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(aka Bike) Part 996 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
All Rights Reserved. |
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“What were you talking about?” Trish asked Billy.
“We told Mummy we didn’t wanna be girls.”
“Why? Being a girl is fun, you get lots of nice clothes and dolls to play with...”
“Trish, I think just because you enjoy being a girl doesn’t mean everyone would. Danny and Billy are happy to be boys.”
“Yuck, slugs and snails.”
“Trish, please don’t be silly–in this house, unlike many, you at least have a chance to see if you like being who you think you should be. In your case, Trish, it seems to be working,” I pronounced.
“Does that mean, it isn’t for me?” wailed Julie.
“No, I think you’re doing quite well too. Now back to business–I have to let Gareth know if I’m going to do this job or not. Like I said before, it isn’t just up to me–I need your help and your support to do it.”
“I dunno, Mummy, will you be away a lot?”
“I’m not entirely sure–so I can’t tell you for definite.”
“Who’s gonna look after us when you’re not here?” asked Livvie.
“That’s the awkward question, and the truthful answer is, I don’t yet know. I have to ask one or two people–whom I trust, so I know you’ll be safe with them.”
“That’s good, you trust them but not us enough to tell us who you have in mind.” Julie was having one of her negative moments.
“You’ll have to wait a day or two. The job doesn’t start until the end of July, in any case, except to recruit staff like a secretary.”
“So why can’t you tell us now?” Trish echoed Livvie’s thoughts.
“I’ll tell you when I’m good and ready. Now, are you prepared to help me get this job?”
“I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” snapped back Trish.
“Trish, if you don’t behave, you’ll be having an early to bed night.”
She scowled at me and sat down with her arms folded, glaring her defiance.
“I need to ask if you’ll support me or not? I can’t do it without you?”
All but Trish put their hands up, she kept her arms folded.
“Are you abstaining, Trish?”
“I’m not staining nothing,” was her reply and Tom sniggered. “Nietzsche, would have had an answer, but I don’t.” She burst into tears and rushed out of the room. Danny ran after her and I heard the hoof beats run up the stairs.
“Gareth will be here soon, Daddy, could you order some pizzas to be delivered. I’m going to talk with Trish.”
I swept up the stairs pausing at the top when I heard voices. “Did you always want to be a girl?”
“Yeah, as long as I can remember,” Trish answered him, “Why, did you think Mummy wanted to turn you and Billy into girls?”
“I dunno, Billy seemed to think so.”
“I don’t think she did, she didn’t turn me into a girl, I’m a girl already, I just have an outie when it should be an innie.”
“What, you’d like them to cut it off?”
“Yeah, if they can give me an innie like other girls.”
“Ugh, that sounds dead awful, I mean, I caught mine in the zip once and that like really hurt–so having it cut off...” I could almost feel Danny wincing.
“I don’t care–and I think they put a plaster on it anyway.”
“Good–but I’ll bet it still bloody hurts.”
“Usually when I have a bit that hurts and Mummy puts a plaster on it, it stops hurting quite quickly. D’you think that’s the plaster or Mummy being an angel?”
“Mummy’s an angel?”
“Yeah, how d’you think she can do all that healing stuff?”
“I dunno, do I? But I thought angels had wings–never seen none on Mummy, have you?”
“No, but I don’t think all angels have wings, or p’raps they have invisible ones.”
“So what do your experts say about that then?”
“I don’t know, Danny, but they had a whole conference about how many angels could balance on the head of a pin? Do you know what a conference is?”
“No I don’t, but I know lotsa people go to them.”
“Me neither, but how can you balance anything on a pin head, it’s like this small.”
“I know how big a pin head is, Billy’s got one.” They both laughed at his remark. “You happy about Mummy doing this new job?”
“Not really, I think she might be away too much an’ all I wanted was to be a girl and live with a mummy an’ daddy, like everyone else.”
I felt my eyes moisten.
“Not everyone, Trish, I never ‘ad a proper Mummy and Daddy until I came here. I couldn’t believe how lucky you were, you ‘ad like, everythin’. When Mummy said she was gonna try to like, adopt us–it’s like wow, the best thin’ that ever, like happened.”
“She’s the best Mummy in the world, she loves everyone and Daddy isn’t as smart, but he’s so rich, it doesn’t matter.” Trish giggled as she said this, and I heard Danny laugh as well.
“Daddy’s all right, pity he’s away so much.”
“I like to cuddle with him when he’s home, but Mima’s his favourite, probably because she’s a proper girl, she’s got an innie.”
“I think you’re a proper girl, too. I like, always have–well since I’ve known you, you know.”
“Thank you, Danny, you’re a good brother.”
I heard them hug and she–I think–kissed him.
“D’you think I’m pretty?”
I began to wonder where this was leading.
“Yeah, why?”
“I just wondered, one magazine I read said girls like to be told how pretty or beautiful they are, and boys like to be told they’re handsome or rugged looking. You don’t look much like a rug to me.”
“I think rugged means, sort of strong and tough,” Danny showed his greater education.
“I know–I was having a joke.” Trish giggled again and then laughed uncontrollably as he started to tickle her. At this point I went back downstairs.
Gareth arrived at the same time as the pizzas. “Och I didnae ken ye were comin’,” complained Tom.
“He can have mine, I prefer my cardboard in boxes: I’ll have a piece of toast.” I swept into the kitchen where I found four large pizzas stacked on top of one another. I quickly heated some plates in the microwave and with the cutter thingy, put a selection of slices on the plates then carried them into the dining room, where Livvie was laying out knives and forks and Julie was putting down placemats.
“So have you decided?” asked Gareth.
“Look, can we deal with eating this while it’s hot?” I sidestepped his question and handed him some condiments to carry through, including tomato ketchup which Billy likes on most things except his breakfast cereal.
I heard Tom ask Gareth if he wanted red or white, and Gareth telling him he was driving, so neither.
I felt so much on the horns of a dilemma and while the others were busy feeding their faces, I crept up to my bedroom and called Simon, praying he’d be available to talk.
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Comments
Simon Says...
Despite her independence most of the time, it's a good thing Cathy's got the sense to consult Simon. Most couples do depend on each other for mutual support and advice. I hope this is a good sign that their relationship is growing where that's concerned.
That is, unless she's just planning on doing the opposite of whatever he says! (Just kidding!)
Bike pt 996
This is a sticky situation that'll take a super Solomon to unravel and Cathy getting off of her high horse with the girls.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Evesdropping.
I'm never sure if it's a good or bad thing to evesdrop on kids. Sometimes you hear the most hilarious stuff and it's hard not laugh and give yourself away but then again sometimes you hear the most outrageous stuff and it can hurt.
I wonder if Trish will get a say in who their carer will be?
I'm sure all the kids will except Julie. (Though I wonder sometimes if she should have a carer as well.)
Anyway lets wish Cathy good luck in her choice. Picking a carer for your kids is the most important thing on earth outside of your own parenting skills.
It's amazing how many people will let just anybody mind their kids but wouldn't let anybody near their expensive car.
There's nowt so daft as folks!
Still enjoying it.
Love and hugs,
XOXOXO.
Beverly.
I Don't Think She Will
I don't think Cathy will do it because she is realizing after overhearing Trish and Danny, that they need her to be there for them. Simon is gone a lot of time and Cathy being there is showing them what it means to have a parent who really cares about them after coming from a home where their parents could have cared less about their needs. There are quite a few examples on the evening news of parents who really never cared about taking care of their kids or beat them like Julie's dad and Cathy's dad did to her growing up. Danny and Billy seemed to have come from similar circumstances. There is no real guarantees about how much time this new job will take up too. I imagine that she will be traveling a lot if it is connected to the U.N. They could say that it won't take as much of her time in the beginning but obligations on time tend to change as she gets more involved in it.
From the mouths of babes...
“She’s the best Mummy in the world, she loves everyone and Daddy isn’t as smart but he’s so rich, it doesn’t matter.â€
I wonder what Simon would make of that comment...
Personally, I think that she should only accept it if she can also scale back her university and bank work, so the majority of the week is still spent with the children. Since it is a job offer, a prudent thing to do would be to ask to see the job description and T&Cs stating exactly what she'd be required to do and how often in print before making a final decision.
Even if she turns down the job, bringing in a trusted housekeeper could be a good idea. Yes, it is officially Julie's job, but since she's a teenager with no prior experience plus an existing love life and part time job, she could help to keep the house relatively tidy, chasing up her younger 'siblings' if their rooms are a mess, and continuing to do her own ironing, but leave the majority of vacuuming and dusting to the hired housekeeper.
Besides which, it will free up Cathy to do more with the children at weekends / mornings / evenings, do university / bank / filming work during the week, and possibly even go for the occasional solo cycle ride (shock!)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
It's quite clear
that the little bit of eavesdropping Cathy has just done has left her with a big decision to make. And what a decision, Is it a case of putting your career first, Or your children.....Put down like that in black and white, I know which i would choose, But will Cathy choose the same?
Hopefully Simon can help Cathy make the right choice....Whatever that might be....All i would say Cathy is.... Just go with your heart...
Kirri
The usual problem with career women
is what Cathy faces. Unfortunately she is facing having to shape her six children's lives at a critical stage in their development. She can probably do it but she has to drop other things else she will not be able to take care of them properly. Critically, could Simon step up to the plate? I don't think so as he has not really shown a lot of maturity much too often. I still do not know what the bonehead Tom is thinking. He is not thinking along the lines of what Cathy's children's needs are but doing the typical male prerogative thing. He is so frimping useless with his bottle of booze he must be guzzling every night ( ach tis just a wee dram. )
Critically, is there a practical substitute for Cathy in this 3 ring circus of a household if she is out saving the universe. Stella certainly does not want to step up the plate and is already moaning and groaning over just taking care of Puddin'. Simon is immature. Tom is I think probably a drunk. So that kinda accounts for the adults in this house.
If there is no real substitute then Cathy is kinda stuck and should really not be taking the job. Plus there is the possibility of losing what modicum of privacy she has and have her TS status bandied about during her tenure on that committee.
So does it all add up to take the job?
Kim
Cliffhangers
Compared with most of the cliffhangers I've so far encountered with this series, this one seems to be dragging on.
I wonder where Stella is: I'd have thought she would be into the pizza and fawning over Gareth.
The overheard conversation between Trish and Danny would have at least shown Cathy that she's doing something right in raising the children.
Parental Skills
Bike Archive
Bike Resources
I feel for what Cathy's...
I feel for what Cathy's going through. My wife just got offered a more prestigious position at her Uni... One that does include more money, even (they don't always). The issue - it includes significantly more work, with no offer to reduce other work she's currently got.
We both wonder what their reaction will be when they find out about me... (It's a Catholic University.)
As she just got the offer this morning, I suddenly have an even better understanding of the kind of pressure Cathy feels. Torn between the professional and personal. This is a terrible thing to have happen. You just can't do everything. It's nice to see how you show Cathy acknowledging the issue - and wrestling with it. The issues the children see, they're very real (okay, probably not the "she wants to make us girls" from the boys). Children not wanting promotions for parents, because they'll take the parent away from home too much is also quite normal. A colleague just left my firm due to the continuous travel - keeping him away from his family.
I look forward to seeing how you deal with all the issues here. I'm sure it'll be in ways that hadn't occurred to me (at least in part).
Thank you,
Ann
I am betting
Cathy takes the job. She needs to improve her delegation skills anyhow.
Pizza in England must hoover ! (what does a vacuum do)
I agree with Trish, you don't trust me enough to say who's going to care for me when you're gone. So how can I say it's ok when I don't know who'll be here ? Prefect logic by 195 IQ.
Cefin