The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1721 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

While Sammi went to hang up her new clothes, Jacquie spoke to me in the kitchen. “Mummy, she called you mummy as well.”

“Jacquie, it seems half the planet calls me mummy, if Simon or Tom start doing it, there will be ructions, otherwise just accept it’s a name. Remember the reason you started to use it, Sammi has a similar need. If you find that difficult to accept think how Mima feels, she was the first to use the term and the first to be adopted by me, and she’s had to get used to sharing the term with several since, not least, this little urchin.” I made a face at little Cate and she chuckled at me.

Jacquie looked uncertain.

“The term mother implies someone who nurtures those younger than her, mostly of her own flesh but not always–as is the case here. I hope I help to nurture all of you, even though, some of you might be of an age where others might be self-nurturing.”

“D’you mean I should be self-nurturing?”

“Only if you feel that’s what you want to do. I see my children as special, like me they’ve all been hurt by their families or others who were in positions of authority or trust. I experienced some myself, and have been nurtured by Simon and Tom and Stella, and in turn have reciprocated when they needed my help. I’ve sort of slipped into the role of matriarch, because they let me or encouraged it.”

“You made this family, according to the others.”

“No one of us made it happen, it sort of happened by itself when Simon declared his love and support for me despite my personal baggage, and I did the same for him. This was helped by Stella, who I love and treat as my sister and she does the same to me. When Tom invited me to stay here with him, he knew of my problems, which was one of the reasons he invited me, I reminded him of his deceased daughter.

“Simon soon followed me in becoming a resident here and then Stella, the rest has really been through Stella or me; although Mima was dumped on me, Trish was sent to me by a leading doctor, Danny and Billie were in a children’s home, Julie had left home and I found her on a rubbish pile having been beaten up, baby Catherine was passed over to me by her mother who died. Somehow, providence enabled you to find your way here and possibly the same for Sammi albeit for different reasons.

“All of us here, except the babies, have been damaged–we all need each other. Being in the role of mother means I sort of lead the group in some ways while Tom as patriarch–he’s the oldest and wisest of us–does so in other ways and even Simon as the alpha male.

“Each of us brings different problems, has different needs, but also brings different skills or help with them. We are a family, we try to help each other and in return know the others will help us. By calling me, mummy, Sammi has agreed to accept all that goes with it as you did before.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that before, Mummy. I’m sorry if I seemed a bit off.”

“It’s okay, Jacquie, it takes time to integrate into a unit, I know at times I have difficulties remembering things I should or shouldn’t say or do. Shortly after my mother died, I had a dream in which she told me I’d have lots of children. Seeing as I can’t have my own, I didn’t believe it–but look at what’s happened since then.”

“I think your mum was right.”

“Was she or was it a dream–wishful thinking or what? I’m not religious as you know–in fact I’m probably anti-religions because they all seem to miss the point, and arguing about gods is as futile as discussing fairies or elves–they don’t exist.”

“According to Tinkerbell, you just killed another one.”

“Oh well, tell her to sue me.”

“You were saying about religions?”

“Oh yeah, I’m not religious, but there does seem to be a belief in some circles that the universe will provide–obviously it’s a nonsense too, or no one would starve in Africa or freeze in Northern Europe, which clearly they do.”

“Mummy, there is sufficient food to feed everyone, it’s just that some people take more than their share, the same for energy–there’d be enough to go round if we didn’t waste so much. Some of us are just plain greedy.”

“I won’t argue with you, Jacquie, because a great part of me agrees, but some believe that those who have needs will find each other–so my need to mother was met by some of you having a need to be mothered or nurtured. At times the price paid by others is immense–your family lost you–surely that wasn’t just so you could find me or me you? The egotism involved in that reasoning is crazy.”

“What if it’s like magnetism, opposite poles attract and same ones repel?” As she rarely expresses opinions, I played dumb and encouraged her to expand her argument.

“Not sure I follow you,” I said looking bemused.

“Well, Mummy, if you have a need to nurture and someone has a need to be nurtured aren’t they at opposite sides of the same thing, the nurture? So if they are both emitting this need to the universe or God or whatever, then isn’t it reasonable that they should be attracted to each other?”

“What about those poor folk in Africa who need food or tools to grow it–aren’t they also emitting a need to the universe or a god?” I challenged.

“Yes they are–but if the message was picked up by those with different needs or different viewpoint, the message might not get through.”

“So their need for food and drink is picked up by over-nourished westerners, who seem to have a similar need but for different reasons, they are coming from the same side and the stronger group strangles the message? I must admit I haven’t thought of it in those terms before.”

“It gets difficult, doesn’t it, Mummy?”

“No, darling it is difficult, it becomes more so. Another of these philosophical aphorisms, is: ‘When the pupil is ready the master appears.’ Can’t say it ever applied to me.”

“I don’t know, Mummy. When you were ready to nurture us we came to let you learn how to do it. When you were ready to become who you really were, Stella appeared and knocked you off your bike and into womanhood.”

“Okay, there have been some nice coincidences if they’re viewed out of context, but you can distort anything like that to fit your theory from ley lines to religion or politics.”

“You know lots more about these things than I do.”

“Right, I’m back now, Mummy, what would you like me to do?” Sammi returned to the kitchen.

“Could you put some fresh water in the birdbath, Samantha?”

“Wow, Mummy, you’re the first one to call me by my new name.”

“Well I won’t be the last, that’s for sure.” See? Another meaningful or otherwise coincidence, which like most others means absolutely bugger all.