(aka Bike) Part 1629 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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I decided on the menu for lunch the day before, beans on toast with a side salad and spotted dick with penicillin for dessert. Actually, I did a tuna bake with tomato salad and an apple sponge with cream.
It was in the oven by half past ten, the tuna, that is, and the apple went in at eleven in the bottom of the oven. It was all ready by quarter to twelve, by which time Stephanie had acquainted us with baby Emily, who was totally gorgeous–loads of dark hair, dimples and the most infectious giggle I’ve ever heard.
“She’s such a happy chappy,” beamed Stephanie while the three of us drooled over her, even Stella looked broody.
“Are you sure they gave you the right one?” I asked Stephanie.
“You cheeky cow,” she responded but couldn’t hit me because I was holding her bairn. She was wearing a dark blue all in one thing, like an upmarket babygro, and it seemed to suit her colouring.
Of course, we had chapter and verse on the birth and the first month of being a mother–I mean no woman had done it before had they...duh. I managed to interrupt her enough just before Jacquie arrived to agree we wouldn’t reveal that Stephanie was a shrink. All the guilty parties agreed.
Jacquie arrived dead on time and I left Stella and Stephanie to watch the babies and our other guest while Julie and I dished up the meal. Instead of wine I served chilled elderflower pressé, which seemed to go down rather well, Stephanie being especially fond of it.
Jacquie seemed very quiet and ate very little. After the food was dealt with, I offered teas or coffees and she followed me out to the kitchen to ‘help’ me. “You know, don’t you?” she challenged me.
“Know what, Jacquie?”
“About me, my past.”
“Why is there something you didn’t tell us?”
“Lady Cameron, I may be naíve but I’m not stupid, that woman in there is some sort of shrink, isn’t she?”
“She’s a friend of mine and is on maternity leave, so she’s nothing at the moment.”
“Yeah, she’s still a shrink, I can smell ’em like I can coppers. You know about me don’t you?”
“I know that you paid for something you did a long time ago and that you deserve a chance at a new life. I also know that my children are the most precious things in my life and I try to minimise risk factors.”
“I don’t know if I want the job now if you’re going to be checking up on me every couple of moments.”
“What you did was tragic for all concerned. I’d like to help you move on and working here would give you a chance to develop a CV and a reference.”
“I don’t need your charity.”
“I’m not giving charity, all you get from me you’ll have worked for and worked hard. I’m not a soft option, I sacked your predecessor.”
“Oh big tough guy, eh?”
“No, but I have some insight into what you did.”
“How dare you say that–how can you possibly know how I feel and what I did?”
“I watched my daughter die on a bicycle ride.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ve also taken life.”
“What?” Her expression changed with her gasp.
“I’ve killed in self defence and defence of my children.”
She stood open-mouthed. “I can’t believe someone as elegant and demure as you could have killed someone. I can’t believe it.”
“Several times–it’s not something of which I’m proud, nor something I did easily, but if the need arose, I’d do it again.”
“And they jailed me for ten years–maybe they should have locked you up–compared to you–I’m, I’m a petty criminal. They made me show remorse, you show none. There’s something wrong here.”
“There was an investigation and it was adjudged that in acting as I did, I saved several lives, including two policemen as well as my family. No charges were ever brought.”
“The privilege of position and money–there’s a surprise.”
“I won’t deny it could have been a factor, but I don’t honestly think it was. They investigated pretty thoroughly.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “I get ten years for killing one kid and you get off after mass murder. I don’t believe it.”
“I take it you don’t want the job?”
“I don’t know–there’s you worried about me frightening your children and I’m now concerned you might kill me. What if one of your children met with an accident–however genuine it was, are you going to track me down and kill me?”
“No, if it was a genuine accident, I’d help you as much as I could.”
“The baby I was convicted of killing–it was an accident you know; but how was I supposed to defend myself at the age of five years. I didn’t understand what I’d done–he fell in the water and I was paralysed–fascinated by him drowning. I can still see it–I see it every day. I always will. I didn’t drown him, it was an accident–it really was, Mummy, I didn’t do it on purpose–honest I didn’t. Why does no one believe me...?”
I watched as she reverted to her experience and the twenty-year-old reverted to five-year-old behaviour bursting into tears. It broke my heart to watch her, she was either very upset or an actress of such skill that even the likes of Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep would be acted off the stage. I held out my arms and she flung herself into them sobbing on my shoulder, the tears I could feel dampening my shirt.
I became aware of a buzzing round me and the energy surrounded us holding us for a few moments. She recovered herself. “Oh, I’m sorry, what happened? I feel quite strange.” I led her to a chair and she sat down quite shakily. “Phew–what was that all about?”
“It was an accident, wasn’t it?”
“What was?”
“Little Micky’s death?”
“I don’t know anymore–they’ve turned me inside out over the years, I don’t know what’s what anymore.”
“I saw it happen.”
“What you were there?”
“No, just now–I saw it through your eyes, I watched him drown, it was horrible.”
“How could...?” She looked at me, “Who are you? What are you?”
“I’m someone you needed to meet to move on.”
“What happened?”
“You just moved on and left your past behind.”
“Wow–do I get the job?”
“No–you didn’t come to me for the job.”
“I did–least I thought I did. What did I come for then?” She looked bewildered.
“You came here to be healed, to be validated and believed.”
“What? You believe me?”
“Totally. You were wrongly convicted, sadly I can’t do anything to right that injustice except to give you a second chance.”
“Sorry, you lost me?”
“You did very well in your GCSEs didn’t you?”
“I got ten of them, but couldn’t stay there to do A levels.”
“I’m going to help you get funding to study for your A levels and after to get yourself to university.”
“What? Why should I believe you?”
“Because I believe you...”
“Thanks but how’s that going to help me?”
“I’m also prepared to put my money where my mouth is.”
“What? What does that mean exactly?”
“It means I’ll help you financially to support you through your studies.”
“How and why?”
“Let’s see what we can get from the system first, I’ll help with any shortfall.”
“Why–you hardly know me?”
“I know you more than you’ll ever know.”
“How can I ever thank you?”
“Two things.”
“Yes...”
“Get yourself the best degree you can and make a career for yourself, second, help me make these teas before the natives get restless.”
She smiled a different sort of smile, one which emanated from her very soul if there is such a thing and her whole being lit up with it. “Who are you really?” she asked.
“Your fairy godmother, c’mon Cinders let’s get you to the ball...”
Comments
Wow
Not what I was expecting... Though, come to think of it, it's not surprising that Cathy had an "experience" here.
I do wonder what will end up happening - and how Stephanie will react to it all.
Does this mean the other girl - the one that worked in the colonies for some politician - will get the job?
Thank you,
Anne
Early Bike - A fairy godmother
That was unexpected.
Not only the storyline but also the early posting of this chapter.
Now today will be one of the few days where I can stop reading and go to bed before midnight ;)
Martina
I can honestly say
that was one outcome i never expected.... But why should i be surprised ? After all this is BIKE and things like that happen when Cathy is around ,
Seems that Jacquie had spent too much time serving a sentence for a crime she had not committed, Quite understandable then that she was more than a little cynical, That was until she met a special lady, As Cathy says almost a fairy godmother... Lovely storytelling as always Angharad ... Thank you.
Kirri
May I share something with you?
Angharad:
I greatly support the sentiment in this chapter. Everyone needs a chance in life. I know that you do not believe in God, and this is no attempt at all to change your mind.
As you may remember, I spent several years as a real mess after my being outed and subsequent divorce. The psych people were way over medicating me. Over the years, I got my SRS, got off the drugs, spent 4 years in DBT, and was generally seen as a poster child for the American Veterans Administration. I was so messed up that a major part of my involvement with Islam was to have strict rules around me; they made me feel more secure. Most people do not understand that feeling.
Still last February, I recognised that Islam was falling apart for me because some within it were digging into my past, in violation of their own religious rules. (Surah 49). Apparently, it was not a case of passing, especially with my garb, but some women are just nosey.
So it was that I was driving down the road in early March and encountered the Mormons at a Historical site. Life with them the last year has been wonderful and I am now loved and accepted in a way that I have never encountered in my whole life. It has been extremely healing.
So, the scene where the girl confronted Cathy, and Cathy's response to her are like a scene from my own life. Thank you so much for writing this very special chapter.
Khodah Hafez
Gwendolyn
this episode reminds me that no mater what
i'm expecting Angharad has something new in store. Thanks A&B a total and appreciated surprise.
But doesn't something like this make Cathy's denial difficult?
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1629
Jacquie might be able to heal Jenny.
May Your Light Forever Shine
A Nice Surprise
That was really good. An unexpected twist, and another manifestation of the wierd power Lady C uses or is used by.
Things like this do happen. I was in my first year of doing my post grad studies for my PhD, and living with my boyfriend, when I got pregnant. I was on the pill, reluctantly prescribed by a sadistic MCP of a GP who held that women should stay at home and clean and cook and make babies, and as an RC did not approve of family planning, so gave me a low dose pill that had a built in failure rate that I was not told about !
When I went to see my Prof. I fully expected to be thrown out and that to be the end of my career in science, but instead he arranged for me to have a part time teaching post, arranged for my baby to be able to spend the days in the creche for mothers working at the College, and gave me a lot of support ! In fact pretty well everybody was really kind to me and we got married and struggled through and succeded better than we could ever have expected, and my wee daughter was better looked after with so many doting cooing wannerbe mums around her than anyone could have wished for.
More than once in my life I have screwed up, badly, yet somehow something unexpected happens or someone comes along and helps me out. I have grown a sort of feeling that I have something really important to do and wont be allowed to rest until I have done it. Irrational I know, but kind of comforting too.
Briar
It's that thing again!
It's that thing again; that blue light. It jus' creeps up on you and - well.
I suspect Cathy had some inkling it might ... but it's still the devil to deep for catching you when you least expect it.
It caught me!
Good un Ange.
That's why I'm still lovin' it.
OXOXOX
Bev.
Sweet Ange, really
Sweet Ange, really sweet.
CaroL
CaroL
Shekinah moves in mysterious ways...
Sorry, couldn't resist, but it's true, isn't it? After all, arranging for Jacqui to sufficiently interested in the post to (a) apply, (b) turn up for interview, (c) come back a second time, (d) realise Cathy knew (courtesy of her checks with Jim), and (e) subsequently be treated to a dose of emotional/mental healing (possibly not blue light, as that tends to be physical healing)...
So it looks as though Cathy's helping Jacqui to move on and make a fresh start - plus may have some help in the mornings and evenings (since Jacqui will probably be at college during weekday daytimes for the next couple of years). Hopefully now Cathy's helped her move on from that incident, she can lighten up a bit more and may get on well with the tribe.
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Kudos
I've finally caught up! It was like running a marathon, followed by another marathon. I started with Chapter 1 and have finally reached this point - since January!
Yours is an epic story. I'm so pleased I finally dove into it. I'm now deeply involved with the entire family. As a Scottish-American, I'm pleased to read about folk from Scotia.
I look foreward to my Daily Dormouse, aka The Perils of the Scottish Paulene, and I hope to continue enjoying the trials and tribulations of the family for many years to come.
Thank you for a delightful story.
Red MacDonald
Justice,
I wonder how Cathy was able to see the truth...