Wuthering Dormice (aka Bike) Part 663 by Angharad

I was waiting by the school gate when Trish and Peaches came out of school. “Hello, girls,” I waved to them and they trotted over to me.

“Do I come with you until Mummy comes to collect me?” Pea enquired.

“Um–I’m afraid you’re staying a bit longer than that, Peaches, I hope that’s okay?”

“Has she dumped me on you?” asked the youngster, while Trish stood alongside her friend with her mouth open.

“Your mummy has asked me to have you for the weekend,” I said trying not to upset the child.

“What is it this time? Screwing money out of Dad?” This coming from a five year old made me blush.

“Um–I–um, don’t know, Peaches.”

“I hate my name, can you call me something else?”

“Of course, what would you like us to call you?” I asked, feeling very self-conscious for the child.

“My other name is, Olivia, can you call me, Livvie?”

“Livvie, it will be my pleasure, and I’m sure Trish would agree, too.”

“Yes, I like the name, Olivia, and Livvie, even better.” The two girls hugged and Livvie looked a bit moist eyed.

I took a hand from each of them and we walked back to my car and they both sat in the back chatting all the way home.

I went through, Livvie’s case with her, and sorted out some play clothes, so after some fruit and a drink, they played with Trish’s bike again. If she became a regular visitor, it might be worth getting a second bike. Meems could use it eventually, so it wouldn’t be a waste of money.

I got the dinner sorted and Simon came home early to discover our visitor. “Hello girls–Trish, Peaches…”

“No, it’s Livvie, now Daddy,” Trish informed Simon.

“Hang on a minute, I’m only a dumb man, Peaches is now called Livvie?”

“Yes, Daddy, that’s right.”

“Oh good, hello, Livvie.”

“Hi, Uncle Simon.” Simon stiffened a moment at the novel form of address, before he relaxed and smiled. Then he saw me watching.

“Hi, Babes,” he said and kissed me, “What’s for dinner, I’m starved.”

“I’ve done some boiling gammon.”

“Oh, any chance some pea and ham soup tomorrow?”

“I suppose so,” I said already having saved the stock for exactly that, but I like to make him work for it.

“Oh good,” we went into the house and he said, “I wasn’t expecting Pea–Livvie until tomorrow.”

“I had an interesting chat with our visitor’s mother,” I informed him, and told him what had transpired.

“She said what?” his face went red with anger.

“She tried to blackmail me into having the girl whenever she wanted me to.”

“The cheek of it. If she tries anything, I’ll get our lawyers to sort her out, her feet won’t touch the ground.”

“Let’s see if it was just bluster,” I suggested, then seeing Livvie coming in the door, I made a face towards her, which thankfully, Simon understood.

“Hello, sweetheart…”

“Auntie Cathy, can we ride the bike along the pavement?”

Remembering the incident with the car, I felt myself blanch. “Not tonight, sweetheart, dinner’s nearly ready, so come on in and wash your hands. Trish, put your bike away and come and get your hands washed.”

The girls came in and we ate, Tom arrived just as we were finishing, and I put up some food for him. The girls had gone out again, “Livvie?” asked Tom.

“Peaches as was–she doesn’t like her first name,” I explained.

“I hope her surname isnae Oswald or Owen.”

“Why?” I asked clearing the dirty dishes away with Stella who was sniggering.

“P-O-O,” spelt Stella.

“Yeah, oh,” I gasped as I got the joke, “I don’t know what her surname is, I’ve never asked.”

“I did,” said Stella, “relax,” she aded, seeing me tense up, “It’s Richards.”

“Peaches Richards,” I said out aloud, “Who could do that to a little girl?”

“What about Charlie Watts, then?” she fired back.

“I don’t know anyone of that name, other than the ‘Stones’ drummer.”

“I used to, “ she said sighing, “a nice young man–I wonder what became of him?” She poked out her tongue at me and I responded similarly.

“Mummy, why is Wivvie used to be Peaches?” Meems has this way with English–she speaks it like a second language.

“Do you mean why is Peaches now called Livvie?”

“Yes, Mummy,” she nodded deliberately to reinforce the point.

“She doesn’t like her first name, which is Peaches; preferring her second name, which is Olivia, or Livvie for short.”

“Can I change my name, Mummy?”

“What would you like us to call you?”

“Caffy, wike you.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Meems, people would get confused, what’s your second name?” I had seen it but not remembered.

“Anne, my name’s Jemima Anne, Mummy.”

“We could call you Anne or Annie.”

“I wike Annie, Mummy.”

“Well you’ll have to give us time to adjust to this, so don’t get upset when we forget and call you, Mima or Meems or even Jemima; will you?”

“No, Mummy, I wike aww my names.”

“Aren’t you the lucky one, hen?” said Tom.

“What’s wrong with Tom?” I asked.

“Whit’s richt wi’it?”

“It’s a good, solid name.”

“Aye, I’m lookin’ rather too solid these days.”

“That’s all those lunch time curries, and you need to exercise more often.”

“Crivvens, lassie, a man’s gottae eat,” he said rolling his eyes.

“I agree, but a bit less often or less quantity than you do, Daddy.” I smiled my sweetest smile and he scowled at me.

“Ach, ye bloody women, ye’re aw the same.”

“Huh, unless you want to be on salad all next week, you’d better watch it.”

“Ach, I’m nae one o’yer tree rats. I haftae eat proper food.”

“Yes, but not by the truck load.”

“Ach, awa’ wi’ ye.” He got up from the table and went into his study, grumbling as he went.