The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2993 by Angharad Copyright© 2016 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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“How did the training go?” I asked Danielle as she got into the front passenger seat of the Jaguar, Hannah having made way for her elder sister by slipping into the seat behind me.

“Yeah, okay I guess,” she swigged some water from her bottle, “cor my legs are aching—we practised ten manoeuvres about ten times each.” She looked hot although her wet hair indicated she’d been in the shower recently.

“That’s a hundred thingies,” said Hannah from behind me.

“Tell me about it,” sighed Danni before pulling on her bottle again.

“Hungry?” I asked.

“Not really, too tired to eat.”

That didn’t sound like my daughter. “We could get fish and chips on the way home or even a pizza.”

“Yeah, whatever,” she said sleepily and reclining the seat she seemed asleep in a couple of moments.

“What d’you fancy?” I asked Hannah.

“I just love fish and chips, Mummy.”

“So do I,” I said back to her, Danni by now well asleep her arm with the bottle of water drooping and I took it off her. I wasn’t at all sure that this sort of exercise was very helpful to a young person on a warm day. She’d drunk plenty of water, the bottle was nearly empty, but I was concerned about the levels of fatigue; normally she’s like Energiser bunny.

“I really enjoyed today, Mummy, “ piped Hannah from the back.

“Good, I’m glad you did.” She sat back and listened to her iPod and I was left to my own devices, so we listened to Classic fm, or at least I did. The traffic was heavy all the way back to Pompey so I didn’t get a chance to do much above fifty most of the time and drive seemed more tedious than ever.

Once in Pompey, I stopped outside our local chippie and got three portions of fish and chips plus some sausages and extra bags of chips. I knew perfectly well that even if the rest of the brood had already eaten, they’d be after our food as well, so I took avoiding action. It proved necessary but they did leave us alone enough to be able to eat our own food—well Simon had some of mine as well, but I’d finished by then. No wonder he’s getting fat, turned out the others had had pizzas courtesy of their dad whose big heart is now outdone by his even bigger belly. I must get some photos of him with his shirt off, he’ll be horrified with belly and moobs. But it might just make him do something about it.

Once upon a time I used to worry about his consumption of booze, now it’s simply his consumption. He eats and drinks too much and is heading towards either diabetes or heart disease despite my pleading with him to cut down. So a photo showing him in all his glory might just shock him into doing something before it’s too late.

Of course, he’d had such a hard day looking after the children, he fell asleep in the chair after drinking a glass of red wine and I was left with amusing them all until bedtime. They all liked their prezzies, meagre though they were; tellingly, not one of them said anything deprecatory about Hannah having had more than they did. In fact they complimented her on her choice of clothing and accessories. I was tempted to check I’d come back to the right asylum.

Danni was still grumbling about her legs and I sent her up to have a bath. An ice one would have been better for her but she had a warm rather than hot one, Trish went up with her to chat about the training and to keep her sister awake in her bath—I didn’t need her drowning herself after falling asleep.

Trish came down alone reporting that Danielle had gone to bed. If she felt as tired as this tomorrow, I shall be having words with the coaches and also our doctor. It transpired, they were practising set moves with Danni doing free kicks from all over the pitch. They had a set of signals worked out as well and the captain would tell Danni the sort of spot kick she wanted, including one straight at goal—one of her inswingers.

Trish was really pleased for her as she saw her as essential to the next game. I accepted the premise but also worried that if the opposition spotted her as the one to take out, they probably would. I’d love to think that women’s sport is less physical than men’s but it isn’t and I still recall the bumping I got from playing netball and the bruises that appeared subsequent to it. Mind you, they all knew I was a boy under the uniform, or was supposed to be, I still preferred girl with a plumbing anomaly.

The game was next week and against Germany, who were supposed to be about the best women’s side around, hence all the clever moves at set pieces. In many ways I was genuinely pleased for Danielle, she was a very gifted player and having seen some of those ‘bend it like Beckham’ spot kicks and the way she curves them or floats them to suddenly drop, I can see why they want her to play. I just hope she doesn’t get hurt.

Trish could see me thinking and at times I suspect she can read my mind. Turns out she couldn’t, not that it would take very long, but she’d been observing me and my body language gave her enough clues to make an accurate guess.

“They need her to play the whole game, so they’ll have to protect her, Mummy,” was Trish’s observation.

“I don’t know, I’m just concerned for her, she’s so much younger than the others.”

“Yeah but she’s used to playing with boys.”

“They’d be smaller than full grown women, Trish and probably less well versed in crocking an opponent.”

She shrugged and said, “Wouldn’t bet on it, some of them were headcases.” Then from a safe distance noted, “Mind you we’ve got one or two in the convent, as well—and that’s just the nuns.” She was gone before I could respond, little monkey.

At bedtime, I read them a story after checking that Danielle was just asleep not in a coma. She was and when I stroked her forehead, she smiled and mumbled, ‘Mummy’, which made my tummy flip and me to get all goosepimples. But I had a large smirk on my face when I read to the others.

None of the little buggers were asleep when I finished but they were sleepy. As I kissed each one goodnight, they all thanked me for their presents and Hannah told me she’d had a lovely day and thanked me, telling me she was glad I was her mother now.

All I had to do now was make and drink another cup of tea and see if I could get the snoring Buddha up to bed afterwards. What fun being a wife and mother is, though I wouldn’t swap it for anything.