The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1266 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

When I awoke my eyelashes were all stuck together and I had difficulty prising them apart. Staggering into the bathroom I weed, and then bathed my eyes in some warm water. It was still dark, but I didn’t feel like sleeping anymore, so I had an early shower and was dried and dressed before six a.m.

I felt a restlessness in me which felt as if it had been stirring for some weeks but had now become overwhelming and had to be dealt with. I fed the wee yin at my breast and was changing her when Daddy came into the kitchen.

“Ye’re up early, hen.”

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Weel, if ye need tae talk?”

“Thanks, Daddy.”

He was making his river mud coffee, when something occurred to me. I’d fed the baby with some solids as well as my breast milk and left her to wriggle about on the changing mat, chewing on a piece of toast crust.

“Daddy, do you ever wish you had this place back to yourself?”

He didn’t answer immediately, he simply dropped his cup of coffee and it smashed all over the floor. He went pale in the face. Then of course we both fussed about picking up the bits and clearing the mess. I made him sit down at the table and poured him another coffee.

“Are you okay now?”

“Aye, I’m fine,” he said quietly and thanked me for the coffee. “Whit brought this on?”

“You were very cross with me when I challenged your friend and didn’t seem to want to stop me leaving that day with the kids–I just wondered if I’d overstayed my welcome?”

“I wis upset, that’s a’–ye’d been unpleasant tae a guest an’ auld friend o’mine, an I didn’t ken hoo tae deal wi’it.”

“But you didn’t stop me leaving, did you?”

“Ye we’re askin’ me tae choose between ye, an’ I couldnae. I’m sorry, lassie, but at that time I dinna ken whit tae dae. On reflection, I see ye were richt a’ alang, but ma pride widna let me acknowledge it. Ah’m sorry, Cathy–I thocht ye were jealous o’ Diana. I can see the noo that ye were tryin’ tae protect a foolish auld galoot frae himsel’.” He had tears in his eyes and my stomach flipped. “If ye want tae leave, I cannae stop ye, nor wid I, but I hope ye don’t.”

“I’ve been left a house in Southsea–even Simon doesn’t know about it yet. I suppose there could be a challenge to the will but that has to happen within six months or it defaults to me and a claimant would have to challenge me through the courts. I just thought if you wanted rid of me, we could think about moving.”

He looked at me in dismay: “Ye must decide f’yersel’, but there’ll aye be a hame here f’ ye an’ ma grandwains. This is really yer hoose the noo.”

“Don’t be silly, Daddy, this is very much your house and I wouldn’t dream of doing anything without your agreement.”

“Whit use is a big bar-rn o’ a place like this tae me? If ye hadnae come tae bide here an’ brought thae bairns, I’d probably hae sold it an’ bought a smaller place fa Kiki an’ me.”

“You could still do that if you wanted, it would liberate some cash for you–you could do all sorts with it–travel, buy a luxury car and so on.”

“Och, I’ve seen much o’ thae world an’ it left me feelin’ worse than when I wis in ignorance. I dinna need a luxury car, an I could probably afford tae buy yin, onyway. A’ I want is tae hae my dochter an’ grandchildren wi’ me as long as I can. But if ye want tae go, I cannae stop ye.”

“Let’s get one thing straight, I wasn’t jealous of Diana but I instinctively knew she was holding back on something, besides, she was already married and I didn’t like the idea of you being cited in a divorce case. I also picked up on your thoughts, she messed you up once before, didn’t she?”

“Aye, she did.”

“I just couldn’t stand the thought your making a fool of yourself in front of the children and I had no desire to fight with you.”

“Whit in front o’ thae bairns?”

“At all. I love you, Daddy. Okay we’re a noisy crazy lot, but we love you to bits and we’re so grateful for your allowing us to live here. I don’t want to fight with you, ever. I love you too much.” Now I was crying again.

He put his arm round me and we hugged and wept together. Finally, he said, “I’m sae sorry fa causing ye sae much pain, I wis totally oot o’ order, an’ I promise no tae dae it agin.”

“Apology accepted, Daddy.”

“Noo, whit aboot this hoose in Southsea?”

“It seems I had a guardian angel watching over me–Mr Whitehead–he taught me English in the third form. I thought he hated me as much as the rest of them, but he didn’t. When he explained some of the things that happened, it made sense. He was stabbed––”

“–Aye, I ken, outside thae school.”

“That’s right, it seems he left his entire estate to me, including a lovely old villa in Southsea.”

“Och, noo I see whit ye’re on aboot.”

“While I was looking round it yesterday, I found this.” I picked up the journal from my computer bag.

“Whit’s that?” I passed him the book. He glanced through a few pages. “D’ye mind if I borrow this, I’ve a spare ’oor the morn.”

I shrugged, “Don’t show it to the children, will you?”

“Why?”

“I haven’t read it yet, so I don’t know what’s in there and it’s his journal so I don’t know if it was ever intended for anyone else’s eyes.”

“D’ye want tae keep it?”

“No, you take it and I’ll see it later.”

“Whit time hae ye tae get thon lassies up?”

I glanced at the clock, “Oh shit–C’mon girls and boys, wakey wakey.”

The next three quarters of an hour was pure bedlam as little bodies fought for use of toilets and showers–oh, and some more than small ones too. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” grumbled Simon.

“I did, just now.”

“No, when you got up.”

“You were late to bed.”

“So? I needed to be in early as well.”

“If you’d told me, I’d have woken you at five when I got up, but the alarm comes on at seven.”

“I didn’t hear it.”

“Sorry, Darling, I can’t discuss it now, too much to do–Julie, get your bum in that shower now–you’re going to be late. Trish, stop doing that and put your uniform on properly, Livvie comb your hair please, Mima, do not pick your nose and wipe it in your skirt...”

Simon took Danny to school and I scrambled to get the girls to theirs on time. We just about made it. I was tempted to go back to the Whitehead’s house and look again, but controlled myself and went back home via the supermarket.

On arriving home, Stella was sitting at the table looking very radiant. “You’re looking very happy this morning?” I said as I carried the groceries in.

“Gareth’s asked me to live with him, with Puddin, natch.”

“Natch. Is there something else to tell me?”

She blushed, “He’s asked me to marry him.”

“Oh Stel, that’s wonderful news.” I dropped the shopping and we hugged and jumped up and down together. “That is so good to hear.”

“He asked me last weekend, but you were so wrapped up with the murder of that teacher bloke, and Tom with that Diana woman’s death, that I kept it to myself. I’ve been bursting to tell you an’ Simon.”

“We must have a celebration, how about next weekend?”

“I’ll have to speak with Gareth, but we could do, I suppose.”

“This is brilliant, something to feel good about for a change. I’m so happy for you Stel, he’s a really nice guy.”

“I know.”
I began putting the shopping away while she poured me a cup of tea. I sat down opposite her, yep, she was radiant. Oh well, here goes. “When’s the baby due?” I asked and she dropped her cup.