The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2802 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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I drew up a rudimentary contract and Amanda signed it and pointed out it was a temporary thing until I got a proper one drafted. I also told her that I would have to notify HM Revenue & Customs that I was employing her and also she would need to enrol in some sort of pension fund. It seemed that no one had done this for her before. I also explained she would need to pay income tax and National Insurance on any earnings. To sort all this out I’d speak to my accountant, who would do a monthly payslip and organise the rest of the official deductions.

She left after seeing the cottage which David delighted in showing her, and my giving her twenty pounds for her two hours ironing. She seemed nice enough and I hoped was going to be an asset rather than a liability. She was going to start on Monday and work from eight thirty in the morning to four thirty in the afternoon. That would cover Lizzie from the time I left with the girls for school until I got home. Lizzie seemed to be quite happy with her and she with Lizzie.

David would be around some of the time most days and as he knew his way around the house, would advise her on anything she needed to know most of the time. They could also text me at work and I’d try and deal with their query as soon as I could.

Maureen called in later as she came back with bits of wood to fix the shed. “What did I think of Amanda?” I explained that first impressions were favourable and that my mountain of ironing was now just a hillock. “That’s a word you don’t ’ear much of these days, ma’am.”

“What is?”

“’illock.”

“Probably not.”

“I love to listen to you talk,” she said making me blush.

“Why?” I asked as red as a Welsh rugby jersey.

“You sound educated but not too posh, like Lady Stella does on occasion.”

David was giggling in the background as he listened to our conversation. “You mean as opposed to our peasant catering staff?”

David nearly fell on the floor he was laughing so much and Maureen chuckled too. “I’ll bet Amanda thought you were really funny,” she said upon recovering and David lost it completely. He sat on the floor weeping helplessly. “What did I say, ma’am?”

“I think my cook just collapsed with an overdose of hysterics and understatement exposure.” Maureen sat there looking completely perplexed while David convulsed with laughter had to bang his hands on the floor.

We left him alone for a few minutes and he recovered slowly. I knew any mention of any of it would set him off again. Thankfully, none of the girls walked in while he was incommoded.

“Is he all right, ma’am?” Mauren seemed quite concerned, he’s not havin’ an epileptic is he?”

“No, Maureen, it’s just a fit of hysterics having seen oblique references to a sort of double entendre.”

“I see,” said Maureen but her expression tended to indicate she hadn’t. When we returned to the kitchen David was sorting the dinner and the place was full of the aroma of fresh baked bread. I made us all a cuppa and then Maureen went off to patch up the shed. I noticed she now drove one of those huge four by fours with the extra pick up boot stuck on the back of it. At least she used it for work, whereas most of the drivers I’d seen with them looked as if they were just symbols of machismo.

The vehicle looked quite new so Maureen must be doing rather better for herself than when I first met her. I felt really pleased for her. She’d come on a very long way in that time. That sounds patronising but it isn’t meant in that way but as a celebration of her achievements and that in making them she’d helped others as well not all of them transgendered or other minority but simply having difficulty finding work. The bank had continued to give her regular contracts for repairs especially in Hampshire, Sussex and Dorset and in doing so enabled her to have a regular income she could use to employ people. The bank had also loaned her a lump sum of money at very favourable rates when they discovered what she was doing in employing the unemployable.

I think I mentioned years ago her sending someone to erect a basketball ring and the person who arrived wearing a skirt looked anything but female, with the then two boys I had, making the comment that she hadn’t had surgery when she went up a ladder.

We’ve had disabled and ethnic minority people who all did good work and who were effusive in their praise for Maureen because until then, they’d been unemployed. It made me smile that she described me as an angel when she did far more good works on an everyday basis than I ever did yet remained as modest as a maiden aunt.

Simon returned in a taxi singing Scotland the Brave after the Murray brothers won the doubles. I tried to point out they were playing for Great Britain not Scotland and he mumbled something about them being the same. I suspect our namesake in number ten and Nicola Sturgeon might disagree with him.

I got Tom to run me down to the rugby club and drove the F-type home. I half expected him to ask how he’d driven it home yesterday because he couldn’t remember doing so. I’d tell him I got Stella to bring it back as I had to watch the kids. He’ll go crazy. I suspect he’d prefer that I got Trish to drive it home.

Fortunately, Stella didn’t materialise until after we got back and she and the girls dashed up to their rooms giggling. I began to wonder if there was something in the air that day.

She came back down with an air of mystery about her and refused to answer any of my probing questions. I suspected she’d been Christmas shopping; a subject I’d have to give some serious thought to in the next few days as December approached. I really had no idea what to buy anyone. In the early days, when the children had little or nothing, they were so grateful for anything they got. I still remember Trish’s face when we got her the doll and the pram as a belated Christmas present she nearly died with happiness, not only had we recognised and accepted her choice of gender role but we’d validated it by her presents.

I also remembered her when she got to choose some new clothes, all rather girly, which was the first time that had been allowed to happen, previously the home had acceded to her demand to wear girl’s clothing but had chosen them for her. I suspect she’ll have forgotten that now because it’s a freedom she’s had for five or more years, except school uniforms. None of them like those too much though they all wear them without protest because they have to, even Danielle.

Looking back they’ve all come on so well in the past five years or so despite all sorts of problems and attempts on theirs or my life. They’ve all gelled so well as a family despite the difference in age and background and except the very small ones, they all know they’re adopted and so far it hasn’t affected them, perhaps because it applies to all of them. There’s still time for it to crop up but I hope it won’t, several of them have enough issues to deal with as things stand without that sort of trauma occurring.

The Murray’s number one fan was still snoring on the sofa in the dining room as I went past to see what David had made us for dinner.