The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1013 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I pictured Julie’s mother in a hospital bed and surrounded it with light, then when it seemed appropriate, I took the light closer to her. I didn’t do too much, because I didn’t want her to pick up on me and then use it to reject Julie. For all her faults, she’s still Julie’s mother.

I discovered when I emerged from my room that I’d been occupied for over an hour, and I wasn’t sure about the others, but I was hungry. I popped up to Julie’s room and she was sitting on the bed listening to her MP3 player.

“How are you feeling?” I asked her.

“Okay, I guess–it’s still sad, even if she was an old bat.”

“She’s still your mother, Julie.”

“No, you’re my mother now.”

“It’s all very flattering, but I’m at best in loco parentis.”

“What does that mean?”

“In place of your parents.”

“Yeah, a replacement parent, that’s what you and Daddy are.”

“If that was the case, why are you upset?”

“Who said I was upset?” she lied.

“I know when you’re not telling the truth, Julie.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, I do,” I had to be careful that I didn’t tell her it was because I was her adopted mother.

“Why’s that then?”

“Because I look after you and have got to recognise your body language and a few other things about you.”

“Like a mother would?” Oops, here we go.

“Like a scientist who’s trained to notice things, and someone who cares about you.”

“Which is more than she does–so I’m not upset.”

“I see, so the red eyes are caused by something else, are they?”

“Yeah–hayfever.”

“I see, so why were you cuddling with your da–um Simon?”

“I was cuddling with my Daddy, because he’s a good cuddler.”

“He is that, I won’t disagree, but I will disagree about what you’re saying about your mother.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I shall do that,” I smiled, “I just wanted to know how you felt about things and if you wanted to send her some flowers.”

“What for?”

“Perhaps to say, that even if you’re unsure if she cares about you, you care for her.”

“Do I?” she blushed.

“Please don’t mess me about, Julie. I’m going to make some sandwiches. If you want some, come down in ten minutes–okay?”

“Yeah, okay, I heard you.”

“Yes, and don’t have that on too loud–you’ll damage your ears.”

“As if you cared.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course I care.”

“Do you–thought you weren’t my mother.”

“This argument is facile, I’m going to make lunch–be there.”

“Yes, Mummy, no Mummy, three bags bloody full, MUMMY,” she yelled at me as I left her room.

“What was all that about?” asked Simon as I came into the kitchen.

“Teenagers, that’s what.”

“Oh. She’s still upset then, is she?”

“She’s pretending she isn’t.”

“What ever for?”

“She’s a teenager.”

“So? I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything.”

“Fine. What would you like in your sandwich?”

I prepared some sandwiches and when Julie didn’t come down, Simon went to see why. He returned a few moments later with her in tow. I decided not to say anything because I thought it would just add fuel to her fire.

We ate in silence until Simon asked, “Did it work?”

“Did what work, darling?” I replied.

“The distance healing?”

Julie stopped eating she gave me a very funny look and said, “I wondered if you’d try it.”

“Try what, sweetheart?”

“You know what I mean, don’t be so mysterious.”

“I’m not being mysterious.”

“You tried to help that old bag who gave birth to me.”

“I wonder if Puddin’ will ever feel the same about you, Stella?”

Simon smirked but Stella stared at me, “If she does, I’ll tell her you were her natural mother.”

“Her birth certificate won’t agree with that.”

“Shush, I told her she was hatched by you from a dormouse egg.”

Simon sniggered and even Julie smirked. “Be a nice trick if I could do it.”

“She doesn’t know that.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“So, are you going to heal this old witch or not?” Stella was very direct much of the time.

“I don’t know if she’d let me near her.”

“Or me,” voiced Julie, “and I’m not pretending to be a boy just to please her.”

I went back to my own mother’s illness and how she’d died in front of me as Cathy. It is one of the saddest moments of my life.

The phone rang, and I went to answer it. I spoke to the person for a couple of minutes and then went back to the lunch table. “That was Tamsin, a friend of Maureen, who is now back in Pompey at the QA.”

“Oh, can I go and see her?” asked Julie.

I was about to correct her but thought better of it and stopped myself. “Yes, we’ll go this evening. Apparently she’s asking after us.”

“Oh great, what shall we take her?”

“I don’t know, how about we have a quick squint in Asda for a nightdress or some slippers?” I suggested.

“Great idea, Mummy, when will we go?”

“If Stella will sort out the wreckage, we could go on the way to collect the girls.”

“Good ol’ Stella,” she muttered, “Leave it to Stella.”

Simon nearly fell off his perch at her lament–apart from sorting Puddin’, she’d done very little–no wonder she’s always tired, she doesn’t do anything to alleviate her boredom.

I went to freshen my makeup and check my hair, and Julie did much the same, we left ten minutes later. In the supermarket, we found some nighties but couldn’t decide on Maureen’s size. I thought she would have lost weight, but Julie was sure lack of exercise would cause her to balloon, we compromised, buying a very loose one and one that was a bit more fitted. I also found some toiletries and a sponge bag.

They were hardly super presents, but we bought some wrapping paper and a card, and I nominated Julie to wrap them while I made dinner. She shrugged and didn’t notice when I bought two bunches of flowers.

After collecting the three (dor)mouseketeers, we drove home and Trisha and Livvie went to help Julie wrapping things, while Meems went to sit with her daddy. Simon loves it.

After dinner, where everyone helped to clean up, Julie and I went to see Maureen, with a card signed by all the children and the bunches of flowers. We parked at the hospital and began the long trek to the wards from the car park. I wandered into a ward and Julie followed me, then she stalled when she saw her father sitting at a bedside.

“What are we doing in here?” Julie hissed at me and stopped dead in her tracks.

“Bringing this to your mother.” I handed the flowers to her dad.

“Thanks,” he said, “I’ll pop them in a vase. Hello, Julie, you alright?”

She shrugged, “Yeah, s’pose so. How is she?”

“She sleeps most of the time, I’m glad you could come to see her–I’ll wake her up.”

“No–don’t,” urged Julie.

“Leave her sleep, Brad, Julie go the other side of her and lay your hands very lightly on her.” Shaking her head and mumbling, she did as I asked. I glanced at the bed head, her first name was Shirley. “Just relax, Shirley, let yourself sleep because it will help you feel better. Besides, you’re so sleepy you can’t open your eyes even if you try.

“I want you to concentrate on my voice–I am an angel who has been asked to help you get better by a young lady called Julie, whom I believe you know. She is very worried about you and loves you dearly. I am going to help your body heal itself, and also your mind, because it would seem that the bitterness you’ve carried along with you for so long has brought about this illness. I’m going to touch your forehead and you will let go all of the bitterness and hurt you’ve held on to for so long. There, feel it go and suddenly you feel so much lighter and younger.

“Your god has asked me to help you to stop it returning, so we’re going to collect it all up in a sack and tip it in the river which is flowing beneath the bridge we’re standing on. Go on, tip it all into the water and watch it washing away into the sea. It sinks and breaks up, so it can’t come back. Your god doesn’t want you to be sad and bitter all these years, he wants you to spread happiness and kindness amongst your friends and family. As a proof of this, see the blue light coming down from the sun which is shining on you. As it reaches you, feel its warmth–the warmth of love and compassion, coming straight from your god to you, via me the angel of healing.

“You will sleep now, but you will remember you were visited by an angel who helped you to literally see the light, the light and love of your god. Sleep now and be healed.”

I nodded to Julie who kissed her mum on the cheek and walked away quickly. I shook hands with her dad as he came back with the flowers.

“How’d it go, with her an’ Julie?”

“That’s to be seen, but she’ll make a full recovery in the next couple of weeks, and I think you’ll find she finds something to help her discover a new zest for life.”

“If that’s the case, it’ll be a ruddy miracle.”

“Oh they do happen,” I winked at him.

“When you’re about, they seem to.”

I put my fingers to my lips, “Hush, keep it to yourself. It’s our little secret.” He nodded and I followed Julie out to the corridor.

“Is she gonna be okay?”

“Better than that, she’s going to become a born again human being.”

Julie looked at me, “You what?”

“I’ve taken away the blockage which has stopped her from being a full human most of her life. Did you know she was abused by her uncle?”

“No–I don’t think anyone does?”

“I’ve taken away that pain–it’s been there since she was thirteen. She now has a chance to grow anew. Of course it’s up to her, but I think you’ll find an improvement.”

“You really are an angel, aren’t you?” She threw her arms around me.

“Careful, you’ll ruffle my feathers.”