(aka Bike) Part 1036 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad
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I excused myself from the table to organise the kids for bed. It took me nearly an hour and when I came back they were all still sitting at the table talking. I crashed about in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and then asked if anyone wanted tea or coffee–they all did. So I ended up making those as well.
“You’ve missed an interesting conversation, Cathy,” offered Stella.
“Oh did I, well it’s the maid’s night off so I had to cover,” I riposted sarcastically, which rolled off Stella’s back like water off a duck.
“Have we got any more milk?” asked Stella.
“Why don’t you go and look in the fridge?” I said sweetly back to her, and the look she gave me was very queer, but she rose and went to the kitchen. I was very tempted to say something very nasty.
“By the way, Simon, I’m going back to work next week so everyone except the children will have to do their own catering, washing, cleaning and so on.”
It was the wrong thing to say, Simon spat coffee all over the table–thankfully not my grandmother’s cloth, but it’s likely to mark the table. “You’re going back to work?” he looked horrified.
“What about the kids?”
“I shall continue to look after Daddy and the kids, but I’m fed up with being treated by everyone as the housekeeper.”
Julie and Stella said nothing, Julie blushed and Stella got up and left her coffee behind, shutting the door loudly as she left.
“Why don’t you get someone in?” asked Stephanie.
“Why should I have to do it–I do more or less everything here, and I’ve decided I’m not going to any longer.”
“Fine–just bear in mind you don’t need a family upset while Billie is trying to decide who she is.”
“I’ll continue to support all my children.”
“So is it just Stella, you were getting at?” asked Stephanie.
“Not entirely, Julie could do a great deal more than she does.”
“I thought she was, is this true, Julie?” asked Simon.
“I do most of the ironing,” the teen replied.
“Is that all? I’m paying you fifty quid a week to help your mother.” Simon became a little more agitated.
“I do anything else she asks me to–don’t I, Mummy?”
“You don’t exactly look for things to do though, do you?”
“I don’t like to get in your way.”
My jaw almost dropped at this–like Stella, she is a lazy lummock who’d prefer to daydream and paint her nails rather than waste any energy on housework.
Stephanie sniggered and I glared at her. She was my guest so I couldn’t say much at all and besides, she had done me a favour, or perhaps Billie, so I tried to keep calm. Julie made a tactical withdrawal soon after and Tom yawned and went off to his study for his nightly nip of single malt.
“Whose fault is it that they let you get on with things?” asked Stephanie, “Because it sounds as if you’re your own worst enemy–a common enough occurrence with women; especially those who think they are irreplaceable.”
“I thought part of the reason for keeping Julie here was to help you?” Simon looked quite irritated.
“You’re here at weekends, do you see her doing much?” I asked him.
“No, but then she’s working at the salon.”
“She doesn’t do any more in the week than she does at weekends, and Stella is a waste of space.”
“She’s always been lazy around the house–too high a caste for menial work.” Simon sniggered at his own joke.
“I know I’m not a blue blood like you lot, but I assumed marrying you brought me up to equal status, or is this a delusion of mine?”
“Princess Di married the heir to the throne, but she was never accepted as a member of the royal family, was she?” Stephanie observed.
“I think that’s a bit different, Steph,” Simon observed, “Princess Di didn’t do the cooking or clean the place, they have an army of flunkies to do that.”
“So why not get someone to help Cathy?”
“Steph, we’ve talked about this ad nauseum, I’ve offered to pay and she doesn’t do anything about it.”
“So why don’t you?” Stephanie challenged him.
“Because the person who’d be supervising it is Cathy, I didn’t know how to switch on the washing machine the other week–had to get Trish to show me.”
“But you’re agreeable to funding it?” asked Stephanie and Simon nodded. “So what about it, Cathy get someone in to help?”
“Okay, I’ll organise a job description with the others–Stella can also contribute to the job description but it will cost her, she can help with the funding.”
“Is she working these days?”
“No,” Simon replied very sharply, “but she’s got her own income–so it’s not like she can’t afford it.”
“I was wondering more about her needing someone to help.”
“To do what? She’s such a lazy bitch, she takes all day to do bugger all.” Simon was on his soap box.
“She does babysit now and again when I have to go out or take one of the kids somewhere,” I offered in mitigation.
“And that takes her all day?” Simon had used his soap box to mount his high horse.
“She does have her baby to look after.”
“Cathy, what are you doing? You accuse her then defend her–what is it you actually want?” Simon now turned his guns on me.
Perhaps I’d asked for it–I no longer knew. All I wanted now was to go to bed and sleep–and if I didn’t wake up in the morning, that would suit me just fine–then they’d miss me–but only until they found some other sucker.
“I think I’d better go, it’s getting late.”
“The spare room is made up, if you’d like to stay,” I told her.
“I–um–don’t like to put you to any trouble.”
“Yeah, stay Steph, I’ll open another bottle of wine or would you like a brandy?”
“That would be nice, are you having one, Cathy?”
Simon roared at Stephanie’s query, “She hardly drinks at all–except copious quantities of tea.”
I blushed–I just wanted my bed, now through my own fault, I was going to have to stay up longer. I yawned and showed my tiredness.
“You look all in, why don’t you go to bed?” Stephanie suggested, “I’m sure Simon can show me to the spare room.”
“Okay, I’ll leave a nightdress on the bed with a toothbrush, some towels and some clean panties.”
“Goodness, you are organised,” she gasped, “In my house you’d need to make the bed first.”
“I did it while I was upstairs, so it’s all aired.”
“Go to bed then, it will be interesting to see how they all interact at breakfast.”
“What the kids or the adults?” I asked her and she mimed, ‘both’.
I kissed them both goodnight and went to sort out some stuff for Stephanie, nightie and so on, when I passed Stella’s room–the door was ajar and neither she nor Puddin’ were there. Her handbag was missing and the bed hadn’t been slept in. I switched on the light.
Attached to her pillow was one of those semi sticky label things, the message was short. ’I know when I’m not wanted, good bye.’
I snatched it off the pillow and ran downstairs to show the others.
Comments
Good riddens to bad rubbish
What the hell is wrong with Stupid Stella ?
Now she is not wanted ?????
Simon is right for once, Stella is a waste of space.
Kim
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1036.
WOW! What a powderkeg you set off! Stephanie has her work cut out for her!
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
If Stella
wasn't borderline suicidal I'm sure she would've been throttled by now.
Bailey Summers
The truth often hurts
In this case, Cathy, it looks like a two-edged sword.
Susie
Oh dear!
Another cliffhanger! Quelle surprise!
Given Stella's mental history, perhaps it's just as well that Dr Stephanie is staying the night. I think she's just picked up another patient. I just hope that nothing untoward has happened to Puddin'.
Thanks A&B: I just hope there are plenty left in that box of curve balls you seem to have.
Plot Spirals
Bike Archive
Bike Resources
Ugh Drama Queens!
Stella cannot take a tiny bit of the truth so she turns it all around so everybody will be concerned about her, I see too much of it in real life, also online those who see others getting attention for their highs or woes and they almost immediatly have to fabricate some sort of high drama in their lives to post and garner their share of attention. This nonsense really happens.
Have we forgotten...
...that Cathy started out the episode in a foul mood, which she freely inflicted on others?
At what point does pissing on all and sundry become acceptable?
To my mind, the only reasonable excuse is when the pissee was on fire, and even then it's nice to follow up the prophylaxis with a heartfelt apology explaining what there was no better extinguisher ready to hand, and we see that it quickly turned into a pissing contest in which many people were hurt.
Good show, Cathy. Well played.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
*sighs*
You know... I don't know that I'm glad I got all catched up...
Perhaps if I go back a few days, and re-read, Nah... It's likely to come out the same again.
I do understand where Simon is on the hiring of help... I really wish my wife'd go ahead and call someone. As is, we clean regularly, but that's time we could also spend gardening, or even spending time together. (Spending time together cleaning is together I admit, but neither of us consider it "quality" time. LOL)
Thanks for keeping these stories going.
Anne
Cathy could easily say
Cathy could easily say "well, here is another fine mess you got me into" courtesy of the old comedy team of 'Laurel and Hardy'. Stella with her fractured psyche just might go and try to do something to both her and 'Puddin", so I do hope the others find her right away. Jan
Take a break.
I see Cathy heading towards a nervous breakdown or just needing to take a break.
I hope this chapter isn't a subconscious reflection of Angharad's state, namely exhaustion.
How do you do it Angharad, that is churn out a chapter night after night, and I notice they are coming later each night?
I think you need to take a break or is this some sort of therapy.
The quality of the chapters hasn't deteriorated at all but Cathy's showing signs of nervous exhaustion.
Julie certainly isn't helping (But teenagers rarely do.) nor is Stella. It seems that Cathy is at odds with everybody.
Take a break kid. There's just too much going on in Cathy's life.
Still loving it.
Love and hugs,
OXOXOX
Beverly.
Poor Pitiful me...
Both Stella and Cathy...
Cathy has developed the "Martyred Mom" syndrome, I have to do everything around here, no one helps, no one knows how to do it right.... (My sister is the same way, & I'm afraid she's training her daughters to be the same.)
Stella's reaction is a bit over the the top, but given that this isn't the first time that Cathy has dumped on her, not surprising...
Amusingly enough, Simon comes across as the most grownup in the group. I'm afraid that Cathy is having problems with letting go of the "must get done" things to give her time for "important to do" things.
Cathy wants to run off to write up a job description for a cook/housekeeper! (There! I've written the job description for her.)
Stephanie has it exactly correct!
To be fair to Cathy, I suspect from what has been said in the past that her mother stayed at home, and "did everything for everyone" and subconsciously that's the role model she is trying to live up to. Most of us do measure ourselves against our parents, "If Mom could keep the house spotless, all the clothes washed, and 3 nice meals on the table every day, then why can't do the same?"
Janice
Its typical
of the way Stella behave's, That she sees fit to disappear into the night, Knowing full well that once her absence is discovered, Everyone will be running around like headless chickens looking for her.....
So more trouble for Cathy, As if having a new daughter is not enough of a problem, Cathy now faces having to help look for a grown woman who still behaves like a spoilt teenager....While the hope is that Stella and Puddin' are soon found, Perhaps a spell in the real world might not be a bad thing for our reluctant mother...
Kirri
Dysfunctional family
On Cathy's part, perhaps if she suggested specific chores to the family, they'd find it easier to 'pull their weight', rather than running around like a headless chicken expecting everyone to know what needs doing and volunteering to help out.
I would have thought Julie's ironing was a big help - after all, there are four adults, one teenager and five children in the house, making ten people in total - so she's doing over twice as much ironing as the average household.
Tom maintains the garden, with the help of Billy and Danny - plus additional help from Leon on Saturdays; the three youngest appear to do the hoovering and dusting.
Perhaps a start would be asking Stella (when she returns) and Simon to take control of clearing up after meals - washing-up, drying, putting away, wiping the surfaces.
Just thought: in the light of Stella's mental health history, perhaps she should start seeing a psychiatrist regularly? It would probably benefit Cathy as well - not so much because she has any specific issues, but just as a neutral sounding board for all her worries, issues and concerns.
IIRC, Stephanie is a child psychologist, so she may be able to unofficially help Cathy and Stella - if not, it might be worth seeking out Dr. Ann Thomas (Cathy's psychologist during transition)
EAFOAB Episode Summaries
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Stella
If Stella wasn't so prone to doing something stupid, I would be inclined to let her go and stew for a few days, then work on repairing the relationship once everyone has had time to think things over and calm down. Chasing her down will do nothing but confirm to her that she has been wronged, and return everything to the status quo.
As far as Cathy goes... I know all about 'martyred mom' sysdrome. My wife has it in droves. Just like Kathy, she really is doing a lot. Still, she is her own worse enemy. All anyone has to do is let things slide and she'll be right there coddling them and picking up the pieces. Everything has to be done and done right, and the kids are now allowed to reap the consequences of their own laziness.
When she is gone somewhere, the kids actually learn to do a few things. If they don't, they don't eat. I'm such a mean daddy :-)
But Caty needs to put on her scientist cap and think logically. If there's too much to do, there's no shame in hiring help. It doesn't matter a whit if 'everyone else' works and raises a family at the same time. If she wants Stella and Simon to do their parts, she shouldn't object to them hiring someone to do it for them.
Besides, if she has domestic help, she can concentrate on the important parts of parenting and pay someone else to do the cleaning and some of the cooking. She might even have time to save the world or work for the UN or something like that if she doesn't have to spend all her time cooking, cleaning, and running errands.
Stella's been an emotional wreck for
quite a long time which to me is very sad to see as she and Cathy had some great times together early on. She may be physically an adult but mentally she seem younger than (and not nearly as bright as) Trish. I feel sorry for her and for the rest who have to deal with her.
words of torture...
“I do anything else she asks me to—don’t I, Mummy?â€
“You don’t exactly look for things to do though, do you?â€
this is an often heard exchange between spouses and between parents and children. Problem is that you just can't read another's mind nor can you see through their eyes. Something obvious to one may be invisible to another. You have to have well understood expectations, perhaps written "contracts", and you have to communicate in a non-threatening way. Can you tell that i feel strongly about this exchange?
An adult who expects children...
...to be fully autonomous self-directed individuals with independent initiative and desire to "succeed" knows little or nothing about children. Children's brains don't work that way, and won't (in most cases) until well into their twenties.
Children need structure and guidance from the adults in their lives, and the example of adults with poor impulse control does little or nothing to help a child grow into maturity, since impulse control is one of the hallmarks of what we think adult behaviour consists of.
The most mature individual in the household is Tom, who regularly withdraws from the hurly-burly to sip whiskey in his study and is thus no example at all for much of the children's experience and interaction.
Children need regular sessions of "apprenticeship" with the adults in their lives, and tasks of their own that they can learn to persist at and (eventually) take pride in, aided by the attention and praise of their elders.
Unfortunately, most adults these days hold jobs well away from home, and in many cases perform cerebral tasks that don't communicate themselves well to children's experience and perceptions.
It was easier in ancient times, when children followed their parents around during their daily lives, seeing how adults worked firsthand. In modern times, all many children see of their parent's labours is when they walk in the door at the end of the day and flop onto the settee to watch telly. Small wonder many develop the belief that watching a screen for entertainment is what adults do.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
whew - Talk bout spilled laundry ?
one of the commenters -'martyred mom' sysdrome
--------------
OK where in the heck did that thought come in
6 kids. one whom needs some serious issues dealt with.
another that is too damm smart for her panties that really needs some outside help for her & her parents.
a spouse that's litterly a wkend guest for all practical purposes that has no clue what's going on with his family
a sister in law that's unstable, finally is close to somewhat stable, then someone throws crap in her face whether it correct or not. ONE small baby right now is prob. all she can handle w/o cracking up. i do wonder if she;s still doing outpatient therapy. with 3 or more suicide attempts, it would make sense if ANY ONE WAS responsible & I dont see anyone in that household as such
Tom - delusional - he's got somone taking care of his houshold needs, but still has shown tendencies that he's no clue of realities or willing to take control
dormice study
bank advisor
another film she needs to get working on
a CAD that's pressuring her to do UN thing...and I see blackmail in that one.
WHEW.
Oh yea the blue light angel stuff
martyred people think they have lots of things going on. And the KEYWORD is THINK far too often they are the laziest of the lot. And tho I'm know for positive my Mother wasnt a Jew (sterotyping here for a moment) she would have fit the typecasting role to a T.
Sounds about right
And now Stella has hurt feelings.
Common, If this family wasn't so dysfunctional would it be so interesting?
HERE COMES A GOOGLIE FROM OUR AUTHOR
If she left the baby, ok, run away you selfish, murderous, bitch. (read back, just repeating the past story lines) But she took Puddin, so cause for worry. Nice the psych is still here.
Cefin