Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 2130

The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike, est. 2007)
Part 2130
by Angharad

Copyright © 2013 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
-Dormouse-001.jpg

I was busy trying to work out the exact phrasing of a sentence to make a pun out of it when my mobile rang. It was Danni.

“I hope you’re not calling to say you can’t make dinner,” I said curtly.

“No, Mummy.” Her voice sounded weak and watery.

“What’s the matter, darling?”

“Some boys,” she sniffed, “from our school, they recognised Pia.” There were sounds of sobbing.

“Where are you?”

“In the toilets.”

“Which toilets?”

“John Lewis.”

“In Southsea?”

“Yes, Mummy.”

“Okay, darling, stay there, I’ll come and find you.” I clicked off my phone grabbed my bag and was dashing outside to the car when I realised I had my slippers on. I charged back in and scuffed on a pair of old trainers. Two minutes later I was haring down the main road towards Southsea and its main shopping area.

I managed to park in Waitrose car park and ran the few hundred yards to the John Lewis department store. My senses heightened by adrenalin I spotted several youths walking about the store as if they were looking for someone. Could this be the troublemakers? I approached one of the staff and pointed them out and suggested they might be acting suspiciously. She agreed and I noticed as I went up the stairs she was pointing them out to security.

I walked into the ladies and paused. “Danielle?” I called but there was no response. There’s only one ladies toilet that I’m aware of. I speed dialled her mobile. “Where are you?”

“In the shoe department.”

“I told you to stay put.”

“They were calling the security people saying there were boys in the ladies toilets.”

“Well stay put this time.”

“Oh oh, they’re after us again.”

I rushed down the stairs dancing past an old lady who complained to my back. Just as I got to the bottom of the staircase, the three girls nearly ran into me. “Whoa, now what is going on?”

Three youths suddenly took evasive action and headed away from the girls when they saw them talking to an adult. “Is there a problem, madam?” asked a security man who looked as if he’d been running a marathon by his red sweating face.

“Yes, those boys were chasing my girls.”

“Girls? These are your girls?”

“One is my daughter and the other two are her friends, why?”

“The boys made allegations that they were boys not girls.”

I made a shocked face, “Are you accusing me of not knowing if I have a boy or a girl?”

“No madam, just repeating the allegations.”

“I see, would you like to call the manager–tell him Lady Cameron would like to speak with him.”

“Um, is that going to be necessary, madam?”

“You seemed to imply my daughter was a boy.”

“Uh, not me, madam, that was what them boys said.”

“And you’re believing them over the child’s mother?”

“No, madam.”

“I think you ought to call the manager.”

“He’s very busy, madam, I’m sure we can resolve this between us.”

“I’m not so sure, I don’t like someone questioning my word or insinuating my daughter isn’t a girl.”

“Of course she’s a girl, they all are, I can see that now–but when we went to speak to them in the toilets they ran off.”

“I’m not surprised. If I had a rather large man chasing me, I’d run.” I stepped further away from him as he began to develop an aroma.

“Yes, okay, I can see that...”

“Is there a problem, Mr Smithers?” up walked some bloke in a suit.

“This lady’s girls were being chased by a group of boys who accused them of all sorts of things, sir.”

“Like what, Mr Smithers?”

“He suggested the boys implied they weren’t girls.”

The man looked as if I’d just told him the moon really was green cheese. He looked down at them, “Clearly the boys were wrong.”

“Quite,” I agreed.

“That was what we were discussing, sir.”

“I hope we haven’t inconvenienced you too much, um Mrs...,” said the suit, whose name badge said he was one Craig Durrant, a departmental manager.

“Cameron, Lady Cameron.”

The man now looked as if he’d done something unpleasant in his pants and had just discovered it. “Lady Cameron, I’m sorry, I didn’t recognise you. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Only stand out of the way, I’d like to get these children home.”

“But of course, Lady Cameron.” He said obsequiously and stepped back for us to pass.

“Thank you, Mr Durrant.” I said as we trooped past.

As we walked away, I heard him berate the security man, “You clot, Smithers, d’you know who that was?” He obviously didn’t. “She only owns High Street bank, that’s who...”

As we were leaving one of the boys was standing by the door as Danni approached it. He yelled something at her and Danni gave the door an extra shove knocking him down. The other two ran off.

I helped pick him up. “I don’t know who you are, sunshine, but if I see you near any of these girls again, I’ll have you arrested, d’you understand?”

“You can’t touch me, bitch.” He said as he turned and ran straight into a police officer.

“What’s goin’ on ’ere?” He asked grabbing the offending boy. “Madam?”

“He and his friends have harassing my daughter and her friends while they came shopping.”

“Oh have they?”

“Do you wish to press charges?”

“I ain’t done nuffin’ wrong, ’ave I?” protested the boy.

“Shurrup, Gilbert, we know you’re a little toerag an’ I’m talking to the lady, alright?” He jerked the boy who shut up.

“I don’t think so officer, but if he or his friends come near my girl and her friends again, I will.”

“Very wise, you ain’t gonna do that, are you, Gilbert, annoy this lady’s girls again?”

“No.” The boy hung his head.

“Thank you, officer.”

“Pleasure, Madam.” We walked on and the copper was reading the riot act to the young thug.

Back in the car, the three of them started laughing–a result of the fright they’d had. I waited until they returned to normal before starting up the Jag and setting off for home.

We dropped off Pia first and I told her I liked her hair, she thanked me and went off waving to the other two. Then we let off Cindy, who hugged Danni and thanked me for the lift. Finally, we went home and Danni thanked me for coming to get them.

“Did you buy anything?”

“No, by the time Pia had had her hair done it was time for lunch. We were just starting to see what was about when we ran into the three boys and they somehow recognised Pia.”

“They must be quite clever because I’m not sure I would. Her makeup has improved.”

“Yeah, Phoebe helped her up in Scotland, didn’t she?”

“She did indeed. Right, young lady, I have work to do before dinner and a trip to Southampton.”

“You don’t think they recognised me, d’you?”

“You said it was Pia they recognised.”

“Maybe it was me–oh hell, I’ll get murdered in school next week.”

“I’ll speak to the headmaster.”

“That won’t do any good.”

“We’ll think of something I’m sure.”

“Yeah? I’m not.”

05Dolce_Red_l_0.jpg



If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos!
Click the Thumbs Up! button below to leave the author a kudos:
up
233 users have voted.
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos! Click the "Thumbs Up!" button above to leave a Kudos

And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks. 
This story is 1286 words long.