The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1695 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

I met up with Tom for lunch and he took me to his usual pub restaurant where he had his usual chicken curry and for a change I had a tuna salad.

“Sae hoos it gaein’?” he asked me while he sipped his Guinness and I had some iced water.

“I’ve done the first group tutorial.”

“Aye, an’?”

“They stopped griping when Neal brought Spike in.”

“Sae yer pet rat still has her uses then?”

“I shall treat that with the degree of contempt it deserves.” He laughed at my response, the problem is I can’t hit back because he tends to take everything I say as the gospel truth.

The food arrived and we concentrated on stuffing our faces rather than talking. How he could eat that stuff five days a week completely baffled me, and if I invited him out for dinner and there was chicken curry on the menu, he’d order it again. I suspect his guts must be lined with the natural equivalent of asbestos. Mind you, I eat a lot of fish, so I’m probably swimming in mercury. It isn’t a problem until it gets warm, then I start to grow lengthways.

We went on to discuss my course and any changes we needed to make to it. I complained that many of the new students were under the impression that they’d be playing with dormice.

“Surely, they didnae think that, did they?”

“It’s a common misconception, which appears to arise from the advertising for the course and also from the so called advice sheet, given to enquirers about the course.

“Were ye no consulted afore they printed these leaflets?”

“If I had been, I could have advised on a few points and prevented some of the misapprehensions which seem to be occurring. We have a meeting next Friday, if you’d like to sit in, you’d be very welcome.

“Aye, a’richt, I will.”

We chatted about the family and he asked how I thought Jacquie was progressing.

“On the whole, I’m quite pleased with her progress, given that she is emotionally very damaged from her experiences in that place.”

He nodded his agreement.

I continued, “I’m also aware that she’s missed out on a great deal of her education, her reading age is well below adult.”

“Yer no her ma, Cathy, ye cannae adopt everyain, jes’ because ye see a need.”

“I know that, Daddy, but if I might say so, you’re a fine one to talk.”

“Whit d’ye mean?” he looked affronted by my suggestion—oops.

“I mean, you adopted someone who seemed to be a little in need of some guidance and stability.”

“Aye, an’ jest wha wis this, someone?”

“Me of course.”

He laughed loudly and I felt myself growing hot and probably blushing like a tomato. “Ye silly wee thing, I always thocht it wis ye that adopted me.”

Now I was confused.

“Okay, we adopted each other, but it was you who invited me into your home.”

“Weel, ye could hardly hae invited me into that bedsit, noo, could ye?”

“I suppose not.” Now I was really at sea. “But you said I reminded you of your daughter.”

“Aye, ye dae.”

“And that I was sort of replacing her in some ways.”

“Aye, sae ye are.”

“And you encouraged me to call you, Daddy?”

“Aye weel, ye seem to enjoy it, and ye hae jes’ lost yer ain faither.”

“I do enjoy it, but are you telling me that you don’t?” Not only was I blushing I was also close to tears. “I mean, do you want me to leave.”

“Leave? Leave whaur?”

“Leave your house.”

“No, nivver.”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Now I felt a big tear run down my cheek.

“I dinna ken, perhaps, that yer the most important thing in ma life right noo.”

I didn’t understand where that had come from but rather than say it, I held my tongue. “You’re important to all of us, Daddy; but if ever we get too much, you must say.” The waiter approached with the bill but Tom waved him away.

“Ye’ll nivver be tae much fa me, hen. Ye’ve revived ma life, bringing yer bairns intae ma life. Ma Catherine would nivver hae gi’n me ony bairns or grandchildren, ye’ve daen that fa me. Ye’ve restored ma life, Cathy, sae hoo could I be tired o’ ye?”

By now we were both sniffing back the tears. “Is there anything wrong, Professor?” asked a voice from behind me.

“No, sae piss off until I ask fa ye?”

That just about made me wet myself. I started to laugh and so did he. I laughed like a hysteric and it took me a moment to control myself. He offered me a brandy, but I was driving, so I declined.

In the end we left after he settled the bill, I escaped to the ladies while he did so. I expect he’d spin some tale about why I seemed upset. I still didn’t understand why we’d ended up talking about this stuff—it seemed almost like a tease that went wrong, only this time it wasn’t him who took things too literally, but me.

I tidied up my makeup, but my eyes were still red and sore and I felt like shit. I drove him back to the university. “Hae ye ony teachin’ this efternoon?”

“No, just letters and things, why?”

“Gang awa’ hame.”

“But, I...”

“Dae as I say, Cathy, I’m still yer boss as weel as yer adopted faither.”

“Okay, if you say so.” I dropped him at the entrance and drove off before realising that I’d left my laptop in my office. So I returned and parked the car and sneaking past his office I heard him talking to Pippa.

“I upset her, an’ I dinna ken why I did it? I didnae mean tae. She’s ma whole world, Pippa, whit would I dae if she left?”

“Why d’you think she’d want to do that, Professor?”

“Because I hurt her.”

“I think she’s made of sterner stuff than that.”

“Ye think sae?”

“I know so. Give her an hour or two to get over it and take her some flowers and she’ll love you as much as ever.”

“Jes’ some floo’ers?”

“Yes, works every time with us girls.”

“Shall I send her some?”

“No, you take them and give them to her with an apology, she’ll forgive you anything—trust me, I know these things.”

I tiptoed past, before they realised the door was open or that I was back in the building. After grabbing my laptop I was dashing back to my car and saw Pippa rushing off and I wondered if she was going to get the flowers for him.

I went back to the car unseen, as far as I knew at any rate.