Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1696

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The Daily Dormouse.
(aka Bike)
Part 1696
by Angharad

Copyright © 2012 Angharad
All Rights Reserved.
  
-Dormouse-001.jpg

I drove home wondering how I’d deal with Tom when he came home bearing gifts. Realising we’d probably both made fools of ourselves, I determined to make him a special dinner and involve all the children.

I told Jacquie that Tom and I had had a misunderstanding and that I was going to make him a special dinner. She seemed to think it was a good idea and agreed to keep an eye on Catherine while I was busy in the kitchen. Then I had a brainwave and dashed off in the car to Waitrose after checking they had what I wanted.

I was out for less than an hour and dashed upstairs to change out of my work clothes and into my ‘round the house’ clothes consisting of jeans and a shirt with a sweatshirt on top of it—I tend to feel the cold a bit these days.

I followed the instructions for cooking the menu I’d chosen and got things organised. I’d never cooked this particular meal before so it was a little daunting, however, as they say, it’s the thought that counts, thus I pressed on.

For a dessert I did a simple fruit salad and cream—lots of chopping and peeling, but relatively easy otherwise. I had to stop midway and collect the children from school, briefing the girls on the way home that they had to be nice to their grandad because he and I had had a misunderstanding.

They all agreed they would be extra nice to their grandad and try not to squabble or make too much noise. Simon called and informed me he’d be late home; when I told him what I was cooking he told me not to keep any for him as he hoped he’d have a meal before his meeting.

I told Stella what I was cooking but she told me she was going out with Gareth and Jacquie had agreed to babysit for her with Julie. I told her that I hoped it included looking after my little one too. She was sure it did—a likely tale. Stella is entirely focused on getting what she wants and that meant dolling up to go out. She’s a very attractive woman and knows how to make the best of herself, so she’d be extremely well turned out tonight.

Tom arrived home carrying a huge bouquet of flowers of all types and descriptions and also a box of sweets, which I’d share later with the kids—they all like Quality Street. “These ’re fa ye,” he handed them over to me and I nearly fell over, the bunch was so big. The sweeties were Quality Street, and I knew the girls especially would squabble over the ones they liked. Danny liked them all so he’d eat whatever they left.

I had a bottle of wine breathing on the table and Trish and Livvie squabbling knocked it over the contents covering the whole table top. I was still dealing with receiving the bouquet when the brawling pair rolled in and hit the table. I was furious, Daddy and I were trying to have a serious conversation when it happened and I just exploded with fury, sending both girls to their beds.

“Cathy, ye canna dae that, it wis jes’ high spirits.”

“Daddy, please don’t undermine my authority,” I insisted and he walked away to his den. So far the evening was falling as flat as a lead pancake.

I cleared up the mess from the wine, which stinks. I then went and apologised to him for being short with him. “It’s no me ye need tae speak tae, but thae bairns ye shooted at.”

I didn’t think I could deal with any more grief tonight so I asked Jacquie to call the girls down. I sat and talked with them for a few minutes reminding them that they had promised to be good and then done the exact opposite. I also pointed out that the bottle of wine had cost me ten pounds, so they had wasted good food and drink.

They both sobbed and apologised and I told them it was okay providing they behaved from now on, if not they’d be in bed very early for the next week. I sent them off to wash their faces and comb each other’s hair. When they came back, I asked them to go and get Tom as I was serving dinner.

I had just drained off the main course and placed it on a plate as Tom came into the kitchen.

“Whit’s that?” he asked.

“Haggis, Daddy, I got it specially for you?”

“Whit?” he gasped.

“I wanted to give you a special dinner tonight to apologise for this afternoon.”

He grimaced, “I dinna like it, I only eat it on Burns Nicht oot o’ duty, and thae uisgebeatha kills thae taste efterwards.”

“Oh,” I said and felt my bottom lip begin to tremble. I was so close to running up to my bed and staying there for the duration. I felt my eyes begin to fill.

“I’m only jokin’, it’s ma favourite,” he said holding me at the upper arms, “thank ye fa sich thochtfulness.”

I had an urge to bash him on the head with the large pan I’d been using to boil the haggis, I was so confused now—did he like it and had he been pulling my leg or did he hate it and pretend to like it to spare my feelings?

“Daddy, I thought we’d stopped playing these wind up games.”

“Aye yer richt, I’m sae sorry.” He hugged me and I burst into tears. I went out into the drive in the rain and calmed down before coming in and serving the meal, haggis with neeps and tatties.

Tom ate his share of the haggis, joking with the girls about how they hunted them in Scotland, and how difficult it was to catch them and then to pluck them.

“Pwuck them? Queried Meems.

“Aye, wi’ tweezers, ain hair at a time—taks all nicht, an’ only wi’ a full moon.”

“Don’t be siwwy, Gwamps.”

“It’s true,” he protested but Trish told her sister he was joking, it was a sheep’s innards minced and mixed with oatmeal before being tied in the stomach and boiled.

“Sheepses innawds, yucky,” exclaimed Meems and threw up all over the table and over Trish who screeched and dashed up to the bathroom to decontaminate herself.

While Jacquie and Tom watched the rest of the kids, I checked on Trish who was practically hysterical and vowing revenge upon her sister.

“Now just hold on there, young lady, whose fault is it she was sick?”

“Not mine,” she replied.

“I see, so the graphic description of what a haggis was isn’t in anyway related to causing Mima to be sick?”

“No, it was Gramps’ fault, if he hadn’t told her a fib, I wouldn’t have had to tell her what it really was.”

“Were you telling her because you thought that Gramps was winding her up or to show how clever you were?”

She went bright red and spluttered the former was correct. I told her to wash herself and get dressed for bed.

“I’m not going to bed, Mummy, it’s far too early,” she said with indignation.

“I didn’t say you were, but any more of that, young lady, and you’ll be in bed before you know what day it is. Now wash and change and behave—final warning, okay?”

She was about to challenge me and backed down, went very red and with her eyes glistening with tears she nodded and apologised.

I gave her a little hug then went down to clean up the mess. By the time Simon came home I was in bed and asleep, glad to conclude a dreadful day and night.

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