy some?” This was closely followed by two other little girls who also wanted to taste my omelette, and two boys. By the time I’d finished, I had half an omelette left so I buttered some bread to eat with it.

As omelettes go, it wasn’t a bad one–although I’ve made fluffier ones. Tomorrow, I’ve been told they want omelettes and chips for tea. I wish I’d done scrambled eggs now–it would have been quicker and certainly easier tomorrow.

Having slept all day, I doubted I’d sleep well tonight, so I thought once all the kids were in bed, I’d get some survey work done or finish off the report for the bank–if the five hundred branches they had were all over heated, they’d save a million pounds a year by turning down the thermostats. From an ecological sense, they’d also save loads of wasted energy in gas or electricity, which would mean less carbon footprint.

Next year I suggested they could look at increasing loans to eco-friendly companies, which would mean they could maintain their own green status, as the most environmentally friendly bank in Europe.

When I sent Henry the draft of my report–he was delighted and suggested the board would probably want to give me a bonus for the savings they’d make. To me that didn’t make sense–I was overpaid as it was, so I told him to forget it, as it seemed self-defeating to me.

He insisted, and when I got cross with him, he told me he give it to me in shares. I’d never been a shareholder in a bank before–mind you until I got them, I still wouldn’t be. Besides, I hadn’t finished the proof copy yet.

I finished my meal and cleared up the debris in the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher and so forth, then checked the kids had done their homework–they all get a little bit to get them used to it for secondary school.

I had to listen to the girls read to me, which they all did remarkably well–Trish and Livvie were well above their age standard–but then so had I been at their age; my mother used to make me read and write as soon as she could. I would listen to the boys later when they went to bed–they actually enjoyed it now and were so much more confident–all I’d done was encourage them and give them a patient audience.

It was bedtime soon enough and I read to the girls–I’d found another Secret Seven they hadn’t read and read them a chapter. Then I sent the boys to bed and listened to them each read me a politically incorrect chapter of Biggles and the Cruise of the Condor.

Then after a cuppa and quick chat with Stella, I sent Julie to bed, where we discussed Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. I was too brain-dead to discuss more serious stuff, and not high enough to discuss the Jabberwocky.

“Thanks for helping to hold the fort today,” I said before kissing her goodnight.

“That’s okay, Mummy, we can all have an off-day, and it’s nice to return some of the love you give us.”

I left her room with a lump in my throat–she was becoming such a good kid–I knew it couldn’t last, she’s a teenager for God’s sake, but by golly, I was going to enjoy it while it did.

Tom and Stella went off to their respective beds about eleven, I called Simon’s mobile and left a message when it said he was unavailable. I simply told him I loved him–something he hadn’t said to me for quite a few days.

I set to with my report and in two hours had broken the back of it. I checked my emails before going to bed–maybe something would cheer me up before I went back to my lonely bed and miserable thoughts.

I opened the one I’d hoped would be there:

’Hi Cathy,

PS Sorry it’s such short notice.’

I wrote back saying I would make it and did she mind if I brought my teenage daughter with me? It would make her think how someone my age had a teenage kid and I thought, Julie deserved some retail therapy. I gave Siân my mobile number and drifted off to sleep wondering what to wear tomorrow.

I woke early and was up by six, by seven I’d showered and done my hair–I put it up and had a few tendrils falling from the top, by my ears and down my neck. I did my makeup and called the girls–of course they spotted it immediately.

“You look nice, Mummy–are you going somewhere?” enquired Trish.

“I’m meeting a friend in Southampton–an old schoolfriend.”

“Have a nice time, Mummy,” wished Livvie.

While Meems said, “I wish I was comin’ too, Mummy.”

I got them all washed and they began to dress themselves so I went to wake the boys and tell Julie the good news. She took a moment to understand what I was saying, but once it penetrated her pretty little head, she squealed, “Shoppin?” and leapt out of bed. I told her I wanted her to look as good as possible and told her what she was going to wear. She gave me a Paddington hard stare, but I told her I wasn’t taking her if she didn’t do as I instructed, she conceded and went to shower.

The girls were down and ready for breakfast before the boys, and they wanted to know where I was going and who I was seeing. I told them and they were happy for me to ask Stella to collect them.

Stella came down and I asked her if she’d collect the girls from school to save me rushing back from Southampton.

“I wondered why you were so prettied up. What’s his name?” she joked.

“No, Watts is my name,” said Trish, “Mummy’s goin’ to see an old schoolfriend, she’s a doctor.”

“A doctor–do I know ‘em?”

“Dr Siân Griffiths, do you know her?”

“Not Offa’s Dyke?”

“Eh?”

“If it is the Welsh lezzie, watch her.”

“How do you know her?”

“She did some of her training at the QA–made a pass at me. How do you know her?”

“I was in school with her, she hadn’t come out then.”

“Oh well–maybe you won’t be her type anyway–some lezzies are very choosy, if you know what I mean.”

“Stella, I’m a married woman–so I’m not interested anyway–besides, Siân has a partner.”

“Oh well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Will you collect the girls?”

“Of course, just don’t you get collected–she takes scalps.”

“I’ll have Julie to protect me,” I beamed at Stella.

“Well watch her too.”

“Stella, I suspect you’re being unnecessarily alarmist, she was a good friend to me in school.”

“If you’d been her girlfriend you’d have known a different side of her.”

“I was a girlfriend of hers.” I smirked and Stella nearly choked on her coffee.