(aka Bike) Part 1367 by Angharad Copyright © 2011 Angharad
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The weekend went by quite quickly–Monday, the bank holiday being the hardest bit–it rained much of the day which was as dark as late evening, until the evening when the sun shone. Crazy–we have weeks of dry weather–then along comes a bank holiday and it rains. It last rained on the previous bank holiday–do I suspect a pattern here?
Simon came out of the sitting room chortling. “What are you laughing at?”
“The cricket,” he beamed.
“Something funny happen?”
“Sort of,” he smirked, “It was in Cardiff, right?”
I nodded, I knew that much.
“Well, it rains a load in Wales, dunnit?”
“In Mid and North Wales–all the mountains.”
“Oh c’mon, it pees down in Wales all the time–hence all the wellie jokes and sheep jokes.”
“I’ve been to Wales quite a lot–remember I lived in Bristol?”
“Yeah so?”
“I didn’t ever see a sheep in wellies.”
“You take things too literally, Cathy.”
“Well there’s a load of sheep in Scotland too.”
“Yeah, I know all voting for independence...”
“I didn’t think they’d voted on that yet?”
“They haven’t–but they voted in the Nationalists didn’t they?”
“Did they?”I hadn’t noticed–I might be Scots by birth–but politics in Portsmouth bore me rigid, so what’s happening the other end of the country is a bit remote.
“Geez, Cathy, get with it.”
“Okay, tell you what you give breakfast to the children every morning and I’ll sit and read the Guardian.”
“Very funny.”
Didn’t think so, but then we often don’t laugh at the same things–especially his jokes. “So what’s all this got to do with a cricket match?”
“England won.”
“Who were they playing?”
“Bloody hell, Cathy–don’t you read the paper or listen to the radio?”
“Usually I listen to the radio in the car–but it didn’t say anything about cricket–and the only sport I read about is cycling–you know that.”
“Well–it was headed for an almost certain draw–time lost through rain–then the English bowlers struck, a couple of quick wickets and they collapsed bowled out for eighty four runs or something like that.”
“Is that good–bowling them out for eighty four?” I knew perfectly well it was–I had to play cricket in school–they used to put me in the outfield where I’d spend more time picking flowers than fielding.
“They hit four hundred in their first innings.”
“Oh did they?” I yawned, this was like watching paint dry.
“I can see you’re really interested,” he turned and went back to his television.
“What was all that about?” asked Jenny.
“A lack of interest on my part.”
“In what?”
“Test cricket.”
“Oh–say no more.”
“I mean if he’d wanted to discuss the case of Contador and the clembutarol and whether he should have been allowed to ride the Giro, I’d have been happy to talk about it.”
“You lot are seriously crazy–d’you know that?”
“Seriously–nah, we’re just gifted amateurs.”
“What’s a contador anyway–is it some sort of ferry?”
“No, Contador is a Spanish cyclist who’s won the Tour twice and the Giro twice, and may have been a naughty boy.”
“Like in drugs?”
“Substances yes–it’s all due to be sorted by the Court for Arbitration in Sport, or some such august body–except it looks as if he’s going to be allowed to ride the TdF before–they postponed it–the hearing.”
“Wow that is such riveting news, Cathy, I’ll have trouble sleeping tonight because of it.”
I glowered back–seems like I got some of my own medicine back. I didn’t ask her what she thought of independence for Scotland–she’s probably never heard of it.
“Did you watch Dr Who?” I asked her starting to make the dinner.
“That’s a kid’s programme isn’t it?”
“It used to be–it’s wasted on them now and far too scary–I mean, with computer graphics–they had faces which melted...”
“I don’t think I want to know anymore, thank you, Cathy.”
“But–he zapped the bogus Amy Pond...”
“So?”
“So what did you do over the weekend?”
“I met up my mother–remember you let me borrow the car?”
“Oh yes, do tell me all about it”–I asked as I laid the salmon pieces on the baking tray.
“She’s okay, I suppose–took her shopping, that’s about it, really.”
“You spent a weekend with your mother and that’s all you did–or all you want to tell me about?”
“No big secret–she’s got dementia...”
“Oh, Jenny, I am sorry.”
“It’s okay–my sister usually looks after her, but she needed a weekend off and the usual place which takes her for respite care was full–so I went down and looked after her instead.”
“Not much of a break then?”
“It was nice to see her–sort of–she’ll have forgotten by now that I was ever there.”
“Did you get any photos taken–that could help her to remember?”
“No, didn’t think–it was all a bit rushed.”
“Does your sister live with her?”
“Yeah, so she’s like on twenty four seven duty.”
“She’s obviously very capable–have difficulty dealing with healthy children on those terms.”
“I couldn’t–so I send her some money every week to pay off my guilt.”
“You send her money?”
“Yeah–all she gets is attendance allowance–which isn’t very much–not for what she does.”
“So how much would it cost to put your mum in a home for a couple of weeks to allow your sister a proper break?”
“They give her a bit of respite through the council or NHS not sure which.”
“But they couldn’t help this weekend?”
“No.”
“Okay–go and tell her to organise two weeks off for herself and I’ll pay up to a couple of thousand to put your mum in a home for respite for two weeks.”
“You can’t do that,” Jenny stood there looking shocked.
“I just did–go and phone her–perhaps rather than tell her, ask her if she’d like to.”
“That’s so generous, Cathy, but I can’t let you do that.”
“I could always deduct if from your pay if you’d prefer?”
“Um–I don’t think so.”
“So go and ask her.”
“I can’t–I can’t let you do it.”
“Why not? I think the law generally allows me to spend it as I see fit.”
“It’s a lovely gesture, but it’s too much.”
“It isn’t a gesture–go and phone her and ask her or give me her number and I’ll do it.”
“No–it’s too much–far too much.”
“I thought I was your boss?”
“You are.”
“So why are you ignoring a request from me?”
“Because–I am.”
“That’s a fairly weak excuse.”
“Look, it’s my family and we solve our own problems.”
I hadn’t realised I was stepping on toes–it was just one of those spur of the moment things–looks like I got it wrong again.
“Okay, the offer stands until I go to bed–you think it over. I’m not imposing on you or your sister, I’m just trying to assist in the one way I can. If you choose to reject my offer–especially without consulting your sister–that’s your affair, but I think she should at least be involved in the decision.”
“I hate you,” she said, “clever dick,” picking up the phone. I shrugged popping the tray of fish into the Aga.
Comments
How could you.....
Angharad, how could you put a spoiler in your story for a Dr Who I haven't watched yet?...Grrr!!!!
(nice chapter apart from that)
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1367
There is the Doctor Who/Easy As Falling Off A Bike crossover: Easy As Falling Out Off A Tardis.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Thank you Angha,
ALISON
'our Cathy really does have a big and charitable heart.
ALISON
She reminds me of "Honor Harrington".
Sometimes when Cathy is doing her antics, I wonder if the two are in fact sisters.
Very nice
Gwendolyn
Yes
I have thought that a few times too. Love me some Honor Harrington and I do want a treecat to adopt me but alas, Florida just must be too warm for them as I haven't seen any for years.
Nice to see another fan.
Joani
Dance, Love, and cook with joy and great abandon
Treecats...
Florida is not too warm for them. However, you are forgetting that Treecats live in heavily forested mountain regions. Last I checked, there are no mountains or even real hills in Florida... However, maybe if you tried growing celery in your yard you might tempt some to move into the area. Yes, I am a reader of David Weber as well.
There's Mountains!
There's Mountains in Florida... Sorta... One's Space Mountain and the other's Thunder Mountain... And, if memory serves (from last summer), there's even a bit of the Himalayas nearby. *giggles* And, there's Forests, and... And, I'm sure a gentleman like Nimitz would LOVE visiting! ;-)
Anne
oooooooh you just hit my FAV author with the harrington
remark. NOW I wanna know besides david weber if you've read anything by elizabeth moon. If you like the Honor series she's got a couple near simular.
Not sure.
Cathy's offer could be seen as somewhat patronising (matronising?) and a bit like the lady of the manor taking food round the village to help the deserving poor. I can see why Jenny might feel it difficult to accept an offer that's actually doing nothing to solve the underlying problem - that people with dementia and their carers get a raw deal.
Dementia is an awful thing. My wife's mother changed from being an intelligent ex-head teacher and published writer to a petulant and violent woman who was as likely to spit food on her carers as not. It distressed me that my father ended up being unable to operate the small tape player I bought him so hge could listen to audio books when formerly he's been able to repair them professionally. Dementia is god's joke on the human race and it's not very funny.
An interesting issue to raise. Thanks Ang.
Now about Alberto's stunning Giro win ...
Robi
Oh I can see it now
Cathy Watts as the Doctor's Companion in Easy as Falling off a Tardis (Dalek? *giggle*)
Cathy IS being very generous but people are sensitive about taking charity so even givers have to be circumspect.
Kim
Cathy has a good heart
but needs to use her head too when dealing with people. Can't help but wonder what her reaction would be to something like she just offered Jenny. Probably not too positive.
Hmmm...
Cathy DOES like to arrange things, doesn't she.
At least she recognized she was getting some of what she'd previously given out, this time.
I've seen people act the way Jenny is... (Heck, I've been there. Though, the reluctance to ask wasn't over money or anything. I was where Cathy was at one point, too...) Cathy should have thought a bit more, before turning on the pressure that way. She could generate resentment from Jenny. *sighs* I hope it works out though.
Thanks for sharing this ongoing saga.
Anne
I've a dumb question, since this storyline actually started with
a bicycling plot. I'm guessing many of us got adicted to ANG's story because of the initial theme.
.
Lance Armstrong is back in news yet again with doping charges against him. I'm going to guess here cause I didnt follow it closely enuff the 1st time. streoids to make him go faster, in other words, likely a testerone based i'm guessing at here.
now I know and the whole world I believe knows he lost his nuts due to cancer a few yrs back or reportly did. In that case like us transsexuals whom are on hormones for life, wouldnt he have to be on something akin to such to keep being male...therefore he might be braking normal rules, but these are to keep him male... I know it's a longshot question, one i'm not only asking cause of medical implications. but I genuinely liked the guy when I met him personally a a charity event here in states we were both involved with altho for different reasons.
if so, wouldnt he have a legit excuse to be on such and if it was me I'd Def. made sure the federation knew i was taking and ask for some sort of exemption.
..................well it appears i've nearly caught up real time with ANG and the story ... I just cant believe how adicting it is and more importantly how in heck ANG manages to do this on a daily basis and keep the quality level up the way she has over this long. just amazing!!
HUGGS to ANG out there and yes I know you seem to know somehow I've been reading this, often months behind everyone else. must be somthin in when a comment is made it notifies someone. hmmm. Even so, Its a great story and I cant imagine many whom could pull it off as you have.
Thank You for making the effort.
----------------------------
OH one other note ... in national news in Florida there been a new 1st.
high school prom queen is a transgender female. and it appears she won over 14 others in a not very close race ... I had/have some serious issues with the national media in how most of the writers whom wrote up their stories cause of usage of pronouns used interchangeably....aka him/her/she/he were all used spec. on the msbnc website telling the story. she is full time SHE as far as I could tell in reading 6 different writers account of the story, so, why in gawds green earth keep refering to her as a he/him also... makes no sense yet has to be intentional on their parts in doing such. and wonder why the general public doesnt understand us very well ... cant get suposedly knowlegeable writers to put in writing that we present as a certain gender, we deserve to be refered as such only .... no pronoun switching required :-)
I love Dr. Who,
but I have no clue which episode you're talking about.
Looks like Jenny is finding out what it means to be part of the family.