(aka Bike) Part 1798 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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I was at least clean and tidy when a young police constable arrived to take a statement about the traffic incident earlier. I told him how I thought things happened and he nodded without passing any comments.
I offered to type this out for him and he thanked me. I got Sammi to make him a cuppa while I went to the study and typed it up. When I got back he was chatting her up. He looked over the report and then watched while I signed it and he signed it as a witness. I noticed Sammi hanging about then blushing when I glowered at her. She left the kitchen a moment later.
I asked the policeman if there had been an accident and he said there had been, but he knew no further details. I didn’t have a car number for certain but I thought it was something like XS 07 PIG.
“You have a remarkable memory,” he said as he went to leave.
“Do I?”
“You’re spot on with the car registration number. Not bad for a quick sighting.”
“I hadn’t taken on board that I’d really seen it, but I must have done when I was riding down the middle of the road.”
“Well as far as I’m aware you haven’t done anything illegal, though you could have stopped to see what had happened when you heard the accident.”
“Would you if an angry plonker in a large car was chasing you?”
“Possibly not.” He blushed, shook my hand and left.
Sammi came back into the kitchen and I asked her, “What was all that about?”
“Oh he was just chatting me up.”
“You didn’t agree to go out with him?”
“No, course not. It was just a bit of fun.”
“Just be careful, Sammi. You have the makings of a really pretty girl but getting thumped by an irate copper would do little to enhance your looks.”
“D’you think Steve would have hit me?”
“I don’t know Steve, so I can’t say, but when he realised he was chatting up someone who could only go so far, he could get a bit miffed and he was quite a bit bigger than you.”
“I don’t think he’d have hit me.”
“I’m just trying to keep you safe, but it’s your life. If you choose to take risks, that’s your affair, just remember I’m not here to sort everyone’s mistakes.”
“I know, Mummy, it was just a bit of fun.” Her phone peeped and she blushed but went off to read the text. Steve? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Simon came in from the garden brandishing an iceberg lettuce and some spring onions. “For you, my dearest,” he said placing them before me.
“What am I supposed to do with these?” I asked knowing full well what to do with them.
“I came bearing gifts and the light of my life has rejected me,” he said hamming it up by pretending to cry.
“It’s hardly gold, frankincense or myrrh, is it?”
“I be but a poor peasant boy, lady.”
“So where did you steal these from, then?” I asked knowing they’d just been picked from the garden.
“The big, ’ouse, th one owned by the nutty professor an’ his beautiful daughter. But she don’t ’ave no time for me, she be bewitched by dormouses. They say some wicked witch laid a spell on ’er an’ she do go round kissing dormouses.”
“Sounds like you’d be better off without her,” I said.
“No, I can’t rest ’til she be safe from them dormouses.”
“Why? Are they dangerous?”
“Only if you choke on one,” he said and began laughing which set me off. When Sammi came back she probably thought we were crazy.
“D’you mind if I pop out for an hour or two?”
“Not to see Steve, is it?” I asked.
She blushed and shrugged.
“Just be careful.”
“I will, Mummy,” she pecked me on the cheek and dashed off.
“Who is Steve when he’s at home?”
Sammi’s first date by the look of it.”
“Is she ready for that?” I knew his question was about her safety rather than any other reason.
“She seems to think she is.”
“Babes, can’t you talk to her, dissuade her–it isn’t safe out there.”
“She could always call a policeman.”
“Eh?” Simon looked confused not an altogether unusual state for him.
“Steve is the young copper they sent over to take a statement from me, he was chatting her up.”
“Oh, is that wise?”
“We can’t stop her, Si, she is over eighteen.”
“Shouldn’t we try?”
“I suspect that would only make things worse.”
“Oh well if she gets arrested under the trades descriptions act, don’t blame me,” he said then went back out to the garden where I heard the mower starting a few minutes later.
Sammi reappeared wearing a longish top over footless leggings and some ankle boots. She’d redone her makeup and hair and looked really attractive. “Be careful, won’t you?”
“Course I will, I’m not stupid you know?”
“Neither are many girls who end up being assaulted every year. Don’t drink too much either.”
“Mummy, I’ll be okay–Steve’s a really nice guy.”
“You spoke with him for ten minutes while I typed a sheet of paper. How can you possibly know what sort of person he is? Remember Julie was assaulted by an ex-copper and left to die from exposure.”
“She looks alright to me, so you must have sorted her out, in which case I’m sure you’ll do the same for me, Mummy.” She pecked me on the cheek and set off down the drive.
“Where’s she off to?” asked Julie coming in from her car with a bag of shopping.
“She’s got a date.”
“Oh? She didn’t say anything to me about it.” Julie looked quite indignant.
“It only happened this morning.”
“Oh–is she ready–I mean to deal with boys?”
“I have no idea, but I doubt it.”
“Want me to follow her?”
“No, she’s got to learn–perhaps she’s right–he might be a lovely guy.”
“Yeah–’cept they’re an endangered species.” She flounced out of the kitchen taking her shopping with her.
“What’s up with her?” asked Jacquie noting Julie stamping up the stairs.
“She’s jealous.”
“Jealous–of what?”
“Who rather than what. Sammi’s pulled a bloke and Julie hasn’t.”
“Sammi? Is that wise?”
“Why is everyone asking me? I have no idea, it probably isn’t but I don’t control how she acts with strangers.”
“I only asked.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but it seems everyone thinks I have some sort of control over people and I don’t. I can’t even control what the younger ones do.”
“Oh I don’t know, Mummy, they seem to hang on every word you say.”
“That’s funny, I usually feel they ignore every word I say unless it fits their purpose.”
“You have far more influence on everyone’s life here than you think.”
“I thought that was only when I did the cooking–talking of which it’s David’s day off, so I suppose I suppose I’d better see what’s in the fridge.”
“Want a hand?” offered Jacquie.
“That’s the best offer I’ve had all day.”
Comments
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1798
Oh my! Waiting to see how this story plays out.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Look out Sammi.
It takes a damned sight longer than ten minutes to size a guy up. Your conclusion that it can be done in ten minutes serves only to demonstrate that you're naive, trusting and vulnerable.
You'll be soorreeey!
Stil lovin' it Ang.
OXOXOX
Bev.
Oh, I don't know...
There's always the 1:1000 chance Steve might actually be a great guy, and able to accept her as she is.
But, naive? Very much so. Only time, and our author/editors will let us know.
Annette
I wonder what'll happen now?
I wonder if he will like her, ditch her, or leave her in a ditch? Cathy has a house full of girls. Wow.
K
Road hog
Excess ol' pig - very appropriate registration :)
As for Steve and Sammi, hopefully she'll be smart enough to restrict activities to a drink or a meal, followed by returning straight home. Of course, if the date passes without a hitch, Steve himself might be given the "be careful" lecture at work the following day if he happens to let slip where he met Sammi, given Cathy's reputation among the force as a career / pension killer :)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
First Date?
All Cathy can do is hope the date turns out OK. Maybe they will find they really are not compatible enough to establish a relationship.
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
Maybe I am just a pessimist
... but this date has train wreck written all over it at the railroad crossing sign.
Mummy should be able to help put her together again. But maybe not as Cathy has no absolute control over the gift. Shekinah may feel it is right for Sammi to suffer a bit before she gets healed, or worse she will have to heal on her own.
It's times like these I am glad I am not interested in men. Yes, yes, there are violent women too, Goddess knows but I would only choose to date a woman who is about my size or smaller and I would be very careful in vetting her even so.
Kim
The wise words of Jacquie
“You have far more influence on everyone’s life here than you think.â€
I have to chuckle about Sammi, Julie, and Jacquie, none of whom could possibly be Cathy's child calling her Mummy. Yes, she definitely has influence but like all mothers she has to let her charges explore and experience, have successes and failures and learn. The dilemmas of being a parent.
Hope this works out well for Sammi. Don't need another (more) physically or emotionally injured member of the household.
Maybe Sammi
needs the help of her sister here.... Trouble is Julie's green eyes seem to have got in the way, So hopefully nothing goes wrong with Sammi's date (surely there must be some good policeman around?) Otherwise Julie will never forgive herself if everything does go pear -shaped for her sister.
Kirri
I know they are not proper sisters yet but they both call Cathy Mummy so its as good as.. :-)